New nation - Help/advice?

[Nivalis]

Hello all,

I started playing this game quite a while ago (I want to say like two years ago?), but never really got very far (basically just kept buying an epic amount of infrastructure and watched the land area on the google-maps-style-map.


Anyways, I want to do well now, but I'm not sure what to do. I have very little money and I've read and apparently my two resources (gold and lead) are not very good? I don't know what a trade circle is, I don't know what joining an alliance will do and honestly I want to try and remain out of war for at least a good while.

So, should I join an alliance? They offer x millions of dollars, so that would be good, but I don't know if that means I'd have to go to war and all of that.

Should I do a trade circle and if so how do I figure out what a good one would be?


I'm mainly looking for just about all the help I can get here.

Thanks a bunch!

[knighta]

I am also a new player so I have little experience. What I can say is this I would join an alliance. They can support you with various things such as aid, military, advice. But I would join one that suits to you. As for your resources you could always re-roll and hope for a better trade. Although it takes five days to recreate a nation.

Yes do join a trade a circle. Trade circles are a group of players combining their resources to get bonus resources usually these players are grouped for long term commitment. This site http://cn-utilities.com/ a free registration is required. This site can help you with calculations on tech, infra, trade circles, wonders and land. For your trade circle I see a lot of people have this jewelry, microchips, radiation cleanup, asphalt, automobiles, construction, scholars and one left over resource as a wild card.

Then with the % decrease in tech cost from your resources I would get into some tech deals to greatly increase the expansion of your country. Either a $3 million/100 tech or a $3 million/ 50 tech deal. This link can explain a lot more in detail. http://cybernations.wikia.com/wiki/Tech_deals. I would recommend your first two improvements being a harbor then a foreign ministry then either factories or banks. I am sure an expert on this game could help you a great deal more.

Edited June 25, 2010 by knighta

[Bradford]

knighta and I are both in the same alliance (Menotah) so take that as you will in evaluating our opinions!

In no particular order:

(a) Trades - Yes, a circle is a long term commitment to trade with a specific group of people (only) so that everyone in the group gets a desired set of resources. Compare this to running individual trades on your own, which will constantly need to be replaced. A GOOD circle is stable and so doesn't need to change members often. Even better, a GREAT circle has a good person who takes responsibility for it - whether a member or an alliance trade coordinator, who will lead the effort to fix problems or replace dropouts.

The CN Utilities site knighta linked is fantastic for figuring out what resources work well together and what their effects are (and for lots of other stuff) but it won't actually help you find a trade.

You can look in the Trading Harbor forum here in the CN Forums, which is a big free-for-all marketplace. Or if you look to join an alliance, ask the recruiter how they handle trade assistance, and how long you might reasonably have to wait to get placed somewhere.

Personally, I wouldn't reroll in your position - gold and lead aren't great but they work very well together (they are 2/3 of the needed resources for Microchips, which is a nice bonus resource that fits well into a number of popular circles). If you had mismatched resources - i.e. ones that fit into two different bonus resources that do NOT commonly go together, like wine (for affluent population) and water (for beer) - then I'd strongly suggest thinking about a reroll!


(b) Alliance - definitely join an alliance but do some research. Figure out what YOU want to do (and what you're most likely to do whether you want to or not). For example, if you think you're likely to go inactive for long periods because of unavoidable real life stuff, there are alliances you won't want to join because they want very active members. If you're serious about growing your nation, a good alliance will give you advice on how to do so efficiently, assistance in making trades and tech deals to foster growth, provide security and backup if you get raided or get into some other difficulties, and generally give you the kind of interaction and cameraderie that makes the whole process of nation-building more fun!

Don't go strictly by the amount of startup cash an alliance offers. Honestly, startup cash is relatively trivial in the long run (my opinion only). If you do choose an alliance that gives you aid, make sure you understand what "strings" are attached. You may have to pay it back if you leave within a certain period. You may have to spend it exactly how they instruct, etc.

Most alliances will expect their members to be willing to go to war at least to defend the alliance or your alliance-mates if attacked. If you're NEVER willing to fight, your options are somewhat limited. Think carefully about what you're willing to do FOR your alliance and talk to recruiters about that and what they expect.

Tip: Some recruiters may not be ready for detailed questions - don't judge the whole alliance by that, but be wary of joining an alliance that can't or won't spend some time with you answering questions during recruitment.


Hope that helps!

Edited June 25, 2010 by Bradford

[quigon jinn]

Hello Nivalis,

There is a discussion channel on IRC (a chat program) specifically for these sorts of questions - I learned a TON there and am very glad I chose to ask questions.

You can go to http://chat.mibbit.com/

Choose "Coldfront [webirc]" in the top dropdown box, put your name there, and then type "#cn-econ" into the box that says channel, and you will join a channel dedicated to things like what you are asking

-Quigon

[Fizzydog]

I can give you some quick pointers:

Find out what a 3br is and reroll till you get the resources needed for it.

Choose Capitalist for collecting.

Get on a team, anything but Pink.( they have very little members)

Get in an alliance that does not offer you joining aid. It is most likely corrupt.

Get in an alliance(I suggest Asgaard, great community and growthguides :3) and get out of peace mode. War will eventually get to you unless you get into a neutral alliance.

Get in a tech deal. 3 million for 100 tech. You will be selling technology. Since you are so small, get them to send the money first. Buy some infra but make sure you save some for the tech.

That is all I have off the top of my head.

[Captain Calcium]

Moved to Question Center.

[TOLWYN]

DONT SELL 100 TECH FOR 3 MILLION, THAT IS A RIP OFF. YOU END UP MAKING NOT VERY MUCH MONEY AND YOU WASTE 3 AID SLOTS.

SELL 50 FOR 3 MILLION INSTEAD, THAT IS A MUCH MORE FAIR DEAL.

[Fizzydog]

If you can even find people who deal that way you are lucky. A 3/50 is basically free aid. 50 tech is nothign for a small nation. 100 is actually buying and selling.


But if you can find a 3/50, go for it.


The original price was 3/150. So consider yourself lucky.

[xenon]

[quote name='TOLWYN' date='02 July 2010 - 01:19 PM' timestamp='1278091178' post='2357858']
DONT SELL 100 TECH FOR 3 MILLION, THAT IS A RIP OFF. YOU END UP MAKING NOT VERY MUCH MONEY AND YOU WASTE 3 AID SLOTS.

SELL 50 FOR 3 MILLION INSTEAD, THAT IS A MUCH MORE FAIR DEAL.
[/quote]

Apparently YOU aren't doing it properly, because if you fill your aid slots with 5 3M/100 1x1x1's, and do it properly, you will profit about 8,000,000 a month, and it isn't a rip off for your alliance mates that are buying, so it is mutually beneficial. 3M/50's are great though, but don't push too hard for them.


Best advice would be to join an alliance, they can get you started.

Edited July 2, 2010 by xenon

[Baldr]

[quote name='TOLWYN' date='02 July 2010 - 12:19 PM' timestamp='1278091178' post='2357858']
DONT SELL 100 TECH FOR 3 MILLION, THAT IS A RIP OFF. YOU END UP MAKING NOT VERY MUCH MONEY AND YOU WASTE 3 AID SLOTS.

SELL 50 FOR 3 MILLION INSTEAD, THAT IS A MUCH MORE FAIR DEAL.
[/quote]

Looking at the nonsense you are doing with your aid slots, I don't think you should be giving anyone advice.

You wasted one aid slot for $60,000 and 500 soldiers. Wasted another one over 2000 soldiers with no month. You received money for a 3x3 (which is a $3M/100 deal, the thing you are complaining is a rip off) and only delivered 50 of the tech. And you've got one aid slot sitting open, doing nothing.

Until you learn a bit, you shouldn't be giving advise, much less screaming IT'S A RIP OFF!

[Dexomega]

[quote name='Fizzydog' date='01 July 2010 - 02:36 PM' timestamp='1278012962' post='2356940']Get in an alliance that does not offer you joining aid. It is most likely corrupt.[/quote]
I resent that!

If you want you can drop in to chat with me on IRC at #cnusn. I'll give you all the pointers you need.

I used to be in your boat.

[veecos]

We are one of the 10 sanctioned alliances.
We have great forums,great guides and a load of startup tech deals.
Check us out.
http://www.viridianentente.com/index.php?referrerid=3851.

[Locke426]

[quote name='veecos' date='03 July 2010 - 05:07 AM' timestamp='1278148029' post='2358583']
We are one of the 10 sanctioned alliances.
We have great forums,great guides and a load of startup tech deals.
Check us out.
http://www.viridianentente.com/index.php?referrerid=3851.
[/quote]

There are actually 12 sanctioned alliances. VE is a great one though. Like a previous poster said, find an alliance that you fit with. [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showforum=24]This[/url] section of the forum has threads for a almost all of the alliances of any noticeable size. Read the threads, note the ones that you are interested in and then go to their IRC channels to get a better feel of what their members are like and if you'd enjoy it there.