by thuki
peloquin17 wrote:
any good beginner strategies i should stick with?
like grabbing certain resources, or trying to build certain buildings?
In a 2 player game, in the beginning take any resource that piles up to 4 or more. Iron and cattle, you should already consider taking when there's 2 on offer (the cattle will start breeding right away). In the early game, highest priority should be on wood, clay, and mostly also fish to secure food supply for the first couple of rounds.
The marketplace is a nice building to use at an early point, especially when you've already built (or bought) one or more craftsman's building(s) (e.g. the Build 4), because it gives you different goods (consider getting an early grain that way, because from the first grain on, you'll get another one every round).
Try to have 5 wood and your starting coal in stock by the time someone builds the wharf. An early ship can save you lots of feeding problems later on, and gives you more freedom to collect building materials and build buildings.
Another hint would be to watch out for your opponent's food strategy and build the buildings he needs (so you can collect the entry fees from him): If he gets early cattle, try to build the abattoir before he does. If he builds or buys the fishery, go for the smokehouse. If he's into grain, grab the bakehouse. Or, the other way around, try to get the fishery, smokehouse, and as many buildings with the fisherman symbol as possible for yourself. That'll make for a nice food supply even when you don't have any ships.
Have fun exploring the game, I'd love to hear more about your progress! :)