Introduction
Are you diving into a new base-building or resource management game and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of options? Do you find yourself constantly short on essential materials, slowing down your progress? One of the most critical aspects of any successful early game is establishing a robust and efficient resource production system. Specifically, knowing what farms should you build first can drastically impact your growth, sustainability, and overall enjoyment.
Many new players stumble by investing in advanced technologies or specialized production too early, neglecting the fundamental resource streams that fuel everything else. This often leads to frustrating bottlenecks, forcing you to grind for hours to acquire the necessary materials. The truth is, optimizing your early game resource production is all about prioritizing the farms that provide the essential building blocks for your empire.
To help you get started on the right foot, this guide will walk you through the most crucial farms to prioritize in the early game. We will explore why each farm is essential, provide tips for maximizing their efficiency, and help you avoid common pitfalls that can hinder your progress. By focusing on these key production centers, you’ll be well on your way to establishing a thriving and sustainable base.
Defining “First”: Early Game Focus
Before we dive into the specific types of farms, it’s crucial to define what we mean by the “early game.” This period typically encompasses the initial hours or days of your playthrough, where your primary focus is on establishing a stable base, researching fundamental technologies, and securing your territory. The exact duration and specific milestones will vary depending on the game, but the core goals remain the same.
During this early phase, you’ll likely encounter specific resource bottlenecks that impede your progress. For example, you might find yourself constantly running out of food, halting your population growth. Alternatively, you might struggle to acquire enough wood or stone to expand your base and construct essential structures. Identifying these bottlenecks is the first step in determining what farms should you build first.
The Essential Early Game Farms: Prioritized
To accelerate your early progress, you need to establish a solid foundation of essential resource farms. These farms will provide the fuel for your expansion, technology, and overall development. Here are the top farms to prioritize in the early game:
Sustaining Your People: The Food Farm
The single most important farm to establish early on is a reliable source of food. Without food, your population will starve, your armies will weaken, and your progress will grind to a halt. Depending on the game, this could involve cultivating crops, raising livestock, or even fishing. The specific type of food farm will vary, but the principle remains the same: ensuring a consistent supply of nourishment for your people.
When setting up your food production, consider the following efficiency tips:
- Strategic Placement: Locate your farms near fertile land, water sources, or any other environmental factors that enhance production.
- Balancing Output and Consumption: Carefully monitor your food consumption rate and adjust your production accordingly. Avoid overproducing, which can lead to wasted resources, but also ensure you have enough surplus to account for population growth.
- Upgrade Paths: Invest in upgrades that increase the yield of your food farms, such as improved irrigation systems, advanced farming techniques, or higher-quality livestock breeds.
- Automation: If the game allows for automation, explore ways to automate the harvesting and distribution of food to reduce the amount of manual labor required.
Building Your Foundation: The Basic Material Farm
Once you have a reliable source of food, the next priority is to establish a steady flow of basic materials such as wood, stone, or metal. These materials are the building blocks of your base, allowing you to construct essential structures, craft tools, and research new technologies. This farm could take the form of a lumber mill, a stone quarry, or an ore extraction facility, depending on the specific resources available in your game.
To maximize the efficiency of your material farms, consider the following:
- Locate Near Deposits: Place your farms directly adjacent to resource deposits to minimize travel time and maximize the output of your workers.
- Production Rate Boosts: Prioritize upgrades that increase the rate at which your workers can extract or process materials.
- Automated Transport: Implement automated transport systems, such as conveyor belts or transport vehicles, to efficiently move resources from the farm to your storage facilities.
Powering Your Progress: The Energy Production
In many modern resource management games, energy is a critical resource that powers your buildings, research, and advanced resource extraction. Establishing a reliable source of energy early on is essential for unlocking new technologies and expanding your production capabilities. This could involve constructing windmills, solar panels, or coal-fired power plants, depending on the available resources and technologies in the game.
To ensure a stable energy supply, follow these guidelines:
- Prime Location: Place your energy-generating structures in locations that maximize their output. For example, windmills should be placed in windy areas, while solar panels should be positioned to receive direct sunlight.
- Resource Management: Manage the resources required to operate your energy plants, such as coal or fuel, to avoid disruptions in your power supply.
- Surplus Storage: Build sufficient storage capacity to store excess energy generated during peak production times. This will help you weather periods of high demand and ensure a consistent power supply.
Moving Beyond the Basics: Secondary Farm Priorities
Once you have established a solid foundation of food, materials, and energy, you can begin to explore more specialized resource production options. These secondary farms can provide valuable advantages in specific areas, but they are generally not essential for early-game survival.
Unlocking Advanced Options: Resource Specialization
Resource specialization involves focusing on the production of a specific type of resource that unlocks more advanced technologies or production paths. For example, you might invest in a farm that produces a rare metal used in crafting powerful weapons or armor. While these specialized resources can provide a significant advantage, they are generally not as critical as the basic resources needed for early game survival.
Amplifying Production: Production Efficiency
Some games allow you to enhance the efficiency of your existing farms by investing in additional production chains that amplify their resource output. For example, you might build a fertilizer factory to boost crop yields or construct beehives to increase the pollination of your fruit trees. These production efficiency enhancements are only worthwhile once you have already established a solid foundation of basic resource farms.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When prioritizing what farms should you build first, it’s important to avoid these common mistakes:
- Over-investing in Advanced Farms: Focusing on specialized or advanced resource production too early can leave you short on essential materials and hinder your overall progress.
- Ignoring Basic Needs: Neglecting to establish a reliable source of food or basic materials can lead to starvation, resource shortages, and ultimately, failure.
- Poor Location: Failing to optimize the placement of your farms can significantly reduce their output and waste valuable resources.
- Storage Shortage: Failing to build sufficient storage capacity can result in resources being wasted or lost.
- Imbalance: Neglecting to balance production with consumption can lead to either resource shortages or wasted surpluses.
Conclusion
Mastering the art of early-game resource production is crucial for success in any base-building or resource management game. By prioritizing the establishment of essential farms for food, materials, and energy, you can lay the foundation for a thriving and sustainable base. While specialized farms can offer advantages later in the game, they should only be pursued after your core resource needs have been met.
Remember to adapt your strategy to the specific challenges and resource requirements of the game you are playing. Experiment with different farm layouts, upgrade paths, and automation options to find what works best for your play style. With a solid understanding of what farms should you build first, you can confidently progress through the early game and build a powerful and prosperous empire. Now get out there and start farming!
