Game progression is an important system which adjusts some gameplay features and the world around the player to their progress in the game, based on reached population tiers and total population.
Progress levels[]
There are six progress levels reached upon attracting certain population:
- Early Game: active from the start
- Early-Mid Game: 35
Workers - Mid Game: 1
Artisans - Late-Mid Game: 1
Engineers - Late Game: 1
Investors - End Game: 1000 Investors and 25000 global population
Alternative levels corresponding to Enbesa[]
Progress levels which apply to Enbesa, available in Land of Lions DLC, are different than levels valid for all other regions. They matter only with regards to Emperor Ketema: his quests and trading capabilities.
- Early Game: active from the start
- Early-Mid Game: 1 Shepherds
- Mid Game: 300 Shepherds
- Late-Mid Game: 300 Elders
- Late Game: 1 Scholars
- End Game: 2500 Scholars
Affected features[]
Island takeover[]
After taking over an AI opponent's island, there are also several items left in island's trading post as a reward for the winner and new owner of the island. The number and sets of items obtainable in this way depend on the game progression.
Newspapers[]
Progress level determines how much time may pass between two consecutive newspaper issues. The further the progress in the game is, the longer it takes until the next issue comes out.
Quests[]
Most quests are available only after a certain progress level has been reached. Some quests are unavailable at low progress levels.
Trade[]
All neutral traders and pirates (when in trade agreement with the player) trade with particular goods and items. The higher the progress level, the more goods they offer and request, and the restock rates of offered goods increase. The set of available items is different at each progress level, as well as the number of items offered at a time. Some traders also sell ships and their offers depend on the game progression too. Sets of goods, items, ships and restock rates are different for each trader and the details can be found on relevant characters' pages, except for the number of offered items, which is the same for all traders at each progress level.
Traders who engage in passive trade use different numbers and types of boats, depending on the progress level, they might also have different budget designated for passive trading.
War[]
Pirates and AI opponents have different war capabilities depending on the game progression. The higher the progress level, the more ships and island defences they are able to have.
Specific values[]
| Feature | Values appropriate to the feature and the progress level | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Game | Early-Mid Game | Mid Game | Late-Mid Game | Late Game | End Game | ||
| Number of items after takeover | Main islands | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Secondary islands | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |
| Newspaper cooldown (min) | 30-90 | 30-90 | 45-105 | 60-120 | 90-120 | 90-120 | |
| Number of items offered | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 12 | |