~Settlers

A few tips on building successful buildings, obtained via Netmail.
 

Select a large flat area free of boulders but near enough to both 
bolders and trees to annex them with a few guardhouses. Dont worry 
about getting near mountains for the mo' as you will only waste 
resources early on in the level, but send out a couple of surveyors 
to find minerals. Coal is the most important to start with then iron 
and gold.

The best way to build up your strength is to go to the knights menu 
and put the number to defend the castle to as many as you have swords 
and sheilds and conscript about 10 straight away to train up a bit 
before your guardhouses are built, only drop the number down when the 
houses are almost built but then put it up again as soon as the GH 
are full.

Build the roads in a star shape from every flag to give as many 
different routes for the carriers as possible but try to have routes 
to your important buildings have as few flags as possible on as the 
fewer flags in a rout the faster the transfer.

If you border onto another player you can steal goods from him by 
joining one of your roads to one of his roads running paralell to 
the border. Take care with this though as he can steal stuff from you 
too if your castle is closer to things he is building or using than 
his own. If you get time you can pick a spot where all the goods come 
your way. 


(Thanks Mark, whoever you are !)