Farming vs Fishing Guide
By Cherub Krud
Fishing and farming economies offer their own unique perks and flaws. A developed farming economy is comprised of 2 to 4 mills, and 50 to 200 villagers. The farming economy is tougher to stop because, when aided by a few military units, the villagers can defend the fields and the economy. However, the villagers require a food upkeep, which can take a large toll on what they produce by harvesting. A largely farming economy takes up a large space in housing as well, vast amounts of villagers are employed to harvest and they must take the time to build homes as well. Yet the farming economy is comprised of villagers, and those villagers can be easily tasked to chop wood build structures or mine minerals. A developed fishing economy can contain anywhere from 15 to 75 boats all acquiring food at a fast rate. The fishing boats are rather pricey though, with an increasing cost, but this cost can be eliminated by research. The fishing economy is also weak because large enemy ships can simply ram each fishing ship with ease. However, the fishing economy requires no upkeep and each vessel dumps a value of 1000 food into your stockpiles with each return to the shipyard.
Farming
The farming economy is an early game necessity because docks and fishing ships are too pricey to build early. A mill provides quick food with about 30 villagers harvesting there. However, a farming economy must be built up to include over 75 villagers in order to provide enough food for unit training, research, and upkeep.
Food produced per minute by farming with the Manufacture Agriculture Sundry (farming efficiency +100%), Cultivate New Cultures of Wheat (+20% harvest), Carry out Fields’ Meliodration, and the Improve Grain-Crops Treatment (harvesting +140%) upgrades.
40 Villagers provides | 13668 food |
70 Villagers provides | 19464 food |
100 Villagers provides | 23009 food |
150 Villagers provides | 30675 food |
200 Villagers provides | 36792 food |
Forty villagers produce 13668 units of food per minute with their expenses included. However, this is hardly enough villagers to support a large economy as well as an army. Seventy villagers produce more, which can be used for research, but a strong economy requires at least 100 villagers harvesting food. More academy research can increase harvesting and efficiency of your fields which will further and quicken food harvesting,
Fishing
A fishing economy provides large amounts of food very quickly. But the boats come at an increasing price, getting higher with each boat built. Fishing ships need a large space of ocean to do their work, but the food they provide more than eliminates this. Researching new bait and tackle brings the fishing economy’s efficiency up by 100% providing more food faster.
Food produced by fishing with no food upkeep costs
25 boats provides | 27841 food |
40 boats provides | 35756 food |
60 boats provides | 43650 food |
Fish and Farming
A fish and farming mix can bring huge benefits to an economy. With an effective mix, you can reap huge benefits.
Food produced by fishing and farming with the same farming bonuses as shown above
30 villagers, 3 boats provides | 14149 food |
30 villagers, 5 boats provides | 15575 food |
30 villagers, 10 boats provides | 22535 food |
30 villagers, 15 boats provides | 26189 food |
30 villagers, 20 boats provides | 29041 food |
30 villagers, 25 boats provides | 34245 food |
30 villagers, 30 boats provides | 39929 food |
This farming/fishing mix provides much more food than farming or fishing alone. 30 villagers and 3 boats provides more than 40 villagers alone does. A mix of 30 villagers and 15 boats is a good mix for an early economy, this provides enough for an early army and enough to keep on building and researching.
Food produced by fishing and farming with the same farming bonuses as shown above
50 villagers, 3 boats provides | 16390 food |
50 villagers, 5 boats provides | 18271 food |
50 villagers, 7 boats provides | 22500 food |
50 villagers, 10 boats provides | 28139 food |
50 villagers, 15 boats provides | 34250 food |
50 villagers, 20 boats provides | 38653 food |
50 villagers, 25 boats provides | 41898 food |
50 villagers, 30 boats provides | 46525 food |
Having 50 villagers accompanied with 15 boats provides a large amount of food per minute, enough to provide for a large army and the switch to the 18th century.
Food produced by fishing and farming with the same farming bonuses as shown above
100 villagers, 5 boats provides | 28992 food |
100 villagers, 10 boats provides | 38242 food |
100 villagers, 15 boats provides | 44090 food |
100 villagers, 20 boats provides | 49001 food |
100 villagers, 25 boats provides | 54878 food |
100 villagers, 30 boats provides | 57044 food |
100 villagers, 50 boats provides | 73360 food |
100 villagers, 75 boats provides | 83629 food |
In late game situations, 100 villagers and 30 boats provides more than enough food to support armies, and late game researching. An effective mix of both farming and fishing gives a strong and stable economy that only a heavy land and sea strike can decommission.