Europe 1400: The guild

Post by **Chroelle** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:45

Well ever since Parvini pointed me at Europe 1400: The guild I have been sitting bound to my PC, knowing that I should be playing at least one freeware game today, but just wanting to finish next year before I save and exit. A good 3 hours later I am still stuck at the monitor, and have now succeeded in dragging my biggest rival to court twice, becoming Partrician and upgrading my foundry to a smithy. Money is slowly coming to me from my cart-trips to the marketplace, and I still am not sure if I should put a master to take care of my smithy, while I go and get a new profession. My oldest son has just been sent to an aprrentice ship, and I just arose to a new civic title today too. My girlfriend (real life) has now been asking me for half an hour if we could go to bed now...
I finally give in, and save and exit.
Just to find myself tossing and turning in my bed, thinking up strategies and businessplans. I had to get up, and I resisted turning on the game simply because I have to get to work tomorrow. I would still be sitting here when my GF woke up if I did turn it on.
I decided to go in here, and at least make the topic for the game, so I could relax and maybe capture someones eye for this fantastic game. I really need someone to discuss it with.
Have you played it? If not then go do so....

Oh yeah the sequel just came out, so there should be gameplay for quite some time in this series...
I borrowed this copy from a friend, but I am pretty sure that as soon as you can get a bundle with this and the sequel I am there.

BlueDEvil · Post by **BlueDEvil** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:22

This game is great. Don't there is any game quite like it. Raising through the titles is much like Machaevelli the prince. there is a the gold edition of part 1, but i haven't try the part 2 yet. It is likely my old pc can't handle it.

Many great things in this game. Continuity is what I like best. In the later stages, you can actually branch out to another business line. thief is nice, but I haven't been able to prevent AI/master from giving me a bad name. thief can capture the guard's place and also other thief's place. thief is the most exciting job to be, where all the action is. I have 3 thieves place because i capture them from others. thief-guard combo seem nice because with my thieves at large, traders need guards a lot. Only banker baffles me, still dunno how the heck to play it. Now that I think of it, maybe priest and thief maybe be just a good combo. thief earn pretty good income and I can save a lot on indulgences. I believe there is a possiblity of having only 1 priest for most of the towns bacause the requirement of large build site.

I notice few ppl play european strategy games. I thought knights of honor was good, but few of my friends play it, just as this game. pretty much like a cross between heroes and total war.

Post by **Chroelle** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 13:07

Exactly. I love this game. I still have a lot to learn though. This morning I went bankrupt, and I have no idea why???
I just got hold of the larger manual that you really lack if you don't have it. Still there are a few things that bugs me.

1: Where do I train combat?
2: Where is the bloody physician?
3: Why did I go bankrupt??? Nah this one I will figure out myself I think.

I was thinking that maybe the landlord/priest combo would be good. You could lower the price of ale and get lots more customers in the confessional...

I have been a smithy so far, and have done well I think. I think I have a savegame a year back that could maybe turn the situation around, since I would like to keep my current game...

BlueDEvil · Post by **BlueDEvil** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 14:15

the main problem of doing regular business is the pricing of raw materials. a sudden rise in the required materials may affect your business profit greatly. if you can control the supply of raw materials, it would give you an advantage over others in the same line of business.

train combat, you mean for thief. I know there is a room that you can send your ppl to train. don't remember whether you need to upgrade to get it or not.

Parvini · Post by **Parvini** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 17:23

Chroelle, I'm glad you followed the lead, it's one of my fave games as you know.

I've lost a fair few hour to that game and I think I have a quite nuanced knowledge of the game, which you need to develop for yourself with small niche titles like this because the community just doeasn't exist. I'll give you any help I can if you have any questions - I understand that the manual is terrible and the game does a really poor job of explaining many of its concepts and cool features - I've learnt much through exploration and trial and error.

About making money: it should be easy. It is good to go a trade (i.e. tailors, landlord, priest, perfumer etc.) rather than one of the combat orientated professions to start with. You shouldn't have a problem with money as long as you keep to the fundamentals of turning cheap raw materials into expensive end products. I'd advise that you stockpile products and sell them in big loads rather than sell little by little because this keeps prices high as you don't fload the market with constant supply.

I've always found that by the 2nd generation, my character has a little more financial clout as is able to attract a more wealthy wife - the wife is KEY. As heirs inherit skill levels he'll already be a level 6 landlord (or whatever) so make him a money lender. Make sure you wife has a lot of money and try to find out if she has property AND try to make sure she's about 10 years older than your character! When she dies you then inherit ALL of her money and property. As soon as this happens, buy yourself a money lenders/ bank and stick almost all your money in there. You'll make a bomb on the interest that people owe you through loans. After all that happens you should have at least 400-500k and I've found, you don't need to worry too much about your business turning over a profit or not if you have this cushion, as long as they aren't losing more than 5k a year, it's fine.

Only get a master in when you find the micromanagement too much to humanly cope with in any given turn (as they are not brilliant, make sure you set a reasonable budget for him as he WILL spend it) OR get a master in when you think you a rich enough to not worry too much about profit/ loss and then you can concentrate on new businesses or your political career.

I've got my character to be "Grey Eminence" in the past by the 2nd generation, it's entirely possible. Remember to use potions EVERY TIME you have an election as the other people always vote based on the little green popularity bars - you can right click on one person's bar (in the "important people" screen) to see how much they like other people.

Try to get some sleep though Chroelle, this game will keep you up for weeks on end if you're not careful - I have many complaints about it though (see website and some of my threads for that).

Post by **Chroelle** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 0:35

Your webiste or theirs?

I figured out about the money. I simply bought so many ressources just before turn-end that I bankrupted myself. I got past it and now I have a goldsmith and a townhouse.

I found the physician was in my profile (where you can see your occupation and demand removals and such).

And you train combat in your house if you are not a thief... You just need the "party-room".

I still would like to know thought how I rise in station: Gentleman, Partrician, Nobleman, Count so on... I am partrician now, but everyone around me is becoming counts and I am highest of all guild-leaders in the town-structure...

Post by **Chroelle** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:50

I have an additional question now...
I have become my heir. And all of a sudden it was extremely hard for me to get into civic duties... Does anyone have an idea why? I used the same things for improving my standing. Even better ones actually....

Also it seems that my helpers are getting ill from time to time. Is there any way that I can send them to the physician?

AND... If you have build a townhouse and want to make it a villa, what is required space-wise? It keeps telling me that the townhouses I have cannot be made into villas. One of my opponents have already built a villa, and I see no real issues from his building grounds to mine.

Oh... Have anyone come across some sort of towneditor for this game? It woul be cool if you could build up your own town, and even decide how much space there will be, and how many syndicates... It bugs me quite a bit that I have to compete with 8 other dynasties, when I normally play against 3-4 opponents in other games. It is impossible to keep an eye on your opponent due to the sheer number of them...

BlueDEvil · Post by **BlueDEvil** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 21:20

if i remember correctly, there is the normal plot size and the large plot size. generally, if your building is surrounded by other buildings, it is unlikely it can extend to the last level. i do know your starting house cannot be upgraded. you have to purchase or build one.

editor, that would be nice. i know nothing of it. try making some friends. the enemy of your enemy is your friend. i doubt you are ever at war with all the dynasties at once.

Post by **Chroelle** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:55

I am not thinking of actual war, but it would be nice to be the best dynasty around. Currently 3 of my opponents have started mastering the same services that I do, and hence it gets a lot harder. They are buying the silver and iron I need from the mine, and they bring down the prize of goods on the market, and I am very reliant on those particular items.
I bought a church and am making it into an abbey at the moment (the abbey looks very impressing) and I have two taverns (A public house and an inn), and a stone Masons hut which totally runs itself, and of course my very dear Goldsmith. (Oh and 5 townhouses... and the woodcutting place).
Can anyone remember how you cut off goods so they are not for sale anymore? Oh and what are the mercenaries for in the woodcutters place? I just recruited as many as I could and I don't know what they do yet...Talk about trial and error...

Post by **Chroelle** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 19:45

I just went and bought the GOLD edition of The Guild 2. I know Parvini was very disappointed by this title, so I am glad I didn't pay much for it. I am hoping to get some time to play this soon, but I am putting CWF first. There is once again no manual that follows the game, as it was a real sale item, with just the box and two DVD's in it. The game is sparsely described on the back, and so I am thinking wether I will miss the manual as much as I did with the first....
Has anyone in here actually played this?