Service building expansions
Default buildings they specialize as they expand. So this isn't like a traditional skill tree, it's exclusionary, more like a tech tree. So selecting the next upgrade for it will lock out the other two paths. So as you get better with the building it will continue to narrow, which allows lots of nodes to carve out lots of niches in the world.[2] – Chris Justo
Service buildings are upgraded by expansions, which are unlocked through the placement of passive service buildings.[3][4]
- Service building expansions allow buildings to be specialized via a tech tree, such as moving from a generalized Blacksmithing building to an Armor smithing building, then finally toward a building that specializes in Plate armor.[2][4][5]
- To upgrade your building, you choose expansions, you build passive buildings to allow you to unlock those expansion slots and just a little- basically specialize your service building down a path; and the building specialization will narrow down a specific path. So you might start as a generalized Blacksmith building and then you'll specialize towards maybe armorsmithing, and then towards specifically, like plate armor through the expansion tree.[4] – John Collins
- Building expansions unlock higher tier workstations at the cost of dedicating service building plots. Lower stage nodes can achieve higher tier service buildings by dedicating a majority of their service plots to that path. Mayors decide how to specialize their node. Once they choose certain things they won't be able to choose other things.[6][7][8]
- The pathway of upgrades is exclusionary. So when I choose a path down a particular building type in order to reach a tier five benefit: when I eventually reach a higher stage, or even if I'm lower stage and want to dedicate a majority of my service plots toward one particular crafting building; like I may get a very top tier workstation as a result, even if I'm still a Village node. It's like I'm the village node that makes the T5 swords because I've dedicated all of my plots to that.[6] – Steven Sharif
- Vassal nodes can benefit from the types of service buildings present in their regent node.[9]
- You might have a parent node, or a Regent node, that has a vassalship over your node and you're getting benefits conferred to you through either the prerequisite of the building types that you can construct as well to make a bit more headway there.[6] – Steven Sharif
List of service building tech trees
Service buildings
The important thing with the service building system for us is that it's a way to shape your node like a character; and to give you an exclusive niche that you can carve out in the world; or a niche that you fight over. If you go down this weaponsmithing path and you build your node to be this mecca of weaponsmithing and the node three doors down builds it, there's reason for you to conflict over it. They're taking your business. Or maybe you are in a zone and there isn't a weaponsmithing thing anywhere near you, and you do want to start to carve that path for yourself to make your node a place people visit and come to.[4] – Chris Justo
Service buildings within a node are either default buildings that come with the node, or they are constructed buildings, which are initiated by the mayor and built by players.[3][4][10][11][8][7][12] Service buildings are further broken down into two main types:[3][4]
- Active service buildings are service buildings that players directly interact with. These are further broken down into Artisanship, Business, Content, and Political categories.[3][4]
- Passive service buildings provide passive benefits to the node or its zone of influence. These buildings are broken down into Civic, Cultural, Fabrication, Scholarly, and Vocational.[3][4]
- Constructed service buildings are available to every type of node in every location. Where the uniqueness comes in is in some of the default buildings like your node-type building.[13] – Chris Justo
Service buildings are upgraded by expansions, which are unlocked through the placement of passive service buildings.[3][4]
- Building expansions unlock higher tier workstations at the cost of dedicating service building plots.[6][8]
- Node service building expansions specialize the building through a tech tree based on the stage of the node.[2][5]
Service buildings incur a regular maintenance cost of node commodities and gold from the node treasury in order to continue operations.[3][14]
List of service buildings
All the services that come default with the node, we as a design team deemed essential: We want caravans to move around the world, so everyone should have a Caravansary. You want players to have storage, so everyone should have a Warehouse. But that doesn't mean those default buildings can't be upgraded and specialized themselves. But the empty plots are where you really get to start specializing your node.[15] – Chris Justo
- Default service buildings
- Constructible service buildings
Visuals
2023-09-05 
2023-09-02 
2023-09-02
See also
References
- ↑ Video, August 31, 2023 (46:54).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Video, August 31, 2023 (34:37).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Blog: Development Update with Village Node.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (50:25).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Livestream, March 31, 2022 (1:13:00).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (52:56).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Livestream, January 20, 2018 (38:17).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Livestream, May 19, 2017 (33:57).
- ↑ Livestream, August 31, 2023 (54:44).
- ↑ Video, August 31, 2023 (2:59).
- ↑ Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:32:45).
- ↑ Livestream, 2018-04-8 (PM) (51:49).
- ↑ Livestream, August 31, 2023 (56:18).
- ↑ Livestream, August 31, 2023 (57:23).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Video, August 31, 2023 (33:07).