Wiki / Updated 2026-08-20
Progression Roadmap
Prioritize city stability, policy, military supply and expansion.
Progression is systemic rather than a single level track. Advance when the current city can feed, supply and defend the next layer of population, production, policy or warfare.
Route
Do this in order
- 1
Stabilize livelihood and seasonal reserves.
- 2
Close core material and equipment chains.
- 3
Use retainers and policy to strengthen the current plan.
- 4
Prepare supplied troops and defenses.
- 5
Expand territory only when transport can support it.
Readiness gates
An unlock is permission to expand, not proof that the city is ready. Use operational gates before adding the next system.
- Livelihood gate: food, water and housing remain stable through normal consumption.
- Industry gate: a complete chain produces and stores its output repeatedly.
- Administration gate: a policy or retainer has a defined job in the current plan.
- Military gate: supplies exist before units and can be replenished afterward.
- Expansion gate: carriers can support the longer route without starving the core city.
Recovery when progression stalls
Pause new construction and find the first resource whose trend turned negative. Return workers from the newest system, clear blocked output, and restore the older loop before trying the unlock again.
- Cancel or pause nonessential consumers.
- Restore food and transport labor first.
- Clear one blocked production chain at a time.
- Resume expansion only after reserves recover across several cycles.
If it does not work
If a new tier drains food, labor or transport, pause expansion and restore a positive reserve first.
Completion signal
Each unlocked layer operates without starving the previous one of workers or goods.
Next moves