The World Map is filled with things waiting to be discovered. Every point of interest on the map is marked with a '?' symbol, and may turn out to be either a [[Modifier]] or a Treasure Chest. Both are very rewarding.
{{Version|1.11}}
[[File:Biomes.png|thumb|450|Screenshot of the world map]]
Modifiers are special types of objects that change the rules of the game (for example: by allowing you to move every building in your settlement, or by blocking your ability to trade). To take on a Modifier, simply settle on a map tile adjacent to it. After winning a game near it, the Modifier will disappear, and you will be rewarded with additional [[Resources#Citadel Resources | Citadel Resources]].
== Overview ==
Treasure Chests, on the other hand, don't require you to settle near them to claim their contents. Once you discover a chest, simply select it on the World Map to open it. A chest must be within your Embark Range to be collected.
The World Map is where Viceroys plan their missions out from the [[Smoldering City]] to build settlements and make their way toward [[Seals]]. Choosing where on the map to go for the next mission and [[Embarking]], including selecting caravans and difficulty, are done from the World Map.
Every 12 years there is a Blightstorm that will reset the world map.
== Smoldering City ==
== Biomes ==
[[File:SmolderingCityMap.png|thumb|200px|Smoldering City on the Map]]
Biomes determine what resources will be available for a settlement. In addition each biome has one or more unique effects. [[The Forest#Trees | Trees]] always provide Wood, and sometimes other bonus resources.
The Smoldering City is at the center of the World Map and is where all Viceroys start. This is where Viceroys can buy [[Upgrades]], check their game history and visit their [[Home]], once unlocked.
The foggy cloud cover represents the unexplored world around the [[Smoldering City]]. The fog hides map tiles and their [[Biomes]], [[World Events]], and [[Map Modifiers]] until they are revealed by [[Embarking]] and completing a mission nearby. Once a Viceroy gets close enough to an unexplored tile with a question mark icon, "?", the fog will be revealed until the next cycle.
Players start out with 2 hexes revealed around the Smoldering City and each of their completed settlements on the World Map. By purchasing [[upgrades]], Smoldering City's vision range can be extended up to 4 tiles, and settlements' to 3 tiles. '''Obsidian Archive''' level 12 is the only upgrade that improves Embarkation/movement range, from 3 to 4. Do note that most of the time your Embarkation range will be limited by vision range - you can't settle 4 hexes away from a settlement with a 3-hex vision range using normal means without backtracking to the Smoldering City or previously completed settlements.
Regular tiles on the edge of your vision range are also revealed, but remain mostly covered in the Fog of War (unless they contain a [[World Map modifier]]). These partially revealed tiles can't be settled. The only exception to that are [[World Events]] that necessitate settlement on their hexes - as long as they are within Embarkation distance, you will always be able to claim to that hex.
Outside of upgrades, '''Caravan Wagons''' reward (+2 to both vision and movement ranges) from [[World_Map_modifiers#Royal_Resupply|Royal Resupplies]] is the only way to increase settlements' and Smoldering City's vision range on the World Map. The vision range extension is temporary and only applies to the hex you are Embarking from. Once you are back on the World Map after the next settlement, all vision ranges will have returned to normal.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Vision and movement ranges
|-
! '''Obsidian Archive''' level
! Smoldering city <br/> vision range
! Settlement <br/> vision range
! Embarkation range
|-
| Levels 0-6
| 2 hexes
| 2 hexes
| 3 hexes
|-
| Levels 7-11
| 3 hexes
| 3 hexes
| 3 hexes
|-
| Level 12+
| 4 hexes
| 3 hexes
| 4 hexes
|}
Visual comparison of vision ranges at different levels of '''Obsidian Archive''' (the settlements are at different distances from the [[Citadel]]):
:''See for more information: [[Embarking#Difficulty_selection|Difficulty selection]]''
All tiles on the World Map have a minimum difficulty associated with them. Within 8 tiles of the Citadel, minimum difficulty is Settler, which means you can choose any unlocked difficulty on the list. As you get further from the Citadel on the World Map, lower difficulties gradually become unavailable. For example, once you cross the 12 tiles threshold, Settler, Pioneer, and Veteran can no longer be selected (they show up as Too Far in the difficulty dropdown).
Difficulty thresholds are communicated with rings formed by a dark colored outline on some sides of the World Map hexes. The distance between the rings on the World Map is 2 tiles for Pioneer, Veteran, and Viceroy zones. The next three zones, Prestige 5, Prestige 10, and Prestige 15, grow by 3 tiles each. Past 23 tiles of distance from the Citadel, only Prestige 20 difficulty is available.
The World Map has 6 [[biomes]], plus 4 DLC exclusive* biomes. See their articles for more details.
* The [[File:BambooFlatsHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Bamboo Flats]]*
* The [[File:RockyRavineHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Rocky Ravine]]*
* The [[File:AshenThicketHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Ashen Thicket]]*
* The [[File:CoastalGroveHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Coastal Grove]]*
* The [[File:CoralForestHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Coral Forest]]
* The [[File:CursedRoyalWoodlandsHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Cursed Royal Woodlands]]
* The [[File:MarshlandsHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Marshlands]]
* The [[File:RoyalWoodlandsHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Royal Woodlands]]
* The [[File:ScarletOrchardHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Scarlet Orchard]]
* The [[File:SealedForestHex.png|{{ImgM}}]] [[Sealed Forest]]
Each biome has a different assortment of natural [[resources]] and unique mechanics. Some are simple, like double yields from cutting trees, or more complex like Scarlet Orchard's archaeology events.
You can read more about each biome on the ''Conditions'' and ''Summary'' tabs after clicking on a map tile, as seen in the image on the right.
The rewards for completing a mission are determined by [[difficulty]] and [[#World Map modifiers|modifiers]]. These rewards are mainly used for [[upgrades]] within the [[Citadel]] and to pay for [[Stormforged Cornerstones]].
<div style="clear: both" aria-hidden="true" />
On the left, the ''Summary'' screen shows exactly how many of each resource you would earn from a successful mission.
On the right, the World Map shows what meta resource types will be rewarded on completion. These indicators can help you find the resources you need and to help you plan your route.
{|
| {{rl|Food Stockpiles|large}}
|-
| {{rl|Machinery|large}}
|-
| {{rl|Artifacts|large}}
|}
=== Embarkation Costs ===
:''See for more information: [[Embarking##Embarkation_Bonuses|Embarkation Bonuses]]''
The cost of Embarkation Bonuses will change with every caravan, this is to encourage players to try out different starting patterns. They are as follows:
| '''Diverse Flora''': Vegetation here mutates into unique strands. Each type of tree provides distinct bonus resources.<br><br>'''Inspiring Pressure''': The forest is as scary as it is beautiful. Villagers have a 5% chance of earning bonus yields from production and gathering for each Hostility level.
| 3 - 4
| Average amount
| [[File:Wood.png|25px]] Wood<br>[[File:CrystalizedDew.png|25px]] Crystalized Dew<br>[[File:Incense.png|25px]] Incense<br>[[File:Meat.png|25px]] Meat<br>[[File:PlantFiber.png|25px]] Plant Fiber<br>[[File:Stone.png|25px]] Stone
| ''The true source of the Coral growth is unknown. Contrary to common belief, it doesn't usually appear in flooded regions. The unique influence of the Coral mutates trees into distinctive strands that offer various resources.''
| ''The Queen's forests were once part of the Smoldering City, but the Blightstorm reclaimed this land. The Royal Woodlands are rich in Roots, Moss Broccoli, Grasscap Mushrooms, and Flax with a decent amount of Dewberries and Clay. The ground is fertile and soft, and that makes it perfect for farming.''
| '''Royal Archaeologists''': Every viceroy embarking on an expedition to the Scarlet Orchard is assigned a royal archaeologist. You gain access to a new essential building: Archaeologist's Office.<br><br>'''Buried Mysteries''': A lush and exotic land, filled with prehistoric remains. Ancient excavation sites can be found here.
| ''A beautiful yet dangerous land that is colored in a strange shade of crimson. It's called the Herb Garden of the Kingdom due to the abundance of Herbs, Berries, and Roots.''
| '''Gathering Knowledge''': The Marshlands are a gatherer's paradise. Gathering speed is increased by +10% for every 2 workers assigned to gathering camps.<br><br>'''Giant Organisms''': The Marshlands are home to enormous lifeforms. Giant resource nodes can be found in Forbidden Glades. Each glade will have a different one.
| ''A harsh and cold land that is claimed by different extremely resilient species of fungi. The ground is very hard and rocky and that makes it difficult to farm. It's famous for its abundant fauna and insects.''
| '''Cursed Battlefield''': The forest has reshaped itself. It is impossible to recognize the danger of the glades, where are now all of even size.<br><br>'''Restless Spirits''': This land has seen a lot of bloodshed during the Great Civil War. Restless Spirits can be found in the forest.
|''A cursed area of the Royal Woodlands that is haunted by the lost souls of warriors fallen in the Great Civil War. The storm here is especially dangerous, and the forest more hostile than anywhere else. The Queen will handsomely reward any viceroy brave enough to settle this part of the world.''
|}
|}
=== World events ===
:''Main article: [[World Events]]''
[[File:WorldEventTiles.png|thumb|250px|World Events on the Map]]
World events are opportunities for Viceroys to earn extra rewards by completing a challenge or otherwise engaging a special opportunity. When a World Event is within your visibility range, click on it to find out what it is. See the main article for the list of World Events.
<div style="clear: both" aria-hidden="true" />
=== World Map modifiers ===
{{MainArticle|World Map modifiers}}
[[File:WorldModifierTiles.png|thumb|250px|Map modifiers outlined in Yellow]]
World modifiers add effects or conditions to any settlements built next to the tile the modifier is on. You cannot settle directly on these tiles. Some of these effects are beneficial and make your mission easier, and others add challenging constraints or significant limitations on your settlement. See the main article for the list of World Map modifiers.
[[File:EndCycleButton.png|thumb|left|300px|The End Cycle Button, and a Seal]] [[File:CycleSummary.png|thumb|right|300px|Cycle Summary and Seal Contracts]]
<div style="clear: both" aria-hidden="true" />
On the World Map, Seals are the endgame objectives for every Cycle. Viceroys work towards a Seal, enter the Sealed Forest, and successfully reforge the Seal to successfully complete the Cycle. The higher tier a Seal is, the further away it will spawn on the map. Seals and their tiers can be viewed on the Sealed Forest page.
On the left, after the last mission of the Cycle is over, clicking on ''End Cycle'' in the bottom right of the screen is the last action to take before starting over again from the [[Smoldering City]]. Cycles can be ended at any point with no negative consequences for later Cycles.
On the right, a summary shows the Viceroy's accomplishments for that Cycle.
Once the Gold Seal (Viceroy [[difficulty]]) is beaten for the first time, Seal Contracts become available. They allow Viceroys to choose which Seals will spawn during the next Cycle. Only up to 3 Seals can be selected at a time.
[[Category: Biomes| ]]<!-- Main article in category (until "Biomes" page exists) -->
The World Map is where Viceroys plan their missions out from the Smoldering City to build settlements and make their way toward Seals. Choosing where on the map to go for the next mission and Embarking, including selecting caravans and difficulty, are done from the World Map.
Smoldering City
Smoldering City on the Map
The Smoldering City is at the center of the World Map and is where all Viceroys start. This is where Viceroys can buy Upgrades, check their game history and visit their Home, once unlocked.
Fog and visibility
The Fog of War
The foggy cloud cover represents the unexplored world around the Smoldering City. The fog hides map tiles and their Biomes, World Events, and Map Modifiers until they are revealed by Embarking and completing a mission nearby. Once a Viceroy gets close enough to an unexplored tile with a question mark icon, "?", the fog will be revealed until the next cycle.
Vision range and Embarkation range
Typical settlement placement
Players start out with 2 hexes revealed around the Smoldering City and each of their completed settlements on the World Map. By purchasing upgrades, Smoldering City's vision range can be extended up to 4 tiles, and settlements' to 3 tiles. Obsidian Archive level 12 is the only upgrade that improves Embarkation/movement range, from 3 to 4. Do note that most of the time your Embarkation range will be limited by vision range - you can't settle 4 hexes away from a settlement with a 3-hex vision range using normal means without backtracking to the Smoldering City or previously completed settlements.
Regular tiles on the edge of your vision range are also revealed, but remain mostly covered in the Fog of War (unless they contain a World Map modifier). These partially revealed tiles can't be settled. The only exception to that are World Events that necessitate settlement on their hexes - as long as they are within Embarkation distance, you will always be able to claim to that hex.
Outside of upgrades, Caravan Wagons reward (+2 to both vision and movement ranges) from Royal Resupplies is the only way to increase settlements' and Smoldering City's vision range on the World Map. The vision range extension is temporary and only applies to the hex you are Embarking from. Once you are back on the World Map after the next settlement, all vision ranges will have returned to normal.
Vision and movement ranges
Obsidian Archive level
Smoldering city vision range
Settlement vision range
Embarkation range
Levels 0-6
2 hexes
2 hexes
3 hexes
Levels 7-11
3 hexes
3 hexes
3 hexes
Level 12+
4 hexes
3 hexes
4 hexes
Visual comparison of vision ranges at different levels of Obsidian Archive (the settlements are at different distances from the Citadel):
All tiles on the World Map have a minimum difficulty associated with them. Within 8 tiles of the Citadel, minimum difficulty is Settler, which means you can choose any unlocked difficulty on the list. As you get further from the Citadel on the World Map, lower difficulties gradually become unavailable. For example, once you cross the 12 tiles threshold, Settler, Pioneer, and Veteran can no longer be selected (they show up as Too Far in the difficulty dropdown).
Difficulty thresholds are communicated with rings formed by a dark colored outline on some sides of the World Map hexes. The distance between the rings on the World Map is 2 tiles for Pioneer, Veteran, and Viceroy zones. The next three zones, Prestige 5, Prestige 10, and Prestige 15, grow by 3 tiles each. Past 23 tiles of distance from the Citadel, only Prestige 20 difficulty is available.
Map tiles and biomes
Biome Conditions
The World Map has 6 biomes, plus 4 DLC exclusive* biomes. See their articles for more details.
Each biome has a different assortment of natural resources and unique mechanics. Some are simple, like double yields from cutting trees, or more complex like Scarlet Orchard's archaeology events.
You can read more about each biome on the Conditions and Summary tabs after clicking on a map tile, as seen in the image on the right.
On the left, the Summary screen shows exactly how many of each resource you would earn from a successful mission.
On the right, the World Map shows what meta resource types will be rewarded on completion. These indicators can help you find the resources you need and to help you plan your route.
The cost of Embarkation Bonuses will change with every caravan, this is to encourage players to try out different starting patterns. They are as follows:
World events are opportunities for Viceroys to earn extra rewards by completing a challenge or otherwise engaging a special opportunity. When a World Event is within your visibility range, click on it to find out what it is. See the main article for the list of World Events.
World modifiers add effects or conditions to any settlements built next to the tile the modifier is on. You cannot settle directly on these tiles. Some of these effects are beneficial and make your mission easier, and others add challenging constraints or significant limitations on your settlement. See the main article for the list of World Map modifiers.
The End Cycle Button, and a SealCycle Summary and Seal Contracts
On the World Map, Seals are the endgame objectives for every Cycle. Viceroys work towards a Seal, enter the Sealed Forest, and successfully reforge the Seal to successfully complete the Cycle. The higher tier a Seal is, the further away it will spawn on the map. Seals and their tiers can be viewed on the Sealed Forest page.
On the left, after the last mission of the Cycle is over, clicking on End Cycle in the bottom right of the screen is the last action to take before starting over again from the Smoldering City. Cycles can be ended at any point with no negative consequences for later Cycles.
On the right, a summary shows the Viceroy's accomplishments for that Cycle.
Once the Gold Seal (Viceroy difficulty) is beaten for the first time, Seal Contracts become available. They allow Viceroys to choose which Seals will spawn during the next Cycle. Only up to 3 Seals can be selected at a time.
