Game tips and hints - some SPOILERS

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT IS PRONE TO CHANGE.

The following is a compilation of tips and hints for gamers, in particular commonly asked questions or 'problems' (actually puzzles). I'll add to this as necessary, and any relevant replies to this thread will be added in this first post accordingly. SPOILERS.

To make things easier to find, I have split the tips into categories. Unfortunately, there's no way to easily link to the headings, so you'll just have to scroll...

Section 1: Basic info about installing and running the game.

Section 2: Exploration, discovering items.

Section 3: Other puzzles and quests.

Section 4: Culture, building and expansion.

Section 5: PvP, strategy, friendship

.

INSTALLING AND PLAYING THE GAME

        I get an antivirus warning when installing the game. Help!

You don't necessarily need to disable antivirus, and the game isn't (necessarily) infected. Ignore the warning, or add an exception to your antivirus program. 

        I can't play. It says there's no connection to the server.

This is fine. It just means that Enkord are busy updating things (or the power is out) and you'll just have to wait until the server is back online. Be patient! :)

        How long do I have to wait?

No one knows. It could be a minute, it could be several hours. Check back occasionally.

        Sometimes I do something in the game and it doesn't update or does, but not automatically. There seems to be a delay.

Yes, sometimes there is a delay. That's because the server may be slow and is taking a while to respond, or your internet connection is being slow. Be patient, things should turn up. If it doesn't happen after a reasonable wait, then report it as a bug.

.

EXPLORATION, DISCOVERING ITEMS

        Are there gems to find in TT2?

Yes, they are in quest locations and caves. This time around there are other random items to find: not just resources to help you build and go to war, but things for your hero, speed-ups and other fun stuff. You don't have to hunt for gems, but there will be lots of things hidden to help you solve puzzles, play against others, and help make your game go faster. If you think of the Island of Worship from the original game, it's sort of like that. Only way more fun!

        There are random things appearing in my town. Will they expire if I don't collect them?

They do not disappear, but once you collect them new random things will appear in different places.

        There are areas in my town I can't access - they're blocked by small thorns! And there's one in the Herald's Home!

You need an item to cut them. (Hint: it comes in three parts) NOTE: This does not refer to big thorns, see below for those.

        I have some of the parts but not all. What do I do?

Have you tried searching around your town for one? Have you opened a chest in your town for the second? And have you played the puzzle game and talked to Zweistein afterwards?

        There are areas in my town still blocked by fog even though I have removed the thorns.

Yes, some parts of the fog will never leave. This fog can't be dispersed - it's a way of signalling that the area of your town ends there. There aren't levels like in TT1 or TT Gold. Instead there is just a seamless continuation into other areas of the world map. You can work back and forth between doing things instead of finishing a discrete level.

Also once you have a second (etc) town, different areas of it will be accessible. So be sure to try and dispel as much fog as possible once you have more towns.

        There are still areas in my town I can't explore. Something is in the way. How do I get rid of it?

We all know that there are obstacles in our town. However, these change randomly. So here's a list (please add to it) of obstacles.

* Ice block

* Colored doorway (can be red, green or blue) = with different numbers of keys required to open them

* Large thorns = You may need some sort of cutting tool. NOTE: This is not the same thing required as the small thorns, which are easier to cut. You need a better cutting tool.

* Large pile of stones = What do sculptors use to cut stone with?

* Purple crystals

* Flames

The easiest are colored doorways as you don't need to complete research for those, even if you can't always find all the keys initially. All others require tech research or special items to access them... they are tricky to find and you will have to be patient.

        There are other things I need to do in town that I can't figure out. Help!

There is a statue to break, iron ore, and 'ancient might' in stones - plus stone blockages that are not obviously blocks. You need to research certain things in order to complete these puzzles.

        I have just explored for the first time on the world map, but seem to be stuck. Nothing happens.

You need to find a new location on the world map. If you didn't send your explorer to a cell on the map that was highlighted with a glowing circle, then this means you need to send out the explorer again until you find the new location.

        I want my explorers to go faster.

Research the wheel. Then build roads on your world map. Tip: watch where your explorers commonly walk on the world map as they exit your town. Build the roads on the most commonly used cells! Also, explorers will naturally take a route over roads in other people's towns as well. And you can do bulk exploring, see below.

   How many explorers do I need for bulk exploring?

When you have lots of explorers you can send them out in groups. This makes exploring faster. You can send them out in groups of:

1 - 5 - 9 - 13 - 21- 25

Thanks to knutistgut for this info.

        I don't know where I am on the map. How do I find coordinates of my location?

On the world map, hover your mouse over your town. You will see some numbers in square brackets, like so:

[43 | 74]

These are your coordinates. The first number is latitude, increasing in number from right to left. The second is longitude, increasing in number from top to bottom. So the above number would mean 43 from the right, 74 from the top.

Thank you kiwiaunty for the clue.

OTHER PUZZLES AND QUESTS

.

    SPOILER

.

        Where are these advisors I need to find?

With your hero, explore your home town. You will find one in the east near some odd-looking numbers. The other is near your stone quarry.

        I want a fishing pole. How can I get it?

The fishing pole is in four separate parts. You can find the hook in your home town, the reel is locked in a chest at heralds home, and the float is on the other side of the wade (look for the small island near the large #1 statue). The rod is in the Herald's home (not actually near the Herald's house, but in that quest location as it is named), near the rear of the place inside left-hand colored locked door.

Thanks to kiwiaunty for the help on the rod.

        END SPOILER

.

        I have caught some fish. What are they worth?

Unsurprisingly, different fish are worth different amounts. If you use them (place them in the swirling square where hero flag normally is), you will notice that they add food to your resources. Each fish is worth X amount of food.

White amur = 80 food

Dace = 50 food

.   

        SPOILER

.

        How does the number puzzle work?

It's like sudoku. Each row of numbers needs to be added together. 1 + 2 = 3. So add up the numbers in the third row. Click on the corresponding number by the puzzle board. If you get it right, the puzzle will change to the next set of numbers. Get it wrong and it resets (the puzzle numbers will be the same so you just need to remember your answer from previous tries). There are three of these sums. The third one usually has a sum that requires two digits - all you need to do is use the last digit. Ie. 6 + 7 = 13. So you click on #3.

         END SPOILER

.

        What kind of animals can I tame? How do I tame them? (In towns, not world map)

If your hero has enough stats (charisma) then you can have a greater chance of walking past the animal and taming them that way. Different animals require different amounts of charisma. Otherwise you can find things in your town/s that help you.

Dog = What do dogs normally enjoy burying?

Snakes = An Indian snake charmer would have one of these.

Mountain goat = wants something normally found in a garden

Boar = something found in the trees

Fox = Chickens lay them.

Porcupine = A tree is made of this.

Bear  = honey

Deer = Something found in the trees

SPOILER

.

         How much stone does it take to complete the wade in the Opposition Hideout?

You need 600 stone for each section - there are 3 sections of the wade. Note the camp will only hold 400 stone at a time unless you upgrade it

       I want to get into the cave at Opposition Hideout. How do I do it?

To get in you need to help the cavemen, or you need to finish a puzzle (or something else: apparently there are at least 6 ways of getting in). For the puzzle, you need to use some statues. First you need to activate them; once active you need to find the right sequence. A pen and paper will help you with this. For the cavemen, pay attention to what they want - if you only have a small amount of what they want, you can find more.

        I have one caveman left and no meat. What do I do?

If you have a particular technology researched you may consider: five is bigger and better than one.

        I've got the puzzle done, but still can't get in. There's a pile of rocks!

There are other ways of getting in. Here's an idea: what happens if you place the hero flag on the other side of the rocks, then release it, then replace it once the hero is outside of the cave? You may have to try this a couple of times to get it right. (Actually, this doesn't solve the quest, despite appearances) If you have a special item for carving rocks, you might get in that way too.

END SPOILER

.

CULTURE, BUILDING AND EXPANSION

        What do I need in order to start upgrading buildings?

Once you have researched something (anything) in the Stone Age you should be able to upgrade buildings.

         What are the maximum numbers of upgrades for buildings?

Max level 20: crop shed, stone shed, lumber shed.

Max level 10: garden & crop field (crop field comes once you have reached classical age), Chieftain's hut, shrine of knowledge, forestry, stone field.

Max level 5: Huts, towers.

        Can I have more than one building of X type?

Yes. However in order to build two of something you will need a special item. This is not true for huts however, to build more of those you need to upgrade your Chieftan's hut. For each upgrade of the Chieftan's hut you can build one more small hut. The same applies to towers. In order to have more towers, you need to upgrade your palisade. Every upgrade brings another tower to build.

        Can I build/upgrade more than one building at the same time?

Sort of. You can only queue buildings, and even then, you need a special item to do so.

        What are the blueprints for? How do I use them?

Blueprints are commonly known in the real world as architectural designs, things that help people build stuff... Oddly enough in the real world you need them at the start; here in TT2 you need them at the end. For a less cryptic answer: just store them in your inventory. When it comes time to use them, the game will take it from you just like it would a resource like stone, or lumber.

        I don't see a way to build an archer's hut. Or a spy hut.

No, both of these can be done in military huts you already have built. Archers can be found in the hunter's hovel, spies in the explorers. This is about strategy: you will need to think about how, when and where to implement different types of military units.

        I see animals on the world map. What do I do?

You need to expand your town (see culture, above) in order to capture these resources. They give you additional things to do and ways to fight. Once they are within your town's borders, they can't be looted. However, you must keep your town's culture up to ensure they remain in your border.

        How much culture do I need to increase the size of my town on the world map?

Buildings can have plus or minus culture. This affects your overall culture score. To expand your borders you need a higher culture number. The expansion though can be influenced by neighbours: if they have taken over a cell that would otherwise be in your domain, you will not expand to that area. Knutisgut has given a good explanation of how much culture = how many cells you expand to, along with screenshots of how having one or more towns/neighbours influences your expansion. It's simpler to go read that thread instead of me re-posting it here.

Culture thread.

There is another thing: the maximum upgrade level also tells you a bit about the building culture level. For some buildings, each total upgrade equals twice the building culture. For example:

Sheds = max level 20 = max culture level 40.

So if your shed is upgraded to level 10, then its culture will be level 20.

However, for resources like stone, it's half:

Stone field = max level 10 = max culture level 5.

However, for small huts, you only get one-one levels. Ie. Hut = max level 5 = max culture level 5

In this way you can expand faster simply by upgrading the buildings that give you the most culture per upgrade. This would be sheds, totem pole, petroglyph, observation post, marketplace, mission, altar, shelter. Each of these gives you double the culture, while all others would only give you half, one point of culture, or minus culture.

PvP, STRATEGY, FRIENDSHIP

        I've just started playing and I'm scared I'll be over-run by other players.

Well, other than having about 60 hours of protection as you begin, new heroes are located on the map from right to left (for the most part). This means that you should be placed near people who started when you did. You shouldn't be affected (too much) from players who have larger armies and more resources. Those who are further away from you have a longer time to travel to you, which gives you a margin in terms of building things up.

Also, if you're worried, choose "Collectivism" when you first play. There are two ways of playing, the more aggressive version and the more peaceful version. "Collectivism" is the more peaceful version, which gives you more defenses but less attack power. This is the safest option if you're not confident at the beginning.

There's more tips about strategy below.

        I want some help with battles and upgrades.

Having an altar, stash and upgraded sheds will protect some of your resources as well as your hero.   However, here's some other tips:

knutistgut suggests that if you are vulnerable and about to be attacked to put your extra resources up for sale. After the battle you can cancel your offer (assuming that nobody has accepted it!) and you can get these extra resources back.

If you have Enkord cash, then one great item to get is the Cornucopia. (You can still get this for free by chance as a random item) This gives you a random amount of military units and makes beginning your game much easier.

Another tip is to plan your upgrades. If you are worried about leaving things overnight or for long periods of time, then you should do short-length upgrades while you are online, and longer upgrades for while you are away.

Here's my tip at quick expansion: make sure you upgrade your Chieftan's hut many times in the beginning. Then you can have more small huts. Don't upgrade military units as it will decrease your culture. Instead of researching the obvious stuff (mysticism, etc), head down the line towards the expansion tech in Stone Age. Upgrading your resources (food, timber, stone) will give you smaller bumps in culture. Keep upgrading sheds too. And a good thing to do is to initially not do any research. This means resources get spent on your upgrades and not on your tech, helping you increase your culture and expand faster. Researching meditation helps too: a totem pole increases your culture, and that's basically all it does. Every time you upgrade your totem pole you increase your culture. See above for using the building upgrades and max levels for speedier expansion.

This concept can be used in other ways: instead of upgrading things you can plow all your resources into research and have more tech completed faster. Or you can upgrade only military things and switch off tech research for a faster army growth.

Berserker posted some good strategy info here.

        How do I friend someone?

You can reduce building time with friends: click on someone's name in the forums and send them a friendship request. They need to friend you back.

Alternatively, in game you can friend via chat. You will need to type:

/w heroname@heroID

Where the 'heroname' is the person's hero you want to talk to, and 'heroID' is the person's unique ID number. Ie. If you wanted to chat to me, you'd type:

/w buckwheat@6

If the name contains spaces, you must include quotes, like so:

/w "buck wheat@6"

Thanks to berserker for this info.

At this time, no message appears that you've friended someone, so you'll just need to double check via the forums or the building 'help' list.

Once in the game you can use the building speed-up option of asking for help from friends. Friends take off 5 min (per friend) of your building time if total construction time is more than 15 min. Further info about friendships can be found in this thread.

        How do I chat privately?

Control+click on the hero name you wish to talk to.

What does the Figurine of Enlightenment do?  I know it obviously has to do with Meditating/gaining levels, but HOW do I use it?  

What does the Figurine of Enlightenment do?  I know it obviously has to do with Meditating/gaining levels, but HOW do I use it?  

You don't need to use it until you need to reach hero level 11, then it will tell you at the altar you need one or more to level up.

Could someone help me with Opposition Hideout, I was trying to ask in the world chat but I need a stupid speaker thing.

Could someone help me with Opposition Hideout, I was trying to ask in the world chat but I need a stupid speaker thing.

pm goofydog

Could someone help me with Opposition Hideout, I was trying to ask in the world chat but I need a stupid speaker thing.

pm goofydog

Eh?

        I don't know where I am on the map. How do I find coordinates of my location?

On the world map, hover your mouse over your town. You will see some numbers in square brackets, like so:

[43 | 74]

Like everyplace else on my map, I have two sets. In yellow, [ 7029 | 889 ]; in orange, [ 547| 889 ]. Latitude from two different meridians?

Please can someone help me, i need to know how to remove the big stone in heralds house?? Thank you in advancexx

Where do I find how many science points I have on the game?

Will you added the TT2 to play store?  PLEASE

Where do I find how many science points I have on the game?

Shrine of knowledge shows current science points income when it's selected. 

Science points are produced x amount per hour, http://prntscr.com/etvnvk 

So when you are researching something, research grows amount of that income per hour.

Clear enough? 

Where do I find how many science points I have on the game?

On the top of your screen you have a bar with different buttons : science, hero, reports, alliance...

If you click on science icon, you'll see how many science points you have already researched for current technology  and how long it takes until it will be finished. It shows you all the science points produced by all the towns. 

The bigger are your productions, the faster will go the research,  as a percent of your productions are used for science. 

Will you added the TT2 to play store?  PLEASE

The game is still in "alpha test" that means is not fully released yet.

Where do I find how many science points I have on the game?

Shrine of knowledge shows current science points income when it's selected. 

Science points are produced x amount per hour, http://prntscr.com/etvnvk 

So when you are researching something, research grows amount of that income per hour.

Clear enough? 

Yes Thank you

I do not understand how to do the garden. Help

try this thread http://www.totemtribe.com/talk/how-to-weed-your-garden/1/

I do not understand how to do the garden. Help

Here is a thread with helpful links to other threads. http://www.totemtribe.com/talk/guides-tips-hints-and-other-helpful-info-about-totem-tribe-ii-jotun/

Can you play more then one game at a time?