Rise of Nations resources, commerce caps and Library research
Find out why more workers may not increase your displayed resource income.
Edition covered
The original Rise of Nations systems, with expansion features labelled where relevant. Pictures show Extended Edition, which includes Thrones and Patriots and modern presentation changes. Nation totals and Conquer the World campaigns differ from the base 2003 release.
Check the commerce cap first
The commerce limit caps resource income. If a resource is already at its limit, adding workers there can waste labor until Commerce research or another applicable bonus raises the cap.
| Resource | Typical source | Main use |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Farms and fishing | Citizens, troops and research |
| Timber | Woodcutters camps | Buildings and many units |
| Metal | Mines | Military and industrial development |
| Wealth | Caravans, trade and commerce | Research and advanced units |
| Knowledge | University scholars | Technologies and age advances |
| Oil | Oil wells in later ages | Modern mechanized units |
Use all four Library branches
Military, Civic, Commerce and Science research solve different constraints. Age advancement has prerequisites, so spreading investment intelligently is often better than buying only military upgrades.
| Branch | Primary constraint addressed | Useful check |
|---|---|---|
| Military | Population and military development | Can the army grow further |
| Civic | City limit and national expansion | Can another city be founded |
| Commerce | Resource income limits | Are workers already hitting the cap |
| Science | Research efficiency and development | What does the next age require |
Add scholars when knowledge matters
Knowledge comes from scholars at Universities and is important for advanced research. It is not a normal market commodity, so a large gold reserve cannot simply replace a neglected knowledge economy.
Expand work sites with demand
Farms, woodcutters camps and mines have practical worker capacities. Inspect the sites and the current age before producing citizens who have no productive place to work.
Farms, woodcutters camps and mines have practical worker capacities. Inspect the sites and the current age before producing citizens who have no productive place to work.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Publisher game and edition listing | store.steampowered.com |
| Publisher manual | shared.fastly.steamstatic.com |