or
The Tricky Bits, for new players and their helpers.
• The game no longer has a named 'Tutorial' but Quests through level 17 do function as one, they just don't tell you that's what they are. •
In late November 2012 some major changes were implemented: Patch Note 22.11.12 and many of the old Guides, while still filled with good advice, are out of date. The wonderful makers of Wikis are still catching up and many dedicated older players frequenting Help were well past the Tutorial at the time and have never done many of these Quests though everyone has done a brilliant job of figuring them out and explaining them. This guide is intended as an overview and aid to new and old and not as a complete walkthrough.
• For Side Quests see Post #2
• For Useful Links and Chat Commands see Post #3
• For Building Level Requirements see Post #4
This is a work in progress so please bear with me but even a summary will be of use I think to people playing the lower levels and those offering assistance in Help and elsewhere. 
A few tips:
•Don't worry too much about 'pretty' at first, focusing on short travel times and balanced production until you have a good grasp of the basics will make things much easier and buildings can always be rearranged later.
•The game sometimes fails to notice you've leveled up and will ask you to build something that's still locked in the Building Menu, refreshing the browser window fixes this and many other small bugs.
•A Note on Side Quests: Side Quests are not required to level, nor do they block other Quests so do them as you wish or are able. The rewards can also be quite nice and a few Side Quests unlock further hidden Side Quests so think very carefully before canceling one, once it's gone it and any follow-up quests connected to it are gone.
•Until you can build the Tool Maker at level 11 don't build much more than the game asks or you may find yourself without a Hammer to your name. When you've built the Provisions House there is an Old Toolbelt that turns Stone and PineWood Planks into Tools but that's a slow process.
•As you progress through tasks Help Windows will open, these contain lots of information and are very useful should you forget things or if you're just curious, don't forget to scroll down to see all the info. The full Archive can be found in the dropdown menu below your Avatar.
•Save your gems. Unless you've bought gems do not spend any until you are past the Quests that ask them or the Quest may well be stuck for a while. No fear though, most of these Quests will reward more gems than they cost or at least they will give you as many as you need to complete the Quest. Later, collected gems can best be used on larger purchases in the Merchant like 10 Building Deeds in the Architect.
•Sectors, outlined by blue and red bollards, are numbered 1-9 like a key board numberpad. Click a patch of grass and press a number to visit that sector.
Many of these Quests are clear, "Build a Sawmill" for example, and many will show a golden glow around the icons you are meant to click. Others, not so much. I'm going to try to focus on the 'Others'.
Note: Prerequisites, the (level) a Quest opens and/or any previous Quests, are in teal and links are in... this colour.
•Quests will not necessarily appear in this exact order•
Several Main Quests are often open at once and may have active Tasks, and Side Quests will appear in conjunction with certain Main Quests and Tasks.
•Please keep in mind that very few (if any) players know all the Quests by name and be as specific as possible when asking for help.•
Quest Chains
Main Quest: Pinewood Plank Production [Guide] Building Placement, the basics
Tasks:
• First Building: (1) Own (build) at least one Pinewood Cutter. Reward: 100 xp
• Build a Pinewood Sawmill: (2) Build a Pinewood Sawmill. Reward: 50 xp
• Mayor's House: (2) Have completed "Build a Sawmill": Select (Click) the Mayor's House - Open the Intermediate resources tab - Open the Advanced resources tab - Open the Expert resources tab - Open the Elite resources tab. Reward: 50 xp
• Replanting Trees: (3) Own at least one Forester. Reward: 50 xp
• Economy Overview: (3) Have completed "Replanting Trees": Open the Economy Overview window (Abacus) - Choose Pinewood Planks (under Building Materials) from the list - Choose Pinewood Deposit (The Tree icon.) from the resource tree in the Economic Overview. Reward: 20 xp 20 Stone
• Perfect Proportion: (3) Have completed "Economy Overview": Own at least 2 Pinewood Cutters. Reward: 30 xp
• Perfect Wood Production: (4) Have completed "Economy Overview": Open the Economic Overview, Choose Pinewood (the Pine Log under Resources) from the list in the Economic Overview - Choose Pinewood Deposit (The Tree icon) from the resource tree in the Economic Overview - Choose Pinewood Forester under the Pine Tree detailed view (after you've clicked the Tree icon (Pinewood deposit) click the Forester in the new window.) - Own at least 3 Pinewood Foresters. Reward: 30 xp
• Surplus of Wood: (4) Have completed "Perfect Wood Production": Own at least 2 Pinewood Sawmills. Reward: 20 xp 30 PWP
• Making Production Chains Perfect: (4) Have Completed "Surplus of Wood": Open the Economy Overview window - Choose Pinewood Planks from the list in the Economic Overview - Have a Production value of at least 0 every 12 hours for Pinewood, at least 360 for PWP and at least 0 for Pinewood deposits (The Trees. Foresters replant them.) (For an explanation of all the "At least 0 every 12 hours" Quests using this Quest as an example click here: How to finish the economy overview quests. All parts of these Quests must be green at the same time, simply pausing everything until one bit goes green won't do it, it's all about balance.) Reward: 30 xp
Quest Chain Reward: Golden Bench (Decoration)
Main Quest: New Settlers
Tasks:
A one-time Quest that can appear at any level when your Population drops to 5 or fewer: Open the Population tooltip (Mouse over the small head in bar at the top of the screen) - Open the Shop (Merchant/Treasure Chest) window - Buy the following item from the Shop: Foreign Settler Family (The game provides 95 gems, just enough to buy them in the Black Market area.) - Add Population from your Star Menu to your stock (Mayor's House) Note: While this Quest is open no other gems can be spent.
Quest Chain Reward: 10 Settlers
Main Quest: Stone Production
Tasks:
• The Tavern: (4): Own (Build) the Tavern. Reward: 20 xp Note: See the Sidequest "Instant Building"
• Hire Specialists (5) Have completed "The Tavern":: Click the Tavern, own (Hire) at least one Geologist (At level 5 the game provides 100 Gold Coins to hire the Geo.) Reward: 30 xp 50 PWP (The Geo is now in your Star Menu)
• The Geologist (5) Have completed "Hire Specialists": Find one new Stone deposit. Reward: 30 xp NOTE: See the Sidequest "Time is Money"
• Masons: (5) Have completed ''The Geologist": Own at least one Mason. Reward: 40 xp 30 PWP
• We Need More Stone: (6) Have completed ''Masons": Open the Economic Overview, choose Stone. Also own at least three Masons. Reward: 40 xp
Quest Chain Reward: Lantern (Decoration)
Main Quest: Missing Tools
Tasks:
A one-time Quest that can appear at any level when your stock of Tools drops to 30 or fewer: Open the Shop window (Merchant/Treasure Chest,) buy Tools (in Resources for 55 Gems,) add the Tools from your Star to the Mayor's House. Note: While this Quest is open no other gems can be spent.
Quest Chain Reward: 75 Gems
Main Quest: First Buff
Tasks:
• Food Usage: (6): Own at least one Fisherman. Reward: 30 xp
• Provision House: (7): Own the Provision House (You can have only one.) Reward: 20 xp 20 Fish
• Creating Buffs: (7) Have completed "Provision House": Click the Provision House, Produce at least one Fish Platter (In the Buffs tab.) Reward: 20 xp 20 Stone
• Using Buffs: (7) Have completed "Creating Buffs": Use at least one Fish Platter (Click it from your Star and click it on a production building to increase the output without using extra resources. Magic.) Reward: 10 xp
Quest Chain Reward: 1 Exotic Fruit Basket (x3 production for 12 hours buff)
Main Quest: System Functions
Tasks:
• The Options (Left button with Cog/arrow under your Avatar): (6): Open the Camera window, Toggle sound effects on/off, Toggle background sounds on/off, Move the camera up, down, left, and right, zoom in, zoom out. Reward: 30 xp
• To Reposition Buildings: (8) Building on home zone: Provision House (Have built the Provision House): Move the Provision House (Look in the Toolbox tab of the Build Menu for the "Move Building" function and move the Provision House to a new spot.) Reward: 50 xp 10 PWP 10 Stone
• Further Help: (9): Open the Support window, Open the Forum window, Open the help window Archive, Open the "Shortcuts" help window in the help window Archive. (All of these are in the dropdown menu below your Avatar, "Shortcuts" may be found under Interfaces in the Archive.) Reward: 25 xp
• The Advanced Options: (10): Open the Advanced Options window. Also found in the half-cog menu below your avatar is a whole cog button, it opens more options for sound and graphics settings. (Currently, 30.09.15, the mouseover text on the button reads only "Options" but they are actually "Advanced.") Reward: 25 xp
Quest Chain Reward: Broken Signpost (Decoration)
Main Quest: Claim New Lands
Tasks:
• Discovering New Sectors: (7): Click the Tavern, Own at least 1 Explorer, Explore 2 sectors. (At level 7 the game provides 200 Gold Coins to hire the Explorer. Click him in your Star and send him to 'Explore Sector'. Exploring just the one sector, s4 directly to the North, satisfies the Quest.) Reward: 50 xp 50 PWP
• New Land: (8) Have completed "Discovering New Sectors":: Claim two sectors (It means claim one, if you look at the green progress bar you can see it's already counted s1 where the Mayor is so claiming the empty sector to the North by building a Storehouse (there is no Warehouse in this version of the game) there will satisfy it. Reward: 50 xp
• Death to the Leaders: Have Completed "Bandits!": Defeat the first Bandit Leader camp. Reward: 50 xp
• Building Licenses: Have completed "Death to the Leaders": Add Building Licenses from your Star Menu to your stock. (On the home-Island defeating a Bandit Leader gives 10 Building Licenses, accept your Loot Mail to transfer the 10 Licenses to the Star then click them from either the "All" or "Buffs" tab and click them on the Mayor's House.) Reward: 10 xp
• Too Narrow: Have completed "Death to the Leaders": Claim four sectors.(After defeating the Bandit Leader build a Storehouse in a new sector to claim it. The Quest is already counting the sectors you own so mouseover the green progress bar to see how many more you must claim.) Reward: 100 xp
Quest Chain Reward: 3 Flowered Stones (Decoration)
Main Quest: Tool Production
Tasks:
• Copper: (9): Find one new Copper Ore deposit. Reward: 40 xp
• Mines: (9) Have completed "Copper" : Own at least one Copper Mine (Mines, unlike Masons, are built directly on top of the deposit icon.) Reward: 35 xp
• Coal: (10): Own at least one Coking Plant. Reward: 30 xp
• Copper Bars: (11): Own at least one Copper Smelter. Reward: 50 xp
• Tools: (11): Own at least one Toolmaker. Reward: 50 xp
• Look out for Tools: (14) Building on home zone: Bronze Weaponsmith: Have a production value of at least 0 every 12 hours for Copper Ore, Coal, and Bronze, and at least 60 for Tools (Third time lucky, positive production rates in the Economic Overview and all parts green at the same time. There are more of these to come so getting a handle on the basics now is a very good idea.) Reward: 15 xp - 10 Bronze - 10 Wheat
Quest Chain Reward: One Roses, One Blue Flowers (Decoration)
Main Quest: Update Older Production Chains
Tasks:
• Changed Economy Balance: (10): Open the Economy Overview, Choose Pinewood (Pine Log) from the list in the Economic Overview, Choose Pinewood Deposit (Tree) from the resource tree in the Economic Overview. Reward: 20 xp
• Important Pinewood: Have completed "Changed Economy Balance":
Have a production value of "at least 0 every 12 hours" for Pinewood and Pinewood Deposits and 60 every 12 hours for PWP. (This is the second "At least 0 every 12 hours" Quest and like the first it's about balancing your production chains and having positive numbers in the Economy Overview, not stopping everything for half a day. The new Coker may be throwing things off so you can pause him a moment and that may help but you'll need to account for the Logs he's using at some point as well as the Trees a new Cutter will use.) Reward: 50 xp 20 Tools
• Building Upgrades: (12): Upgrade 3 buildings to Level 2. (If you're out of storage space a Storehouse is a good idea and when you upgrade production buildings keep in mind that unlike buffs upgrades increase output and resources used so an L2 Pine Sawmill uses 2 Pine Logs to produce 2 PWP. Upgrading from the bottom of a chain up (Foresters-Cutters-Sawmills) will keep things balanced.) Reward: 35 xp 20 PWP
Consistent Cityscape: (30): Non-tutorial Quest
Preparation: (32): Non-tutorial Quest
Quest Chain Reward: One Noble Residence Deed (Builds a Noble using no resources and no Building License.)
Note: Level 12 brings the Trade Office 
and the opportunity to trade with other players. Trade can be an exciting part of the game but don't get swept away, resource can be traded for resource and Gold Coins can be hard to come by later so save your GC until you know their worth.
Main Quest: Trading [Guide] The Trade Office and [Guide] The Trade Tab and Trade Jargon
Tasks:
• The Trade Office (You may sometimes see this referred to as the 'Branch' Office, 'Branch' is just the old name.) (12): Own the Trade Office. Reward: 30 xp
• The Trade: Have completed "The Trade Office": Buy at least 10 resources through Trading with other players, Sell at least 10 resources through Trading with other players. (Posting a Trade of basics for basics, for example 10 Stones for 10 PWP or the reverse will work as soon as someone takes it, if you ask in the Trade Tab for someone usually will. Clicking the round green refresh arrow in the Trade Office window often will keep the visible offers updated. NOTE: At level 13 the game provides 100 GC to hire the General but won't stop you spending them on something else so hold on to them. Reward: 35 xp
• Trade as an Alternative: (14) Buildings on home zone (Have built): Bronze Weaponsmith and Brewery: Buy at least 50 Bronze Swords, 50 Tools and 50 Brew from other players. (You can either accept an existing offer or make an offer of your own but again, until you know the worth of GC it's wise to save them.) Rewards: 15 xp 20 GC
Exotic Wood from the Trade: (27): Non-tutorial quest
Better Selling: Have completed "Exotic Wood from the Trade": Non-tutorial quest
Quest Chain Reward: Witch of the Swamp Adventure (You may begin your own Adventures on level 26.)
Main Quest: Brew Production
Tasks:
• Fertile Ground: (13): Own at least 2 Farms, Own at least 1 Wheatfield. Reward: 30 xp 20 Stones
• Farmfields: (13) Have completed "Fertile Ground": Own at least 2 Wheat Fields. Reward: 30 xp
• Wells: (14): Own at least one Well. Reward: 10 xp
• Brewery: (14) Have completed "Farmfields" and "Wells": Own at least one Brewery. Reward: 20 xp 20 Bronze Swords
Quest Chain Reward: Exotic Fruit Basket (x3 production for 12 hours buff)
Main Quest: Noble-Minded
Tasks:
• Noble-Minded: (14): Have a production value of at least 288 every 12 hours for Pinewood (Logs.) - Have a production value of at least 180 every 12 hours for Water. - Have a production value of at least 180 every 12 hours for Copper Ore. (This is yet another production balancing quest and can be cleared just like those you've already done. It is also the first quest in the Science System, following Science quests and their buildings will allow you to make Books to teach your Geologist different skills and improve his performance.)
Quest Reward: 10 xp
Main Quest: The Battle
Tasks:
• The General: (13): Click the Tavern, Own at least one General. (The game supplies 100 GC to hire the General, if they've been spent on other things you'll need to trade until you have enough.) Reward: 20 xp
• The Garrison: (13) Have completed "The General": Own at least one Garrison. (Click the General in the Star Menu then click him on the Map, he will build the Garrison (Tent.)) Reward: 20 xp
• To Produce Bronze Swords: (14): Own at least one Bronze Weaponsmith. Reward: 20 xp 50 Coal
• Weapons: (14) Have completed "To Produce Bronze Swords":: Produce at least 5 Bronze Swords. Reward: 10 xp 20 Copper Ore
• Get Ready for Battle: (15): Own the Barracks. Reward: 20 xp 20 Tools
• The Barracks: (15) Have completed "Get Ready for Battle":: Click the Barracks, Open the Recruit production window. Reward: 5 xp
• First Units: (15) Have completed "The Barracks":: Click the Barracks, Recruit 10 Recruits, Buff your Barracks. (The Barracks need special buffs, look in your Star Menu for a free Mr. Myers and use him to fulfill the Quest.) Reward: 10 xp 30 GC
• Join the Army: (15) Have completed "The Garrison" and "First Units": Assign some Military Units to your General. (Click the Garrison, use the sliderbar to choose Troops then click 'OK' to assign them.) Reward: 5 xp
Quest Chain Reward: 2 Improved Drill Plans (Barracks buff, doubles recruitment speed for 12 hours.)
Main Quest: Free the Home Zone!
Tasks:
• Bandits!: (15): Use the Combat Preview - Transfer one of your Garrisons - Defeat the first Bandit Camp. (Click the Garrison, assign Troops, click Combat Preview then a Bandit Camp to see an estimated outcome. Click the Garrison, click Transfer then the patch of grass where you'd like him to go. Click the Garrison, assign Troops, click Attack then click the Bandit Camp you wish to attack. Watch the General as he goes, if he enters another camp's red zone he will be intercepted and must fight them. Click Retreat if this occurs.) Reward: 20 xp 20 Bronze Swords
• More Sectors: (15): Explore 4 sectors. (It's already counted s1 and s4 so you need only explore 2 more.) Reward: 15 xp
• The Battle Report: Have completed "Bandits!" Watch the Battle Report. (After every Battle you will find a Report in your Mail, open it and click Replay for a review. If you've defeated a Camp on your home Island you will also find Loot, accept it from Mail to transfer it to your Star Menu.) Reward: 5 xp
Mission: Free the Home Zone: (21): Non-tutorial Quest
A New Attack: Have completed "Mission: Free the Home Zone" Non-tutorial Quest
Once and for All: Have completed "A New Attack" Non-tutorial Quest
Quest Chain Rewards: 2 Improved Drill Plans (Barracks buff) 1 Stealing From the Rich Adventure
Main Quest: More Population
Tasks:
• Growth of Population/Population Growth: (15): Own at least one Residence. Reward: 20 xp 5 Settlers
Noble Residence: (19): Non-tutorial Quest
Increasing Population Amount: Have completed "Noble Residence" Non-tutorial Quest
Residential Community: (21): Non-tutorial Quest
Quest Chain Reward: 2 Love Potion (Mayor's House buff, doubles Settler arrival speed for 12 hours)
Main Quest: Light Reading
Tasks:
• Bookworm: (15) Quest completed: "Noble-Minded" Own 1 Bookbinder. (Later you can make different Books in the Bookbinder to upgrade your Geologist.) Reward: 10 Stone - 20 Fish
• Mightier Than the Sword: (15) Quest completed: "Bookworm" Own 1 Finesmith. Reward: 15 Copper - 20 Pinewood Planks
• Solid Basis: (15) Quest completed: "Bookworm" Own at least 1 Simple Papermill. Reward: 30 Wheat - 20 Copper.
• It's All in the Script: (15) Quests completed: "Mightier Than the Sword" and "Solid Basis" Produce at least 1 Manuscript. (Manuscripts are made in the Bookbinder.) Reward: 40 Coins
Quest Chain Reward: 10 Settlers
Update: Working on sorting the new Science quests "Vocational Training" and possibly "Maturation". There is something odd in there... But! The basics:
• Use at least one Manuscript on your Geologist. (When you have produced a Manuscript in the Bookbinder you can use it to teach a specialist a new skill. When the Geo is 'at home' (not searching for a deposit) click him in the Star then click the button in the upper right corner of the new window to "Open Skill Tree". You can choose to use the Manuscript on either of two skills, when you've chosen click the green arrow to confirm. Be certain of your choice, getting used Books back later is very expensive.
At higher levels these quest chains ask a lot and until BB rethink them it is, quite honestly, cheaper and much less constricting simply to ignore them and skill specialists as best suits you, not the quest.
Main Quest: Treasure Search
Note: The Explorer has different chances of finding different things, you may need to send him out many times over to complete these Quests. Be sure to use the correct length Search or it won't count. Explorer Treasure Hunts (In German but with pictures.)
Tasks:
• Treasure Search: (16): Earn one Stone through the Short Treasure Search. (It means "at least one", you will not find exactly one.) Reward: 35 xp
Coins On the Street: (20): Non-tutorial Quest
New Explorer Route: (32): Non-tutorial Quest
The Last Route: (41): Non-tutorial Quest
Quest Chain Reward: One Mysterious Adventure Box
Main Quest: More Buffs
Tasks:
• The Mill: (16): Own at least one (Flour) Mill. Reward: 20 xp 20 Wheat
• The Bakery: Have completed "The Mill": Own at least one Bakery. Reward: 30 xp
• More Effective Military Production: Have completed "The Mill" and "The Bakery": Select the Provision House - Produce at least two Solid Sandwiches (In the Buffs tab.) Reward: 30 xp
• Clever Move: Have completed "More Effective Military Production": Use one Solid Sandwich on your Bakery - Use one Solid Sandwich on your Bronze Weaponsmith. Reward: 20 xp
Quest Chain Reward: One Red Flying Settler (x3 production for 24 hours buff)
Main Quest: Ranged Units
Tasks:
• Bowmaker: (17): Own at least one Bowmaker. Reward: 60 xp
Bowmen: (18) Have completed "Bowmaker": Non-tutorial Quest
More Damage: (25): Non-tutorial Quest
Other Islands: Have completed "Longbows": Non-tutorial Quest
Quest Chain Reward: 2 Improved Drill Plans (Barracks Buffs)
Main Quest: Neither Fish Nor Fowl
Tasks:
• Refill Fish Deposits: (17): Select the Provisions House - Produce at least 200 Fishfood (10 Bread = 100 Fishfood in the Deposits tab.) - Refill a Fish Deposit by at least 200, using Fishfood (Click the Fishfood from the Resources tab of the Star Menu then click it on a Fish icon in the water.) Reward: 30 xp
Too Many Deer: (22): Non-tutorial Quest
The Bear: Have completed "Too Many Deer": Non-tutorial Quest
Sausage: Have completed "The Bear": Non-tutorial Quest
Don't Forget: (24): Non-tutorial Quest
The Sausage Pyramid: Have completed "Don't Forget": Non-tutorial Quest
Quest Chain Reward: 100 Fish, 100 Meat
Main Quest: The General Was Defeated
Tasks:
A one-time Quest that appears the first time your General is defeated: Use at least one Medipack. (Look in your Star Menu buffs tab for a free Medipack and click it on the Garrison (Tent) to heal him instantly. While this will heal him on an Adventure the Quest will only recognise it and give the reward if it's done on the home-Island.)
Quest Chain Reward: One Medipack.
This brings us well into level 17, there will be many many more Quests to come, some of them the production balancing "At least 0 every 12 hours" but you've covered all the basics and the forum and the Help tab are always open. Happy Settling!
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Originally Posted by zzarb
