u/Osmanausar

I bought the game about two weeks ago and have ~70 hours, currently playing Prestige 5.

I only recently realized how strong trading is, especially spamming Packs of Trade Goods from oil or flour. My S Tier BPs are Scribe, Smithy, or Lumber Mill. I try to find fertile soil and set up flour or oil production via Press or Rain Mill. From there, I mostly scale through trade goods. Worst case, I just buy the needed ingredients from traders to keep producing trade goods. I also prioritize any cornerstones that boost trading.

In my last run I opened just one Dangerous Glade early, got lucky with fertile soil, bought a Small Farm from the first trader, and picked up Press + Scribe. By Year 2 I was already producing trade goods, but I still didn’t even have blueprints for coats, boots, or basics like planks/bricks/fabric. I was mostly relying on traders for food and materials.

By Year 4 Drizzle I had ~15 reputation, all villagers were fully satisfied (good food + services from traders, plus 8-plank Hearth upgrade), and my economy was basically fully sustained through trade goods.

That same year I bought ~50 tools, opened a second Dangerous Glade, solved it, sent the cache to the Queen, and won.

Before that, on Viceroy, I was opening 2 small glades and 1–2 dangerous glades by Year 2, and couldn’t finish even by Year 5–6.

If I don’t find Scribe, Smithy, or Lumber Mill early, my disappointment is immeasurable and my run is ruined.

I just have to adapt and try to fund everything with those… ugly looking luxury goods and packs of crops.

https://preview.redd.it/w4yc11psv4xg1.png?width=1919&format=png&auto=webp&s=45eb100b8725b6780cea4fbcd9801533adeda4df

Protected Trade is OP too. Hostility? Haven't heard about it.

Mini Guide

You need Scribe ★★, Smithy ★★, or Lumber Mill ★ to make Pack of Trade Goods. The best ingredients to make Trade Goods are Flour, Dye and Oil as they require only 1 ingredient compared to Pottery, Barrels and Waterskins.

Find the most abundant ingredient on the map (farms are the best) and pick the corresponding building to produce it.
Algae > Flour (inside Flawless Rain Mill★★★) > Pack of Trade Goods (inside Scribe★★)

Ingredient	Into	Building Name
Algae	Flour	Flawless Rain Mill ★★★, Rain Mill ★★★, Provisioner ★★, Stamping Mill ★★, Supplier ★★, Press ★
Berries	Dye	Tinctury ★★★, Apothecary ★★, Manufactory ★★, Cobbler ★
Coal	Dye	Tinctury ★★★, Apothecary ★★, Manufactory ★★, Cobbler ★
Copper Ore	Dye	Tinctury ★★★, Apothecary ★★, Manufactory ★★, Cobbler ★
Fish	Oil	Druid’s Hut ★★★, Flawless Druid’s Hut ★★★, Press ★★★, Butcher ★★
Grain	Flour	Flawless Rain Mill ★★★, Rain Mill ★★★, Provisioner ★★, Stamping Mill ★★, Supplier ★★, Press ★
Grain	Oil	Druid’s Hut ★★★, Flawless Druid’s Hut ★★★, Press ★★★, Butcher ★★
Insects	Dye	Tinctury ★★★, Apothecary ★★, Manufactory ★★, Cobbler ★
Meat	Oil	Druid’s Hut ★★★, Flawless Druid’s Hut ★★★, Press ★★★, Butcher ★★
Mushrooms	Flour	Flawless Rain Mill ★★★, Rain Mill ★★★, Provisioner ★★, Stamping Mill ★★, Supplier ★★, Press ★
Plant Fiber	Oil	Druid’s Hut ★★★, Flawless Druid’s Hut ★★★, Press ★★★, Butcher ★★
Roots	Flour	Flawless Rain Mill ★★★, Rain Mill ★★★, Provisioner ★★, Stamping Mill ★★, Supplier ★★, Press ★
Scales	Dye	Tinctury ★★★, Apothecary ★★, Manufactory ★★, Cobbler ★
Vegetables	Oil	Druid’s Hut ★★★, Flawless Druid’s Hut ★★★, Press ★★★, Butcher ★★