Housing Progression Design

Understanding how citizens advance from humble shelters to grand estates is key to city planning. Below is the current design for each level: plot size, required services, and how many food types are expected.

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Reading the Requirements

• Food types: Count of distinct food categories provided (e.g., grain, fish, vegetables). Higher tiers demand variety.
• Pottery, Oil, Furniture, Wine: Whether the household expects ongoing access to these goods.
• Plot Size: The footprint the building occupies on the grid. Bigger homes demand more space and careful block planning.

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Level 1 — Subsistence Shelters (1x1)

• Mud Shelter — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Mudbrick Shelter — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Weathered Shelter — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no

Notes: Purely transitional homes. No services are required; perfect for early settlement bootstrapping.

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Level 2 — Early Shacks (1x1)

• Alley Shack — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Riverbank Shack — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no

Notes: Visual variety emerges but requirements remain minimal. Focus on road access and population growth.

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Level 3 — Starter Cottages (1x1)

• Thatched Cottage — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Humble Cottage — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no

Notes: Still service-free. These form the core of your first stable neighborhoods.

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Level 4 — One- to Two-Room Houses (1x1)

• One-Room House — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Two-Room House — Food types: 0; Pottery: no; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no

Notes: Cosmetic improvement tier. Prepare logistics for the upcoming service thresholds.

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Level 5 — Modest Quarters (1x1)

• Modest Quarters — Food types: 1; Pottery: yes; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Spacious Quarters — Food types: 1; Pottery: yes; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no

Design Implications: Your first real service dependency. Establish steady Pottery distribution and ensure at least one reliable food chain.

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Level 6 — Courtyard Houses (2x2)

• Courtyard House — Food types: 1; Pottery: yes; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Broad Courtyard House — Food types: 1; Pottery: yes; Oil: no; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Elegant Courtyard House — Food types: 2; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: no; Wine: no
• Refined Courtyard House — Food types: 2; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: no; Wine: no

Design Implications: Footprint grows to 2x2. Logistics complexity increases—add Oil for the elegant/refined variants and diversify foods to reach 2 types.

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Level 7 — Compounds (3x3)

• Merchant’s Compound — Food types: 2; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: yes; Wine: no
• Broad Merchant Compound — Food types: 2; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: yes; Wine: no
• Noble Compound — Food types: 3; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: yes; Wine: 1
• Stately Compound — Food types: 3; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: yes; Wine: 1

Design Implications: Moving to 3x3 changes block planning dramatically. Furniture becomes mandatory; wine is introduced at the noble/stately tier.

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Level 8 — Estates (4x4)

• Country Estate — Food types: 3; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: yes; Wine: 1
• Great House — Food types: 3; Pottery: yes; Oil: yes; Furniture: yes; Wine: 2

Design Implications: The largest residential plots (4x4) with the highest service demand. Ensure robust supply chains and premium distribution coverage.

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Summary

This progression staggers new demands—pottery, then oil, then furniture and wine—while increasing plot sizes to reward thoughtful city planning. You get clear levers to shape neighborhoods: goods routing, market coverage, and food variety all influence the journey from mud shelters to great houses. Details may change during development.