First, click the Terrain option and choose a map, for example the Europe map.
Next, click the Empires tab to add several imperial capitals on the map. By default, five capitals are added at random; here we'll use two for the demo.
Here you can see some details for Empire 1, such as latitude/longitude, range, land value, and more.
The capital's name can be changed—just double-click it. For example, here I've renamed "Empire 1" to Paris.
You can also modify the capital's latitude and longitude. First click the "Place Capital" button, then click anywhere on the map with your mouse. You'll see Paris's coordinates update to the location of your click.
Notice the "Plain" under Travel Costs?
In "Empire Simulator 2.1", "Plain" is one of the core terrain types. Its functions and roles revolve around "empire territory expansion" and "terrain cost mechanics", with detailed explanations as follows:
- Basic Positioning: As a core terrain type in the simulator, Plain is the "regular terrain" most frequently encountered during empire expansion. It differs from terrain with special attributes such as Desert and Mountain.
- Core Connection – Travel Costs: Travel cost is a key factor determining empire expansion efficiency ("Lower = faster"). Plain is usually a "low travel cost" terrain by default, meaning empires face less resistance and expand faster when occupying Plain tiles. It’s the primary target for early-stage expansion. Users can also customize Plain’s travel cost in the "Empires" tab (e.g., settings for Paris, Empire 2) or "Global travel costs" under "Settings" to adjust expansion strategies (e.g., increasing the cost makes Plains no longer "easy to occupy").
- Connection with Land Value: Under the "Land value" tab, users can set land values for different terrains (e.g., the base value of Plains). Land value affects an empire’s "Target size" and expansion priority—high-value Plain tiles are more attractive for empires to compete for, becoming core expansion areas.
- Terrain Generation and Modification: In the "Terrain" tab’s "Randomize terrain" function, Plains default to 40% of the map—higher than any other terrain type—setting the "basic landform tone" of randomly generated maps. Users can also manually paint Plains via "Paint terrain" to customize terrain distribution (e.g., creating large Plain areas for rapid empire expansion).
From this we can tell the empire will prioritize expanding into regions with lower Travel Costs and higher Land Value.
You can set the value of the land under Land Value.
After configuring these parameters, go to Optimization and click auto‑grow.
You'll then see the two empires automatically expand and compete for territory — cool!
