Terrain

The world in Polytopia is randomly generated for each new game and consists of various types of terrain. Different terrain will provide different population or income boost to your cities, depending on how you use them. Terrain can also spawn with certain types of resources on them. Certain types of terrain will also stop you from moving through them (Forests and Mountains), but in the case of forests this malus can be circumvented with Roads.

Different tribes have different spawning rates for terrain and resources. When the map is generated at the beginning of the game, the land is distributed roughly equally between all tribes in the game (except Polaris). Generated resources have different rates which depend on the tribe. Terrain generation and starting technology are the only differences between Regular Tribes.

Resource Rates

General probabilities for a tile to represent a certain terrain / have a certain resource are:

Mountain - 15%

Forest - 40%

Fruit - 50% (among Field tiles)

Crop - 50% (among Field tiles)

Game - 50% (among Forest tiles)

Fish - 50% (among Water tiles)

Whale - 40% (among Ocean tiles)

Metal - 50% (among Mountain tiles)

This table shows the tendency of terrain/resources to generate for each tribe's biome.

Cyan — highly increased levels; Green — increased levels; Yellow — normal, Orange — decreased levels, Red — highly decreased levels.


Xin-Xi
Imperius
Bardur
Oumaji
Kickoo
Hoodrick
Luxidoor
Vengir
Zebasi
Ai-Mo
Quetzali
Yădakk
Aquarion
∑∫ỹriȱŋ

In addition, Kickoo and Aquarion have 40% and 30%, respectively, of their tiles replaced with water.

Resources such as fruit, wild animal, crop, fish and whale only spawn within 2 tiles of villages or cities, so you can use this to help you find more villages.

Terrain Types

The design of field, fruits, forest, wild animals and mountain tiles will vary according to the tribe.

Terrain Name	Resources	Information	Buildings
Cloud	N/A	Any tile that is unexplored will be covered with a cloud. These will disappear when they come into the line of sight of your unit. Clouds also block your units from moving further until the cloud tile is explored. Clouds that disappear are only visible to the player who explores them so you can't see what AI or other players explored.	N/A
Field	fruit, crop	The default tile. Most normal buildings require this tile. This tile does not block movement. Ruins can spawn on this tile, although resources beneath it will not be revealed until the Ruin is cleared. You can use Grow Forest on a field tile once Spiritualism is researched to convert it into a Forest tile, although this will remove all resources. You may harvest fruit present on the tile for 2 stars yielding 1 population once Organization has been researched. This will turn it into an empty field. Crop will not be revealed until Organization or Farming has been researched. If crop is present on the tile, you may build a Farm on the tile for 5 stars yielding 2 population once Farming has been researched.	Monuments, Farm (requires crop), Sawmill, Windmill, Temple, Customs House, Forge, Sanctuary, Road, Ice Bank
Forest	wild animal	This tile blocks movement. Land units may never move through this tile without stopping unless Roads are built. Ruins can spawn on this tile, although resources beneath it will not be revealed until the Ruin is cleared. You may hunt wild animals present on this tile for 2 stars yielding 1 population once Hunting has been researched. This will turn it into an empty Forest tile. You can use Clear Forest on a forest tile once Forestry has been researched to convert it into a Field tile and get 2 stars, although this will remove all resources. You can use Burn Forest on a field tile once Chivalry is researched to convert it into a Field tile with crop, although this will remove all resources. If playing as Elyrion, you may Enchant wild animals for 2 stars once Forest Magic is researched. This will turn it into an empty Forest tile and create a Polytaur. Forest provides a 50% defence bonus after Archery has been researched.	Road, Lumber Hut, Sanctuary, Forest Temple
Mountain	metal	This tile blocks movement. Land units may never move through this tile without stopping. Ruins can spawn on this tile, although resources beneath it will not be revealed until the Ruin is cleared. If metal is present on the tile, you may build a Mine for 5 stars yielding 2 population once Mining has been researched. You must research Climbing before you can move into Mountain tiles. Mountains provide a 50% defence bonus after Meditation has been researched. Moving to a mountain tile allows you to clear clouds 2 tiles away instead of the usual 1.	Mine (requires metal), Mountain Temple, Sanctuary
Water	fish	Normally Ruins cannot spawn on this tile. You may harvest fish present on the tile for 2 stars yielding 1 population once Fishing has been researched. This will turn it into an empty water tile.	Port, Monuments, Water Temple
Ocean	whale	Ruins can spawn on this tile, although resources beneath it will not be revealed until the Ruin is cleared. You may harvest whales present on the tile yielding 10 stars once Whaling has been researched. This will turn it into an empty ocean tile. If playing as Elyrion, you may Enchant whales for 5 stars once Water Magic has been researched. This will turn it into an empty Ocean tile and create a Navalon. You must research Navigation (or Free Diving as Aquarion) before you can move into Ocean tiles. Ocean provides a 50% defence bonus after Aquatism has been researched.	Water Temple
Ice	fish, whale	This is a unique tile, because it is created when water tiles are frozen and thus retains its resources or ruins. This tile does not block movement, but provides double movement to units with the skate skill, and +1 movement to land units if Polarism is unlocked. Units may use Break Ice when adjacent to this tile, reverting all ice tiles within a 3x3 area centered on the caster to water/ocean.	Monuments, Ice Temple, Outpost

Bugs due to Forced Spawning

Fish in ocean and Whales/Ruins in shallow water have been seen before, but are rare. Whales and Ruins appearing in shallow water occurs because of forced spawning. Bardur, Imperius, Kickoo, Zebasi, and Elyrion capitals have guaranteed resources in their capital, with resources being force-spawned if the initial world generation does not provide enough resources. In some cases, water tiles are replaced by missing resources, turning tiles with Whales/Ruins next to the newly force-spaned resources from ocean tiles to shallow water tiles. This is considered to be a bug.

Sometimes, this bug affects Mountain tiles, which will still provide the increased sight radius despite being replaced by a resource.

Game Mechanics
AI Relationships, Combat, Population, Stars, Technology, Terrain, Unit Skills

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Resource Rates

Terrain Types

Bugs due to Forced Spawning