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 boosts to your cities, depending on how you use them.

Each terrain has a movement cost. Most have a cost of 1, or normal. Units with 2 movement will move 2 tiles, units with 3 movement move 3 tiles etc., but some have a movement cost of 2. This means that the tile is twice as hard to move across i.e. units with 2 movement move 1 instead. However, units with 1 movement will still move 1 tile. Roads on forests cancel out movement cost and reduction for a final movement cost of 0.5.

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

Design of field, forest and mountain tiles will vary according to the tribe.

Image	Terrain Name	Information	Movement Cost
	Cloud	Any tile that is unexplored will be covered with a cloud. These will disappear when they come into the line of sight of a friendly unit. They will play a music note when you tap on them and emit particles.	N/A
	Forest	They provide a 150% defence bonus after Archery is researched. At the beginning of the game, game will spawn randomly on these tiles. Ruins can be found on these tiles.	2
	Field	At the beginning of the game, crop and fruit will spawn randomly on these tiles. Villages and Ruins can be found on these tiles.	1
	Field (Crop)	Crop can be farmed after Farming has been researched for 2 population. Fields with Crop can only be seen after Organization has been researched. If you build a building on this tile and then Destroy it, the crop will still be there.	1
	Field (Fruit)	The fruit can be harvested after Organization has been researched for 1 population. Once harvested, the tile becomes a field. Ruins can be found on this tile, although the fruit will not be visible until the ruin is examined.	1
	Mountain	You must research Climbing to move onto a mountain. They provide a 150% defence bonus after Meditation has been researched. Increases sight radius to 2 tiles away instead of 1. At the beginning of the game, ore will spawn randomly on these tiles. Ruins can be found on these tiles.	2
	Mountain (Ore)	Can be mined after Mining has been researched for 2 population. Mountains with Ore can only be seen after Climbing has been researched.	2
	Shallow water	You must research Sailing before you can move in shallow water. They provide a 150% defence bonus once Aquatism has been researched. At the beginning of the game, fish will spawn randomly on these tiles.	1
	Ocean	You must research Navigation before you can move in the ocean. They provide a 150% defence bonus once Aquatism has been researched. At the beginning of the game, whales will spawn randomly on these tiles. You can only see whales once Fishing has been researched. Ruins can be found on these tiles, although any Whales that might be underneath will not be visible until the ruin is examined.	1

Please note: Fish in Ocean and Whales in Shallow Water have been seen before, but they are exceedingly rare and no one is sure if it is a bug or not.