What’s the optimal construction strategy in die2nite

die2nite

There's a few rules that every die2nite player knows (regardless of how many actually obey them), like building a tent but not a hovel, constructing a workshop first, etc. After that point, construction order seems like more of an art than a science. I'd like to get some sense of an optimal construction order up to day 5 or 6, at least.

Assume you've got 15 citizens who spend AP on construction per day (225 ap/day), keep defenses within logical limits (to combat daily increased zombie counts) and while you can be optimistic about raw materials, don't be unrealistic. Use day 1 as a non-zombie day and split your daily AP and raw material pull by 50% to simulate a town that isn't full yet.

Requirements (based on some real life numbers):

  • 100 defense by day 2
  • 400 defense by day 5
  • 1,600 defense by day 15

Best Answer

8/10/2011 Update: Unfortunately the game has changed significantly enough now where the below is no longer useful. You may want to check out How should our town decide what to build next? for advice on how to make the best decisions based on your situation.

OK, I'll start by taking a shot, and then we'll see what optimizations other people can make. This is roughly the order used in my current town, with corrections made where we think we made a mistake.

Assumptions:

  • At the beginning, some materials are assumed to be found intact. But after about day 3, I assume that all constructed materials are being refined from the lowest level in the workshop (with the corresponding AP cost)
  • Total AP used: 1,090 (so roughly 5 days given the OP assumptions)
  • Total builder water usage: 55 (15 builders for 5 days, plus 20 for moat, minus 40 for drilling rig)
  • Total builder food usage: 28 (15 builders every other day for 5 days, minus 10 for the vegetable plot)
  • Special materials used: I tried to limit these as much as possible. This build uses only 3 nuts & bolts, 3 pipes, 5 cement blocks, 1 electronics, and 1 pharmaceuticals

Final Defense on day 5: 382 plus defensive objects.

Day 1

  • Build Workshop
  • Convert 10 logs into 5 planks
  • Convert 10 scrap metal into 5 iron
  • Convert 10 planks into 5 beams
  • Convert 10 iron into 5 supports
  • Build watchtower
  • Build factory
  • Make 30 tents

Project of the day: Watchtower Total AP Used: 137
Defense: 5+3+(30 tents) = 38 (plus defensive items)
Required: 18 Planks, 15 Wrought Iron, 1 Concrete block, 10 Rotten logs, 10 Scrap metal and 3 Nuts& Bolts

Day 2

  • Convert 34 logs into 17 planks
  • Convert 8 metal into 4 iron
  • Build portal lock
  • Build great wall strengthening
  • Build great pit
  • Build spiked pit

Project of the day: Watchtower
Total AP Used: 227
Defense: 38 + 109 = 147 (plus defensive items)
Required: 8 Scrap metal, 17 Planks, 34 rotten logs, 2 wrought iron

Day 3

  • Convert 30 logs to 15 planks
  • Convert 12 metal to 6 iron
  • Convert 20 planks to 10 beams
  • Build pump
  • Build water purifier
  • Build vegetable plot
  • Build moat

Project of the day: Pit
Total AP Used: 247
Defense: 147 + 45 + 13 = 205 (plus defensive items)
Required: 2 Copper pipe, 1 wrought iron, 10 planks, 30 rotten logs, 12 scrap metal

Day 4

  • Convert 58 logs to 29 planks
  • Convert 14 planks to 7 beams
  • Convert 8 metal to 4 iron
  • Convert 4 iron to 2 supports
  • Build well-drilling rig
  • Build old school traps

Project of the day: Pit
Total AP Used: 209

Defense: 205 + 30 + 21 = 256 (plus defensive items)
Required: 8 scrap metal, 28 rotten logs

Day 5

Note that by this day, you have to start building to what materials you have. For example, if you don't have cement, but you have nuts & bolts, you might want to go for ramparts instead.

  • Convert 62 logs to 31 planks
  • Convert 28 planks to 14 beams
  • Convert 28 metal to 14 iron
  • Convert 14 iron to 7 supports
  • Build armour plating
  • Build cannon mounds
  • Build stone cannon
  • Build breaker

Upgrade: Pit
Total AP Used: 214
Defense: 256 + 94 + 32 = 382 (plus defensive items)
Required: 62 rotten logs, 28 scrap metal

Other thoughts:

  • After the pump is built, getting the water for the moat is easy. I'm not sure how to account for the long-term effect of using that water in this way though. Added the well-drilling rig to make up for this. Even together they're better Defense/AP than most things out there.
  • Portal lock is mainly just to prevent stupidity/griefing
  • A hacksaw would significantly reduce the cost of all the conversions and allow you to get further ahead
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