Achievement: A tale of two Islands

The Achievement "A Tale of Two Islands" is a difficult achievement which rewards 100 Gems and the Title of "Court Architect". In order to complete this achievement, a "Metropolis" must be built while settling only a total of two islands.

It is not known if this is possible to achieve while playing a Scenario.

Setup for the continuous game

As it is easier to complete this achievement with an oriental settlement, the following guide will focus on establishing a "Metropolis" on the southern hemisphere.

Occidental Metropolis

TBA

Oriental Metropolis

This guide was provided by RoxyRiku94.

Starting options

• No computer players (while it is possible to play with computer players, they may however actively try to obstruct your efforts, like demanding tribute or declaring war, therefore only play with the easiest computer players if you wish to get additional trading partners).
• No/weak corsairs (weak corsairs may also order tribute, but this is offset with the possibility of buying cider from their harbour, so you may wish to enable them)
• Seed: 74530
• World size: Huge
• Island size: Large
• Fertilities: Many
• Resources: Many
• Island difficulty: Easy
• Neutral Powers: Many (though none were settled)
• Start with Flagship (Don't choose the Warehouse option)

Guide

An advanced playthrough of a continuous game with the map seed number 74530. Featured computer players are Hildegard von Lewenstein and Willem van der Mark

The above stated seed number features many of the oriental fertilities on two islands (Player settled Islands are brown). The large southern oriental island features Silk, Indigo and Almond fertilities and 1 Shell reef, while the medium northern oriental island features Dates, Roses and Sugar cane fertilities (and an another Shell reef). Additional seed fertilities bought are Coffee (for the northern island, available after reaching Patricians) and Clay (for the southern island, available after reaching citizens).

Note that the only essential needs for completing the achievement are Dates, Silk, Indigo (and possibly Coffee), however, not meeting the other Envoy needs may make it harder to attract enough Envoys for the "Metropolis" city status.

However, the islands settled in this example do not feature Stone deposits, requiring the player to purchase Stone from the NPC harbours or via passive trade in order to build bath houses.

Note that due to only having two islands, transporting good is simplified, for which you can also additionally try to complete the achievement "The Road Map In Your Head" which requires you to build a "Major City" without establishing a Trade Route.

Humble Beginnings

Start by buying Tools, Wood and a prestige scroll if the space permits (if starting with an escort), then sail to the moderately sized oriental island to establish an occidental settlement (30 Peasant housings are needed to gain access for all Citizen level buildings and to upgrade to 1 Patrician in order to be able to buy Coffee seeds. While building woodcutter's huts in order to construct peasant houses, transport the prestige scroll to Al Zahir in order to gain an additional ship with supplies. You can now found an additional settlement on the other southern oriental island and start constructing an oriental city if the date harvest on the other island is running decently.

Starting to attract the first citizens

Once you unlock cider as a need, deny it to the peasants in order to avoid them draining your stock without upgrading to citizens. Also, set your warehouse to buy cider to stockpile it later for Citizens and Patricians. Once you have stockpiled enough cider (two warehouses almost full), upgrade 1 peasant house to Citizen level, and start buying Linen garments, hemp and spices (remember to deny them the goods). If you can, get the Imperial Merchant Fleet Attainment in order to be able to purchase more Cider and Linen garments if you can.

In the meantime, you can continue buying prestige scrolls in order to unlock more building permits, but do not advance carelessly (Mosques and Mosaic are not essential for now), as the occidental settlement is more important right now (you may run out of Tools before you can establish a production chain for it). Also, sail to the NPC harbours and start buying stone in order to establish a production chain for Tools and to build bath houses (During that time, you can start upgrading peasant houses again until you can establish your own Tools production and are able to build small storehouses).

Later on, start your Tools production chain, and upgrade peasant houses again in order to be able to build a tavern. Subsequently you can now start establishing a Mosaic production chain (remember to purchase Clay Seed Fertility from Al Zahir, as even though not fully essential, Mosaic will be required for many future buildings) once your oriental population reaches 30 fully occupied nomad houses and gained the building permit to do so.

Achieving 1 Patrician to be able to plant coffee and attracting the first Envoys

Start stockpiling enough Mosaic to build a Mosque and to be able to ascend 1 Nomad house to Envoys (provided, you have established a Carpets production chain, and have enough stockpiled Goat milk to not run out in the future. If all goes right, you can start ascending 1 Citizen house to Patrician level, and subsequently also upgrade 1 Nomad House to Envoys.

The hardest part has now been passed, and you may now tear down your occident settlement (or at least the more sophisticated houses if unable to keep their demand for needs sufficient) if your building space or your essential supplies run out (unlocked buildings do not become locked again, even though your settlement level may drop down. Tearing down your settlement to peasant levels also helps being easier to meet the Corsair's tribute demands should you have trouble with your funds (though quests provided by NPCs may yield fewer and lower quality rewards).

With the goal of 1 Patrician house now achieved, you are now able to purchase Coffee Seed Fertility from Al Zahir. If not, you need to buy the appropriate attainment first and reroll Al Zahir's Patrician Level stock if he offers Roses Fertility instead. Buy it, and plant it on your other oriental island (I cultivated it on the northern island, but it might be better to cultivate it on the southern island instead if not using the Noria exploit).

Subsequent playthrough

From then on, you can now fully focus on establishing your oriental settlement to reach the "Metropolis" city level stage as all of other Fertilities are present on your islands (remember to expand your production chains in order to be able to maintain the needs of 210 Envoy houses and 90 Nomad huts).

P.S.: If you're feeling bold, you may even try to attract 510 Patricians (25 houses, requires approx. 52-53 houses total, depending on Trade rights by Envoys) in order to establish a Glass production, if your aim is to build a Sultan's mosque with only two islands! However, there will be no rewards for doing so.