Food
Food is a 
FIDSI resource used to feed and grow the 
Population of cities.
Population Growth
Each population in a city consumes 2 per turn. A city's food surplus (production minus consumption) is added to its growth stock. When the growth stock reaches a certain threshold, it will grow an additional population unit. Likewise a food deficit will be subtracted from the city's growth stock, and if the growth stock falls below a threshold the city will lose a .
The threshold amounts are calculated with the following formulas:
| Game Speed | Limit for next
|
|---|---|
| Normal | 1 + 5 * 2.75
|
| Fast | 1 + 2.5 * 2.75
|
Note that the 
Allayi require twice as much per due to their "We Chosen Few" trait.
| Population
|
Normal game speed | Fast game speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold
|
on step | Threshold
|
on step | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 34 | 34 | 17 | 17 |
| 3 | 103 | 69 | 51 | 34 |
| 4 | 227 | 125 | 114 | 62 |
| 5 | 418 | 191 | 209 | 95 |
| 6 | 691 | 273 | 346 | 137 |
| 7 | 1 055 | 364 | 528 | 182 |
| 8 | 1 523 | 468 | 762 | 234 |
| 9 | 2 105 | 582 | 1 053 | 291 |
| 10 | 2 813 | 707 | 1 406 | 354 |
| 11 | 3 655 | 843 | 1 828 | 421 |
| 12 | 4 643 | 988 | 2 322 | 494 |
| 13 | 5 786 | 1 143 | 2 893 | 572 |
| 14 | 7 094 | 1 308 | 3 547 | 654 |
| 15 | 8 576 | 1 482 | 4 288 | 741 |
| 16 | 10 241 | 1 665 | 5 121 | 833 |
| 17 | 12 099 | 1 858 | 6 049 | 929 |
| 18 | 14 158 | 2 059 | 7 079 | 1 030 |
| 19 | 16 427 | 2 269 | 8 214 | 1 135 |
| 20 | 18 916 | 2 488 | 9 458 | 1 244 |
Production
Terrain
The Food output of the tiles a city is placed on determines the city's initial Food production, and should ideally be more than 2 when placing a new city to ensure there is a net population growth.
Basic Terrain
Of the general terrain types, Plains produce the greatest amount of Food, on average 2 per tile. Sea, Lake, and Forest tiles each usually produce 1, and Arid and Rocks tiles usually do not produce any food.
Rivers add +1 production on tiles they pass through.
Most factions cannot gather from Volcanic terrain (even if there are other per-tile bonuses like the Winter Borough). The opposite is true for the Kapaku, who can only gather food from Volcanic terrain. Volcanic terrain tends to produce 1, exceptions being the Scorched Wilds ( 2) and the Badlands ( 3). ELCP reduces the food yield of all volcanic tiles by 1.
Anomalies
There are a number of anomalies that provide a bonus on a tile:
- 2: Chromatic Land, Dragon Tree, Escaped Specimens, Moss Pearls, Mychordia, Salt Desert
- 4: Azotic Exotics, Botanical Garden, Hidden Springs, Igloo Larvae, Massive Tree
- 6: Black Earth, Life Tree, Northern Loam, Oasis, Steppe Soil
Faction Traits
Some factions have unique interactions with Food:
- The
Broken Lords do not use or see at all, and instead buy population using 
due to their "Appetite for Dust" affinity. - The
Necrophages produce 1 fewer on tiles due to their "Agriculturally Challenged" trait. - The
Kapaku are only able to produce from Volcanic terrain due to their "Born of Ash" affinity, while every other faction cannot produce any from Volcanic terrain.
City Improvements
This list includes any City Improvement that increases a city's food output, even indirectly. Many of the improvements listed have additional effects that do not affect Food production, but for simplicity those effects are not listed.
| Name | Faction | Obtained | 
|
|
Upkeep | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Hall |  All
|
Upon Settling | 10 | +4 per on city
| ||
| Founder's Memorial | All
|
At Start | 60 | +2 on city Can only be built once in your empire | ||
| Seed Storage | All except Broken Lords
|
Era I | 75 | 1 | +10 on city during summer +15% on city
| |
| Husbandry Center | All except Broken Lords
|
Era I | 150 | 4 | +5 per on city Can only be built once in your empire | |
| Irrigation Networks | All except Broken Lords
|
Era II | 250 | 5 
|
2 | Need an exploited river tile to be built +3 on terrain with river during summer
|
| Fish Farm | All except Broken Lords
|
Era II | 250 | 5
|
2 | Need an exploited lake or sea tile to be built +3 on terrain with sea or lake during summer
|
| Central Market | All
|
Era II | 250 | 2
|
2 | +10% on approval (fervent)
|
| Public Granary | All except Broken Lords
|
Era II | 250 | 5
|
2 | +15 on city +2 per on city
|
| Deep Generator |  Vaulters
|
Era II | 250 | 20
|
+10% on city The cost indicates that the Holy Resource has to be chosen
| |
| Oologic Nursery |  Drakken
|
Faction Quest | 400 | 10  20
|
2 | Requires an income of 20 from the city tiles +10 on city
|
| Plow Factory | All except Broken Lords
|
Era III | 600 | 10 5 
|
4 | +3 on exploitation
|
| Fungal Laboratory | Necrophages
|
Faction Quest | 400 | 5 | Limited to one copy in your empire Ka-Riss hero must be city governor +5 per on city
| |
| Wyrm Farm | All except Broken Lords
|
Era IV | 1200 | 5  5
|
7 | Needs an exploited volcanic tile to be built +15 on city+2 per on city
|
| Refrigeration Plant | All except Broken Lords
|
Era IV | 1200 | 15 5
|
7 | +3 per on city +25% on city
|
| Subterranean Gardens | All except Broken Lords
|
Era IV | 1200 | 5 15
|
7 | +10 on district during winter
|
| Fertilizer Plant | All except Broken Lords
|
Era IV | 1200 | 15 10
|
7 | +3 on terrain with Food
|
| Hothouses | All except Broken Lords
|
Era IV | 1200 | 15 10
|
7 | +3 on exploitation
|
| Imperial News Network | All
|
Era V | 2000 | 5 10 
|
10 | +2 per on approval (happy)
|
Expansions
While most expansions listed increase a city's Food output, the Borough Streets expansion actually reduces the Food on the tile it's placed on, though not to a significant degree. Again, only the effects related to Food have been listed here.
| Name | Faction | Obtained |
|
|
Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough Streets | All except Allayi
|
At Start | Varies | -1 on city tile
| |
| Garth of the Allayi | Allayi
|
At Start | Varies | Varies 
|
+2 on city tile
|
| Altar of Auriga | All
|
At Start | 150 | 10
|
+3 per level on Altar of Auriga Limited to one copy in your Empire |
| Cargo Docks | All
|
Era III | 600 | Limited to one copy in your city Can only be built on coastal waters or ocean with exploitation +1 on city tile+2 per extra level on city tile
| |
| Abbey of Anomalies | All
|
3rd Winter | 400 | 10
|
Limited to one copy in your city To be built on anomaly x2 on city tile+5 per level on city tile+3 on terrain with anomaly
|
| Winter Borough | All
|
3rd Winter | 600 | 20
|
Limited to one copy in your city To be built during winter +2 per level on city tiles during winter
|
Approval
Approval in a city has an effect on the generated food as well.
| State |  Approval
|
Modifier
|
|---|---|---|
| Rebellion | 0 - 10 | -50% |
| Unhappy | 20 - 39 | -20% |
| Content | 40 - 59 | +0% |
| Happy | 60 - 89 | +15% |
| Fervent | 90 - 100 | +30% |
Heroes
A hero may have capacities, skills, or accessories that increase the output of their currently governed city.
Capacities
| Hero | Icon | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasah Murdap Archivist Nachampassesa Loremaster Jayawardene Xoyos Brightslash |
 |
Food Boost 1 | +2 Food per hero's level on city. +1% Food per hero's level on city.
|
| Wayra Sigo Loremaster Semsanitnwona Eayos Sniffer Redpoint |
 |
Food Boost 2 | +4 Food per hero's level on city. +1% Food per hero's level on city.
|
| Strikes Far Researcher Namkang |
 |
Food Boost 3 | +6 Food per hero's level on city. +1% Food per hero's level on city.
|
| Lorekeeper Masargaka |  |
Food Efficiency 1 | +1 Food per on city. +1% Food per Hero's level on city.
|
| Feeds on Bones Long Fangs Queenslayer Ka-Riss Sway of the Master (Kapaku Heroes only) |
 |
Slavery | For each pacified and rebuilt village  in the region:
|
Skills
| Skill Tree | Level | Icon | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 4 |  |
Inspirational Leader | Level 1: +5% on city, +5% on city, +5%  on city, +5% on city. Level 2: +5% on city, +5% on city, +5% on city, +5% on city. Level 3: +10% on city, +10% on city, +10% on city, +10% on city.
|
| Necrophages | 1 |  |
Necrotic Agriculture | Level 1: +8 on city. Level 2: +8 on city. Level 3: +14 on city.
|
| Necrophages | 3 |  |
Cadaverous Pesticides | Level 1: +15% on city. Level 2: +15% on city. Level 3: +15% on city.
|
| Drakken | 1 |  |
Irrigation Expert | Level 1: +1 on terrain with river. Level 2: +2 on terrain with river. Level 3: +2 on terrain with river.
|
| Cultists | 1 |  |
Impassioned Preacher | Level 1: +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1  per in city. Level 2: +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city. Level 3: +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city. +1 per in city.
|
| Kapaku | 2 |  |
Heat of the Hearth | Level 1: +2 Approval for city center and expansions on Volcanic terrain. Level 2: +2 Approval for city center and expansions on Volcanic terrain. In ELCP: +2 for city center and expansions on Volcanic terrain.
|
| Mykara | 1 |  |
Life from the Loam | Level 1: +1 on Terrain with Food. Level 2: +1 on Terrain with Food. Level 3: +1 on Terrain with Food.
|
| Mykara | 2 |  |
Waste Not, Want Not | Level 1: -50% (Consumption) on City. Level 2: -50% (Consumption) on City.
|
| Sisters of Mercy | 5 |  |
A Noble's Duty | Level 1: Food Income cannot be negative. Dust Income cannot be negative.
|
Accessories
All listed accessories are Tomes.
| Item | Name |
|
Effects | Obtained From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tome of the Lithophage | 10
|
+15 on city
|
Anaerobic Mycrobiology |
|
12
|
+1 per on city
|
Uncommon Armor | |
|
24
|
+2 per on city
|
Marvelous Armor | |
|
48
|
+4 per on city
|
Exceptional Armor |
Miscellaneous
There are a number of other ways to increase Food production in addition to these that vary greatly.
Arcana
The Ardent Mages are able to research the Arcana of Renewal technology, which unlocks the Pillar of Regeneration for placement. This pillar increases the Food output of tiles within range depending on the Arcana level as shown here:
| Level | Effect | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 on tiles within the pillar's range for 10 turns 
|
1 |
| 2 | +5 on tiles within the pillar's range for 10 turns
|
1 |
| 3 | +6 on tiles within the pillar's range for 10 turns
|
2 |
| 4 | +9 on tiles within the pillar's range for 10 turns
|
2 |
| 5 | +16 on tiles within the pillar's range for 10 turns
|
2 |
Additionally, the pillar provides an extra +3 on tiles in range during winter after obtaining the Cold Engineering technology.
Assimilation
The Bos provide an assimilation bonus of +5% on cities per pacified and rebuilt village, up to +30% .
Empire Plan
Tier 4 of the Empire and Expansion branch of the Empire Plan grants a +50% Food bonus on cities.
Resource Boosters
A number of Luxury resources (and Strategic resources for the Vaulters and Mezari) can be used to increase empire-wide Food production.
| Resource |
|
|---|---|
 Spices
|
+50% |
 Dust Orchid
|
+20% |
| Palladian
|
+20% |
 Hyperium
|
+15% |
Stockpiles
A Food Stockpile can be used to temporarily increase a city's production.
Technology
The only technology that increases Food output directly without the need to build a city improvement is the Era VI technology Self-Driving Plows, which increases the Food output of cities by 100%.
Urkans
Kazar has the Urkan Agriculture training available. Upon unlocking this training, while Kazar is rooted in a region, cities owned by Kazar's owner and their allies will get a +30% bonus, while enemy cities will get a -15% penalty.