Expansions - what's your approach?

[robotparade]

When I see (yet unopened) tiles on the kingdom board that cost 5 Expansion Permits, they seem totally out of reach for me. I work long and hard to earn enough Trade Tickets in the Royal Exchange to get enough Permits for the tiles that cost "only" 2 or 3 - I don't think I would have the patience or fortitude to get as many as FIVE permits.

For those who have opened those expensive tiles, I'm curious how you did it. Did you do all the work, or did you buy gems to speed through?

[ShibuyaCloth]

no gems, just have exchange run as much as you can. Over time you get there.

[SpiritWind00]

When the expansions came out that had one for 5 permits, like you I'm pretty sure I had a mini heart attack. To say it was overwhelming is an understatement! I sat down with a pen and paper and worked out how many trades I do in a week and then worked on how many months it would take to open all the land. I have never used gems on expansions, although I have to say the temptation to do so was strong.

When I had all those new ones that needed 2,3,5 permits I bit the bullet and focussed on the worst one first.

The other consideration for me is that I live week to week for new goals, so dragging out as many cows and chickens I could and using the majority of my energy collecting from animals was pretty much my only focus. And yes, eventually I had enough permits. I never give permits to land until I have the full amount. I do for lanterns and coins, but only because I have more money than I could possibly use. I opened up the last square only a couple of weeks ago.

There was an advertisement on the TV a few years ago and the slogan was "it won't happen overnight, but it will happen". [Stop laughing all my Aussie friends!] It is this sentiment I liken to expansions!

[robotparade]

Thanks for the input! SpiritWind I'm LOLing about the "mini heart attack."

I'm just going to buckle down and do the hard work!

[PrincessCupOButter]

My approach is very much like Spiritwind's. The milk and egg trade is the easiest way to get certificates IMO. Plus it gives supplies for feasts!
I haven't spent any gems to expand either, but I do the easier ones first and save the ones requiring 5 permits for last.

A word of advice I learned from the forums....always leave one plot unexpanded so that you can continue to make expansion permits in between releases. (Otherwise the ability to craft them disappears until they release more) I know it feels like you'll never get to that point, but it does eventually happen!

[cyndora]

same as Spiritwind said, i worked for the one that needed the most trade tickets out of the way, that took major dedication but it worked for me....my poor cows and chickens lol, wish we could have a super cow and chicken that would give 10 milk and eggs, so we did not need so many out , but its the easiest trade by far. maybe we can call it the chimooken or something lol.

[PrincessCupOButter]

same as Spiritwind said, i worked for the one that needed the most trade tickets out of the way, that took major dedication but it worked for me....my poor cows and chickens lol, wish we could have a super cow and chicken that would give 10 milk and eggs, so we did not need so many out , but its the easiest trade by far. maybe we can call it the chimooken or something lol.

I wish the cows and chickens would/could drop multiple milk and eggs! (Maybe we could get a shard for that, like the one that causes the wells to drop extra water!) In the meantime, I make good use of my hatcheries and stables. They help out a lot!

[muggapug]

I have only one plot left to expand and am not doing it even though I have enough expansion permits-I want to be able to trade for permits still. But...I want new expansions. I began playing CS the day it was released, and even with taking an eight month hiatus when my old iPad stopped loading the game, have way too many things to fit on the current land. please open more plots up soon.

also regarding trade tickets, I am able to get 4-5 a day doing the various exchanges. The pie and lemonade is a great one for overnight. Once you get to a certain level you get so many bones and rattails, etc, there's not much else to do with them but trade them.

[zyfazix]

I still have 31 squares to unlock and will probably need more than double the number of expansion permits. Thanks for the tip of putting extra cows and chickens on the board, with the extra buildings from the Troll and Greselda quests I really need the space, I can only imagine how much space I'll need to give the faeries their own area in my kingdom... (I also have a dramatic amount of trees which I use for decoration, it's absurd)

Because of the need for space I mostly start expanding with the cheapest squares because those are done faster.

[brigadoon365]

I still have 31 squares to unlock and will probably need more than double the number of expansion permits. Thanks for the tip of putting extra cows and chickens on the board, with the extra buildings from the Troll and Greselda quests I really need the space, I can only imagine how much space I'll need to give the faeries their own area in my kingdom... (I also have a dramatic amount of trees which I use for decoration, it's absurd)

Because of the need for space I mostly start expanding with the cheapest squares because those are done faster.

well, with the current challenge you could be drastically reducing your number of trees! I had a ton just because I don't like to waste energy on them when I have enough wood. Turned out to be a great benefit looking for all those darn squirrels!

Thanks for the tip about not expanding your last plot. I'm not even close to that yet, but definitely good to know. My approach so far has been easiest and cheapest ones first. I've only done one so far that needed a ticket, but I only have a few more plots that just need lanterns and coins.