What's your strategy?

This game can be pretty overwhelming if you don't buckle down and focus on one or two aspects - I mean, you can only make Fancy Beams and Fancy Blocks so fast, but they are required for nearly everything. So I was wondering what strategies are common and what their benefits are, or what strategy you use and how it's going?

I'm specifically asking about overall strategy - there are a lot of threads about strategies for specific questlines or specific inventory items, but I'm talking like, what are good strategies for getting important resources? Is there something you've tried that really worked well, or did it backfire? How can you make sure you have the resources you need when timed things come along? What kind of advice do you have to new players (about the kinds of buildings to invest in, things that might set you up well for later on, etc)?

I recently got a "new" iPhone 4 and started my game over (yes, I know I could have transferred my old game, but it was just getting frustrating for me - I never had enough energy for everything, and I wasn't sure what I was doing).

My strategy this time has been focusing on the buildings I have. Once I get a new one, I try to upgrade it as quickly as I can as high as it will go (which I was thankful to realize was only level 5 for a lot of the resource buildings). I keep getting distracted by quests, and those Daily Marketplace Goals, and right now I find myself short on water (of all the things!)

I discovered right before I switched devices that you can have two of each kind of crafting building (I've never had a Tinker's Camp, so I am not sure about that one, but I assume that doesn't apply there). So make sure to build two potion shops, two kitchens and two forges so you don't get bottle-necked because you have to make bread one loaf at a time.

Another thing I'm doing is that I've got a lot of farm plots and am planting a few of each important vegetable. I have a row for corn/tomatoes (those take such a small amount of time that I switch them off), a row for strawberries, wheat, sugar cane, hot peppers and carrots. That way I have a steady stream of each of those coming in and I don't have to wait for 15 carrots over a day and not be able to grow strawberries or corn when I need to.

The Wizard's School I bought has been amazing - it often means I don't have to choose between finishing harvesting my plots and doing other stuff too.

Try to have imaterials on stock, especially rare ones, because it appears that two teams are now making updates to the game and there will certainly be requirements in the future that will run on timer and having full stock of carrots or wool can save your day.

My current strategy.... Well look in my sig...

A long time ago in a glimmerwood far far away.... I'm not sure I had an overall strategy under level 30 (don't really have one now either!). I worked on my goals, on upgrades and then for a lot of us, the story and new content stopped for many many months. It was only during this time that stockpiling began in earnest for me as there was nothing else to do. So my strategy became "get prepared!"

The game is different now and for newer players, there aren't big gaps between storylines being released because as one goal finishes, another one is triggered almost immediately. We can all play in the way that suits us and fits in with our real lives.

My strategy now is to collect souvenirs! I try not to be in such a hurry to complete a goal and to enjoy the journey a bit more.

my 2 cents! :)

I agree with Spirit (above). Since the journeys aren't that long, I savor them now. Earlier, however, if I had to choose, I'd finish whatever goal promised the best benefit first. Pretty simple.