Late-Game Balance, Maintenance & Production Efficiency (2 000+ Population), What do you folks think?

Farthest Frontier Ideas and Feedback
1

Dear Farthest Frontier Lead Designer,

First, congratulations on the outstanding work—each update has been a pleasure. After growing my settlement past 2,000 inhabitants, a few late-game challenges have emerged that keep the city locked in a “produce only to repair” loop:

  1. Run-away maintenance
    Repair demand rises so quickly that all planks, iron, and tools are consumed almost immediately, leaving little room for expansion or trade.
  2. Tier-2 upgrades feel underwhelming
    Evolved workshops (sawpit, forge, carpentry, barns, etc.) add only modest output yet require extra workers, so efficiency per villager barely improves.

Concise improvement ideas

  • Boost Tier-2 production or keep the same workforce after upgrading to relieve the maintenance bottleneck and restore a sense of progress in late game.
  • Differentiate tree species—clearly indicate which are best for firewood and which for planks—so reforestation becomes a strategic choice.
  • Allow players to block specific feed types (e.g., reserve wheat for brewing instead of livestock), giving finer control over supply chains.
  • Tweak wheat consumption speed for animals; it is currently much higher than other fodder options and unbalances farm economics.

I’m happy to share save files or additional details if that would help. Thank you for your time and for continually making the game better!

Sincerely,
Marcos Vinícius de Melo Nascimento

2 Likes
2

Do you have a Cooper? I find that a lot of maintenance troubles are actually because barrels are a PITA to make and keep in stock. Once I stopped, planks and iron became easier to keep in stock.

Oh, and being able to prioritize hay > roots > wheat for livestock feed would be nice. Good idea.

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Hay is already priotised for animals if you grow it. Just put a storehouse down near your barns and make it only stock hay.