Olive press

Economic

A solid economic building, but only if you are actually growing olives in larger quantities - otherwise, it's an expensive waste of space.

Quick overview

Category	Economic
Max level	5
Size	6×9
Priority	Optional

The olive press is purely a multiplicative building - it does not produce anything by itself, but increases the production of all olive groves you have built in your castle. The more groves you have, the more the press adds, so its value directly depends on how many olives you are growing. If you are producing olives in large quantities (and in the advanced game you will need them for crafting and trade), this is a building you want to have. If you hardly deal with olives, it is just an expensive block that unnecessarily takes up 6×9 space.

When to build it

Build it only when you already have olive groves running in your castle - ideally more than one or two. The multiplier for a solitary grove is practically not worth it, as there is nothing substantial to multiply. The classic approach is: first plant the groves, fill the space with them, and only then add the press, which will boost that production across the board. It is more of a priority when you are dealing with economic optimization of the castle, not right at the beginning when you are still fighting for basic resources.

Is it worth upgrading?

It is worth upgrading, but with caution. Each level increases the percentage bonus to production, so the return on investment for upgrades is higher the more groves that bonus multiplies. If you have a lot of groves, feel free to go to max (level 5) - every additional percentage will pay off through a large base. If you only have a few groves, keep it at a lower level and invest resources elsewhere; higher levels would hardly pay off for small production. The order is clear: first expand the groves, then catch up with the press, not the other way around.

Pro player tipThe press affects all olive groves in the castle regardless of where it is placed - you don't have to stick it right next to the groves or worry about adjacency, just place it somewhere. What you do need to consider is space: it takes up 6×9, so jot down the dimensions on paper (or in the castle planner) so you don't end up with too little space for the groves that the press relies on. And if you have multiple castles, the press makes the most sense where you have decided to concentrate your olives - do not spread production evenly across all castles.

Common mistakeThe most common mistake is to upgrade the press straight to max level, even when you have minimal olive production. The bonus is calculated from what you are actually producing, so expensive last levels on a few groves will never catch up - you will invest more resources into them than they will bring you additionally. Therefore, watch the ratio: the level of the press should grow along with how many olives you are actually producing, not by itself.

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