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What Do Laborers Do in Banished? A Comprehensive Guide

In the unforgiving world of Banished, your villagers need to be productive. Laborers are the lifeblood of your settlement, performing essential tasks that keep the colony functioning. These are the unassigned villagers who don’t have a specific profession. Their primary role is to handle all the menial tasks necessary for resource gathering, construction preparation, and overall settlement maintenance. Without a healthy pool of laborers, your Banished community will quickly stagnate and struggle to survive.

The Core Functions of a Laborer

A laborer’s daily grind might seem simple, but it’s essential for the prosperity of your town. Here’s a breakdown of what they do:

Clearing Land: Before anything can be built, land must be cleared. Laborers chop down trees, remove rocks, and flatten terrain to prepare construction sites. This is crucial for expanding your settlement and accessing vital resources.
Resource Gathering: This is the primary function of a laborer. They haul logs from the forest, collect stone and iron from resource deposits, and gather any other available resources scattered around the map. These resources are then transported to storage barns and stockpiles, ensuring your citizens have access to what they need.
Resource Transportation: Efficient transportation is key. Laborers move resources from gathering locations to storage facilities and construction sites. The faster resources are moved, the quicker buildings can be completed and the smoother your supply chain will operate.
Demolition: Need to remove an old building or make way for something new? Laborers handle demolition tasks, dismantling structures and clearing the debris.
Construction Preparation: While builders construct buildings, laborers prepare the ground. They bring the necessary resources to the construction site, ensuring the builders have everything they need to get the job done. Laborers will also clear away any debris to allow for the next building phase.
Supporting Industries: Even though they don’t have specific professions, laborers often provide support for other industries by hauling resources to workshops or distilleries. For instance, they might bring firewood to a blacksmith or crops to a brewery.

Why Laborers are Crucial for Survival

Laborers might seem like generic workers, but they are indispensable. A shortage of laborers can have serious consequences for your Banished town:

Slow Construction: With fewer laborers to transport resources, building projects will take much longer to complete. This can delay the construction of essential infrastructure like houses, schools, and hospitals.
Resource Bottlenecks: If resources aren’t being transported efficiently, your industries may grind to a halt. This can lead to shortages of food, tools, and other essential items, threatening the survival of your citizens.
Uncontrolled Overgrowth: If you don’t have enough laborers to clear trees, your town can quickly become overgrown. This can make it difficult to expand your settlement and access resources, creating a cycle of decline.
Increased Risk of Starvation: As laborers bring the food to the storage barns, not having enough of them could lead to starvation.

Balancing Your Labor Force

Maintaining a sufficient but not excessive number of laborers is a delicate balancing act. Too few laborers can cripple your economy, while too many laborers can reduce the efficiency of your specialized industries.

The Importance of a Buffer: It’s wise to maintain a buffer of laborers to handle unexpected tasks and emergencies. This will prevent your settlement from grinding to a halt if a sudden crisis arises.
Dynamic Adjustment: The ideal number of laborers will vary depending on the size and needs of your settlement. As your town grows, you’ll need to adjust the number of laborers to keep pace with demand.
Early Game Priority: In the early game, a larger proportion of your population will need to be laborers to get your settlement off the ground. As your economy matures, you can gradually transition villagers to more specialized professions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Laborers in Banished

Here are some common questions about laborers in Banished, along with detailed answers to help you optimize your workforce.

1. How do I assign villagers to be laborers?

Villagers are automatically assigned as laborers if they are not designated for any other specific profession like farming, mining, or teaching. If there are idle laborers, it means that they are not needed to perform any of the tasks to be done in your town.

2. How many laborers should I have?

There’s no magic number, as it depends on the size of your town, the stage of your game, and your current construction projects. A general rule of thumb is to maintain around 10-20% of your adult population as laborers, but adjust as needed.

3. How can I tell if I have too few laborers?

Signs of a laborer shortage include slow construction, resource stockpiles remaining full at gathering locations, and industries experiencing frequent shortages of materials.

4. How can I tell if I have too many laborers?

If you notice that your specialized industries are producing less than they should or that your storage barns are overflowing with resources, you may have too many laborers. Consider assigning some of them to other professions.

5. What happens if I have no laborers?

If you have absolutely no laborers, your town will quickly grind to a halt. No one will transport resources, clear land, or prepare construction sites. Your builders will be idle, and your industries will shut down. This is a recipe for disaster.

6. Can children be laborers?

No, children cannot be assigned as laborers. They must first become adults before they can take on any profession.

7. Do laborers need tools?

Yes, laborers benefit from having tools. Tools increase their efficiency and allow them to gather resources faster. Make sure you have a blacksmith producing enough tools to equip your laborers.

8. How do I prioritize tasks for laborers?

Unfortunately, you cannot directly prioritize tasks for laborers. They will automatically perform the most urgent tasks first, such as clearing land for construction or transporting essential resources. However, you can influence their behavior by strategically placing storage barns and stockpiles near resource gathering locations.

9. What are some strategies for managing laborers in the early game?

In the early game, focus on clearing land for housing, food production, and resource gathering. Designate a larger proportion of your population as laborers to get your economy off the ground. As your town grows, gradually transition villagers to more specialized professions.

10. Can laborers be affected by disasters?

Yes, laborers are just as vulnerable to disasters as any other villager. Fires, diseases, and starvation can all decimate your labor force. Be prepared to deal with these emergencies and have a plan in place to replenish your population.

11. How does terrain affect the performance of laborers?

Difficult terrain, such as mountains or swamps, can slow down the movement of laborers. This can reduce their efficiency and make it more difficult to gather resources. Consider building roads and bridges to improve accessibility to resources in difficult terrain.

12. Do laborers consume resources?

Yes, laborers consume the same resources as any other villager, including food, firewood, and clothing. Make sure you have adequate supplies of these resources to support your labor force.

13. How can I improve the efficiency of my laborers?

Building roads between resource gathering locations and storage facilities can significantly improve the efficiency of your laborers. Also, ensure that your laborers have access to tools and clothing to protect them from the elements. Prioritizing resource gathering near your town can also reduce travel time and improve efficiency.

14. What is the relationship between laborers and builders?

Laborers and builders work closely together. Laborers prepare construction sites by clearing land and transporting resources, while builders construct the buildings. A balanced workforce of both laborers and builders is essential for expanding your settlement.

15. Where can I learn more about Banished game strategies?

You can learn more about Banished game strategies and connect with other players through various online communities, forums, and websites. You can also visit Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. The Games Learning Society is a great source for articles, discussions, and resources related to game-based learning and strategy, offering insights that can enhance your Banished experience.

In conclusion, laborers are an absolutely necessary part of the Banished ecosystem. By understanding their role and managing your workforce effectively, you can build a thriving and sustainable settlement that can withstand the challenges of the wilderness.

What do laborers do in banished?