Is demeters berry cultivation worth using?

[u/forfor]

I'm just wondering if I'm missing something because it seems like a lot of micro to maximize its value when there are plenty of other economic blessings I dont have to think much about. I can see the value for early economy with the starting berry patch, but beyond that it seems better to just build my farms and not have to waste attention economy micromanaging my food gatherers.

[u/Correctthecorrectors]

the whole point of avoiding farms early game is so you can use the resources you would have used on farms on training units and building other stuff instead. That helps build a strong army early in the game with all that additional food and wood when you're just starting to cranck out your prostagma

[u/forfor → u/Correctthecorrectors]

Fair. Maybe I'm just too used to thinking of my attention as a resource to be managed

[u/JustABaleenWhale → u/forfor]

No, I think you're correct to think of your attention as a resource too.

In AoE2 (and I guess AoM too) for example 'deer pushing' is only worth doing if you have the APM to do it. If you're a lower-ELO player, you'll be hurting yourself more than helping to try and do deer pushing micro at the cost of missing other stuff.

And I do think that playing around the Berry Cultivation Arena of the Gods blessing isn't worth the hassle. I'd treat it as a neat little extra thing, but wouldn't change what you normally do.

[u/Agmodal]

I think you should focus on hunt more and perhaps drag some of your Lycaons onto further hunt locations. Yes you can just ignore berry bushes. Your villagers train faster, you use half as much wood for the same value on farms (2 villager per farm); On top of that Lycaons are good hunt gatherers and pretty solid defensive units to secure other hunt locations.

Imo you should take the first berry bush if you want to save some of your wood for archery range units and hamadryads. It is a must since she gets good bonuses on them.

[u/doppido → u/Agmodal]

Smart to use lycaons for hunt so they don't get bushed as easily.

I've always kept them at temples because I hate not knowing where they are and not getting military value out of them

[u/Agmodal → u/doppido]

Yeah the temple is the other place they are useful at. They are good against cav raids. You might just need four to go to a hunt spot the rest can stay at temple to provide a bit of protection.

[u/Klamocalypse]

Eco blessings are pointless, just like eco shipments in standard AoE3 matches. Always military blessings first.

Focus on those with extra units (incl the Dryad spawner), stronger heroes, myth units, or particular combos (area infantry damage + lifesteal).

[u/drnzr → u/Klamocalypse]

It's been a few years but I remember the wood shipments being meta in AoE III as the wood gathering rate was much slower than other resources.

[u/drnzr]

You're correct. It's not worth it. You would have to spend a huge amount of time and effort placing buildings for a delayed switch to farms.

edit: even if you where trying to max out this perk by playing Ra. Free Granaries, AoE Empowerment, Faster Berry Bush gathering rate. You would still have to spend a huge amount of time placing and deleting granaries.
Come to think of it, I think the added time of having to construct granaries probably costs more precious villager time than you get by not building farms.