Feng Shui – The Complete Guide

Feng Shui Rating

Pecunia has provided detailed information on the Feng Shui rating.

On the Aesthetics Tab, you are given a Feng Shui rating, which can vary from Perfect Harmony to China Shamed.

In the next table you see how many buildings you need to place in an harmonious location to get the given Feng Shui rating; numbers are % harmonous buildings, it doesn’t matter if it’s a 1×1 sculpture or a 10×5 palace, everything counts as one building. Buildings which don’t have a feng shui element associated with them (like roads, gardens, walls..) aren’t counted.

% harmoniousRating
100%Perfect Harmony
90-99.9Harmonious balance
70-89.9Auspicious
60-69.9Average
50-59.9Inauspicious
40-49.9Family shamed
30-39.9City shamed
0-29.9China shamed

Feng Shui – Building in Harmony

by VitruviusAIA

The color of the footprint of a building you are about to place will tell you if you have selected a location that is Harmonious (green) or Inauspicious (yellow). When searching the map for locations on which to build, it is helpful to know which types of terrain will give you a Harmonious location for different types of structures by simple observation.

There are five Feng Shui Elements. They are:

  1. Earth
  2. Metal
  3. Water
  4. Wood
  5. Fire

Different types of terrain are associated with these elements as shown in the table below.

ElementType of Terrain
1. EarthRocks, Cliffs (changes in elevation) and Stone Quarries.
2. MetalOre Bearing Rock (Copper and Iron).
3. WaterGrass. (First of the two Base Elements, established by the presence of the Water Table. Grass on the map indicates the presence of the Water Table.)
4. WoodTrees and Bamboo.
5. FireArid Land. (The second Base Element, established by the absence of the Water Table. Lack of grass on the map indicates the absence of the Water Table.)
NeutralBeach, Salt Marsh, Dunes and Pinnacles. (These terrain types do not have an associated Feng Shui element.)

The diagram below contains the Element Type in the inner ring of the circle and the associated Terrain Type (abbreviated) in the outer ring. The two Base Elements, Water & Fire, are located at the bottom of the diagram. The position of all of the Elements in the diagram is very important. This will be explained later.

Most structures in Emperor have a Feng Shui classification (some are neutral). A complete list of all structures, and their Feng Shui classification can be found in the Structures Charts. For each Feng Shui element there are three corresponding elements that are Harmonious and two that are Inauspicious. A structure is Harmonious with its own terrain type and the two terrain types opposite it in the diagram. For example, a structure with an Earth Feng Shui will be Harmonious near Rocks/Cliffs, Ore Bearing Rocks and on Arid Land. This is shown in the diagram below with the blue lines connecting the Harmonious terrain types.

A structure is Inauspicious with the two terrain types adjacent to it in the diagram. In the same example above, a structure with an Earth Feng Shui is Inauspicious near Trees and on Grass tiles. This is shown with the red lines connecting the Inauspicious terrain types.

So, what happens when both Harmonious and Inauspicious terrain types are present? Each element is Harmonious with at least one Base Element (Water or Fire). (Wood is Harmonious with both Base Elements.) The diagram below contains the associations for all elements.

The Base Elements are the weakest ones. Using the same example, the Base Element for Earth is Fire. However an Earth structure located on Arid Land will be Inauspicious if Trees are nearby. Likewise, Earth structures are normally Inauspicious on Grass tiles but the presence on Rocks/Cliffs or Ore Bearing Rocks will give you a Harmonious location. All of this information is summarized in the table below.

1. EarthHarmonious on arid land, but is disrupted by nearby trees. Remove the trees for a harmonious location. Generally inauspicious over the water table, however the presence of rocks/cliffs or ore bearing rocks generate a harmonious Feng Shui. Look for arid land, rocks/cliffs or ore bearing rock. Remove nearby trees.
2. MetalHarmonious over the water table, but is disrupted by nearby trees. Remove the trees for a harmonious location. Generally inauspicious on arid land, however the presence of rocks/cliffs or ore bearing rocks will generate a harmonious Feng Shui. Build over the water table or near rocks/cliffs or ore bearing rocks. Remove nearby trees.
3. WaterHarmonious over the water table, but is disrupted by nearby rocks/cliffs. Generally inauspicious on arid land, however nearby trees or ore bearing rocks improve the Feng Shui of the area. Wells cannot be placed on arid land. Clay pits can only be placed over tiles with the highest water table. Build over the water table or near trees or ore bearing rocks. Stay away from rocks and cliffs.
4. WoodHarmonious on arid land and over the water table, but is disrupted by rocks/cliffs and ore bearing rocks. Stay away from rocks/cliffs and ore bearing rocks.
5. FireHarmonious on arid land, but is disrupted by ore bearing rocks. Harmonious over the water table only if trees or rocks/cliffs are nearby. Place on arid land or near trees, rocks or cliffs. Stay away from ore bearing rocks.