Right now when you have a special resource, you can build upon it for free. There is also only one option to choose per resource. I was thinking we could take a page out of Shogun 2's book and have 2 or more paths per resource. Here are some examples

Shard

• Temple- Increases Shard count by 1 and increases mana regeneration by 3.
• Shrine- Increases Shard count by 1 and increases mana cap by 50.

So the player would have the choice of increasing their total mana capacity or increasing the regeneration. This is subject to balance of course.

Farm

• Farm- Increases food by 2.
• Ranch- Increases food by 1, production by 1.

Just some thoughts