For my next playthrough I'm thinking of trying something... unusual (for me), but since I have no actual ability I'm checking in here beforehand to see where all the areas I'm messing up are in advance.
The Plan
Starting as a European nation (whoever, but Portugal seems to be the most likely candidate), establish a colonial nation in the New World, sell/release all of the original nation's European provinces, switch over to play the colonial nation, win independence (hence the aforementioned firesale, to make this part easier), proceed to colonize or conquer all of the New World.
The rationale for all this is mainly the following:
The Process
So, in addition to recommendations / thoughts / insights, what are all the reasons this isn't going to work?
The Plan
Starting as a European nation (whoever, but Portugal seems to be the most likely candidate), establish a colonial nation in the New World, sell/release all of the original nation's European provinces, switch over to play the colonial nation, win independence (hence the aforementioned firesale, to make this part easier), proceed to colonize or conquer all of the New World.
The rationale for all this is mainly the following:
- Colonial and former colonial nations don't suffer the 50% Local Autonomy limit.
- Trying to build something out of nothing. Woop woop.
The Process
- Portugal seems like the obvious candidate: It starts off with the Azores, putting most of the American coasts in relatively easy range.
- My understanding is that, if the capital of my experimental nation is in Panama, I'll be able to colonize anything in North America without being on a different continent, and anything in South America by direct-connection. No idea if this is still true/accurate.
- If the above is true, then Portugal should probably be able to reach Bermuda—if not most of the Caribbean, Brazil, and non-Mexican North America—as soon as they reach DIP 7. Start the game by explorin' like a madman, find those succulent unclaimed provinces, and as soon as DIP 7 and the Oversees Exploration idea roll around, start grabbing.
- On the one hand, I'd love to be able to throw a capital down in Panama and spread out from there like an epidemic. On the other hand, I would also like to eventually end up as the USA in order to have those fancy pantsy national ideas (I can take or leave the American unique republic types). My plan for this (hair-brained though it may be) is to have Portugal establish the Thirteen Colonies as my primary guinea pig, but to also colonize Panama. Sell off all of Old World Portugal, move the capital from Lisbon to Panama, then tag-switch over to the Thirteen Colonies. One war for independence, formation of the USA. A second war for Panama, move the capital to Panama, boom, there you go.
- With the newly-minted United States of 'Murica, get my New World blob on. Try to coast-block out the rest of Europe. Fail. Wage multiple wars of manifest destiny against the intruders.
So, in addition to recommendations / thoughts / insights, what are all the reasons this isn't going to work?