American Colonies before 1492

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I agree - I see too many wierd colonies in that Newfoundland province, thanks to Norway/Denmark being too willing to turn that province over in a peace deal.

 

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Yeah, I could live with Denmark or Norway owning the prov, but when Hannover gets it in 1460, it does indeed suck.

 

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Originally posted by Oleg
Also, didn´t they think the Earth was flat or something back then? I wouldn´t have sailed west if that was the case.

The Portuguese knew that the Earth was a whole lot bigger than Columbus was claiming, so they knew that China was a LOT further west than he thought. They were interested in getting to China, India and the Spice Islands, and were well informed enough to know that going East around Africa was much more promising than trying to sail half way around the world.

 

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Oh, I see. Thanks for the info.

 

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Originally posted by Alerias
What Isaac said. Portugal is a BROKE nation early, and you need ALL you got to take out Songhai, which is the battle that makes or break your empire. Songhai gold is what turn me in the green for real and fund my colonization. By the time I take it, I usually make enough tax income to prevent their gold from causing inflation, if barely, but they are key. Its only some 30 years later, once my empire can take the influx of inca gold that I attack them and finally have the wealth needed to stop caring about gold.

Attacking Creeks early would be crazy. My forces in the area usually amount to something not unlike 1671 footmen, 546 cavalry, 7 trading posts, 3 ill-colonized colonies, one port with 1255 people, 2 galleys and one transport.

The other really succesfull Portugal strategy is to wartax like crazy.
Keep your country small in the beginning by NOT taking any land from Fez and establishing mostly TP's. If your in an alliance with Castille/Spain you will be almost constantly at war with someone. Raise wartaxes every half year and regain stab without diverting money from research. This garantues you a decent colonial empire before the 1500s without ever atually having to wage a war. (well maybe one to gain Ivoria-COT)

 

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I hadn't thought of that one. It's brilliant, as it will get your trade tech up in no time at all. You have to severely restrict the number of colonies you set up to keep stab costs down though.

 

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Yeah, he did say build mostly TPs.

 

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Originally posted by Isaac Brock
I hadn't thought of that one. It's brilliant, as it will get your trade tech up in no time at all. You have to severely restrict the number of colonies you set up to keep stab costs down though.

And once you get your trade eff. over 100 with tech and DP sliders Refineries , presto 95% chance to put a TP just about anywhere for little cost. (you get a big bonus on TP success when you hit 100% eff.)

 

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well, what about a human portugal who does suffer attrition and has to send his boats home every now and them ?? how does he get halfway around africa before his explorer is sleeping with the fish??

and really its not such a bad thing that portugal takes brazil early. consider a human player in their own right, knowing spain will not have any explorers till the 1490's , they could go right for the richer lands of south and central america, but yet the ai is totally content with colonizing worthless brazil. plus if they didnt explore brazil early, any human spain could easly sweep in and grab the lands, keeping portugal out of the americas entirely

 

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Originally posted by KrisKannon

but yet the ai is totally content with colonizing worthless brazil.

I wouldn't say that Brazil is worthless. There are quite a few tobacco and sugar provinces which genarate lots of money. Plus the cost of building colonies in Brazil is low as it is near your homecountry, making Brazil more profitable than colonies in East-Indies.

 

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Brazil is much more valuable than the East Indies, for Portugal. The only reason not to colonize it is so you can give maps to Catholics, have them do the work and then use ToT on them.

Exploring is still pretty easy even if the Portuguse explorers are shorter lived. colony at Cape Verde, colony at Frernando Po, colony at one of table/ciskei colony at Mahe/Bourbon or Mauritius, colony at Goa and you're ready to take Zanzibar and Oman. Malacca is tougher, but that's why Portugal gets all those conquistadors with the great stats.

 

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Originally posted by Isaac Brock


The Portuguese knew that the Earth was a whole lot bigger than Columbus was claiming, so they knew that China was a LOT further west than he thought. They were interested in getting to China, India and the Spice Islands, and were well informed enough to know that going East around Africa was much more promising than trying to sail half way around the world.

If they have to sail "half-way" across the world one way, they'd have to do the same coming the other direction.

Though, I do think you're right that the Eastern voyage was easier.

 

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Originally posted by KrisKannon
but yet the ai is totally content with colonizing worthless brazil.

Brazil and area is the best place to colonize in the game!. If you consider the whole area. Caribean and spice Islands are nice, but Brazil rocks.
Nice and close, easy to reach, friendly natives, some of the highest colonization success rates, rich provinces that you can easily bring the natives into your population as well.
Pampas North and South are great.