Colonising the New World - Targetted or Scattergun?

[King]

I prefer to colonise only a few provinces at a time, get them up to city and growing by themselves, (In africa that can demand a population of 2,500 for some places) and then move on. This allows me to rasie my own troops ratehr than ship them over, which saves time and attrition.

 

[Castellon]

Originally posted by King
I prefer to colonise only a few provinces at a time, get them up to city and growing by themselves, (In africa that can demand a population of 2,500 for some places) and then move on. This allows me to rasie my own troops ratehr than ship them over, which saves time and attrition.

In Africa it is better sometimes just to leave them at 700. Since even if the growth is negative they will never fall below this.

 

[King]

Originally posted by Castellon


In Africa it is better sometimes just to leave them at 700. Since even if the growth is negative they will never fall below this.

I like to have them growing it's just me. It cost alot and it takes time but in the long term the rising tax and production income pays of.

 

[Castellon]

Originally posted by King


I like to have them growing it's just me. It cost alot and it takes time but in the long term the rising tax and production income pays of.

Yes but 700 is a nice placeholder while you use the other 3 to 18 colonists to colonize rich provinces like sugar or spice islands.
You can always come back and prop them up after you are more established.

 

[King]

Originally posted by Castellon


Yes but 700 is a nice placeholder while you use the other 3 to 18 colonists to colonize rich provinces like sugar or spice islands.
You can always come back and prop them up after you are more established.

Well I am for finishing what I started. I can never rember which ones need more colonists and which ones don't.

 

[King]

I'll be damned. I neevr knew the exact numbers. However looking at the ones the display was giving it was looking like it would pay off in a hundred years or so. The rest was going to be pure profit

 

[King]

Originally posted by Isaac Brock
For gold provinces it's probably viable. Maybe for Tobacco if you have 20/20 in the COT. There are a few provinces that are a lot richer than 25d/year.

I noticed with Slave provinces it wasn't worth your while untill a few sugar provinces are on the go. Once people started settle America slaves ahd high value (for a while).

 

[Castellon]

Originally posted by King


I noticed with Slave provinces it wasn't worth your while untill a few sugar provinces are on the go. Once people started settle America slaves ahd high value (for a while).

That just effects how much they send to thier CoT.

 

[Castellon]

Originally posted by Isaac Brock


But you don't really want all those colonies around dragging down your stability increase. You're better of building just enough colonies to explore, and TPing everything else. Even if that means building a level 6 TP (they are still useful if you can get into the COT).

Colonies effect your stability costs?

 

[Castellon]

Originally posted by Alva
Just to point out that considerations other than money also play a role. When you get to a new area, you will want to pick a coastal province with a large number of docile natives and colonize it heavily. That will be your base camp which you will fortify to Medium ASAP, this is where your fleets will stay, your conquistadors will disembark and your armies will winter. I'd colonize around it meanwhile, but not heavily - just marking out the area with lvl 1 colonies. Then I would either found another base camp somewhere or invest in lvl 7 around this one (especially if it springs a COT).

This, I would say, is the middle-of-the-road strategy between targeted and scattergun that makes most sense to me - colonization relying on impregnable centers of power (COPs) rather than COTs. Sure I'll make less money than Isaak Brock's country, guided by his financial acumen - but hey, I'll feel more secure and historical that way.

It really depends on what nation you play. I like to expand my reach as far and as fast as possible. So I like colonies spread just far enough apart so my fleet can reach it without significant attrition. That way I get my choice of the best provinces around the globe.