Defending colonies in v1.32.2+

[ojdrew]

Long time EU4 player here, I want to vent some frustration over the recent change in how colony wars / defense are managed.
These changes were introduced in version 1.32.2+.
Thus far the common response on the boards is to simply enforce peace to defend your colonies.

That doesn't address the core issue here - countries aren't given the OPTION / CHOICE to defend the colonies at all.
Yes, if I have +100 opinion with the colony, the colony has -25 warscore and you have the ability to declare war; then enforcing peace may be an option, a sub-optimal one.

As it stands the colonies power compared to the native nations seems wildly unbalanced in favor of the natives.
Even when giving substantial subsidies to my large colonies they get badly beat up by much smaller native nations.
Annoying that you cannot lend troops or Condottieri to your colonies as they get slaughtered.
Trying to defend 4+ colonies from the natives becomes a full-time focus.

Ideally, when someone attacks your colonies countries should be given the OPTION to defend the colony or not.

Here is wishing that Paradox would consider allowing players the option to control what kind of game they want to play.
Put Defend Colonies as an option in the game menu please.

For now I've chosen to roll back my version to 1.32.1 to allow me to defend my colonies as in prior versions.
I've tried defending colonies in the new way and read the boards for suggestions on how to deal with it.
This change has reduced my enjoyment of the game so I've resorted to the version roll-back.

As regards this issue, I'm curious to hear from other players and not just the Paradox reps and admins.
What do you think of the new Colony War mechanic introduced in version 1.32.2?

 

[Republic of Mercury]

Yes, if I have +100 opinion with the colony, the colony has -25 warscore and you have the ability to declare war; then enforcing peace may be an option, a sub-optimal one.

Pretty sure there's no opinion requirement, and the warscore requirement is anything below +25% (assuming it applies)

 

[grotaclas]

For now I've chosen to roll back my version to 1.32.1 to allow me to defend my colonies as in prior versions.

There was no change in how you can defend your colonial nation between 1.32.1 and the current version 1.33.3. For a long time(maybe even since colonial nations were introduced), the overlord has not gotten a call-to-arms when a CN was attacked by a country with its capital in a colonial region. I vaguely remember that the 100 opinion and no truce was a requirement for enforcing peace before version 1.30, so it actually became easier to defend your CNs.
The only difference is that 1.33 (not 1.32.2) made the AI natives more aggressive.

 

[Nostalgium]

The only difference is that 1.33 (not 1.32.2) made the AI natives more aggressive.

And furthermore, PDX has acknowledged that current native aggression is overtuned, so it's slated to be dialed back as well. I 100% understand the frustration though - especially when it comes to situations where truces play into it and you just have to sit there and look on helplessly as your land gets torn from you by a native with whom you have a truce, but your colony does not.

I feel like the natives should also accept the truce enforced more often than not, perhaps weighted to Overlord's navy size, i.e. ability to actually project power to the New World. Ideally it'd look at number of transports, but that might look a bit gamey as a modifier, and navy size already exists as an AI weight. Currently, they tend to suicidally decline the enforce and lose even more land.

 

[MachopPower69]

And furthermore, PDX has acknowledged that current native aggression is overtuned, so it's slated to be dialed back as well. I 100% understand the frustration though - especially when it comes to situations where truces play into it and you just have to sit there and look on helplessly as your land gets torn from you by a native with whom you have a truce, but your colony does not.

I feel like the natives should also accept the truce enforced more often than not, perhaps weighted to Overlord's navy size, i.e. ability to actually project power to the New World. Ideally it'd look at number of transports, but that might look a bit gamey as a modifier, and navy size already exists as an AI weight. Currently, they tend to suicidally decline the enforce and lose even more land.

Truces in general should be reworked for colonies as well. Truces should be passed down to the subjects if they become independent; same with releasing nations from the province tab with the red cross over a coring button near the stats

 

[evilcat]

Some walkarounds:
I think that there is an option in messeger to pop up when subject is attacked.
You can focus on africa/asia and trade companies.
South America and Caraiben have minimal amount of angry natives.

You can pick Qunatity and park some army in colonial region and just smash natives repetably. Note that you need to give time to your colony to core conquered land.
Pay of the debt of your colonies, and even subsidize them with like 2g/50y
You can also preemptive strike every native around your colonies, take their money and set peace timer. And comeback every 10 years.

But seriously it is a bit annoying, things i dislike:
- Natives are not aware that i will come for them and kill them.
- There is no option to poison the well so we can really screw country without conquering it.
- The game could ask if i want to defend my colony. Or there could be an option of join the colonial war. Like overlord interaction.
- There could be like diplomatic solution, non agression pact or something.
- Once colonial nation is created all natives around are going for BLOOOOOD.

Generally this is native whack a mole, so not really fun.

 

[Marquoz]

To repeat myself from another thread, if you know how to use the Enforce Peace mechanic and have any skill at combat, colonizing North America has never been easier. Check out this ironman screenshot from my 1.33 Castile game around 1550:

Every time a tribe or federation attacked, I annexed 15-20 provinces. My colonial nations exploded in size, wealth, and power--and so did I. My map of colonial America is about 200 years ahead of where it should be historically because things are too easy now, not too hard.

 

[MachopPower69]

To repeat myself from another thread, if you know how to use the Enforce Peace mechanic and have any skill at combat, colonizing North America has never been easier. Check out this ironman screenshot from my 1.33 Castile game around 1550:

Every time a tribe or federation attacked, I annexed 15-20 provinces. My colonial nations exploded in size, wealth, and power--and so did I. My map of colonial America is about 200 years ahead of where it should be historically because things are too easy now, not too hard.

It's probably easy for you because you are Spain, the strongest Coloniser. If you are Ireland, Brittany or a smaller coloniser, having to fight multiple armies bigger than your own is intimidating and threatening. Plus, you probably got lucky with the tribes not "colonising" the East Coast with tribal lands and federation territories.

Speaking of Federations, Federations shouldn't form federations again after forming them.

 

[Marquoz]

It's probably easy for you because you are Spain, the strongest Coloniser. If you are Ireland, Brittany or a smaller coloniser, having to fight multiple armies bigger than your own is intimidating and threatening. Plus, you probably got lucky with the tribes not "colonising" the East Coast with tribal lands and federation territories.

No, I annexed literally dozens of East Coast tribal lands and federation territories--15-20 in each war, as I said, because they pretty much blanketed the region. Every time my colonial nation bordered a new one and then got attacked, it was cause for celebration.

As for being Brittany, Ireland, or whatever, that wouldn't slow me down. Before colonizing as Ireland, I'd eat all of Great Britain. Before colonizing as Brittany, I'd eat France. Etc. The natives would be giant loot pinatas for them, too.

Natives are far too easy to exploit right now--if you know what you're doing.

 

[MachopPower69]

No, I annexed literally dozens of East Coast tribal lands and federation territories--15-20 in each war, as I said, because they pretty much blanketed the region. Every time my colonial nation bordered a new one and then got attacked, it was cause for celebration.

As for being Brittany, Ireland, or whatever, that wouldn't slow me down. Before colonizing as Ireland, I'd eat all of Great Britain. Before colonizing as Brittany, I'd eat France. Etc. The natives would be giant loot pinatas for them, too.

Natives are far too easy to exploit right now--if you know what you're doing.

Eating France as Brittany? Good luck with that, France is a monster to fight, even with allies!

 

[Marquoz]

Eating France as Brittany? Good luck with that, France is a monster to fight, even with allies!

I've done it more than once. 4700 hours played, all achievements, etc. You can check my profile on Steam if you want (same user name).