Exploration mechanics

[FinnegansFather]

So I came back to EUIV largely to try out the exploration of a randomized New World.

Created a custom nation in the area of the Netherlands, got the quest for the new world idea, hired an explorer and gave him a few Carracks.

Next to missions, there is a little greened icon that, when moused over, says : You have Quest for the New World and can explore everywhere. But the only mission listed as a choice is to Circumnavigate the Globe, which is greyed out, til I get to Diplomacy 9. Well, that's fine, I don't want to circumnavigate the globe, just nibble away at terra incognita.

But no other missions, and when I try to enter terra incognita I am told I cannot do so without a mission.

There's got to be a way to do this, right? I mean, the ability to explore anywhere has to mean something, right? I have to be missing something, but for the life of me, I cannot see what.

 

[Quaade]

Yes and no... it´s because you don´t have range, so either conquer something more western or wait until you get more dip tech or lvl up your idea group

 

[FinnegansFather]

What range is this? I see colonial range, of course, but if there is a ship/exploration range, I am overlooking it.

 

[Quaade]

What range is this? I see colonial range, of course, but if there is a ship/exploration range, I am overlooking it.

It´s colonial range that equals exploration range... you can find a map-mode for colonising where you can see how far your ships can go (= colonizing) and you should also be able to see it when you hover mouse over provinces or sea-tiles

 

[Kastomoño]

You also need to be in a port to start an exploration mission.

 

[Ketilsen]

Dip-tech 7 is the major important upgrade to Colonial Range, that's when you get going for real.

 

[FinnegansFather]

Thank you, Quaade. Very helpful.

I am not all that happy, though, with the in-game clarity. The only colonizing map mode I have found shows red areas that I cannot yet colonize. But it says nothing about ship range... until you mouse over particular sea-tiles. (Not very intuitive!!!) And even then, it make no sense to me. The one sea-tile at the edge of terra incognita reads Effective distance 284, naval range 160... But my ships were just there, and I can send them back. Which would indicate to a reasonable person that this text does not mean how far your ships can go. Apparently, this only applies if it is terra incognita! (But this information does not appear if it is terra incognita.) In contrast to all this murkiness, my fleet has an unambiguous icon reading "You have Quest for the New World and can explore everywhere."

So I very much appreciate your pointing me in the right direction, but think that this is something that the developers really ought to clear up in the interface.

 

[Bibor]

To explore with the new mechanics you need to have:
3 light ships in port with an explorer attached.

Then, you click the explore button and see what comes up.
If it's only "circumnavigate the globe", you don't have the colonial range to explore any new areas.

Your colonial range is calculated from all your cored provinces. Finished colonies and your own colonial nations count as your own cores. Thus, if France wants to colonize super-quickly, it would probably want to grab Madeira from Portugal, so that it can core it and have extended colonial range from there instead of, say, Bordeaux.

Ways to increase colonial range are:
- 3rd Exploration idea +50%
- Navigator advisor +20%
- diplo tech level 7, 11 etc.

As a colonizer, your primary goal for early game should be to reach 4th exploration idea and diplomatic technology 7. Tech levels increase base range, ideas and advisors act as multipliers, so both are important.

 

[FinnegansFather]

To explore with the new mechanics you need to have:
3 light ships in port with an explorer attached.

Then, you click the explore button and see what comes up.
If it's only "circumnavigate the globe", you don't have the colonial range to explore any new areas.

Thanks.

fwiw, I got the same results with carracks as with barques. Are you saying that although I get the grayed out "circumnavigate the globe" mission with both, that down the road I will run into a new problem if I am using carracks?

 

[Ketilsen]

To explore with the new mechanics you need to have:
3 light ships in port with an explorer attached.

Note: You can explore with heavies, it's just not a good idea because they're slower and more expensive.

 

[hwoosh]

Thank you, Quaade. Very helpful.

I am not all that happy, though, with the in-game clarity. The only colonizing map mode I have found shows red areas that I cannot yet colonize. But it says nothing about ship range... until you mouse over particular sea-tiles. (Not very intuitive!!!) And even then, it make no sense to me. The one sea-tile at the edge of terra incognita reads Effective distance 284, naval range 160... But my ships were just there, and I can send them back. Which would indicate to a reasonable person that this text does not mean how far your ships can go. Apparently, this only applies if it is terra incognita! (But this information does not appear if it is terra incognita.) In contrast to all this murkiness, my fleet has an unambiguous icon reading "You have Quest for the New World and can explore everywhere."

So I very much appreciate your pointing me in the right direction, but think that this is something that the developers really ought to clear up in the interface.

Naval range doesn't equal an invisible wall in the ocean past which you can't move your ships; it is the distance from port past which your ships are no longer in supply and will take attrition.

 

[Amadeu of Savoy]

Do you have El Dorado DLC enabled?

If so, you should read this: https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Colonization#Exploration_with_El_Dorado

Not much different to what was already answered in the topic, but might be worth a while.

 

[fabius]

It´s colonial range that equals exploration range... you can find a map-mode for colonising where you can see how far your ships can go (= colonizing) and you should also be able to see it when you hover mouse over provinces or sea-tiles

Play EU for years and still learn important things.
Thanks

 

[TheMeInTeam]

It´s colonial range that equals exploration range... you can find a map-mode for colonising where you can see how far your ships can go (= colonizing) and you should also be able to see it when you hover mouse over provinces or sea-tiles

Exploration range is actually colonial + some distance. I'm not sure how the extra amount is calculated, but it is consistently possible to explore areas you don't have range to colonize yet.

 

[Kergan]

fwiw, I got the same results with carracks as with barques. Are you saying that although I get the grayed out "circumnavigate the globe" mission with both, that down the road I will run into a new problem if I am using carracks?

The only differences between exploring with carracks and barques are speed and cost. You'll go faster for cheaper with the faster, lower maintenance light ships than with slower, pricier carracks. As such, you're usually better off keeping your heavies mothballed in Lisbon to save money until they're actually useful.

 

[Quaade]

Exploration range is actually colonial + some distance. I'm not sure how the extra amount is calculated, but it is consistently possible to explore areas you don't have range to colonize yet.

Haven´t seen that... Only noticed that when I unlock range, I suddenly get to "explore" last parts of a region I had explored, but didn´t have range to fully explore

But I know from your other posts in the past, with tips, that we agree it´s linked on range... whether you adds some aswell... not sure, but if you can´t or want to explore more... add range by idea, tech or province

 

[Quaade]

Play EU for years and still learn important things.
Thanks

It´s one of those things that are not explained terribly well in-game, might be due to the change they made to it... But well... It´s the logic behind it

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Haven´t seen that... Only noticed that when I unlock range, I suddenly get to "explore" last parts of a region I had explored, but didn´t have range to fully explore

But I know from your other posts in the past, with tips, that we agree it´s linked on range... whether you adds some aswell... not sure, but if you can´t or want to explore more... add range by idea, tech or province

A very obvious specific example comes to mind: take exploration ideas 3 and dip tech 3 with Kongo and colonize St. Helena.

After doing so, you can explore most of the coast of Brazil and reveal it, but you can't send a colony to any of the provinces. If you hire a colonial range adviser, you *can* colonize a few provinces in Brazil with the ~270 range, but still not as many as you revealed at 240 range (can explore slightly further then too).

 

[gia257]

A very obvious specific example comes to mind: take exploration ideas 3 and dip tech 3 with Kongo and colonize St. Helena.

After doing so, you can explore most of the coast of Brazil and reveal it, but you can't send a colony to any of the provinces. If you hire a colonial range adviser, you *can* colonize a few provinces in Brazil with the ~270 range, but still not as many as you revealed at 240 range (can explore slightly further then too).

your ships can explore up to ship supply range perhaps?, and can uncover any land tile adjacent to the sea tiles they can access, even if they are further away colonial range wise

 

[TheMeInTeam]

your ships can explore up to ship supply range perhaps?, and can uncover any land tile adjacent to the sea tiles they can access, even if they are further away colonial range wise

The 240 and 270 range in my example both far exceed supply range; in that example if you put a navy in the closest Brazillian sea zone and leave it there it will quickly take attrition and sink. I'm pretty sure it's just colonial range + something, but don't know the something (base supply range is what, 150? It's not just adding that from what I can tell either).