I've started a couple other threads on Protectorates, Colonies, and States that might be useful to review before getting into this thread's question:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...tes-to-colonies-or-just-one-at-a-time.873379/
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/protectorates-vs-colonies-vs-states.880870/
An important take-away is that the game seems to first calculate each country's colonial migration from a country's States (on a per-POP basis), and then distributes that total migration to the country's available Colonies, taking into account various factors like Life Rating, unemployment, etc. So if the USA only has California and Alaska as colonies, the game might first decide that a total of 1,000 people per day want to migrate from the existing States to the Colonies, and then decide that 900 of those will go to sunny California and the remaining 100 will go to chilly Alaska. But if only Alaska is promoted to a Colony (with California left a Protectorate), then all 1000 per day will go to Alaska. This means that restricting the promotion of Protectorates to Colonies can give the player control over which Colonies grow the fastest, and in turn can become States more quickly.
Now I'd like to discuss the next logical extension of those threads: what are the important factors to consider when choosing when and which Protectorates to promote to Colonies, and when and which Colonies to promote to States?
I'm using the USA as an example, so here are my thoughts so far:
1) Only States can gain cores (via event), so I could prioritize core-less islands in the Caribbean for conquest, colonization, and statehood, so that I’ll get cores on them ASAP.
2) Protectorates don’t provide soldiers or assimilate or tax POPs, so prioritize promoting to Colonies those Protectorates that are core-less with large populations to assimilate, tax, and provide soldiers -- Barbados and Martinique, for example, each have over 25k population, and Guadalupe has over 30k population -- none of the islands have cores, so all of those POPs could assimilate eventually, if Yankee colonists are sent there first.
3) Factories can only be built in States, and migration from other countries only goes to States, so prioritize colonies that have unfilled RGO’s that are highly profitable, and prioritize statehood for colonies that have RGO’s with large factory input bonuses -- Caribbean islands with Sugar or Tobacco RGO's, or states in the Midwest with Fruit, Grain, or Cattle RGO's. The USA starts the game without a single State with a Sugar RGO and thus no States that can get Rum Distillery input bonuses for Sugar, so it should prioritize promoting Florida or places in the Caribbean that have sugar, and then get a Rum Distillery built there once they become States.
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...tes-to-colonies-or-just-one-at-a-time.873379/
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/protectorates-vs-colonies-vs-states.880870/
An important take-away is that the game seems to first calculate each country's colonial migration from a country's States (on a per-POP basis), and then distributes that total migration to the country's available Colonies, taking into account various factors like Life Rating, unemployment, etc. So if the USA only has California and Alaska as colonies, the game might first decide that a total of 1,000 people per day want to migrate from the existing States to the Colonies, and then decide that 900 of those will go to sunny California and the remaining 100 will go to chilly Alaska. But if only Alaska is promoted to a Colony (with California left a Protectorate), then all 1000 per day will go to Alaska. This means that restricting the promotion of Protectorates to Colonies can give the player control over which Colonies grow the fastest, and in turn can become States more quickly.
Now I'd like to discuss the next logical extension of those threads: what are the important factors to consider when choosing when and which Protectorates to promote to Colonies, and when and which Colonies to promote to States?
I'm using the USA as an example, so here are my thoughts so far:
1) Only States can gain cores (via event), so I could prioritize core-less islands in the Caribbean for conquest, colonization, and statehood, so that I’ll get cores on them ASAP.
2) Protectorates don’t provide soldiers or assimilate or tax POPs, so prioritize promoting to Colonies those Protectorates that are core-less with large populations to assimilate, tax, and provide soldiers -- Barbados and Martinique, for example, each have over 25k population, and Guadalupe has over 30k population -- none of the islands have cores, so all of those POPs could assimilate eventually, if Yankee colonists are sent there first.
3) Factories can only be built in States, and migration from other countries only goes to States, so prioritize colonies that have unfilled RGO’s that are highly profitable, and prioritize statehood for colonies that have RGO’s with large factory input bonuses -- Caribbean islands with Sugar or Tobacco RGO's, or states in the Midwest with Fruit, Grain, or Cattle RGO's. The USA starts the game without a single State with a Sugar RGO and thus no States that can get Rum Distillery input bonuses for Sugar, so it should prioritize promoting Florida or places in the Caribbean that have sugar, and then get a Rum Distillery built there once they become States.