Portugal heading for Central America

[mudcrabmerchant]

This is an alternate history game, folks. Any goes literally the moment you unpause. Why does it matter? Because they didn't colonize Canada in real life? That is a weak rebuttal.

No. Nonononononononono.

Paradox games specifically try to stick to some modicum of plausibility, so long as gameplay isn't affected. Reality doesn't just go out the window after you start. Spain didn't colonize Canada in real life for actual reasons, reasons that would probably lead them to not colonize Canada if real history ran itself over again, and again, and again...

It's a good thing to be able to change history, and for each game to end up differently. But when each game ends up the same, and in a manner that is extremely implausible from the point of view of real life (which this game is based on, even if rather loosely), that damages immersion and fun for many people.

 

[Lord Finnish]

Spanish Canada is the biggest issue IMO.

 

[Kljunas]

This is an alternate history game, folks. Any goes literally the moment you unpause. Why does it matter? Because they didn't colonize Canada in real life? That is a weak rebuttal.

It matters because it's idiotic to prioritise colonising Canada over Central/South America, both in game and in real life.

 

[Hideous]

I don't understand why there can't be a choice for these sort of issues. Tick a box at start up, historical colonisation or random. And then the AI like Spain attempts to colonize historically or go for canada. Everybody happy.

 

[TheDarkMaster]

It matters because it's idiotic to prioritise colonising Canada over Central/South America, both in game and in real life.

Unless your capital trade node is only a short distance downstream from that province, such as with Scotland, Ireland, or Norway.

 

[cpm4001]

There is a reason I play without Ironman a lot...it lets me do "tag POR" or "tag CAS" and then abandon their colonies in Canada in favor of those in South America. It's the surefire way to make the Iberians colonize what makes sense.

 

[Alerias]

Id like it to be a bit more historical too. Maybe AI preferences and - to ensure players are incentived too - bonus Colonial growth in historical areas.

Then again Im nostalgic of EU2 and its railroaded events.

 

[TheDarkMaster]

It matters because it's idiotic to prioritise colonising Canada over Central/South America, both in game and in real life.

Yeah, if I remember the trade network right, Iberians can't even draw trade from Canada to them....

 

[Crater122]

Then again Im nostalgic of EU2 and its railroaded events.

Shh, don't let them hear you say that. You'll just get told to go play EU2 if you love it so much, never mind the largely outdated engine and graphics.

 

[Eldorian]

Is all this chatter post patch? 1.8 fixed a long standing bug with backwards trade winds that made the Iberians colonize NA because it was within range before the Caribbean or South America.

As far as Portugal colonizing the Caribbean, that's because it starts with 3 explorers and the Azores. Portugal, with dip tech 3 and the first 3 ideas from exploration can colonize the Caribbean easier than Brazil. Spain, on the other hand, can't colonize the Caribbean until dip tech 7, 3 exploration ideas.

A proposed solution: Remove Portugal's starting explorers, give Portugal some explored regions representing their knowledge in 1480ish. Then, when they acquire a colonist before they acquire an explorer, they will begin to colonize Cape Verde islands, giving them the stepping stone they need to colonize Brazil instead of the Caribbean. I'd also give Castile an event that increases Colonization range for a decade, so that they can reach the Caribbean before dip 7 and before Exploration 3.

 

[Ralepozozaxe]

As people have stated above the whole problem comes from the tropical anti settler modifier. Which is -25 settler increase, but also a more staggering -25% settler chance. Almost the entirety of the eastern South American coast is tropical save for a few spots making it unfavorable to colonize despite being well worth it money wise. The tropical modifier also stops any of the South American opm natives from colonizing provinces at all, acleast not without tech 3 and that one idea from exploration. The colony just dies within a few days.