Your port improvement method.

[unmerged(175798)]

Please share your strategy re port improvements. What do you improve firstly and why.

I improve my fort and garrison, my reason is to cement my hold on the port. I leave the trading post till later as I don't want to lose a port that I have already invested in to an enemy. I usually only improve shipyards in strategic areas to reinforce my fleets quickly.

 

[Forster]

Please share your strategy re port improvements. What do you improve firstly and why.

I improve my fort and garrison, my reason is to cement my hold on the port. I leave the trading post till later as I don't want to lose a port that I have already invested in to an enemy. I usually only improve shipyards in strategic areas to reinforce my fleets quickly.

I've read elsewhere it's easier to just retake the port than build up the fort because of the cost and maintenance. I usually build my garrison to lev 2, then trading post to 2, then the shipbuilder to 3 so I have the capability in India. Later in the game, I'll build the garrison another lev and then complete building the trading post up. Other ports don't get shipbuilding.

 

[delra]

I did the math in a thread somewhere, even with an excel sheet but it got sunk on this forum. The outcome was the fact that a fleet of 5 Frigates is cheaper to upkeep and has more cannons and soldiers than max defences. So parking such a fleet next to your port is more reasonable than upgrading your fort to the max.

Myself I always max Garrison and Trade Post, Fort I upgrade to level 2 when it gets hot. Then I count on naval supremacy over my enemies rather than static defense. I play on Hard and there's no chance in hell I could have forts level 4 everywhere and not go bankrupt. I sometimes build shipyard level 1 everywhere though, it's cheap and it allows my ships to repair on each stop, sometimes it's so hot in my games that I need that.

 

[Forster]

I really like having a port that can build ships in India. That way when I lose one, I don't have to send my combat fleet all the way back to Europe to get a new one.

 

[delra]

I really like having a port that can build ships in India.

I like it too but I can't pay for the thing. :-|

I don't have to send my combat fleet all the way back to Europe to get a new one.

I send it... all the way to Madagascar to board themselves a new ship from Pirates. May seem silly but it's the fastest way.

 

[Forster]

Well, if you just took a port and lost a ship or two, that might be difficult. I find I am able to pay for one shipbulding port. I usually upgrade my first port to level 2 after building up garrison 2 and trade 2. That eases my repaird problems. After the first campaign completes, if I am finally making enough I will build the level 3 shipbuilder, level 3 & 4 trade and level 3 garr.

 

[delra]

Actually I don't really lose that many ships when retaking since rebuilding defenses takes an awful lot of time and usually when I strike AI still has them very weak. And I always have 2-3 Frigates with a young captain hunting for enemy fleets boarding their ships. Getting a Pirate Frigate or SOL isn't that big a problem for him so it's not like damaged ships have to fight at all.

 

[Forster]

Actually I don't really lose that many ships when retaking since rebuilding defenses takes an awful lot of time and usually when I strike AI still has them very weak. And I always have 2-3 Frigates with a young captain hunting for enemy fleets boarding their ships. Getting a Pirate Frigate or SOL isn't that big a problem for him so it's not like damaged ships have to fight at all.

I was talking about the initial conquest of the port. With five galleons loaded with marines, you can still get the fleet knocked down to one ship if you have to make more than one attack to take it. I almost always lose one or two in the first attack.

 

[delra]

Get Conqueror+Organizer, pre-1630 you shouldn't lose a ship unless you get really unlucky there.

 

[Forster]

Guess I'm really unlucky then.