Is it better to start with trading posts or go straight to colonies? Also, is it better to start multiple 100 pop colonies or try to build up one settlement?
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King of Hearts said:
YMMV (Your Milage May Vary).
Typically, the probability of success to establish a TP is significantly higher than to establish a colony. It will also always cost significantly less (sometimes by a factor of 10 or more). Each level (TP or colony) will increase the probability of success for the next level by 5%, and having a TP will increase the probability to establish a colony by 5% as well.
How does milage vary? If you have lots of colonists coming your way, it definately makes a good plan to first establish a TP and then upgrade it to a colony. This makes it more likely that you will gain control of the province and you can change it to a colony at your leisure.
If, however, you do not get lots of colonists each year, but still want the colony there (most coastal colonies get a port, TPs never do), you might want to go for the colony right away and just take your chances.
There is another factor to take into consideration: population growth rates. In much of Africa, Arabia, and India (plus a few other areas), colonies will have a negative rate of growth. Natives in the province will join your colony and turn it into a city when the colony's population *exceeds* 600. This is important. Even if the growth rate is 0, reaching level 6 gives you a population of exactly 600 and therefore is insuffient to get the natives to join in. Build the TP first, and you have a couple decades before that excess has evaporated.
Now, as for your second question. I find that the British Empire stumbled into the best plan by accident. A very few strategically placed cities will give you the ability to strike anywhere in a timely fashion. You really only need a level 1 colony somewhere in southern Africa to give you a port of call to keep your attrition down as you move between Europe and Asia. But the other ones you want to be cities, as that way you can build troops (especially cav) where you need them and free up your fleets to attack your opponents' fleets.
-Pat
Thanks for the reply. I have two more questions:
1) how do you attack and conquer the colonies of another power? Can you "usurp" a colony by moving in troops, or can you only destroy it?
2) can you spread out a colony from an existing one (such as spreading from the colony to its adjacent provinces), or is the only way to colonize to move a settler there?
1) how do you attack and conquer the colonies of another power? Can you "usurp" a colony by moving in troops, or can you only destroy it?
2) can you spread out a colony from an existing one (such as spreading from the colony to its adjacent provinces), or is the only way to colonize to move a settler there?
If it is a trading post you get a button in the province view that says "burn tradingpost" which destroys it.
Colonies can only be conquered like any other province.
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You can only gain colonies or expand them by sending settlers (or conquest)
Having a colonial city allows you to send colonial settlers to all adjacent provinces, whether they are coastal or inland.
Colonies can only be conquered like any other province.
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You can only gain colonies or expand them by sending settlers (or conquest)
Having a colonial city allows you to send colonial settlers to all adjacent provinces, whether they are coastal or inland.