I would really like to know which nation you prefer to play and for what reason.

Does the nation you play determine the style of game you play?

Do you find it harder to play as a certain nationality?

Dutch, because they tend to do well with small, tight, efficient colonies, and I hate micromanagement, so it makes it more of an "enterprise" game than an "empire" game.

R.III

I find myself playing the Dutch most often. A merchantman to start with and a stable(relatively) economy. With the merchant man I like to get 4 colonies built close together very quickly and really start shipping as much as posible early.

Then the English. and when I play as the English I will put more emphasis on building churches to get more people.

Sometimes I like to play as the french simply so that I have decent relations with the natives, but I usually begin trading with them right away as the English and Dutch so It has become less important.

I honestly can't remember the last time I played as the Spanish. I rarely conquer the indians, so dont care to play as the Spanish. I get much more benefit from trade with the natives. I like to loot the spanish, and steal their cargo/treasure trains.

Dutch, because I am Dutch. :D

But also because it's really nasty when you have a trade route it becomes non-profitable after a couple of turns. And you start with a merchantman. :groucho:

In colonization, everything has to do with money. The Dutch market is so much more reliable.

Well since i'm playing my best game as the English.....i'll say the English although i favor the Dutch, but i just get murdered when i play as the dutch....

Coin toss between Spanish and English. Both suit my expansionist style. English make for a good peaceful expansion game, and Spanish make for a good militaristic expansion game. Of course, I may favour these two since I have heritage from both of these countries.

That would be the dutch. The main reason: because I'd like to see what NY would look like if those english didn't buy it...
Oh yeah, and me being dutch counts too.

Always played under control of Ducth economics, but now I really like French pioneer, very good start can come out of him.
For English I have no need, because my early strategy includes taking over other colonies. Usually You are at the same continent with one (moderately close even), they'll go first. First colonies whereabouts arent that crucial, so I might build my core provinces up on their location.
Then next one on another continent, I also drag them to my colonies, if they don't have too good location.
When I'm after third one, they're usually stockaded allready, so I have to build up that place to became second core system...
Finally Spaniards -- I don't want to start killing off Indians, and
therefore they give me no boost in the beginning

I play as English mostly. I like to have huge cities with 20 people in them. I some times play as the Dutch.

The Dutch for all the reasons already given particularly the trade plus and the Merchantman.

Originally posted by spycatcher34
I play as English mostly. I like to have huge cities with 20 people in them. I some times play as the Dutch. Nearly the same reasons... so I play as the English mostly and sometimes as the Dutch.

Dutch, dissing and eliminating spanish AI is always the first goal in my games.

I play french only. It's much better paid doing buisness with the indians so be carefull to protect them against the evil spanish.

French: I like getting along with the natives, and I like the color. I'm not into conquest (spanish) or heavy immigration (english). I might try the Dutch sometime, though, as I appreciate what others have already said about market stability.

(That may be a while, however, as I discovered Colonization and then Civ 2, which has been LOADS of fun -- I'm not sure I can tear myself away to "return to the colonies.")

Of course it's the French for me, pretty obvious :goodjob:

Well seriously, it's very lucrative to establish good relations with the natives, get tons of gifts and when you're strong enough conquer them and get rich with all the treasury.

That's my devious playing style :flamedevi

I voted Dutch... I am Dutch and the more stable economy is by far the most powerful trait

Dutch renamed... ;) :D

NOPE! again

English - I usually play on archipelago, build up few cities that develop fast. No problems with other Europeans and Indians and it is well defendable, cuz they must go with ship to your city to disembark and then they are attacked by fort. And I like micromanagement, in colonization it's very important thing.

Sometimes I play Dutch for mentioned reason, rarely French and never Spanish.

Why did I pick the French? Well because my ancestors were from there...got a problem with that? ;-)

I like all the side's benefits...but who can not like a combat bonus...I mean c'mon! :-)

I find England most usefull. Buying workers at the dock gets a bit pricey so having extra free colonists etc. means the money you save soon means you can have your navy and soldiers.

I prefer the French. This is the only game I play that I can build my own cities (from Québec) like Québec, Montréal, Trois-Rivières, etc...

English.Because of Puritans. I finished in Viceroy with 4 colonies. Low score but still fine I think. I had a total of 45 in my colonies and 120 as dragoons!

The Dutch! It's the easiest!

I play all;
French mostly as pioneer I find useful early on and I like good relations with the Indians,
English are good because of their extra colonists but thus bring about a more expansionist game I feel.
Dutch are great for trade and favour several large, key colonies imho
Rarely play as Spanish since I like the Indians but the combat bonus brings more money in from looting Aztecs and Incas ;) money can sure come in handy, especially with Hernan Cortes

Ah of course it's the Spanish. Fighting against the indians and getting soo much gold out of it. You can afford to buy so many nice ships, weapons and new colonists to grow faster. Preferred victims are of course: incas and aztecs but the iros give also a nice reward for fighting them :D

True, once you have Cortez, you can go on the Rampage. Now I know how the real Spaniards felt. Either take forever and build infastructure or loot the Indians and get more money faster...

I'm so mean. ;-)

lol ya shud feel ashamed, those poor defenceless little indians, Im going to give them muskets so they can defend themselves

Originally posted by Espírito
lol ya shud feel ashamed, those poor defenceless little indians, Im going to give them muskets so they can defend themselves Yeh don't pick on em, its called bulling and well its immoral.

I usually play as the Dutch because of their trade advantage and because they start with a merchantman, however if I want to play a more combat-oriented game I take the Spanish and get Cortez into Congress early.

Dutch, i love starting with a merchantman

A play all the powers except Spanish. The three others all fit my peaceful builder style, and I rarely change that strategy.

I play as the dutch, becuse they have the best econmy.

Currently preference seems to be for the Dutch at 53%. Looks like most people know how to play Colonization. :)

Hmmpf.They should include sudden enconomic crashes. A fine product of a certain flower...

Hmmpf.They should include sudden enconomic crashes. A fine product of a certain flower...

That's why I think trading with the Indians provides a powerful hedge against stiff taxation hikes in the Old World.

I have played all the nations, but i voted for the English, as i have found i more than make up for the weak starting economy. As by the end game my free colonists have allowed me to get my cities ready for the Rebellion! :) As by then my monster cities are far outstripping all other nations in economy. As i am producing 2 to 3 times more in goods than any other nation. I have never seen the Dutch or French successfully declare Independence. As usually they do not have enough large cities with the production base to repel the mother nation. :) As a strategist, i look at the long term. Quick boosts are good in the short term, but steady growth is far better in the long run. :cool:


Cheers Thorgrimm

I almost always play the Dutch. I use the merchantman to trade with the indians for a quick cash boost and then recruit and train either soldiers (if I get cortez early) or specialized colonists to start up.

Dutch, because of the ship and such. I like to find the Incas and Aztecs then get silver from them and sell it until at home until it's horribly devalued, then I exterminate the natives and take the gold in their cities.

Dutch is best..but I voted for france because I have ALWAYS finished france successfully.
In war of independence as france indians wont join torys usually, they join with me!
I alwys choose one tribe as my ally, I give them horses&muskets and I let them attack my enemys and they do it :)

Oh my, what a overhelming loss to Spain! :(

I voted the Spain for a four reasons:

- Yellow is my favourite color.
- My enemies are Dutch, English and French. ( That's good. Really good)
- I like the Spanish people.
- They got the Indian Killing Special. Looting of Indian villages is good way to get money ( Har Har Har. )

If I have lots of time I'll play the English. They get so many colonists that they get hard to manage near the end.

If I feel like beating up the natives I'll play the Spanish, since I'm a politically incorrect bastard anyway :devil:

If I want a change from the usual I'll play the Dutch.

I despise the French and will NOT play them. In my games, they usually die.

I voted for the English. They suit my militaristic/expansionist style.

Why did I pick the French? Well because my ancestors were from there...got a problem with that? ;-)

I like all the side's benefits...but who can not like a combat bonus...I mean c'mon! :-)

Why would the FRENCH get a combat bonus???

And does anyone have an opinion on why the English won? Was it that mass-immigration created more long-term interest among the populace in the New World and that this was more powerful then looting, trading and friendship with Indians?

I have played all the nations, but i voted for the English, as i have found i more than make up for the weak starting economy. As by the end game my free colonists have allowed me to get my cities ready for the Rebellion! :) As by then my monster cities are far outstripping all other nations in economy. As i am producing 2 to 3 times more in goods than any other nation. I have never seen the Dutch or French successfully declare Independence. As usually they do not have enough large cities with the production base to repel the mother nation. :) As a strategist, i look at the long term. Quick boosts are good in the short term, but steady growth is far better in the long run. :cool:


Cheers Thorgrimm

Perhaps this is why?
Hmmm, I think I'll buy this game. You people make it sound quite fun for an old classic.

And why are the Spaniards so unpopular? Politically incorrect raids and banditry are always fun in games. :cool:

I almost always play the Dutch. The reasons noted above are sufficient reason. I do sometimes play the English, but almost never the French and Spanish.

I prefer the English due to it being easier to get new colonists, then the Dutch due to trade.

Though it's obvious that English and Dutch are the most advantaged powers, I usually play French because I like to have good relations with indians... if only to develope rather peacefully and to get a few converts to work in my plantations. Sometimes I play Spanish, seeting as goal to control militarly most of the territory, as happened historically, and to avoid the AI massacrating all natives. Occasionally I play the others but I find the english too easy and the Dutch (Portugese in my modified version) rather boring.

Of course I don't play to achieve independence... but to achieve a solid viable empire. Then I usually abandon.

The dutch ship is hard to pass on, so are the stable trade benefits......

the spanish when i feel like raping and pillaging

the english when i want a large empire, i find it so easy to train.....i explore vigorously

the french, i have played them a bunch of times but find their benefit to be of little value

the dutch hands down have the best powers, that can't be made up through other attributes...

Bright day
I play nowadays mostly as Dutch or French, even for relaxation. And on Viceroy, Spanish and English get harder, I noticed. Spanish especially have nothing to offer on Viceroy as beyond conquistador picking on natives is risky and expensive. And English, on higher levels, unless you have Jefferson or are reasonably stronger, there will be some war- it should favor English... Except disloyalty is a big factor forcing you to hire elder statesmen or spread (baad idea) AND guns cost 13+ same for horses.
I do not know about French, but is it possible that thanks to better relationships they get better prices with Indians? That is at least what I have noticed...
Dutch- their bonus is sure handy when you are sending galleon to Old World every other turn. Plus surplus money can be at first used to build artileries why you build ships and later vice versa. I usually stop buying artileries when they cost about 3000- by that time I have at leat two/three fully developed cities that cna finally crank them and ships in fair numbers. Plus it is good to have about 10 000 in resrve to get offers to buy military surplus.

EDIT: If I seem to full of myself please excuse me and with any requests to prove my worth please understand that I have not actually played on viceroy for quite some time.

I never play with protestant heretic nations, only Spain or France

Dutch.. a bigger and faster ship in the beginning and nice prices.

I usually go for the French for the challenge as their unique advantage is the weakest of the four colonial powers, and I have never seen them prosper under the AI, unlike the other three factions.

The Dutch can buy success, as can the Spanish if they defeat the Incas or Aztecs early on, and the English immigration bonus means they will develop a powerful economy as the game progresses. However, even the cooperative French will struggle to maintain peaceful relations with a native settlement close to the economically developed and well-protected colonies one needs to win the game.

Dutch make the game so much easier with the Merchantman to start with. Plus, Orange is my favorite color, and I'm trying to learn Dutch in my spare time from my grandmother. I've been playing Colonization off and on ever since my dad first showed me how to play it when I was about 7 years old, and it never gets old for me.

Usually I play French. Imho they are the best, natives are easy to cooperate and it's really easy to get rich while you are living next to Aztecs or Incas.
I've never played Spanish... it doesn't make sense.