Increasing the size of your colonies is the most important thing to do in the early game. For that purpose, you have multiple alternatives :
To earn money, multiple alternatives :
For the game to be more fun, there should be multiple viable strategies, some of which will be better in some context, so that the player is challenged with strategical choices. Unfortunately, it appears some strategies are really better than others whatever the context. Strategies B3 and B2 are much much much better than developping your economy like in strategies B1 or A. You gain so much money by visiting Indian tribes, that the price of rushing a colonist at the docks will soon be higher than the price of purchasing a specific one, which makes strategy A completely irrelevant, and hence any strategy based on religious founding fathers not viable.
Although the game is funny as it is, I'd like to see different opening strategies (like in Civ4), based more on economic development. Here are my suggestions to improve the game :
P.S : another thread about the combat system and the founding fathers tree has to be done. These broken mechanisms have not been addressed yet.
A increase your crosses output by building churches, having firebrand preachers
B earn money and buy people at the docks
C conquer your European neighbours and steal their colonists.
B earn money and buy people at the docks
C conquer your European neighbours and steal their colonists.
To earn money, multiple alternatives :
B1 produce goods and sell them to Europe
B2 trade with the natives (selling guns, in particular)
B3 explore your continent, visit every village, and explore every "burial grounds" on the map with a seasonned scout
B2 trade with the natives (selling guns, in particular)
B3 explore your continent, visit every village, and explore every "burial grounds" on the map with a seasonned scout
For the game to be more fun, there should be multiple viable strategies, some of which will be better in some context, so that the player is challenged with strategical choices. Unfortunately, it appears some strategies are really better than others whatever the context. Strategies B3 and B2 are much much much better than developping your economy like in strategies B1 or A. You gain so much money by visiting Indian tribes, that the price of rushing a colonist at the docks will soon be higher than the price of purchasing a specific one, which makes strategy A completely irrelevant, and hence any strategy based on religious founding fathers not viable.
Although the game is funny as it is, I'd like to see different opening strategies (like in Civ4), based more on economic development. Here are my suggestions to improve the game :
- make it more difficult to earn money in Indian villages. Multiple things can be done here :
- increase the chance for a seasonned scout to be killed during exploration, or to anger the natives by pillaging burial grounds
- indians should attack undefended treasures roaming through the continent
- diversify the events when visiting indian villages (gain a specialized colonist, establish a mission, or whatever) and at least halve the money earnt when simply visiting a village
- decrease the money Indians will give you when you sell them guns. For example, the first guns could be sold at 15/gun, but the price should decrease very fast as you sell them guns. By the way, the player should be incited to sell to the indians the good they want, and not only guns
- Last but not least, I think that for multiple strategies to be possible, the Founding Fathers tree should be rethought - I can't believe there is a very costly founding father who will only give you a caravel (at a time where usually, I'm about to declare independance !), or that some late founding fathers decrease by 25% the price of native land (since at this late stage of the game, indians and money aren't such a factor !) while Peter Minuit will give you such a powerful advantage ! How in hell did the designers think the game would be played ?
P.S : another thread about the combat system and the founding fathers tree has to be done. These broken mechanisms have not been addressed yet.