[Col] Old School gaming

[PimpmyCiv]

Just broke this game out again after years of of collecting dust. Notice there is some (but sparse) activity around here. Not sure how much reaction this will get as I'm not sure how many still play but this is one of my all time favorites (#2 after Civ2)

But reading through some of the strats around here I'm suprised by a few things.

1)The number of people who build multiple cities. Its usually 2, occasionally 3 and never more than 4 for me. I find anything more to be very inefficient... takes longer for independence, more micromanagement and destroys prices. Mind you I'm not a 'for score' kind of player either.

2) The number of people who go on Indian killing sprees (atleast early)... especially aztech and Inca. Trading with them provides so much value. Trade goods, tools, tobacco, cigars and rum. Then buying cheap silver to sell at ridiculous profits (especially at an Inca capital 50 g for 100 silver... you can't even produce it that cheap). I will at times later use them to promote my dragoons with... at the same time if there is a close city and I can feed it horses and muskets late, you have a great ally against the REF.

3) No priority lists of tradeable resources. I never manufacture cotton or furs.... the natives hardly want coats or cloth. I sell the raw resources or ignore them altogether. Tobacco however is amazing (as both cigars and the excess tobacco nets a good return, rum is a decent alternative.)

4) No mention of finding Inca's or Aztechs before you settle. It takes some time off the clock no doubt... but the benifits of settling near one of these to tribes then trading with them is well worth the wait. They pay a fortune for basic and cheap goods (tobacco, tools, trade goods). And, as mentioned before, the cheap silver is such an early cash cow.


Random Question:

anyone ever play a game with no port cities? I find being nearly self sufficient... aside from needing settlers and specialist specifically early... to be achievable (although tough at higher levels). But I'm not sure how having no port cities to attack will effect the REF and Independence.

 

[dalgo]

I guess most people play the style of game that gives them the most satisfaction. Building an empire, managing it and watching it grow can be fun even if it's not the most efficient way to play. Same with combat.

I haven't played with no port cities at all but sometimes I have colonised an area I don't want to defend (eg on a large island) so I keep my port small then disband it before declaring independence. The inland colonies are safe from attack.

 

[ATC1983]

Have started replaying again recently. Some points:

I love this game. Playing in America is great fun.

Viceroy is a good challenge, not because it is hard to beat the REF, but because the race to first independence makes it hard to have a complete army ready.

Ironically I had the idea just tonight of not building ports - but it probably won't allow one to declare independence that way - although I haven't tried it.

You are selling yourself short not building circa 8-16 colonies. You should aim for 3 main colonies, with one of these being a port, and the rest should be 1-2 or sometimes 3 citizen colonies producing basic goods. These can then be entered into a trade route to your custom house colony by wagons which can either sell them or, with factories, convert them to the most valuable goods to sell in Europe. The money from this means you can buy all the artillery you will need to hold off the REF, plus hire large numbers of mercenaries.

Unfortunately I do cheat with my custom house and make it only 1 hammer to build. The reason is because wagon trains don't deposit goods which are banned in Europe - this is a game fault. So I changed the game script to compensate for this.

You can however make the game harder also by changing the file, such as overpowering the Indians.

 

[Tristan_C]

I think that if you have no port city at the end of any turn during the revolution, it triggers an automatic loss.

 

[Aumo]

Yes it is true. If you lose your port you lose.

 

[doubleA]

Old School gaming is Memory as a child.