After playing a few games i have come to the definate conclusion that some of the euro powers are significantly better than others. So in order of ability...
1. The Dutch
The merchantman is a great bonus to have at the start, if for no other reason than it allows you to quickly locate the other euros and pop their colonys, at the same time giving you enough space to collect their pioneers
I find this very handy
I dont trade with Europe at all, short of buying guns and horses to sell and i rarely get tax demands so the other abilitys are somewhat irrelevant, but where the Dutch score big is +25% hammers... you really cant go wrong with this, great for chasing FFs as well as quick development, its just such a huge advantage and its got them the number 1 spot
2. The French
It was a very close thing for me between the Dutch and French, they are my favourite power to play. I never burn a single native settlement as the French, the ability to live alongside the natives is most helpful. Play sensibly and native attacks are rare indeed, lessening the need to spend gold in the early game building up enough millitary to impress the natives as the other powers need to. 100% conversion rate and -50% time to learn a native skill means the French can increase their population faster than any other power. Often the first thing i do as the french is, as soon as i have an immigrant to put in my first colony, empty out all the free colonists as missionarys and get things off to an early start, it soon pays dividends. Expert farmers are my favourite target. Bartolome de las casas is the first religious FF adding another +50% conversion rate, a flood of converts follows. It can be quite difficult sometimes to actually go rebel when your population is increasing from many missions in the late game
3. The Spanish
I have to say i am less enthusiastic about the Spanish, their bonuses really arnt that helpful. +25% vs natives... hmm well, its not like the natives are that hard to kill anyway if you really want to and often as not they are more use to you alive. In addition to this, waging war on the natives in the early game is really more trouble than its worth - it interfears with your exploration, denies you gifts and threatenes your gold trains, not to mention that gold spent on cannons and guns could be put to far more use in other ways. I just feel that the bias of the game is against the Spanish in this respect. +100% of liberty effect is ok i spose, but nothing you cant get by without and -50% xp requirements for promotion, again nothing you cant get by without. I guess these 2 bonuses are why i have them in 3rd and not 4th because they can have an easy time against the REF if they have a number of high level upgraded troops. Trouble is that if you waste too much time messing about conquering natives you can often make things more difficult for yourself and ultimately lower your score
4. The English
The poor English! Their main strength is gimped. -25% crosses required for immigration. Sure they get a rush of immigrants at the start, but b4 not too long things settle down and even if your using preachers after a while the immigrants stop just like for any other power and worse, in a game that you (at least i do) buy the majority of your immigrants as experts and dont wait for them to turn up by themselfs. The French seem to have stolen their game as the big population power. -50% soldier equipment... well it could save you if your in a hole i guess but its really not that difficult to stockpile large quantitys of guns. +25% bells does seem a little useful, it means a fast transition to 50% and a smaller REF and i can see how it would allow you to turn a larger population, if only the English could get immigrants faster they migth have one
Even as i type this i can see how the English should be a very strong power but it just never seems to turn out that way, also i swear they get the worsed random maps of all the powers, bah maybe i just dont know how to play them
anyway, discuss....
1. The Dutch
The merchantman is a great bonus to have at the start, if for no other reason than it allows you to quickly locate the other euros and pop their colonys, at the same time giving you enough space to collect their pioneers
I find this very handyI dont trade with Europe at all, short of buying guns and horses to sell and i rarely get tax demands so the other abilitys are somewhat irrelevant, but where the Dutch score big is +25% hammers... you really cant go wrong with this, great for chasing FFs as well as quick development, its just such a huge advantage and its got them the number 1 spot
2. The French
It was a very close thing for me between the Dutch and French, they are my favourite power to play. I never burn a single native settlement as the French, the ability to live alongside the natives is most helpful. Play sensibly and native attacks are rare indeed, lessening the need to spend gold in the early game building up enough millitary to impress the natives as the other powers need to. 100% conversion rate and -50% time to learn a native skill means the French can increase their population faster than any other power. Often the first thing i do as the french is, as soon as i have an immigrant to put in my first colony, empty out all the free colonists as missionarys and get things off to an early start, it soon pays dividends. Expert farmers are my favourite target. Bartolome de las casas is the first religious FF adding another +50% conversion rate, a flood of converts follows. It can be quite difficult sometimes to actually go rebel when your population is increasing from many missions in the late game
3. The Spanish
I have to say i am less enthusiastic about the Spanish, their bonuses really arnt that helpful. +25% vs natives... hmm well, its not like the natives are that hard to kill anyway if you really want to and often as not they are more use to you alive. In addition to this, waging war on the natives in the early game is really more trouble than its worth - it interfears with your exploration, denies you gifts and threatenes your gold trains, not to mention that gold spent on cannons and guns could be put to far more use in other ways. I just feel that the bias of the game is against the Spanish in this respect. +100% of liberty effect is ok i spose, but nothing you cant get by without and -50% xp requirements for promotion, again nothing you cant get by without. I guess these 2 bonuses are why i have them in 3rd and not 4th because they can have an easy time against the REF if they have a number of high level upgraded troops. Trouble is that if you waste too much time messing about conquering natives you can often make things more difficult for yourself and ultimately lower your score
4. The English
The poor English! Their main strength is gimped. -25% crosses required for immigration. Sure they get a rush of immigrants at the start, but b4 not too long things settle down and even if your using preachers after a while the immigrants stop just like for any other power and worse, in a game that you (at least i do) buy the majority of your immigrants as experts and dont wait for them to turn up by themselfs. The French seem to have stolen their game as the big population power. -50% soldier equipment... well it could save you if your in a hole i guess but its really not that difficult to stockpile large quantitys of guns. +25% bells does seem a little useful, it means a fast transition to 50% and a smaller REF and i can see how it would allow you to turn a larger population, if only the English could get immigrants faster they migth have one
Even as i type this i can see how the English should be a very strong power but it just never seems to turn out that way, also i swear they get the worsed random maps of all the powers, bah maybe i just dont know how to play them
anyway, discuss....
