Your Favourite Starting Conditions

[Freddy K]

The great thing about Colonization as well as "Pirates!" is that the game ends before it becomes tedious. Replay value comes from trial and error which eventually evolves a near perfect economic growth strategy. Varying starting conditions however allow somewhat different strategies...

So what is your preferred combination of maptype, mapsize, length, nation and initial strategy? Do you peep into the world builder before setting sail? Do you restart the game, once you discover a way to manage production more efficiently, or do you see the game through?

 

[dalgo]

I start with a huge Custom map on standard speed (300 turns is enough for one game). I'm trying out all four nations but my preference is for the Dutch, that Merchantman makes a big difference at the start.

My initial tactics are exploration coupled with liberty bells to try and get as many of the early FF as possible, then trade with Europe and the Indians. I buy vets from the King as soon as I can afford too and then go and annoy the other colonies. Generally I leave the Indians alone, plenty of bells mean my increasing culture boundaries take up their land anyway.

I fight the final war with dragoons. They are beefed up by FF enhancements, promotions and a high rebel sentiment. I try and wipe out each landing area so they can't attack my colonies. So far it's been a one-sided contest.

 

[Fronx]

A New World, Standard/Large, Normal/Epic, random nationality (tho English I dislike, bonus to crosses feel like weakest of the bonuses).

Strategy according to map layout and nationality / leader, to get best out of it.

 

[Becephalus]

A New World, Tiny, Normal, I played each faction twice, play with three other nations and all 8 Indians. Oh and low sea level (More important to getting "fat continents" that act7ually have an interior.

Normally I win with about 5-15 cities on conquistador, but I am not going to play anymore until there is a good unofficial or official patch. The available strategies are just too limited.

Build 1 and only 1 Church/Cath, School/College. Keep bells to at most 3 or 6 a turn until you are ready for independence, dont make guns or tools because they are so cheap...wash repeat.

 

[Freddy K]

Apparently travel time to europe, pioneer working speed, tax raises and various other things are tied to the selected game speed (normal, epic, marathon), and the only thing not slowed down is movement every turn+production.

That's why I prefer slower speeds on bigger landmasses, "epic" in particular, because I like to build a production capital in land and spread out the raw material towns connected with roads. This takes a fair amount of road construction, which is why I favour to start with the French to get a hardy pioneer, or steal the pioneer from the French when playing other nations.

The following is mostly strategy discussion:

Spoiler :

First city is directly at the first shore in sight, with a single crab/fish and +6 lumber. The first town is not developed past a (port/church/cathedral/printing press/warehouse/) and is used mainly to control the production of liberty bells (excellent tip, from Dalgo) and crosses early on, to keep the emigrants lining up at the dock each time a caravel arrives in Europe.

Buying tools surely is cheap, but it also hastens tax increases. Building a horse industry in the coast town might also be a good idea, should you get a rancher among the imigrants by chance, just to always have fresh horses for the new arrivals. (People can be turned to scouts in Europe though according to an in-game tip.)