Colonies as a gameplay feature

[Verified_Confection_Being]

Now we have continents and some expansive overseas Civs in base game confirmed, it seems like a feature that could well be added down the line is colonies in some capacity. Arguably we already have them in the form of normal cities settled on other continents. However this doesn't offer much opportunity for alternative gameplay features.

My idea would be to have colonists as another unit that acts similarly to a settler. They found a colony instead of a city, and it's a single tile settlement that can't expand and can't grow. However, it gives the benefit of that free citizen, the tile it's placed on and any and all benefits that includes to a city. That city is chosen by creating a trade route from the colony to the desired city. Maybe they could even spawn a free trade unit when they are popped.

I think given the exponential cost of settlers and population growth towards the late game, this sort of gameplay would become increasingly viable as the game progresses and open up opportunities for cities to grow very fast and reap huge benefits. It also raises the possibility of increased naval trade, and they opportunity to really hurt an enemy with a navy that can intercept these trade routes.

Some other potential I've been toying with but not decided on yet:

Flat costs for colonists throughout the game.
"Stacking" colonies by settling one on another, and turning into an actual city once 3 have been stacked, potentially a cheaper means of expanding than settlers late game, but more vulnerable.

Increased gold income for colonies on other continents to incentivise global settlement.

Colonial war cassus belli to allow for wars to break out over possession of colonies without erupting into a full blown war.

Dynamically owned colonies, owned by whoever stations a unit in the settlement tile. Equivalent to fort defence level from the colonial settlement and no city attack to make competition for colonies spicy and viable.


Basically I think a feature like this could WILDLY liven late game, and offer big rewards for players how wish to take the risk and defend themselves, as well as opportunistic players to steal advantages away and potentially even catch up to other empires with some sneaky colonial game.

 

[MAHRana]

Interesting ideas there, many posts are made about ideas for a colony type expansion and so I wouldn't be surprised that some new mechanics might be in order, expect fun things from Ed.

I think a quick fix for now through modding, though I hope this comes in a later patch/expansion is the stability feature that is used in some mods (e.g. RFC), where if a civ settles too far from the heartland its stability will decrease giving negative effects, and perhaps it would be really interesting if a negative effect included the cities settled too far away to flip to other civs or become independent in order to restore stability. Naturally some civs will have a much higher stability limit (Greece early game maybe, England, France as opposed to Sumer) and maybe in later game stages these "colonies" can be safely settled more further away in different continents.

But i think some ideas like colonial war aren't meant for civ, maybe colonies can go to war with each other depending on their state's diplomatic status (like city states do in CiV)

 

[Ciarson]

here is an idea:

- settler can found cities directly.

- explorer could found colonies but it would also cost gold and the cost would increase each time you found a new colony. (and could also depend on how far the colony is from your cities)

- colonies would start neutral with a puppet government. (as it's not part of any civ yet you can claim the colony without declaring war, but would damage diplomatic relation)

- colonies would generate one unit of culture per turn toward the civ holding it.

- colonies would need a given amount of culture to become a city. (just like you need a given amount of culture to expand a city territory.) Culture counter would be separate for each civ, first civ to get all the culture needed would gain the colony as it turn into a city.

- trade route between a city and a colony you own would transmit culture point as well, allowing you to boost a colony to become a city faster. (like peddler selling paintings or books, artist using the trader to move between cities, ...)