[MOD] The Authentic Colonization (TAC)

[raystuttgart]

Regarding the AI behaviour: this unfortunately will require programming.

Not necessarily.

You could also change <DefaultUnitAI> and the allowed UnitAIs in <UnitAIs> of the Units.
(e.g. UNITAI_DEFENSIVE)

But you should really know what you are doing.
Otherwise you will probably totally mess up / cripple AI.

Going into the DLL will of course give you a lot more possibilities if you know what you are doing.

AI behaviour is not really a topic a modding beginner would usually touch.

 

[Fingolfin]

Got my mod done and currently doing internal playtesting. I'm trying to declare war but am having problems doing so. In the vanilla game, you can declare war one of two ways, either by entering an European AI's territory or in diplomacy. I do not see declaration of war as an option in diplomacy. My options under "Let's discuss something else" are:

- What do you think of...
- Why don't you attack...
- Let's discuss something else...
- Farewell.

The game won't let me enter enemy territory without being at war, so I'm stuck. Any thoughts?

 

[Commander Bello]

Have you had some kind of trade with the nation in question? Trading (maps, open borders and so on initiate a 10 turn period of enforced peacetime between both nations).

 

[Sanotra]

Isn't there a grace period at the beginning of the game that prevents war for a select period of turns? Try skipping 10 or so turns and then declaring war.

 

[Stoepsel]

Isn't there a grace period at the beginning of the game that prevents war for a select period of turns? Try skipping 10 or so turns and then declaring war.

Yes, you can declare war on an European AI after turn #20.

 

[SR-71]

Thanks a lot for this mod. Dwnloading and trying!

 

[endrsgm]

i only played a few games of colonization and quit because it seemed so badly made. i fell into this mod when my son wanted to play the game and i wondered if there could be a mod that lived up to the unfullfilled promises of the game. this one does, much respect to all who modded on this. it is very, very impressive.

i read through all 18 of the pages searching for an answer to this question but couldnt find it. are certain tribes of natives more warlike/peaceful than others? ive played 3x now and just as in civ 4 ive found one cant trust montezuma at all, from friendship and trade to war in the blink of an eye. each game ive played ive started near his cities and been attacked even though i am careful to avoid his city boundries, i trade, i give gifts, etc. is this a default setting for montezuma? are other natives the same? is there something i am doing wrong?

 

[Commander Bello]

The more cities you found the more the natives' attitude towards you will drop.
This can be countered (as you seem to have done already) by trading and avoiding to put cultural pressure on them.

But there are more options to improve relationships: founding missions in their villages will make them more patient towards cultural pressure and will improve relationships. Of course, the Jesuit or Protestantic Missionary will be more effective in founding (higher chance of success) than any other unit in the profession missionary.
Furthermore, you can gift them gold, which will have a positive aspect too.

And finally, building up a strong military will make them think twice about attacking.

 

[endrsgm]

im on the lowest setting in the game on a huge map with 2 AI. i figured this combination was about as easy as it gets. i am pretty good player in civ 4, 3, and 2 with expansions and mods. however, i feel there is still something im missing or not getting in colonization (well, TAC actually)

ive only got 5 cities. my largest city is 8. my smallest is 3. i have one military unit. i have about 100 guns in each city. 3 of my cities have stockades, 2 have that +30% defense thing built. i dont have much of an option this early in the game to build up a military but 2 cities have experienced red coats, 2 cities have some sort of native troops that were gifted me on garrison, and one city is ungarrisoned but does have guns. three games in a row ive literally had 5-10 natives swoop down on multiple cities, pound on the garrisons, and in some cases actually take the city. im not used to losing cities (even btw expansion or high difficulty levels) and definitely not used to being able to do nothing about it. i feel like im getting overwhelmed. is this sort of AI behaviour normal? should i have more troops at this point in the game? how can i see how pleased they are? does sending colonists for 'training' in native cities anger them? sorry for asking what might be noobie questions. the one game i played in vanilla i beat the kings troops, built up a nice little army, and had no significant native problems. in gifting gold is it better one larger lump sum or a constant dribble of gifts? would trade goods count as better than gold (ive noticed when trading with them that they refuse to trade back trade goods ive traded to them which inclines me to think they place more importance on them than gold which they spend freely)? when they produce a native to assist me does that raise tensions? and last ... could it just be montezuma that is the problem and that its been my bad luck to be next to him (in civ 4 he is a warlike SOB and there is little appeasing him short of killing him)?

 

[endrsgm]

and last but not least, tyvm for taking them time to help me. it is appreciated.

 

[Commander Bello]

Well, first of all even natives have their own "personality".
Second, I am confused by the description of your army. You're speaking about one military unit, but mention two redcoats (I guess, you're playing the English and are having two Veterans?)

Native troops being gifted to you? I assume you are talking about Converted Natives? These aren't troops, these are just what the term describes.
You may get Native Mercenaries (good for fighting in woods) under certain conditions, but you would have to pay for them. They won't be gifted to you.

To the best of my knowledge, the AI counts your active military. This means the AI counts which units are in a military profession (= militia, dragoon, cuirassier). And of course cannons are counted, too.

If you have built a mission in one of the natives' villages and it produces a converted native, this does not count against your reputation.
Personally, I prefer constant trading about gifting gold, so I don't have that much experience with the latter. For trading, obviously trading goods are good, as are tools. Furthermore, the natives will buy finished goods like coats, cigars and so on, but no raw materials (fur, tobacco...)
Trading weapons or horses will give you the highest prices, but they may use it against you later on. For each native village there is a symbol indicating the most preferred good of that particular village (unfortunately, in most cases this will be weapons). Trading rum will make them a bit happy, too.

As soon as you have more than 1000 gold and are still at decent terms with your monarch you may buy troops for half of the normal price from him (note that prices for troops will increase by doing so and his attitude towards you will decrease due to you building up your army)

Sometimes it may be more fruitful to wait with founding the next settlement and to build up your army first or to improve the current fortifications.
As long as your military is weak, you have to do almost anything to keep the natives at good terms. As you already observed, even a protected settlement may get lost if attacked by too many of them.

This game is very much about making the right decisions at the right time - and there is a learning curve which decision to be made when.

 

[clearbeard]

Expanding on suggestions above, you definitely need more active military if you have 5 cities. Garrison cannons are cheap in small numbers from Europe, and can help, but your best defense are musketmen well fortified in their places. Remember that in Col, unlike Civ, the base strengths are all fairly low and not that different. 5 turns of immobility and fortification for that +25% can make a big difference against natives attacking your cities.

And you are correct that being next to Montezuma is a distinct military threat. He needs more slaves for his sacrificial altars after all, and the white devils who are stealing his land and threatening his way of life are perfect candidates! You'll find other tribes less dangerous, but leaving your settlements unprotected is still a poor idea. At the end of the day, whichever tribe your first settlements are near WILL get angry with you, and will have to be taught a lesson. Plan ahead for it, because they often come to school before you're completely ready for them.

 

[Stoepsel]

im on the lowest setting in the game on a huge map with 2 AI.

At this point I want to ask:

Does that mean, you and 2 European AI? How many native tribes are in your setting?

 

[Stoepsel]

sorry, double post

 

[ck07]

And conditions to satisfy them?

In particular, I have the "find the route to Asia" quest and cannot figure it out.

Nothing in Colopedia.

Could make out enough from the German language spreadsheet to identify the quest and its trigger condition, but spreadsheet does not appear to include the satisfaction condition.

 

[Commander Bello]

And conditions to satisfy them?

In particular, I have the "find the route to Asia" quest and cannot figure it out.

Nothing in Colopedia.

Could make out enough from the German language spreadsheet to identify the quest and its trigger condition, but spreadsheet does not appear to include the satisfaction condition.

Well, you have to somehow gain a look at one of the enter/leave-points in the Pacific. That's it.

(Hint: if you are playing using the standard distance of 4 tiles [coast - ocean], it may be enough to reveal a map on the western coast, may it be by finding a goody hut or speaking to a native chief. If you play with bigger distances, in almost all cases you will have to actually sail into the Pacific and then have to spot one of the enter/leave-points there)

 

[ck07]

Well, you have to somehow gain a look at one of the enter/leave-points in the Pacific. That's it.

(Hint: if you are playing using the standard distance of 4 tiles [coast - ocean], it may be enough to reveal a map on the western coast, may it be by finding a goody hut or speaking to a native chief. If you play with bigger distances, in almost all cases you will have to actually sail into the Pacific and then have to spot one of the enter/leave-points there)

Did that. No joy.

Used world builder to create ships which I sailed all up and down the West edge. Still no joy.

 

[Commander Bello]

Did that. No joy.

Used world builder to create ships which I sailed all up and down the West edge. Still no joy.

I just checked with the Excel sheet concerning events. You have to have more than 5 citizens.

What I don't know is if you as player have to have them, or if citizens worldwide are meant.

Edit: I just started a game, set a ship to the western coast and sailed westwards. Immediately, the quest was fulfilled as soon as I did see the "European Travel Zone". This was even before any settlement had been created by me.

Did you do any changes to your version of TAC? Have you used other mods before starting TAC?

 

[Stoepsel]

I just checked with the Excel sheet concerning events. You have to have more than 5 citizens.

What I don't know is if you as player have to have them, or if citizens worldwide are meant.

To be exact there must be 5 or more citizens per player, to trigger the quest for this player.

Did that. No joy.

Used world builder to create ships which I sailed all up and down the West edge. Still no joy.

Did you get the pop-up "you have discovered the Pacific"? If yes and you did not receive the reward, the quest wasn't triggered alreaddy.

 

[Stoepsel]

Another possibility:

If the quest was triggered and you can't fulfill it, simply the AI has been faster than you. In this case you should receive a message and the quest should be deleted from the quest-log.