Original Colonists vs Indentured Servants vs Petty Criminals

[ChrTh]

So what are the distinct features between the three? Are there limitations for training or arming Indentured Servants and Petty Criminals?

(on a similar note, I really wish they'd publish the pedia online so I can read through it when I'm at work)

 

[VLGoldenJew]

Free Colonists are the vanilla, good at everything.

Indentured servants get a penalty to manufacturing goods, but otherwise can do whatever.

Petty criminals get penalties to raw materials and manufacturing, but are great for arming up as soldiers and sending off to die-- but there are no penalties or things like them going rogue etc.

Another one is converted natives, which get a bonus to gathering raw materials but penalty to manufacturing.

 

[ChrTh]

So if I arm an indentured servant or petty criminal, it's no different than an armed free colonist? If so, I think I have an inexpensive plan for building my army ...

 

[offworld]

This did make a difference in the old colonization, and it may be similar in the new one.

In the old col, armed free colonists would sometimes be promoted to veteran soldiers when winning a battle. However if your armed colonist was actually an armed petty criminal it would first be promoted to an indentured servant then to a free colonist and only then to a vet soldier.

 

[Greybriar]

....Petty criminals get penalties to raw materials....

There is no penalty for petty criminals gathering raw materials (including farming and fishing) in the original game. As a matter of fact, all colonists except those who were expert at a task produced the same amount of raw materials. The only exception was the converted natives, as VLGoldenJew mentioned.

I usually used petty criminals for scouts. It didn't take long for them to find a Indian village where they would be promoted to Expert.

I even went so far as to put petty criminals to work in colonies at manual labor while having teachers train them up through the indentured servants class to be free colonists and maybe even on to be professionals.

Petty criminals were as good at fighting as any other civilian colonists, but it took them a long time to become Veteran Soldiers, as noted by offworld. Having George Washington as a member of your Continental Congress will guarantee each of your fighting units a promotion every time it wins in combat.

If a free colonist were put to work in a basic industry in a colony, he would produce 3 goods per turn. An indentured servant would produce 2 goods per turn. A petty criminal would produce 1 good per turn.

 

[Darkness]

There is no penalty for petty criminals gathering raw materials (including farming and fishing) in the original game. As a matter of fact, all colonists except those who were expert at a task produced the same amount of raw materials. The only exception was the converted natives, as VLGoldenJew mentioned.

This is incorrect. In the original game indentured servants did produce less than free colonists when gathering raw materials.

 

[defjam]

what a sec

if i put a petty thief in one of the production window it'll show (Green + Number) and (Red - Minus number)...that looks like a penalty to me...

 

[Stormreaver]

I think in the original Colonization, petty criminals could not be trained in indian villages (indentured servants could).

No such restriction anymore, though.

I haven't battled much so far, but I assume a Free Colonist (or criminal/servant for that matter) can no longer become a Veteran Soldier through combat - that must be taught?

 

[ChrTh]

what a sec

if i put a petty thief in one of the production window it'll show (Green + Number) and (Red - Minus number)...that looks like a penalty to me...

That Red Number is because you're not providing enough of the base resource to convert. So if you're +4 Green Tools with a -3 Red, that's because you have no lumber production.

 

[aros]

This is incorrect. In the original game indentured servants did produce less than free colonists when gathering raw materials.

No... Indentured servants, petty criminals and converts only had a production penalty. Not while gathering raw materials.

 

[snoopy369]

No, they had a raw material penalty also. I recall having to choose between (1 less food) and (1 less coat) and such. I recall this from a few weeks ago ...

 

[aros]

I'm sorry, but you're wrong. I just started up a game. My petty criminal produces the same amount of silver, food, fur etc. as any 'normal' colonist.