Question for all the old-school Colonization players

[Sueff]

I haven't played Colonization for at least 5 years but now that the new one is coming out I downloaded FreeCol to get into the game again (couldn't find my Colonization disc anymore, but since it's 14 years since I bought it I'm not surprised).
To my question:
Was it possible to grow population or can I "only" get them from Europe or the natives? I really don't remember if there was a way to get new settlers without the old world emmigrants or the natives I get from missions.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Skitters]

Each time a colony has 200 food a new colonist is spawned - this works in the Freecol version too

 

[Shurdus]

Each time a colony has 200 food a new colonist is spawned - this works in the Freecol version too

Really?

Ha I did not even know that even though I played the game to death.

 

[Öjevind Lång]

Really?

Ha I did not even know that even though I played the game to death.

'Tis the truth. If one of your early colonies was one with lots of sea, you vould breed new colonists like rabbits.

 

[ozangumus]

Each time a colony has 200 food a new colonist is spawned - this works in the Freecol version too

Was that possible in Colonization too?

And what becomes 200 foods after you get new population, were they dissapearing?

 

[kolpo]

Was that possible in Colonization too?

And what becomes 200 foods after you get new population, were they dissapearing?

Yes they dissapeared. The plains in the south of north America where ideal for breeding colonists, I hit the population cap with that startegy while I normaly never hit it(I want independent before that).

 

[Greybriar]

I tried FreeCol and didn't like it.

In the original Colonization it was almost inevitable that when my food stores neared 200 the local natives would show up looking for a handout. I was given the option to either share half my food or have my relations with the Indians deteriorate.

So I usually kept my food in wagons where it wasn't detected until I had a total of 200 food.

 

[Skitters]

I tried FreeCol and didn't like it.

In the original Colonization it was almost inevitable that when my food stores neared 200 the local natives would show up looking for a handout. I was given the option to either share half my food or have my relations with the Indians deteriorate.

So I usually kept my food in wagons where it wasn't detected until I had a total of 200 food.

Or the other alernative was/is to us your wagons to collect food from all your colonies and dump in one location - away from the Indians - to spawn new colonists in one location. Involves a bit of micromanagement, although once the trade routes are up and running isn't too bad

 

[Greybriar]

Or the other alernative was/is to us your wagons to collect food from all your colonies and dump in one location - away from the Indians - to spawn new colonists in one location. Involves a bit of micromanagement, although once the trade routes are up and running isn't too bad

That's what I did. I gathered up the food from all my settlements and hauled it to the one I wanted the new colonist to appear in, which usually had a schoolhouse/college/university.

But there was no getting away from the Indians for me. No matter which of my settlements had the abundance of food, that is where the Indians would show up with their hands out. My ploy of hiding the food was normally successful, but from time to time even my best efforts were foiled and the Indians would appear after I had ended my turn in which I dumped the 200+ food in order to spawn a new colonist.

 

[Shurdus]

That's what I did. I gathered up the food from all my settlements and hauled it to the one I wanted the new colonist to appear in, which usually had a schoolhouse/college/university.

But there was no getting away from the Indians for me. No matter which of my settlements had the abundance of food, that is where the Indians would show up with their hands out. My ploy of hiding the food was normally successful, but from time to time even my best efforts were foiled and the Indians would appear after I had ended my turn in which I dumped the 200+ food in order to spawn a new colonist.

dragoons + artillery is a good way to stop begging of any kind.

 

[kurtkage]

I thought you grew a colonist when your food stores maxxed out, so 100 without a warehouse, 200 with a warehouse, 300 with a warehouse expansion. I'm talking about original col, not freecol. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought that's how it works.

Edit: Nevermind I was wrong on that, it does start at 200 with no warehouse. I coulda sworn it goes up higher though at some point.

 

[Zenon_pt]

I thought you grew a colonist when your food stores maxxed out, so 100 without a warehouse, 200 with a warehouse, 300 with a warehouse expansion. I'm talking about original col, not freecol. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought that's how it works.

Edit: Nevermind I was wrong on that, it does start at 200 with no warehouse. I coulda sworn it goes up higher though at some point.

Only the food! The others products you need the warehouse to reach 200 and the expansition warehouse to 300.

The only product that you need to import is Trade Goods.

 

[Zenon_pt]

BTW clarify a doubt that I have, after the declaration of independence, we could not found any more cities, why?

 

[MrWhereItsAt]

BTW clarify a doubt that I have, after the declaration of independence, we could not found any more cities, why?

I can't remember even trying that! I think the idea is that, once you hit the "Declare Independence" button, you're in a new phase of trying to beat back the Colonial overlords, so the game is no longer about settling and developing peacefully. Besides, the sneaky buggers seem to know where my least-defended colonies are, and if you found a new one, you can beat all the tea no longer in Boston that they'd beeline straight for it.

 

[MadMaligor]

BTW clarify a doubt that I have, after the declaration of independence, we could not found any more cities, why?

There was also the idea that at the declaration point of the game you could "hide" a settlement by doing that because the game located all your cities and had the AI target them for destruction when you declare your freedom. So popping up a city after would circumvent that.


Later on, another sort of cheat was discovered using islands and covering each tile with units so your mother country couldnt land its units. Its a cheese way to win though and not really any fun.


MM

 

[jediliz]

if you have enough excess food, there is a population increase.

 

[player1 fanatic]

BTW clarify a doubt that I have, after the declaration of independence, we could not found any more cities, why?

Not only that.
After declating independence all other colonial nations in game get frozen in time (unattackable, production halts, units stop moving, etc...)

.

And trying to play the game more after gaining independence was really buggy. Like royalists transporting colonists from europe (with remaining Man-O-Wars), but being unable to do anything with them (can't build a city). With other colonial nations still frozen and no cities to build it was pretty pointless to continue game.