[Religion and Revolution]: Discussions on Strategies

[raystuttgart]

Have fun exchanging and discussing your strategies.

 

[Shoobs]

Try building a town as fast as possible, preferably away from natives. Depending on land, I adapt my production accordingly.


However, a very important thing to do very early on is to start some kind of cattle production, even if you just sell the cattle right back to the motherland, its still POSITIVE GAIN ON FOOD which can easily make your capital grow and or expand.

 

[alatari]

What's the best way to generate early political points to keep up with the AI Europeans? On gigantic maps it's rare that even one is near you so beating them up in an early way to eliminate the competition for FFathers is a no-go. In vanilla you could usually find a location away from natives and setup a triple statesman city quickly.

The computer seems to be founding just 3 cities before 1550 and pushing at least one up to up to size 12. I'll give this a try but if that's the solution it will mean tossing out map after map till you get an early starting location with single city location away from natives with 2 or 3 food sources ready to take off.

Anyone played out a game where they ran 30+ cities to the revolution using this mod?

 

[raystuttgart]

Anyone played out a game where they ran 30+ cities to the revolution using this mod?

In a German mod forum a user reported me to have had about 30 cities when he started WOI.

 

[Commander Bello]

What's the best way to generate early political points to keep up with the AI Europeans?

Try to be stay (become) at good terms with the natives. Missionaries are key to this, but extensive trading helps a lot, too.

Although I can't prove it, I have the impression the natives being more tolerant if only one of their dwellings is under cultural pressure.
So, when I can't avoid to put cultural pressure on them, I try to concentrate it on one settlement and hope to have them give it up as fast as possible.
Furthermore, it seems to be helpful to have well protected own cities. Therefore, buying military from the king is quite important, which in turn means to try to stay at good terms with him as long as possible. I think my personal best mark was to get 3 veterans and 2 cannons from him, before he refused to sell any more.

 

[alatari]

I tried a new game and purchased an Elder Statesman before I even bought my galleon to ship back the treasures and placed him in a city 4+ squares from the nearest village and things are going much better. The king sent me to war and the captured cities I'm not going to keep were put into PP so I have 2 FF and almost Adam Smith by the same time in the previous game I had only the +1 scout FF.

The King sending you to war must trigger at +4 relations.

 

[Axeman89]

I've played a game in which I Had over 30 cities. But I couldn't reach WOI because the game started to be very unstable, with constants CTD, and had to drop it.

I'd like to understand how are the mechanics when dealing with indians. In a couple of games in which I never attacked them, stole land or irritated them in any way I could notice, they continuosly declare war and wipe me out. Mostly I ignored them and tried to keep out of their way, but it doesn't change anything. Does quick expansion is a factor to make them attack you?

 

[raystuttgart]

But I couldn't reach WOI because the game started to be very unstable, with constants CTD, and had to drop it.

Release 1.2 will dramatically improve performance and stability.

Does quick expansion is a factor to make them attack you?

Yes.
Another major factor: If they see you as easy prey.

Tips:
Build up your miltiary strength.
Expand wisely.

 

[Axeman89]

Thanks Ray!

 

[alatari]

I've been planning my FF map out and no matter all the ones I take, Balboa, Shrapnel and the Dom Pedro and building a Fortress plus building city on a hill and fortifying the Cannon Garrison the maximum bonus I can achieve is 50% inherent + 150% citadel + 25% Balboa +25% Fortified + 10% Shrapnel + 25% Hill + 50% Rebel Sentiment (Danes) = 335% so that's 4.35x 2= 8.7 defense versus the Kings artillery of 4 plus 150% or 4*2.5 =10.
Even if I get the Cannon Garrison upgraded in an Indian or European colonist war to V it's 9.2 so Cannon Garrison can never hope to stop a Kings artillery.
Will have to defend alll cities with Indian Mercs, Rangers, Conquistidors, Powhotan Converts or Musketmen with Dom Pedro's Minuteman I (20%), Citadel (150%), Fortified (25%), Rebel Sentiment (50%), Balboa (25%) for 270% of base 3 or 3* 3.7 = 11.1 vs 10. That's marginal and that's at least 2 defenders for 60 covering 30 cities.

I need to keep 9000 coins around so I can buy Native Mercs for 8100 a piece? That's expensive and when the King comes with his hand out for additional tax, he'll ask for 4500 to drop 2% points. I trade with natives to keep my coins under 2000 most all the time to keep the Kings demands small when he does get greedy.

I have no idea how to get Rangers other than the 2 Ethan Allen offers.

Conquistidors come from a couple of FFers but in this game I'll never go to war with Natives if I can help it. I'm personally part Osage and I never fight the natives unless they start it an I never raze their settlements and any European colonies near me that start a war of genocide will get destroyed by me.

So, will the other European colonies aid me in the war? I have wiped out the two closest to me from the King's instigation and the other started killing off my closest Native allies.

I'm thinking since I'm bringing in a lot of income that I should purchase as many Ships of the line as possible then go to war with a far away European colony and only sink their ships to promote my fleet then when the WoI comes sink all 40 of the Kings Man o Wars (I have one Man o War myself) to win the WoI. Maybe should have taken the Dane with the +10% ship strength...
Winning the ground war looks like allowing the King to capture my cities then attacking him inside them so why build any walls? My last vanilla game I had 105 Dragoons built up after rallying the citizens to militia status and the King was never able to get a foothold even after trying amphibious assaults on the cannon emplacements but this Mod severely weakened Cannons.

OK, that was a long post. Have I analyzed the coming WoI correctly? I could wipe out all the other European colonies for a Domination Victory if I hadn't turned off the Domination Victory setting in this Custom Game O) so WoI it is. 30 hours of game time already... not starting over...

I have to say that the other European colonies are NO challenge at all! I'm on toughest level (always play hardest or what's the point?) and the Portuguese and English fall within a few turns to a single Hessian, 1 Artillery and 1 Cannon Regiment. If any other European colony starts to catch me on Politicla points I can go to war and just take their statesman city. Won't get them to help me in the WoI but they are 10 turns away minimum by Caraval so what use will they be in the war?

 

[alatari]

How angry will the Natives around the globe get if I drop in 15 more single prospector colonies around the continent at each +4 or better silver or gem location? That will give me 10 main colonies of about 8 ppl each and 16 single person mining towns.

The Mayans are already at -5 alarm reduced to -3 with 2 missions.

 

[raystuttgart]

How angry will the Natives around the globe get if I drop in 15 more single prospector colonies around the continent at each +4 or better silver or gem location? That will give me 10 main colonies of about 8 ppl each and 16 single person mining towns.

There is no exact number I can give you.
It mainly depends how close they will be to the villages of the specific Native Nation.

And yes:
Use Missioning to drastically reduce that effect.
Missioning (as one example) has become much more important / effective than in Vanilla.

 

[raystuttgart]

I need to keep 9000 coins around so I can buy Native Mercs for 8100 a piece?

I have reduced the price a bit.

I trade with natives to keep my coins under 2000 most all the time to keep the Kings demands small when he does get greedy.

Well yes, that is the idea behind this.

Either:
You save a lot of money (for various events) and risk that the king will take a lot of it.
Or:
You don't and will miss a lot of cool units.

It is your choice.

We want to put the player to decisions that are not that easy to make.

I have no idea how to get Rangers other than the 2 Ethan Allen offers.

They are given by a Diplomacy-Event that only appears under certain conditions.
(Like many others.)

Please read our Overview.

Have I analyzed the coming WoI correctly ?

There is a bug about WoI in Release 1.0 and Release 1.1.
It is fixed however in Release 1.2.
(It will play very different than what you are used to from Vanilla ... )

 

[raystuttgart]

Just a few comments / advices:

Each leader (Native / European) has a very unique character
They will all react very differently on your actions.

For some, expansion is a big factor, for others not.
For some your military strength is a big factor, for others not.
For some your actions like Missioning, Trading, ... are very positive, for others less positive.
Some might attack you when they feel you are weak, others won't.
Some will stick to treaties and really appreciate if you keep your words, others will try to betray you.
Some Nations do have a lot more respect for you, if you have proven your strength and have already beaten them in a war.
Other Nations do never forgive if you had a war with them and will always seek for vengeance.
...

Advice:

Do not stick to one strategy all the time and believe it will always work.
Religion and Revolution is much more complex than that.

Adjust your strategies dynamically according to the current situation.

Small Hint:

Peaceful strategies are generally not a bad idea.
But the aggressive strategies also have been tuned.
(Especially if you are playing Spanish.)

Each strategy has unique advances (and special events) which you will totally miss, if you never use that strategy.

Summary:

You are really supposed to play very dynamically and use a mix of lot of different strategies.
(And making good use of all the new features.)

This is not Vanilla anymore ...

 

[alatari]

There is a bug about WoI in Release 1.0 and Release 1.1.
It is fixed however in Release 1.2.

Do I need to d/l 1.2 right now before I keep playing this game? This old save game will still work on 1.2?


The Mayans were 'cautious' to me and then did a single raid and destroyed a Village Hall and afterwords with the same exact diplomatic points (+2 Peace, +4 Trade, +2 Events (missionsx2) -4 threatened) they became Pleased. It must be an internal vengeance variable that doesn't display that the raid modified?


I might put up a colony near most of the natives especially if they have silver towns and send wagons to buy their silver till the tax hits 40%

Those Zapotec are hated by the Mayans, Arawak and Mixtec (-14 on threatened to the Mixtec) and the Zaps snuck attack the English. I might go to war with them to keep the Mayans on Mutual Military Struggle till I get Pocahontas. Mayans are decent neighbors but if you flip maps a few times the Cherokee seem to be the best of neighbors.

 

[raystuttgart]

Do I need to d/l 1.2 right now before I keep playing this game ?

If we don't encounter any more real bugs, we will publish Release 1.2 coming weekend.

This old save game will still work on 1.2 ?

No, you will need to start new games.

 

[alatari]

No, I'll not start a new game. I've spent 32 hours on this one already and there are other games that I want to move on to.

 

[raystuttgart]

No, I'll not start a new game.

It is your choice.
But you will most likely not be able to continue your current savegame with Release 1.2.
(I am almost sure that it will crash, if you try to do.)

So if you want to finish your current game, better not upgrade now.
(Which is a pitty, since we have really made great improvements.)

 

[alatari]

Even with Pocahontas, at 24 cities, many of the natives are at -9 threatened and annoyed with me so the game is much different from vanilla where Pocahontas made them all love me.

I am intermingling with the Mayans and their threatened status grows quickly so even with 4 missions and Pocahontas, William Tell(?) and a couple more missions, how I'm going to keep them peaceful especially when the Statesman start expanding culture.

Mayan war seems inevitable.

I have so many captured people that I can't settle into cities without angering the Mayans its a problem. And the whole world of natives has gotten so angry that while exploring some won't talk to the scouts. So the 30 city strategy is looking like a great way to anger every native nation no matter what FF's you take.

 

[Willi_Tell]

I am intermingling with the Mayans and their threatened status grows quickly so even with 4 missions and Pocahontas, William Tell(?) and a couple more missions, how I'm going to keep them peaceful especially when the Statesman start expanding culture.

I guess, this founding father has a different name...
Or did they implement me into the game without telling me?