Spreading corporations to colonies/vassals

[capnvonbaron]

Does anyone do this?

I have an interesting scenario where I can turn a nearby 4-city mini-continent into a colony. I have been previously milking it with TGLH, but since Astro came in its not all that useful to me... it doesn't really supply me with any special resources and isn't particularly production- or commerce-heavy. So I'm thinking about liberating it and spreading Mining Inc and maybe another if I can found it (was thinking std. ethanol, since the colony wouldn't have oil and to deny it to the other AI civs).

Would this be a smart move to: A) boost my power ranking somewhat; and B) provide some $$$ on the side..? The alternative would be to adopt state property, but my core civ isn't really that expansive and I'm pretty much stuck with a space race right now (other continents are a bit ahead of me power-wise and tech-wise, I started a bit isolated)

Also, as a side, does anyone spread corps to conquered vassals if they're pretty sure the vassal won't break free? Is there any harm in this practice...? I'm still not admittedly the best at leveraging corporations to my advantage

 

[simishag]

I don't think there are any major differences between spreading corps to your vassals/colonies and spreading them to independent AIs. The main caveat is that you're giving up control over its spread after that. The AI will definitely spread a corp to another AI. In some cases this is fine, and even preferred to bring in lots of $ to your HQ, but sometimes you want to hold the monopoly. For me, it's a rare game that I'll share Mining Inc if I get it. The others are basically okay to share, but sometimes I like to hoard them.

One problem I do see is that if you have a corp, giving it to your vassal will put him in competition with you for the appropriate resources. My preference is to appropriate my vassal's resources for my own use. Sometimes that's a fair trade, sometimes it's a demand, but they will be less willing if they also have the corp.

Not sure about how it affects the power rating. It will bring in some extra cash, and I've used that to spam lesser corps to other AIs and force them to spend a ton on maintenance. But in the case of your vassal, that might lead him to start building courthouses instead of units, so that's something to consider.

Of course, if you get Standard Ethanol and you also have oil, you don't need to share the corp. You can just trade the oil.

 

[lymond]

My vassals never break free...

Sure, spread corps to your vassals (including colonies). It's free money as they pay the maintenance on it. I usually prop my vassals up anyway so that they can either tech or fight effectively. That is if I'm not just bulldozing straight to a conquest/dom victory, in which case all of this is worthless.

Conversely, don't spread good corps like Sushi and Mining to your rivals. However, it can be worthwhile to spread junk corps to them. Let them pay the maintenance while you get the gold, while they get very little material benefit from the corp.

 

[lymond]

^^^ah, good point about competition for resources. Probably a good reason not to spread to vassals if they have a lot of the required resources.

 

[capnvonbaron]

Yeah the one in question doesn't really have many resources outside of seafood and some dyes and horses. It was quite a useless island, I only took it over to block Pacal. On the plus side I've never seen a civ ship corp execs via boats to other civs, has anyone else? Mining Inc I figured would boost the vassal's production but would friendly civs all give the new guy their extra stuff..? Sushi I would keep if I got it, of course... but ethanol would be nice because I wouldn't have to gift the oil to my colony. I only have two, I'd rather keep both just in case something happens to the one source, like a sneak attack or whatever. The other corps I don't really care enough about to waste a GP on anyways...

 

[UnforcedError]

No, I don't think they'd send their corp execs oversees just to spread it to another civ. At least I haven't seen this before. They don't ship out missionaries either.

 

[reddishrecue]

Gaining more resources for the corporations will gain either hammers or any other resource that the corporation expands into a city. Some corporations cost maintenance when spreading to other cities.