Tips for starting colonies(if any)

[Kawalimus]

I've been trying to run a successful colony recently in Civilization 4 BTS and I just can't seem to do it right. The colony AI for some reason seems to be completely stupid. It's like it's different from the starting civ AI. They don't know what the hell to do with what I give em. I gift them workers and units but they just don't want to run an economy for some reason.

I want to have my colony actually win the game but I don't know how to get them to be an actual functioning civilization.

 

[banson]

the colonys funtion ok. its really all about how big they are though and how many turns they had to develop. if they have 4 or more good citys and room for more, they should be ok. i generaly dont make colonys unless i can have them with 7 citys... the colonys will help u in tech, wars, getting resources,commerce trades, you can even ask them for all their money per turn till they making 0 at 100 wealth. but ultimately its you that must win the game, not them

 

[CLST]

Honestly I don't find colonies all that useful because they never really help you that much. It's cool to colonize an area on another continent and have a vassal there, but it's only useful for getting a resource and upping the number of incompetent war allies you have.

 

[naterator]

Don't start colonies, finish them.

 

[Kawalimus]

Noooo sorry I wasn't clear. What I mean is I want my colony to win the game for itself. It's an experimental kind of thing. But I gift this idiot workers and he doesn't build cottages or connect his cities. And I beelined Astronomy and Chemistry(on Terra map) so I've lined the entire ocean with Privateers to protect his land so nobody will go after him. But instead of building a military or navy or infrastructure, instead he chooses to build Frigates to go after my privateers that are for his protection.

Is he even trying to win the game for himself or is he just being an idiot?? There's no way all the AIs are like this because some of them do a good job expanding and building(flawed but decent) but this is just helplessness. I've built him cities, taken barbarian cities and given em to him, everything. I'm not done the game yet though.

 

[lymond]

As a note, privateers are considered neutral and all civs considered them a threat if in their waters. Your colony or any vassal will attack your privateers. This is normal and not stupid. Furthermore, by parking your privateers in their waters, the colony will naturally emphasize production of units to get rid of them - as the AI usual does. So you are actually doing more damage than good by "trying" to defend them. The best option would be to harass nearby civs with your privateers by killing off ships, destroying improvements, and blockading to hurt their economy. They will be less likely to go after your colony.

 

[Kawalimus]

That is probably a better idea, I've even used Privateers successfully this way on other maps. I guess I was just thinking ridiculous things. I liked the idea of a massive privateer ocean patrol that would sink anything that tried to get by it. That would've stayed useful possibly till metal ships as long as there weren't too many frigates.

The AIs in this game were morons and none of them seemed to prioritize Astronomy like I did. Most of them still don't have it and we're in the rifling era. I think my Vassal, De Gaulle might be the only one who has it.

Can you use your workers to improve terrain in another civ's territory? I might have to do that if I can.

 

[lymond]

I'm pretty sure you can build roads in vassal territory. Not sure about improvements though. A colony may be different.

I find AI Civs often do not prioritize Astronomy either, although they value it. I think certain civs like Portugal and the Dutch will prioritize it, especially if it keys their UU.

If you don't use GGs to create a super support unit, privateers are a great way to get to 6 level for West Point. Keep them in stacks of 4 or 5 with one healer unit. Send one or two out to attack with enough legs to get back to the stack for protection. The main stack should be in blockade mode to hamper AI economy and net you some coin as well. These privateers will make great destroyers later on.

 

[BigTime]

One thing to note is that the AIs hate privateers with a passion. Even if its in another AIs territory, they will go out of their way to kill them. Massive spam of privateers can really cripple an AI, but usually focusing on your own economy is better. If you spam privs, they will just spam frigates, and frigates>privs unless privs have like str 3.

@Kawalimus
All you can do is build roads, but actual improvements, no, not even for a colony

 

[capnvonbaron]

If there are any backward pariah civs on the map, they make perfect privateer bait. You can park your privateers within their borders and blockade at will, and the other AI will not be able to touch them without a DoW. Toku often finds himself a victim of this in my games. If you can get the privs there before astro or chem, they will spam caravels for you to pick off at will.

 

[banson]

useing priv for protecting just isnt smart.but they definitely work wonders in large numbers crippleing the enemy ai. just use your coloneys for ore then war and youll like them. as i said you can ask them for all their money per turn and help your self out.

 

[naterator]

To have a colony (or any vassal) win sounds tricky. Maybe do a variation of what Mad Scientist is doing, he moved his palace overseas and made his original country into a colony. If you set it far enough down the road to cultural victory, the AI may be able to finish it without screwing it up. Maybe...

 

[Kawalimus]

Yeah it wasn't smart of me to try to use privateers as a giant wall of protection for my colony. It was a fun experiment though.

I gave up on this colony trying to win and now I'm in the process of going for a conquest when I get back to the game. When he started expanding in the arctic I knew it wasn't gonna happen this time. I think the moving the capital overseas and making your original country a colony is probably the best chance you have at doing what I am trying to do. This is all on Monarch btw.