Here is an attempt to get an idea of the values of colonists.
Expert "anything" planter :
8-14 goods * 4
= 32 - 56
.
Expert farmer :
7 -12
at Epic, a colonist costs (at max) 800
/ 300
-> 19 - 32
Expert preacher :
10
per cross until colonists cost more than 800
when you rush them at the docks => 60
at start with a church 120
with a cathedral. However, its value drops as the game goes.
Expert silver miner :
4 silver on a mined peak 8 if silver is present = 80 - 160
. IIRC, the value drops by 1 for each 100 silver sold.
Expert distiller / tobaccoonist, etc... :
turns 6 raw goods (value around 4) into 6 better goods (value 10). Which means it's worth 36
without the appropriate building 72
with. With the appropriate factory (which turns 12 raw goods into 18 improved goods), the value is as high as 18*10 - 12*4 = 132
!
Master blacksmith :
since tools are cheaper than ore at start, you should not use them. Buy tools in Europe instead.
Master gunsmith :
if I have a rich indian civilization near me (such as the incans or aztecs), I like to sell them guns. If I don't produce guns, I buy them in Europe at a cost of 7
. So each gun produced is worth 7
minus the cost of the tools (3). With an armory, a gunsmith produces 12 muskets, i.e 12 * (7-3) = 48
.
Expert lumberjack / carpenter :
difficult to evaluate.
Conclusions :
- even if you have no silver resource, a silver miner is always a good short term option.
- Personnally, I have considered building my own colonists with excess food. It's definitely not a good option. It's better to produce other goods, sell them in Europe, and purchase colonists at the docks.
- Preachermen can be a good option at start, but lose value very fast. I neglegted the religious points they produce as these are a non-factor for me, although I suppose you can build a strategy upon religious founding fathers.
- Master Gunsmiths and Blacksmiths should not be used at start.
- improved goods producers are less profitable than raw goods planters until you build the appropriate building. Note that for the same amount of money earnt, improved goods are better because they have less influence on the prices at Europe, and on the tax raises.
- I didn't take into account the taxes. By the way, selling goods to Europe increases the taxes. Thus, there is a moment in the game when you'll prefer to produce your own tools / guns. When the taxes are as high as 50%, you should start consider building goods at home. Producing your own excess food is also an option.
