Colonizing with unhistorical SoI and historical limits on units and economy ;-D

[steelwarrior77]

So how do I colonize where I start with 0 CP? Cannot play any cards???

Would you recommend to extent the pool of units and buildings?

Does the AI fabricate crazy CBs all the time, if I go for warmonger option on CB declaration? How to conquer the world?

Thanks guys ;-D

[loki100]

You'll find that colonial penetration spreads over borders over time which can help.

What state are you playing? I think some of the basic cards don't require any colonial penetration.

if you grab regions outside your SoI, you initially take a prestige hit but the world will come round to accepting your gains over time.

I wouldn't extend the pool or you can spam certain types. Fortifications for eg are game changing in colonies due to the auto-garrison. Great to hold key, if remote, provinces but you can turn remote colonial regions into a fortified zone if there was no limit.

There is a random bit to the fabrication of CBs, just regard it as the idiocy that passes for international diplomacy. Most often it comes to nothing.

You can't really conquer the world in PoN. Within Europe, N America, you'll struggle to take provinces to which you have no claim. The warscore cost of the bigger more populous colonies make it unlikely you'll be able to gain complete control outside Europe, a single Indian province can cost you the military gains of a hugely successful war.

[steelwarrior77]

Thanks man - Am playing Prussia right now ;-D I seem to loose in Berlin and another province strength points of my units - they seem to be in good supply - but have red arrows showing down on supply and strength - they even sit on supply depots - what to do? Is that maybe historcal attrition?

Any hints how to balance taxes best? Is there a way to receive leaders or is it random?

Why do production places get closed down - especially if they actually make money? Can I stop it? Like lock the production?

[loki100]

For the economy, have a look at my Italy AAR, there is a table of contents at the start and you can find a number of posts that discuss the economy in detail.

Basically factories will close if they lack key inputs, lets say you have 100 coal but have factories open that need 120. Randomly, the ones that require the missing 20 will be shut. Its not simply costs of inputs, value of sales. Also watch out, the value in the industry screen is the value of goods IF you can sell them. if not they go into your stockpile and up wasting away.

leaders are randomly created, you'll get a batch of retirements and then new appointments as the game goes on.

re units losing strength, do you have enough replacements? Watch this especially if you have just researched a new military tech

Taxes, the tooltips are a good guide as to the gains and costs. Best is to set a budget, run it a few turns and keep an eye on contentment. If that is dropping you maybe need to lower taxes (& adjust your plans)

[steelwarrior77]

Thanks man ;-D Just reading your AAR - great stuff - now is there any list of what buildings do and cost? Could not finde any...
Do difficulty changes or AI changes still apply to the same campaign?
Is there any profit in having more than 1 trade fleet in a tradebox?
Do prospectors also find ressources in Europe?
Uhm 1851 I received military controle of Sudwestafrika??? How come?

[loki100]

Thanks man ;-D Just reading your AAR - great stuff - now is there any list of what buildings do and cost? Could not finde any...
Do difficulty changes or AI changes still apply to the same campaign?
Is there any profit in having more than 1 trade fleet in a tradebox?
Do prospectors also find ressources in Europe?
Uhm 1851 I received military controle of Sudwestafrika??? How come?

When PoN first came out there were a number of very useful guides to what structures did ... their impact and preconditions. I have a horrible feeling that was all placed on the Paradox PoN forum and has been lost;
You can change settings at any time, I did it in the AAR when I shifted from normal to hard. Since I wasn't using 'give the AI more time' I felt that actually produced a better game - not least the AI's management of its economy improved
More fleets = more chance of being the power that buys scarce goods. So if you want something like tropical fruits, its good to work out where they are being sold in some numbers and deploy a lot of ships there, that plus paying the 50% premium should net you a decent share of the production
No, I think all of Europe is explored and anything new is by event, but you can use them in already explored colonial regions as the full resource set is not always revealed at first

sounds like a bug, may be connected with altering the dates of the colonial events for Germany? Its not hugely valuable so either script back or accept the gain

[steelwarrior77]

I think there was a rebellion - and it became Prussian - that was before the change of the script ;-D
Thanks for the feedback as always - you do great tutorial AAR - Would love to read more ;-D

[steelwarrior77]

If I want to gain military controle of a colony where a native nation has military controle - should I declare war and then move there or should I just move units there without declaring war and let them gain military controle for me?

[loki100]

wars with unformed native states are a pain. For a start they don't surrender, the only solution in the end is complete conquest or to raise relations > 0 (promise support works). The good thing is yes, you can just move in and build up military control, add colonial buildings over time (you'll need a few very early for the small amount of supply they generate).

if you are in this type of war, units with high detect scores are essential (or all sorts of bad things happen), its also usually best to use colonial/light units to move around and regulars to hold onto what you have already nailed down. The way PoN models the utter frustration of this type of war is brilliant (if very frustrating, its like herding cats ... and I have 3 cats so plenty of practice)

[steelwarrior77]

Thanks man - what is the special power of an expeditionary force?

I have built Gold mines in Chile - what do I have to do to gain income from them?

[loki100]

Thanks man - what is the special power of an expeditionary force?

I have built Gold mines in Chile - what do I have to do to gain income from them?

early game, regulars take horrific org losses for moving in low development areas. You can easily drive them down to 0% org in a turn in poor terrain, so they can't fight etc (the early game Anglo-Burmese war is tricky for these reasons). The expeditionary force is made up of units that can cope with the problem, so in Europe they are cannon fodder if up against a regular army but in colonial wars are just what you need.

for Chile, make sure you keep relations >25 (or they might be nationalised) and have a fleet in the trade box, the gold is then transported back to your core territory

[steelwarrior77]

Thanks again - how much loyalty for Prussia do I need in the North German states to get the Unification of North Germany?

What is the use of MP - lowering revolt risk?

I am not gaining military controle on Benin - do I have to declare war?

[loki100]

Not too sure, but the fun route goes via Austria in any case ...

Yes, that is their prime use, they do pay off slowly over time

ah you've hit the real problem of a colonial campaign. There are two levels of undetected units, those you can see the counter for, but can't bring to battle and those that you can't even see. This happens in poor terrain if the enemy has high evade scores. So you don't gain MC but can't see the problem.

Go over your OOB and look for the highest detect values you have, also some commanders have a useful trait. Send them to the offending province. As above, colonial wars are an exercise in frustration.

[steelwarrior77]

Not too sure, but the fun route goes via Austria in any case ...

What does that mean ;-D?

Does loyalty in colonies change over time, if I have military controle?

And thanks again ;-D

Contentment and population...in som,e provinces I have 95% and tsill the pop is indifferent - in others I have 65% and they are content - how does this logic work?

How does supply work in colonies - I build anchorages, supply depots - and have a trade fleet in the trade box - but still it seems there is fairly little supply arriving in my colonies...?

Do forts receive auto-garrisons in colonies - do not see any in the forts that I build...

[loki100]

Not too sure, but the fun route goes via Austria in any case ...

What does that mean ;-D?

Does loyalty in colonies change over time, if I have military controle?

And thanks again ;-D

Contentment and population...in som,e provinces I have 95% and tsill the pop is indifferent - in others I have 65% and they are content - how does this logic work?

How does supply work in colonies - I build anchorages, supply depots - and have a trade fleet in the trade box - but still it seems there is fairly little supply arriving in my colonies...?

Do forts receive auto-garrisons in colonies - do not see any in the forts that I build...

just that the route for a player should be via the war with Austria. You can actually skip this and still unify, but what self-respecting Prussian militarist is going to miss out on a war ?

Contentment and status are a bit random, you are more likely to get the enthusiastic event in high contentment provinces but its still a bit random

supply in colonies is hard. The early colonial structures generate a little but it is not pushed (ie moved to another province) or saved (so its used in a turn or lost for ever). Typically they can supply a brigade. You need ports and depots to draw in decent amounts and then supply wagons to move it around (till you build a chain of depots). Once you have a level 3 port and a level 2 depot you'll find that supply arrives at the coast with some ease, getting it to the campaigning area is still a challenge.

You can use the standard AGE game trick of leaving a fleet offshore and send supply wagons back and forth, a fleet usually has far more supply than it needs so you can refill wagons a number of times. This at least helps in coastal regions, but less so in the centre of Africa (but you can pull the same trick with riverine fleets).

Not actually played PoN for a while but they should spawn, remember they only appear if a detected enemy unit is in the province

[steelwarrior77]

And thanks again - great to have someone answer all of my questions ;-D

I have a tradepost and mission in a colony where I have military controle and a military outpots also - as far as I understand the tradepost and mission do not add to my CP anymore - I have 41% - should I just remove them?

I miscalculated 3 times the need of private capital and have now 3% inflation - how much does that harm me - can I reduce it again?

What is the earliest date for the North German federation? I have everyone but Holstein wanting to join - but I guess I have to wait for the Danish attack on Holstein first?

[czert2]

if you dont need tzo build tradepost/missions elsewhere keep them, they will sometimes improve cp even over thier building limit. and as bonus, you can rest your units there

and yes, inflation will reduce over time, if your economy is healthy and i think there are some decisions which reduce it.

and for german unification, best is to dig in event files, but from memry earliest date is 1870.

[steelwarrior77]

Thanks ;-D

And more questions

What does a consulate do?
Can I not form a protectorate if another nation has a lot of CP influence?
How do I know, if a colony still has ressources to be dicovered?
In an uprising a fort of mine was captured - that is very bad actually - I thought forts defend my territory - so I have to keep units around all the time?
And military expeditions keep on failing - even though I have 2 infantry units...?

[steelwarrior77]

No one anymore? Would be too sad ;-(

[loki100]

Thanks ;-D

And more questions

What does a consulate do?
Can I not form a protectorate if another nation has a lot of CP influence?
How do I know, if a colony still has ressources to be dicovered?
In an uprising a fort of mine was captured - that is very bad actually - I thought forts defend my territory - so I have to keep units around all the time?
And military expeditions keep on failing - even though I have 2 infantry units...?

do my best:

can't exactly remember but I think its a precondition to declaring a colony?
you can, protectorate as such is a product of your colonial penetration ... if I recall while military control is a zero sum game (ie it must add to 100%), the total colonial penetration can be > 100
you don't ... and also some appear by random

sounds odd, was it a scripted revolt? If so ownership may have been transferred, but otherwise I'd expect the auto garrison to spawn

yep, its random and the chances are reset each turn

[steelwarrior77]

Thanks man ;-D