(EU2) Colonies vs. Trading Posts

[BeBMan]

I own Eu2 now for some weeks, finished some games, won the most, but still don't consider me an experienced player.

One thing I'd like to know is how you prefer colonialization. Have as much colonies as possible, or do you leave some as trading posts (even when you could build colonies there). Do you bring trading posts on size6, or do you turn them into real colonies ASAP? Or does it depend on the goods available in one specific province?

Of course sometimes it is also the strategic importance that makes a province valuable, or the fact that you need a harbor in a certain region, but I ask more from the economic perspective....

[CerberusIV]

It depends on the circumstances. If playing England, France or Spain I don't bother with trading posts but go straight to colonies as you should have the financial resources to develop them to the point they will start to grow. It costs more but the payback is better in the long term.

Even as Portugal with limited money I prefer colonies. The exception is for provinces in most of Africa where, unless you can colonise with the natives in place, the growth rate will be negative whatever you do so you never get much past 1000 population (unless you send a LOT of very expensive colonists you probably need somewhere else). Southern Africa is OK but with Portugal in West Africa I colonise about every third province (Louga and Luanda can be done with the natives in place) and put level 6 trading posts in between. Apart from this I never do trading posts.

If you are playing a smaller country and want to grab a province but can't afford to fully develop it then a trading post is a useful intermediate step.

[Dinner]

I use trading posts as "place holders" to prevent other powers from taking the provence but I replace them ASAP because not only are trading posts not very productive but they can also be burned thus removing your claim.

[Odin]

I use TPs to claim a good area (like gold or sugar), but I can't send soldiers to keep the natives in line (I dislike killing off natives because they give your colonies a population bonus).

[Dinner]

Some natives need a good killing though.

[chequita guevara]

If you have sole access to the CoT, tps are great.

[BeBMan]

Didn't know about the pop bonus from natives. So far I always thought I'd have to kill'em all tro prevent them from destroying the colony as long as it isn't big enough. Maybe I should change my tactics in this point

[Spiffor]

The bonus pop is huge. In my game as portugal, I colonised India only so that I would have big cities as soon as the colony turned into a town. Basically, the population bonus spared me 40 colonists + lots of time for population growth.

[BeBMan]

Do those colonies have another culture then? I mean, if I colonize them "from scratch" without natives they get my ow culture.....do they still have it when using the bonus?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by BeBro
Do those colonies have another culture then? I mean, if I colonize them "from scratch" without natives they get my ow culture.....do they still have it when using the bonus?

yeah they do. But i find it real hard to avoid conflicts with the natives, you have to be real careful about moving military units in.

[Nikolai]

I tend to build colonies, but sometimes I build TPs to get the success change up.

[Dinner]

I only kill the most militant natives and even those I try to sit one army on top of the colony to guaqrd it while I'm building it. It is so nice to have 20k pop right off the bat and they're all my culture and eligion.

[CerberusIV]

Colonising with the natives in place can give a huge bonus. I'm currently playing a game as Portugal and made a beeline straight for India and colonised 6 provinces with the natives intact. A 6000+ population province generates a lot more income than a 1000 population one.

I find the trick is to use conquistadors. Not only are they less likely to trigger combat with the natives when moving into or through a province but they give a bonus to the colonisation % chance if they are in the province when the colonist is sent. I used several of the Portuguese conquistadors to do this over about 50 years in India but didn't have much else to do with them at the time and the payback is worthwhile. Or you can get the same effect with an explorer in port in the colony when the colonist is sent.

If the natives are more than aggression level 4 I kill them (only exception is the Bahamas where 5000 natives and an early high value province that may develop a CoT makes the extra effort and risk worthwhile). In some cases I will kill groups of up to 1500 natives with very low aggression levels simply to get a better colonisation chance and to ensure no revolts.

[Dinner]

The Bahamas, New Orleans, and Trinidad seem to have very high chances of a CoT forming. Same with Cape Town.

[Ramo]

Colonies for rich provinces, trading posts for poor ones.