~Colonization A selection of hints and tips for beginners - By Simon Burrows `Before I start, one quick point. The decisive aim of the game is `to win the revolution with maximum points. Obviously, then, `everything you do must be aimed at reaching this end. ~`City Types ~`컴컴컴컴컴 `There are basically two types of cities :- `� Firstly, there is the mega-city. These, as explained below, ` are specialist cities, each of which will have one predominant ` job in your grasp for power. Since these are so important, ` they need to be very heavily defended at fortress level and ` with at least five items of artillery. `� Secondly there are supply cities. Their job is to supply you ` with all the raw materials you will need to succeed, such as ` tobacco and cotton. Since these are temporary settlements - ` you will keep them only until the material they supply dries ` up or you no longer need it - they do not need building up ` with a wall and all the other mod cons of a mega-city. If you ` lose them it should not be a big loss at all, and they should ` be easy to desert when the time comes. These small cities ` will often be built up from settlements you have captured, or ` those on small islands with little scope for expansion. When ` you reject these cities, you can make the inhabitants depart ` as either soldiers and dragoons so they will take the muskets ` and horses with them, or as pioneers so they will take the ` tools with them. ~`Mega-City Specialization ~`컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 `Unlike in many similar games such as Sim City and Genesia, `Colonization gives aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to run `several cities all at once. Remember, then, that slightly `different tactics will need to be followed. Instead of having `several cities of equal size which do all the jobs a far larger `city in Sim City might do, you must have several cities, each of `which specialise on one particular job. This will save resources `and help maximise production. `Here are some of the specialist cities you will need :- `� First of all you will need one of your cities assigned as your ` iron-making capital. There you will need to build an ` ironworks, and send your first three master blacksmiths. `� Another city will need to become your weapon-making capital. ` There, build an arsenal for musket production, and post your ` first three master gunsmiths as soon as they become available. `� At least one of your cities will need to specialize in ore ` mining. Those that do will need to be appropriately situated ` for that task, and should be sent all of your expert ore ` miners. `� You will also need an ore-gathering city situated in the ` mountains for best productivity. `� Finally there is your city specializing in horses. This is ` covered in more detail below. `Attempt to construct your custom house in the same city which has `upgraded production such as the textile mill, or rum, fur or `cigar factories. ~`Wooden Worries ~`컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 `The distribution of your lumber collectors can be managed in one `of two ways: either, you create a lumber super-centre, collecting `the majority of your carpentry work-force in one place, and your `expert lumberjacks on timber symbols generating more than 30 each `turn; or, you distribute your lumberjacks so you have 1, 2 or 3 `in each city, and then send one carpenter to each city too. The `latter of these options seems to work very effectively allowing `immediate access to lumber whichever city you look. If you find `that one city's stocks are too low, extra lumber can easily be `brought in on trains from any city which has over-satisfactory `lumber-levels. ~`Production Maximization ~`컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� `Remember not to let your residents waste production time. If `they can't do their job because they have run out of the relevant `raw material, set them to do something else as soon as you can - `you can always return them to their skilled trade once this is `possible. Don't let them have a week of bank holidays!!! `In production-specialized cities, make sure that you balance the `production of goods such as cigars, rum and coats. To do this `simply move your citizens around jobs regularly to produce equal `proportions of each. And, as I've said above, if you have a `tobacconist, for example, who has run out of tobacco to produce `his wares, get him going on something else until opportunity `arises for him to continue his preferred trade. `If you have nothing to build, don't sit around staring at your `little people milling around, start building artillery. Because `of the aim of the game, you will, at some stage, need to become a `war-time super-power, so eventually all your cities will need to `become devoted to artillery-construction anyway. ~`Horse Business ~`컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 `The best place for your specialized horse-breeding-capital is in `an area of high food-production, because this speeds up `production. Therefore if you have an area with wine lakes and `sugar mountains then this has your best potential. In your `chosen area you will need to build large warehouses because these `beasts will need stables to sleep in. As you find your stables `overflowing, send off your horses in hundreds to other cities. `Don't send them off more than a hundred at a time because if you `keep as many horses as possible in one area, the quicker they'll `breed and the more you'll have to send off later on. ~`Education Cuts? ~`컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� `In order to train your community you will need a university town. `It may be of use to have two universities, in fact, because `expert farmers and veteran soldiers will be essential in making `your life easier and success greater. The university will be `essential for training your citizens in horse sense. The extra `learning facilities mean you can educate workers in those trades `which you find a severe lack of experts in. A good tactic `sometimes is to clear the specialty of some of your inhabitants `and pack them off to university to be re-educated in trades where `they will be of maximum use to you. ~`To Buy or not to Buy? ~`컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� `The most important thing to buy if you've got money to burn is `ships. Of course, you may also need to buy recruits if you don't `already have enough on your docks to fill the holds. When you `have enough ships (and sometimes too many is not enough!), then `its time to start saving up your money. This will give you the `leeway to purchase mercenaries, train soldiers and buy a load of `artillery just before you go into war. `One thing you won't need to spend money on, of course, is free `colonists. Keep these emigrating in as fast as you can, then `pack them straight off to your universities - which is exactly `where they want to go - so you can get the best out of them. `The most important things NOT to buy are the useless trade goods `which you can certainly do without. Also, don't go wasting money `on the outrageously high back taxes. A good way to save money `is to buy only 10 of what the Indians request, rather than 100, `because they don't seem to mind just as long as you give them `what they ask for in one quantity or another. ~`War on the High Seas ~`컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 `Until you declare independence, naval power plays a large part in `anybody's success in Colonization. As you'll probably know, you `start the game with one cargo ship. Use this to full effect, by `all means, but don't waste money on building any more since these `are pretty useless. Instead, when you have set-aside cash for `naval building, concentrate on privateers and frigates. If you `have Francis Drake on your continental congress, privateers' `strength is increased by 50% making these particular vessels `cheap and lethal. Concentrating on these, therefore, can be a `good move. `In order to bring in new colonists and transport trade goods for `sale at market, you will need several ships going between your `lands and Europe. You should also have one explorer vessel with `at least one scout and even a dragoon. This ship should be a `privateer due to its great speed. `The remainder of your privateers are best used as hunters. Those `with a cargo of 200 muskets will be a great force against `opposition vessels. If it seems that you are gaining a lot from `high-sea battles, it may be worth getting a few frigates since `these give you more power. However, don't spend too much on this `option as privateers are cheaper and will often do. `Remember, once you have declared independence, ships are just `about useless since you will be given all the battle ships you `need by your allies. ` 袴袴袴袴袴袴� ~` By: Simon Burrows ` 袴袴袴袴袴袴�