Notes on Colonies II (Beta)
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Contents:

1. Notes for Beta testers
2. General comments
3. National notes and guidelines


Notes for Beta testers
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Thanks for all your efforts. Apart from those credited on the game's title screen many others have written back to offer comment and/or critisism. Not all suggestions were adopted, but thanks for your time and interest.

General Comments
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This scenario (Colonies II) is a descendant of Colonies, published by me last year. It is similar enough in general concept to be considered version II, but there have been many changes. If you played the earlier version, you should still definitely read this section.

This scenario requires the Conflicts in Civilization Scenario add-on, or the Fantastic Worlds add-on. This is mainly due to the sheer number of units. Under CiC, you will need to copy Labels.txt and Game.txt into the main CivII program directory. Otherwise, the auto-events will not work.

The game should play OK under Fantastic Worlds now, without alteration. Be sure to copy the files into a ColonyII sub-directory under Scenarios, and all should work without needing to do the above.

N.B. Due to the way I've pushed the game engine and available memory, the scenario might error when loaded - especially if you load after closing another game, but not quitting the whole program. This error always seems to go away if you close the Civ II program and start again. Please let me know if you find differently.

As with all my scenarios, there are no Barracks or Port Facilities. I don't believe in creating units with veteran status - they have to earn it in battle. This should make you prize any veteran unit you DO possess, just as in reality.

The scenario is set in the period AD 1660 to AD 1800. Version I started in AD 1492, with Columbus' (re)discovery of America, but I found that the computer tended to ignore America until the endgame, and concentrate on the European and African theatres. This is not what I had in mind, so:

i) We start in AD 1660, with many European colonies already in America;
ii) Africa has been made more unappealing as a colony site;
iii) European cities have some pretty formidable defences.

This seems to get the action going in America quite well.

The map is slightly smaller, but expanded in scale, so that Europe is more detailed and most of Africa and South America are off the map. North America - from the East Coast to the Rockies - is much more detailed.

The contenders have changed quite a lot. The Spanish, English and French are still there. The Dutch (United Provinces) have newly won their independence from Spain and are starting to expand into the New World. They are unique in having a Republican form of Government, which is a mixed blessing as their income and research are high (for their size), but keeping the citizens at home happy is more of a problem for them than their more autocratic rivals (who are all Monarchies).

The Native Americans are very different now. The Civilizations of the Aztecs and Incas have been absorbed into New Spain.

The North American "Indians" are of three nations. The Iroquois and the Huron are based either side of the Great Lakes and are already in contact with Europeans (apart from Spain). The Souix Nation of the Great Plains has some tenuous contact with the Spanish.

The tech levels are pretty much the same as Colonies I, with all the Europeans starting with Pikemen (3/3*/2 2:1), Arquebusiers (3/1/2 2:2) and their own type of Cavalry unit. They all have Demi-Culverins (8/0/1 2:2) for artillery. These values have been modified only slightly since Colonies I. The "Pikemen" effect doubles defence against units with a movement of 2, so here it is vs Infantry, rather than Cavalry.

[The Culverin was an early cannon - very heavy and slow-firing. The Demi-Culverin was a cut down version used more often in open battle. They are best suited to attacking cities defended with a stockade. Based in a fort with a Pikeman for defence, they are good at fighting off attacks as well. Their main drawback is their low mobility - being able to move OR fire, but not both. Very much the same as the Colonies I Bombard.]

Unit strengths given here are expressed as [attack factor]/[defence factor]/[movement factor] [hit points]:[fire points]

Stockades (0/6/0 3:1) are still a military unit, non-mobile, for use in defending cities only. They do not count towards a city's happiness. They can be shipped around by sea if you like, although it's a bit of a cheat. (Pre-fab Stockades, perhaps?)

The main thrust of European research is military to begin with. All nations are researching Naval Shipyard. Naval Shipyard allows the Man 'o War unit, (6/6/7 2:2) and requires Naval Gunnery and Metallurgy (which all Europeans have already).
Your next priority should perhaps be Flintlock and thus the Musketeer (4/3/2 2:2), Grenadier (6/4/2 2:2) and Dragoon (7/3/4 1:3) units.

Huron and Iroquois research is directed at Flintlock. If you can acquire it in exchange for Native Lore with a European Civilization before you discover it anyway, it will give you a head start on whatever you choose next. You will get it eventually anyway, and it allows the useful Indian Musketeers unit (6/3/3 2:2).

The Souix are researching Indian Cavalry, which nobody else can. It's only useful to them, anyway, giving the Mounted Braves unit (8/1/6 2:2).

The only Native tech of use to the Europeans is Native Lore, without which they cannot get Local Knowledge. This enables extra food production (by building the Supermarket - now called Local Knowledge) and allows farmland to produce extra food. You need New World Science (on the same branch of the tech tree) to create farmland. As each citizen easts 3 food, this could be quite handy. Cut down forest and you get grassland, now, which produces 2 food prior to improvement.

National notes and guidelines
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The Spanish
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The Spanish are the protagonists of this scenario - which means everyone should be out to get them! They start with easily the biggest empire, controlling the Caribbean, the north coast of South America (the "Spanish Main") and most of modern day Central America and Mexico. They also have a foothold on the Moroccan coast and the Spanish Netherlands (modern day Belgium).

They might find Lisbon a tough nut to crack, (I should bribe it out), but otherwise, there are plenty of feeble Barbarians (Independents) to persecute.

Africa is an easy target, but doesn't have many victory points on offer. I shouldn't bother trying to attack most European cities to begin with, as they all have city defences (Vaubin Fortresses) designed to stop anything less than a Siege Train (Artillery) or huge quantities of Field Batteries.

[Vaubin was a French military engineer of the late seventeenth century. He revolutionised siege warfare both in attack and defence. As he was copied by all nations, you'll find examples of his work everywhere in Europe. Only the English didn't build many. If you can cross the Channel, pickings are reasonably easy, for Europe!]

The French
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The French have some impressive natural resources and a largish army. Their main weakness is their position surrounded by competitors in Europe. This should not be too much of a problem prior to Artillery, and they have considerable scope for expansion in Canada. Probably the Iroquois should be your first major target.

The English
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The main English asset is their island position and their first target should be Scotland. Even when taken, though, Scotland is liable to generate periodic unrest, so don't weaken your garrisons there too much. Your economy is weak (as are all Europeans' except the Dutch) so you'll need to get some trade goods moving, to generate periodic cash sums.

Try to ally with the Iroquois to protect your North American colonies in their early, vulnerable, days. To expand, plunder the Spanish Main and Spanish territory generally from your base in Jamaica (Kingston). Push further into North America only when your first colonies are safe.

The Dutch
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A real challenge. Your Fortresses should keep you safe in Europe until Artillery, but there is no room for expansion there (except at Antwerp?). You're also limited with your existing colonies so choose a weak victim and concentrate on them.

Establish a few new colonies as bases for expansion - perhaps into Louisiana and Texas?

The Huron
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The best any of the Native civilizations can hope to achieve is to push all the Europeans back into the sea. That, rather than a VP total, should be your ultimate goal. The Huron begin allied to the French, and this alliance should be nurtured carefully, at least until you're strong in musketeers of your own.

Mass enough troops and you can take a Stockade-defended colony, and prior to Flintlock, your warriors are better fighters than the Europeans anyway. The main limitation is the time it takes you to replace battle casualties.

The Iroquois
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Your best potential ally is the English. With your eastern flank safe you can expand quickly elsewhere. It is possible to make peace with the Huron, but really they're your natural enemies - and the easiest route to expansion. They view you in the same light!

Otherwise, much the same as the Huron. You are a bit stronger, but your geo-strategic position is weaker.

The Souix
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A different ball-game here. No musketeers, but Mounted Braves instead. These move like lightning and hit hard - but are useless for defence. Your main strategic options are peace or Blitzkreig.

Until you get Mounted Braves (which should appear around 1750) pick on the weaker targets and try to pacify the Spanish.

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Although I have finished development on Colonies II now, feedback is always interesting. My new project is a FW-optimised 100 Years War scenario. Might be ready around Christmas!!

John

John Ellis
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