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Colonization: Now I have a galleon, ho ho ho
1563 is a turning point in two ways. My army avenges Beaver Dam by destroying the Incan settlement of Cuzco, capturing 103 gold, a valuable treasure worth another 803 gold once I get it back to Spain, and a native worker skilled at gathering raw materials. It's also a turning point because I can finally afford a galleon. I dub her Tomasita Triumphant (you can give any unit, city, or colonist a custom name). She sails out of Spain towards New Madrid, where I'll finally be able to carry nearly 4000 gold worth of treasure back to the Old World.
Plus whatever I plunder from the Incans after rolling through their settlements.
Read about the conclusion of the Incan Wars after the jump.
Cuzco was situated in the middle of my territory. To the north is Machu Pichu, a stunted Incan settlement nestled up against France's main colony of Quebec. But the two largest Incan settlements are to the south. Should I move my army north to take Machu Pichu first, or should I rush south to defend New Madrid? I like that Machu Pico and Quebec are limiting each other's growth, and I'm no hurry to give my French neighbors more room to expand. So I march south as Incans pillage the farms around New Madrid. While my army plods along, the scout who'd been gathering treasures revealed by de Quesada arrives in time to help New Madrid's veteran soldier defeat the Incan raiders. The scout is injured, but rather than taking time to heal, he gallops north to El Norte, arriving just in time to defend the settlement from an Incan attack out of Machu Pichu.
With all this fighting, I've gotten enough military points for a Great General. General Edward Braddock arrives in New Madrid. I march him towards my army, where he merges with one of the units and hands out promotions to the others. I've also earned enough military points to recruit Hernan Cortes as a Founding Father, giving me a free defenses in every settlement. I'll soon also have enough points to recruit Hernando de Soto, who gives all my soldiers a bonus when attacking settlements. I'm on my way to being a lean mean native killing machine.
In 1572, I conquer Tiwanaku. I have to skirt around a river defending nearby Ollantaytambo, so it doesn't fall until 1580. I conquer Machu Pichu in 1591, effectively removing the Incans from the map. I've seized three converted natives, 295 gold, and four treasures worth a total of 4207 gold. I've also brought in nearly 4000 gold worth of treasures discovered with my scout. The Tomasita Triumphant is definitely earning her keep.
On the former site of Beaver Dam, the converted natives found Fort Beaver along with an elder statesman and expert farmer brought from Spain. The Incan Wars have made me rich and given me plenty of room to expand. Do I disband my army and put them to work building up my colonies? Or should I move on to the Arawak, Sioux, or Cherokee?
(Click here for the previous Colonization game diary.)
By Aeon221 at 2:43 PM ON 09/18/08
You should totally name one of your ships The Flying Tapir.
By Balasarius at 4:09 PM ON 09/18/08
No, he should name it the John McClain, of course.
By Alan Au at 5:34 PM ON 09/18/08
Oho, so units have combat ratings and hitpoints? Not that I should be surprised given the Civ IV legacy, but now I wonder if those expert lumberjacks are any more combat-ready than their non-axe-toting compatriots.
By Tom Chick at 6:54 PM ON 09/18/08
Alan, units only have a combat rating that also serves as their hitpoints. As they take damage, they're less effective at fighting until they heal.
By Honolulu Blue at 12:26 AM ON 09/19/08
The treasure yield seems to be a lot less than in the previous version. So, who's leading this motley group - Bolivar or de San Martin?
By Tom Chick at 7:27 AM ON 09/19/08
Good question, Mr. Blue. I've chosen Bolivar for the liberty bell bonus he gives defending units. Since I'm going liberty bell heavy, I figure it will help me when the Spanish king comes calling.
By Scott at 8:54 AM ON 09/19/08
Very much enjoying reading these diaries Tom, can't wait til the UK gets the game on the 26th! Quick question - one gripe I had about the original Colonization is that you couldn't abandon a colony with a stockade or higher (fort or fortress). Very annoying when you capture a foreign colony and have no use for it! Has this changed for this game?
By Colonizationfan at 4:10 PM ON 09/19/08
Wow, being able to name units sound pretty cool. Great diaries by the way!
By Tom Chick at 12:59 AM ON 09/22/08
Scott, as near as I can tell, you can never abandon a settlement by removing your last colonist, whether there's a stockade present or not. You can raze a settlement when you capture it, but otherwise, you have to always have at least one dude working in every settlement.
Tom Chick:
Scott, as near as I can tell, you can never abandon a settlement by removing your last colonist, whether there's a ...More »