User:Legion/Testing/Game ideas/European colonization

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This is list of game ideas for a game involving colonizing lands. It would be bot-driven. Subject to changes. Not everything will go into final product, if it does indeed come about.

Colonizers

Players can choose to form teams representing any of the colonizers:

  • English (pre-1707)/British (post-1707)
    • Pre-industrial era bonuses: For grain-based agriculture, navy, trade, factories and production tech during late pre-industrial era (after 1700). Better relation with Portugal in Europe, no wars possible between them (except for 1580-1640), both countries give preference for each other's goods. Increased immigration to colonies.
    • Industrial era bonuses: For factories and industrial tech research in early and mid-industrial era (before 1870). Also possesses navy bonus for first half of industrial era though it become less pronounced in late industrial era but still significant. Better relation with France in Europe after 1900, no war possible between them after that date, both countries give preference for each other's goods.
  • French
    • Pre-industrial era bonuses: For fur production and army. Better relation with Spain in Europe after 1700, no war possible between them after that date, both countries give preference for each other's goods. Better relations with natives.
    • Industrial era bonuses: Better relation with Britain in Europe after 1900, no war possible between them after that date, both countries give preference for each other's goods.
  • Dutch (can only be played after 1570)
    • Pre-industrial era bonuses: For sugar production, trade, navy.
    • Industrial era bonuses:
  • Spanish
    • Pre-industrial era bonuses: For precious metal (gold and diamonds) production, sugar production. Bonuses for navy, become less pronounced after 1700 but still significant, decline relative to British navy bonus. Stronger fortification bonus, Spanish colonies more difficult to be seized by enemies. Better relation with France in Europe after 1700, no war possible between them after that date, both countries give preference for each other's goods. Better relation with Portugal in Europe between 1580 and 1640, no wars possible between them between those dates, both countries give preference for each other's goods during that period.
    • Industrial era bonuses:
  • Portuguese (comes under control of the Spanish between 1580 and 1640)
    • Pre-industrial era bonuses: For sugar, precious metals (gold and diamonds) and tropical wood production. Better relation with England/Britain in Europe, no wars possible between them (except for 1580-1640), both countries give preference for each other's goods. Better relation with Spain in Europe between 1580 and 1640, no wars possible between them between those dates, both countries give preference for each other's goods during that period.
    • Industrial era bonuses: Better relation with Britain in Europe, no war possible between them, both countries give preference for each other's goods.

Random maps

  • Game would be played in a random map generated through either of two random map modes:
    • Caribbean map that would generate random islands in tropical climate. Generally good for growing crops suitable for tropical climate such as sugarcanes, tobacco, coffee, and so on.
    • New World map that would generate random map similar to North America. Generally good for growing crops like grains and some other crops. Are generally plentiful in fishes and timber. Also good for metal production such as coal and iron.

Time modes

  • Colonization game may take start in one of two time modes, pre-industrial (1492-1836) or industrial (1836-1936). Those time modes determines tech level (which in turn affects efficiency of raw material production as well facility producing finished goods), type of resources/finished goods that can be produced and the kind of facilities that can be used.

Pre-Industrial era (1492-1836)

  • At start of game, colonies tend to start with almost nothing as they were only established.
    • Facilities/factories producing finished goods are more primitive, more expensive, their efficiency and output is relatively low compared to industrial period. Requirement for input for such facilities are relatively high because of low inefficiency. Can improve efficiency and output with researching tech by 1700 and beyond.
    • Production of raw materials like cottons, sugarcanes, timbers, and so on are less efficient relative to industrial era. Can research techs to improve efficiency for agricultural production starting around 1660 and for non-agricultural raw goods production around 1760. They also require higher amount of farmers/laborers at the beginning.
    • Trade level are relatively low compared to industrial era. Shipbuilding and cash crops like sugar and tea tends to have higher demand in Europe.
    • Colonies are vulnerable to piracy that may affect their trade with Europe and to some extent their production, unlike in industrial era. Frequency and effects of piracy become less apparent over time, most noticeably after 1760.
    • Colonies are more vulnerable to wars in Europe that may break out from time to time, where it could be easily blockaded by enemy navies depending on their country's naval situation and could be also seized by enemy colonists and/or enemy troops from Europe. Building fortifications in colonies are more expensive than in industrial era, making it harder to fortify ALL of colonies. There is random chance for colony occupied by enemy may be ceded to them as part of peace treaty and added to their own colonies or given back to rightful owner at end of war.

Industrial era (1836-1936)

  • At start of game, colonies tend to start with some non-factory facilities such as warehouse and dock, to name a few.
    • Factories producing finished goods from raw materials are more advanced than in pre-industrial era, less expensive, their efficiency and output is better (and can be improved with by researching certain techs that are unlocked by beginning of each decade). Have much lower requirement for input (and can be lowered further with certain tech researched). Efficiency for factories can also be increased by assigning clerks and capitalists to it. Requires craftsmen to staff it. Cement and machine parts are also necessary for factory maintenance.
    • Factories at beginning of industrial era can now manufacture goods like machine parts, cement, steel, and so on. Certain factories producing goods like radio, telephone, electric gear are unlocked by researching certain techs that become available over time.
    • Artisans, who produces goods at their workshops tends to produce better quality goods at lower cost and for better prices than factories at the beginning of industrial era. However, as factories become more efficient over time and are able to produce more goods at lower input costs and those factory-produced goods become far more affordable, artisans are increasingly unable to compete with factories.
    • Production of raw materials are more efficient relative to pre-industrial era at farms and mines. Their efficiency and output can be increased by researching certain techs that are unlocked at beginning of each decade. They require slightly less laborers/farmers at beginning of industrial era than do in pre-industrial era but this requirement is reduced as production become more efficient over time, freeing up more labor for factories. Their efficiency can be increased by assigning aristocrats to them.
    • Certain raw resources not available in pre-industrial era are now available such as rubber and sulphur. Some industrial raw materials are also unlocked over time such as oil.
    • Trade level are a bit higher at beginning of industrial era compared to pre-industrial era. Industrializing Europe tends to demand more iron, steel, fabrics, cotton, and so on.
    • Piracy no longer exists and thus colonies are no longer at danger. Wars in Europe are also now more often confined to its proper and rarely involves enemies seizing the colonies, unless a Great War breaks out (can only happen after 1900). Colonies are better fortified at beginning of game, making sieges longer and harder to seize.

Trade

  • Colonies producing goods and raw materials can export them back to Europe aboard the ships. How much money they get for good depends on supply and demand that may change over time. Prices can go up or down depending on those factors. Wars and piracy can disrupt the trade, reducing exports (and imports as well).
  • Colonies can import goods/raw materials but they can become more expensive over time, depending on supply and demand.
  • Precious metals are not traded but rather added to the colony treasury.

Goods

Raw Materials

Goods Input #1 Input #2 Input #3 Can be produced by
Coal N/A N/A N/A
Cotton N/A N/A N/A
Dyes N/A N/A N/A
Fruit N/A N/A N/A
Iron N/A N/A N/A
Sulphur N/A N/A

Industrial Goods

Goods Input #1 Input #2 Input #3 Can be produced by
Explosives Fertilizer Ammunition Explosives Factory Fabric Cotton Dyes N/A Fabric Factory
Fertilizer Sulphur N/A N/A Fertilizer Factory
Steel Coal Iron N/A Steel Factory

Consumer Goods

Goods Input #1 Input #2 Input #3 Can be produced by
Wine Glass Fruit N/A Winery

Military Goods

Goods Input #1 Input #2 Input #3 Can be produced by
Ammunition Coal Iron Sulphur Ammunition Factory

Government

  • Colony's government efficiency and other attributes may be determined by their colonizer's form of government.
    • Constitutional monarchy - Only England/Britain after 1690 has this form of government before 1815. France and Netherlands become constitutional monarchy after 1815, Spain and Portugal become constitutional monarchy after 1830. Freedom are relatively higher than in all other form of government except the Republic, giving a bonus to production. Less efficient at suppressing revolt in colonies than absolute monarchy but slightly more than Republic.
    • Absolute monarchy - All colonizers before industrial era except for Dutch start with this form of government. Less freedom meaning no bonus for production; Military has easier time to suppress the revolt in colonies, becoming less efficient at this after 1760 and more so after 1810.
    • Republic - Dutch start with this form of government in pre-industrial era. France become Republic between 1790 and 1800, and again in 1830-1850 and 1870-1936. Give bonus to trade and navy before 1700. Least efficient of all forms of government at suppressing revolt in colonies. Give bonus for army between 1790 and 1800 (France only).
    • Empire - Only France get this form of government between 1800 and 1815. Give bonus to army, though at cost of defense level for colony, less trade due to British naval blockades of France during Napoleonic Wars, and increased risk of British seizure of French colonies. Less efficient at suppressing revolt in colonies than Absolute monarchy or constitutional monarchy but slightly more efficient than Republic.

Population

  • Colony's population are slowly increased by immigration and natural growth over time. All colonies start with at least a hundred colonist. Any players that join a human leader's colonies would added 3 population points (or 300 colonists), representing occasional spikes in migration to colonies. Gives incentive for leader to try recruiting players in their colonies.

Pre-1836

Before 1836, the colonists are divided into the following classes:

  • Artisans who produces goods at home/workshops for colony's needs (and occasionally for exports)
  • Laborers who mans the mines and any resource gathering operations that is not crop-producing farms, such as timber farms. Any colonists who fishes also counts laborers.
  • Farmers, well, obviously works the farms.
  • Craftsmen who mans the early factories beginning 1760 when it become available.
  • Clergymen who helps raises literacy in colonies, necessary for accumulating research points needed to research techs. Also help reduce revolt risk in colonies a bit.

Post-1836

After 1836, all of the classes mentioned above exists, plus several additional classes are introduced:

  • Aristocrats who increases the efficiency of RGOs (resource gathering operations/organizations) which gathers the raw materials like coal, grain, timbers, so on.
  • Capitalist who increases the efficiency of factories and invests money in existing factories as well in building new factories. Capitalists also invests in building new railroads.
  • Soldiers who provides manpower for land military units.
  • Officers who provides leaders for land military units.

Military (optional, not high priority)

Armies

Basic building block of armies before 1836 are regiments whereas after that year brigade become the basic unit. Infantry and cavalry units may be raised at beginning of pre-1836 game but artillery (i.e cannons) would not be available until 1450 and can be purchased from Europe by that year, though somewhat unwieldy and very extremely expensive in the beginning, more suitable for sieges than field battles. Colonies could not build cannons themselves until 1500.

Manpower

Military before 1836 gets it manpower based on total manpower pool that is calculated from total of manpower in every provinces controlled by a colony. Each province provides manpower based on percentage of province population. Thus, a highly populated province would provide far more manpower than does less populated ones. At least 1,000 men is required to raise each regiment, though this rule is suspended if colony's population is below 1,000 and a "regiment" may be raised from a mere hundred men for defense. This is important for defending colony in earliest days.

This changes with 1836, with appearance of Soldiers POPs (Population). Each Soldier POP provides at least 3,000 men for a brigade. More details on this Soldier POP later.

Military leaders

Generals and admiral for navies and armies before 1836 can be created by taking 20 points from army and navy traditions. Army and navy tradition are generated a bit each year and can also be increased by battle victories and by exploration of land and sea provinces.

However, by 1836 and forward, this is no longer relevant. Instead such officers are generated via leadership points that are generated by Officer POPs.

Navies

Before 1836, ships are very expensive to build and take extremely long time to build, much longer than regiments. Colonies can build certain types of ships such as merchantman but could not build frigates without dock and ships of the line without shipyard.