Colonization & Exploration

Colonization Exploration Colonial v1.0
Updated for v1.0.x | Last updated: 2025-01-15

Summary at a glance

Goal: Expand into new territories without aggressive expansion penalties and build profitable colonial empires.

Do this first:

  • Wait until 1530-1560 to start colonizing (optimal timing)
  • Build harbors in Azores/Canary Islands to extend range
  • Use Coexistence native policy for most colonies

Pitfall to avoid: Colonizing too early (before 1530) is expensive and inefficient. Wait until your economy is stable.

Colonization opens vast new territories for expansion without aggressive expansion penalties. This guide covers when to colonize, which nations to pick, and how to build profitable colonial empires.

When to Start Colonizing

Tech Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

  • Age of Discovery (1530+)
  • Oceanic Navigation advance (unlocks transatlantic range)
  • Naval capacity: 20+ ships for exploration fleets
  • Economy: 50+ gold income/month (colonization is expensive)

Optimal Timing: 1530-1560 (early enough to claim prime land, late enough to afford it)

Early vs. Late Colonization

Early (1530-1550)

Pros: Claim best land first, establish trade monopolies, beat rivals

Cons: Expensive infrastructure, diverts resources from European wars

Best for: Portugal, Castile, England

Late (1560-1600)

Pros: Cheaper colonization cost, better colonial tech, stronger economy

Cons: Best land already claimed, must compete with established colonies

Best for: France, Holland, delayed colonizers

Colonial Mechanics

Colonial Range

Your colonial range determines how far you can establish colonies.

Base Range: 200-300 (varies by nation)

Modified By:

  • Naval technology: +50 to +200 per age
  • Exploration advances: +200 to +500
  • Colonial ideas: +100 to +300
  • Harbors: Each harbor extends range by +50 in that direction
💡 Tip
Strategy: Build harbors in Azores, Canary Islands, Cape Verde to extend range to Americas.

Establishing Colonies

Requirements:

  • Within colonial range
  • Uncolonized province (no existing owner)
  • Adjacent to your territory OR coastal
  • Colonial expedition available (1 per 2 years base)

Process:

  1. Send colonist to target province
  2. Colony established (0 population)
  3. Growth phase: +50 to +200 population/month
  4. Completion: 1,000 population reached

Cost: 2-5 gold/month during growth phase

Time: 5-20 months depending on growth modifiers

Colonial Growth Modifiers

Positive

  • Colonial growth ideas: +50% to +100%
  • Nearby colonies: +20%
  • Accepted culture settlers: +30%
  • Good climate/terrain: +25%
  • Port access: +15%

Negative

  • Hostile natives: -30% to -50%
  • Poor climate: -20% to -40%
  • Disease: -10% to -30% (random events)
  • Distance from capital: -10%

Colonial Nations

Formation

Colonial nations form automatically when you have 5+ provinces in a colonial region.

Colonial Regions:

  • North America: Colonial Canada, Colonial Eastern America, Colonial Louisiana, Colonial California
  • South America: Colonial Brazil, Colonial Peru, Colonial La Plata, Colonial Colombia
  • Caribbean: Colonial Caribbean
  • Africa: Colonial South Africa
  • Asia-Pacific: Colonial Australia, Colonial Indonesia (contested)

Process: Automatic at 5 provinces → Forms new subject nation

Effects:

  • Former provinces become subject's territory
  • Subject administers region independently
  • You receive 50% of trade income routed through their trade nodes

Managing Colonial Nations

Liberty Desire:

  • Starts at 0-20%
  • Increases with: Size, distance from overlord, rival influence
  • Decreases with: Military support, subsidies, low tariffs

Tariffs: Set tariff level (0-50%)

  • High tariffs: More income, higher liberty desire
  • Low tariffs: Less income, lower liberty desire
  • Optimal: 25-35% (balance income and loyalty)

Trade Income:

  • Colonial nations automatically send 50% of trade value to your home node
  • Build marketplaces in colonial capitals for more trade capacity
  • Protect trade routes with light ships

Military Support:

  • Colonial nations provide troops for your wars
  • Can request military support during their wars
  • Will join your offensive wars if loyalty >50%

Best Colonizing Nations

Portugal (Top Tier)

Advantages:

  • Best starting position (direct Atlantic access)
  • Historical colonial bonuses (+30% colonial range, +50% colonial growth)
  • Early exploration focus
  • Less European competition

Strategy:

  • Colonize Brazil (1530-1560)
  • Establish African trade posts (Cape Verde, West Africa)
  • Push to India for spice trade (1560-1600)
  • Dominate Asian trade routes

Expected Income: 100-300 gold/month from colonial trade by 1600

Castile/Spain (Top Tier)

Advantages:

  • Strong starting economy
  • Excellent colonial ideas
  • Caribbean first access
  • Gold-rich Mexico/Peru conquests

Strategy:

  • Colonize Caribbean (1530-1550)
  • Conquer Aztecs (1540-1560)
  • Conquer Incas (1560-1580)
  • Dominate American gold trade

Expected Income: 200-500 gold/month from colonial gold by 1600

England/Great Britain (High Tier)

Advantages:

  • Strong navy
  • Good colonial range after harbors
  • Eastern North America access
  • Trade-focused bonuses

Strategy:

  • Colonize North American coast (1540-1570)
  • Establish Colonial Eastern America
  • Compete with France in Canada
  • Build trade empire in India (late game)

Expected Income: 150-250 gold/month from colonial trade by 1600

France (High Tier)

Advantages:

  • Strong European base
  • Good colonial range
  • Canada access
  • Powerful military for protecting colonies

Strategy:

  • Colonize Canada (1550-1580)
  • Establish Caribbean presence
  • Compete with England in North America
  • Late-game African/Asian colonies

Expected Income: 100-200 gold/month from colonial trade by 1600

Holland/Netherlands (High Tier)

Advantages:

  • Best trade ideas
  • Excellent market mechanics
  • Strong navy
  • Late-game colonial power

Strategy:

  • Focus on Asian spice trade (1580-1620)
  • Colonize Indonesia
  • Establish South African Cape Colony
  • Maximize trade income over territorial control

Expected Income: 300-600 gold/month from colonial trade by 1650 (late but powerful)

Colonial Strategies

Gold Rush Strategy (Castile, Portugal)

Goal: Conquer gold-rich native empires quickly

Steps:

  1. Reach Americas by 1540
  2. Colonize coastal provinces adjacent to Aztecs/Incas
  3. Declare conquest wars (fabricate claims or use colonial CB)
  4. Conquer gold-producing provinces
  5. Integrate gold income into economy

Timeline: 1540-1580

Expected Return: 200-400 gold/month from gold provinces

Risks: Native resistance (large armies), disease events, high aggressive expansion if too fast

Trade Empire Strategy (Portugal, Holland, England)

Goal: Dominate global trade routes through coastal colonies

Steps:

  1. Establish coastal colonies in key trade nodes
  2. Build marketplaces and trade posts
  3. Protect trade routes with light ships
  4. Maximize maritime presence
  5. Route trade value to home node

Timeline: 1530-1650 (long-term)

Expected Return: 100-300 gold/month by 1600, 500+ by 1700

Benefits: Low aggressive expansion, scalable income, defendable positions (coastal)

Settlement Strategy (England, France)

Goal: Build large settler colonies for population and production

Steps:

  1. Colonize temperate regions (North America, South Africa, Australia)
  2. Focus on population growth over immediate profit
  3. Develop infrastructure (roads, harbors)
  4. Build production chains
  5. Long-term economic integration

Timeline: 1540-1700 (very long-term)

Expected Return: Moderate early (50-100 gold/month), massive late (500+ gold/month by 1750)

Benefits: Stable, integrated colonies, high population growth, long-term wealth

Native Interactions

Native Aggression

Colonizing provinces with natives has risks:

Low Aggression Natives (0-3)

  • Minor attacks on colonies
  • Slow colony growth (-10%)
  • Manageable with small garrison

Medium Aggression Natives (4-6)

  • Frequent attacks
  • Can destroy colonies
  • Requires military presence

High Aggression Natives (7-10)

  • Constant warfare
  • Will destroy colonies without army support
  • Extremely expensive to colonize

Native Policies

Choose one native policy:

Coexistence

  • -50% native aggression
  • +20% colonial growth
  • -20% colonial goods production
  • Best for: Peaceful, fast colonization

Trading

  • -25% native aggression
  • +10% goods production
  • Neutral growth
  • Best for: Balanced approach

Assimilation

  • Neutral aggression
  • +30% goods production long-term
  • Slower initial growth
  • Best for: Long-term settlement colonies

Subjugation

  • +50% native aggression
  • +50% goods production
  • Fast colony establishment (if you survive attacks)
  • Best for: Strong military presence, gold rush strategies

Extermination

  • +100% native aggression
  • Eliminates natives permanently
  • Highest goods production
  • Best for: Never (too expensive and risky)
💡 Tip
Recommendation: Use Coexistence for most colonies, Trading in high-value regions.

Colonial Economics

Initial Costs

  • Colonist Maintenance: 2-5 gold/month per active colonist
  • Colonial Expeditions: Limited to 1-3 per 2 years (depends on ideas)
  • Military Garrisons: 5-10 gold/month for native protection
  • Total Cost: 20-50 gold/month during active colonization

Profitability Timeline

  • Years 1-10 (1530-1540): Net loss -30 to -50 gold/month (exploration and initial colonies)
  • Years 10-30 (1540-1560): Breaking even 0 to +20 gold/month (first colonies mature)
  • Years 30-50 (1560-1580): Profitable +50 to +150 gold/month (established trade/gold)
  • Years 50-100 (1580-1630): Highly profitable +200 to +500 gold/month (mature colonial empire)

ROI: Typically 40-60 years for full return on investment

Maximizing Colonial Income

  • Trade Routes: Ensure all colonial trade flows to your home node
  • Market Capacity: Build marketplaces in colonial capitals
  • Light Ship Protection: Assign light ships to protect trade (30-50 ships)
  • Infrastructure: Build harbors in major colonial ports
  • Colonial Development: Help colonial nations develop (builds their economy = more tribute)

Exploration

Exploration Missions

Assign Explorer: Send explorer-led fleet to "Explore" mission

Reveal Terra Incognita: Gradually reveals unknown map regions

Speed: 2-5 provinces per month (depends on tech and ideas)

Strategic Exploration Priorities

  • Phase 1 (1530-1540): Explore Atlantic route to Americas
  • Phase 2 (1540-1560): Explore Caribbean and American coasts
  • Phase 3 (1560-1590): Explore Pacific and Asian routes
  • Phase 4 (1590-1620): Explore interior Americas and Africa

Exploration Tips

  • Follow Coastlines: Coastal exploration is faster and reveals trade nodes
  • Use Multiple Explorers: If you have multiple explorers, split them (Atlantic + Pacific)
  • Prioritize Trade Nodes: Reveal trade nodes first to understand economic geography
  • Don't Over-Explore: You don't need to reveal everything immediately; focus on colonization targets

Advanced: Competing with Rivals

Blocking Rival Colonization

Strategy: Colonize key "gateway" provinces to block rival expansion

Examples:

  • Colonize Caribbean islands to block Spanish/English expansion
  • Colonize Cape of Good Hope to control African trade route
  • Colonize Philippines to control Asian trade access

Effect: Rivals cannot colonize beyond your "block" without declaring war

Colonial Wars

Colonial Conquest CB: Special CB for conquering colonial subjects

  • -25% aggressive expansion
  • Transfer subject to winner
  • Less stability cost

Strategy: Declare war on rival colonial nations, not the overlord

Benefit: Gain colonies without fighting European wars

Timing: Mid-game (1600-1650) when colonial nations are established

Trade Competition

  • Protecting Trade: Assign light ships to "Protect Trade" mission in colonial nodes
  • Privateering: Use light ships to privateer in rival colonial trade nodes
  • Trade Wars: Declare trade wars to steal trade value (Age of Absolutism+)

Effect: Reduce rival colonial income while increasing yours

Common Mistakes

  • Colonizing Too Early: Starting before 1530 is expensive and inefficient. Wait until economy is stable.
  • Neglecting Native Policies: Wrong native policy can make colonization 2-3x more expensive. Choose wisely.
  • Ignoring Colonial Nation Loyalty: High liberty desire leads to independence. Manage it actively.
  • Over-Extending Colonial Range: Colonizing at maximum range is slow and expensive. Build harbors first.
  • Wrong Colonial Targets: Don't colonize terrible terrain (deserts, tundra) early. Focus on valuable regions.
  • Neglecting Trade Protection: Unprotected colonial trade is stolen by rivals. Assign light ships.
  • Forgetting Tariff Balance: 50% tariffs seem good but cause colonial rebellions. Keep 25-35%.

Quick Reference

  • Start Timing: 1530-1560 (optimal)
  • Initial Investment: 500-1,000 gold (harbors, initial colonies)
  • Monthly Cost: 20-50 gold/month during active colonization
  • Break-Even: 20-30 years
  • Profitability: 50-100 years
  • Best Nations: Portugal, Castile, England, France, Holland
  • Native Policy: Coexistence (most situations)
  • Colonial Tariffs: 25-35% (balance)
  • Trade Protection: 30-50 light ships in colonial nodes
  • Explorer Fleets: 10-15 ships per exploration fleet

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