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Colonization (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Sid Meier's Colonization is a computer game
by Brian Reynolds and Sid Meier
released by MicroProse
in 1994. It is a turn-based strategy game
themed on the early European
colonization of the New World
, starting in 1492 and lasting until 1850. It was originally released for DOS
, and later ported to Windows
(1995), the Amiga
(1995) and Macintosh
(1995).
Colonization is much like a more developed version of Sid Meier's previous game Civilization (1991) in visual design and handling, but the two have marked differences in gameplay. Instead of forging a nation from nothing, the player manages the cross-Atlantic expansion of an established one in the service of the Crown. As the colonies become more self-sufficient their subservience shifts from boon towards bane, and to win the player must ultimately declare independence and defeat the Royal Expeditionary Force in battle.
The game begins in 1492. The player controls the colonial forces of England, France, The Netherlands, or Spain; the other powers are then played by the computer. The choice of nation is important, as each nation has unique abilities that favour certain strategies. There is a choice between a historical map (America) or a randomly generated map; the randomly generated map shifts the focus of the game toward exploration—in this mode the game has considerable replay potential.
The journey begins with two units traveling on a ship to the new world; as the ship moves into the unknown, the map is revealed. Subsequently, the new world is discovered, the Indians are met, a colony is built, colonists begin to change the land to be more productive, the ship is sent back to Europe
to collect more colonists, any superfluous items are sold and the exploration of the world begins. The game revolves around harvesting food and manufacturing and trading goods. Resources gleaned from the land are converted into commodities and either used or sold (usually back in Europe). The prices of commodities fluctuate depending upon supply and demand. The more of a commodity
is sold by the colonial powers, the less the markets will be willing to pay for them. With money, a player is able to buy goods, recruit new colonists, or buy ships or artillery. While maintaining an income, the player is also required to protect his colonies from potential invasion through employing soldiers. Moreover, the player is required to manage his citizens effectively, educating the populace in various skills to increase their productivity in areas such as farming, gathering of resources, or manufacturing. There are three areas of employment in the Colonization world: primary resource gatherers, secondary resource manufacturers, and the more specialized units such as soldiers, statesmen, pioneers, Jesuit missionaries, and preachers. The geography of the land determines the productivity of a colony
. For instance, some squares produce great amounts of food, while others may produce greater amounts of ore or silver. Thus it becomes necessary to link various colonies together via trade roads (roads grant increased mobility of units) or sea trade routes, to transport goods from colonies where there is excess to those where there is demand.
Specialist buildings and special squares, as in Civilization
, have greater output. Specialists, who produce more per turn, can be trained or recruited. Indentured servants and criminals are as good as ordinary colonists in primary production but not so good at manufacturing or statesmanship; but they can be transformed into improved unit types by education or experience. Missions established in Indian
villages eventually encourage converts to join a colony; they are better than ordinary colonists at most outdoor pursuits, but not industrial ones.
Horses can be bought and sold, but they also multiply in any colony that has two or more of them and a food surplus. They help any colonist move further in a turn, add to military strength, and allow Scouts to be created to meet with native settlements or foreign colonies.
Ships of several types (Caravel
, Merchantman
, Galleon
, Privateer
, and Frigate
) can be purchased or built (a larger ship, the Man-O-War, can only be acquired during the War of Independence, and then only by recruiting a European power to join your revolution). They move goods, horses, and colonists around, and some can attack. Wagon trains (which are built in colonies) move goods and horses on land, and can be used to trade with the native tribes.
Relationships must be carefully maintained with Indians and other colonial powers, from waging war and maintaining strategic defenses to offering tributes or "recruiting peacemakers" (Benjamin Franklin
and Pocahontas
). Destroying native settlements yields a quick profit and makes land available, but prevents the substantial long-term gains to be made by friendly bargaining and trading. Destruction of native settlements also counts against the player's final score.
The king of the player's home country meddles in colonial affairs from time to time, mostly by raising the tax rate. Occasionally they might force colonial armies into wars with rival colonies. The player must also pay attention to political developments and the recruitment of Founding Fathers (roughly corresponding to the Civilization Advances of Civilization), to ensure the best possible chance of success.
On the easiest level, the action essentially takes place at the speed in which the player wants it to. With each increase in difficulty level, the restrictions that bound successful endeavors become more pronounced. The game is eventually won by seceding from the motherland, signing the Declaration of Independence
and defeating the armies which are sent to usurp the player's ‘unalienable rights’. Successful navigation through the game requires the player to strategize and to effectively make use of what resources are provided, to explore and cultivate the land and to negotiate between rivals.
While the military aspect of the game is important, it is less so than in the Civilization series, focusing more heavily on aspects of trade and the inter-relationships between peoples and colonies, which make up the New World
community
. In doing all these things the player is required to develop certain fundamental notions which influence both the game world and the real world, such as: infrastructure restrictions and requirements, methods for increasing productivity
, the importance of economic and civic
growth, the centrality of trade
, that some natural resources
are more useful and more valuable than others, the importance of education
, that newspapers and diplomats influence public opinion, that religion
can affect people's allegiances, even that it’s more sensible to use the colonists who aren’t proficient in a trade or profession
as soldiers, the influence of historical figures on colonial New World societies, and the list goes on.
s" through the colonial pride of settlers. These are all named after real historical figures.
One main driving impulse in Colonization is the harvesting of natural resources, such as lumber (for building), ore (for manufacturing), and food (for population growth). Squares on the map have basic values of resource output (depending on the type of terrain and if a river runs through it), but certain 'prime' squares have double or higher output values. Inside the town, any colonist can work the field for the basic resource output. However, specially trained units can typically harvest twice as much, such as the Lumberjack (wood), Expert Ore Miner (ore), or Farmers and Fishermen (food). Farmers and Fishermen however are notable exceptions to this; rather than doubling the output of a tile, they only add two food production to the value of what would otherwise be the output of a Free Colonist's labor. An Expert Farmer is still required to gain the higher bonus values for the 'wheat', 'game' or 'oasis' special tiles however. Likewise an Expert Fisherman is required to gain the higher bonus for the 'fishery' special tile.
Another important ingredient is the production and collection of raw goods that can be converted into commodities for sale in Europe, to the Native American tribes and, provided a certain Founding Father is in the Continental Congress, the other European powers playing in the game. These commodities start out as cotton, sugar, tobacco and furs, and eventually get transformed into cloth, rum, cigars and coats (respectively). In addition, a player can mine for silver which is ready to be sold 'as-is'.
Accordingly, there exists a certain connection between the resources available and the units that can harvest them most efficiently, along with the buildings that workers use to transform them into commodities. For example, Cotton is generally available in prairies, but there are also 'Prime Cotton' squares with far greater output. Inside a town, a colonist can harvest a basic amount of Cotton from the fields (starting at 3 per turn), but a Master Cotton Planter can generally harvest twice as much (6). Once the raw materials have been collected - or perhaps at the same time - another colonist can make Cloth from Cotton (3 per turn). Again, a Master Weaver can produce twice as much Cloth (6) from existing stores compared to anyone else. To further improve this efficiency, a Weaver's Shop doubles the production rate of either the regular colonist (from 3 to 6) or the Master Weaver (from 6 to 12). Additional factors can affect the final output, such as the existence of a factory (+50%) or the town favoring independence at 50% or higher (which adds a bonus to colonists working in the town). Finally, each building supports a maximum of up to 3 workers at one time.
settlement can convert one regular colonist into a specialist (such as an Expert Farmer or Cotton Planter); the specialist type varies in each settlement, with the capital settlement able to convert multiple times. When a scout unit tries to enter a settlement, results may range from monetary gifts, to the revealing of nearby lands and the occasional being tied up for target practice (usually only if the natives are wary of the player's actions or growth on their lands).
More advanced tribes live in larger cities. Conquering them is harder, but yields more treasure.
On the standard map they typically have fewer settlements than the other tribes, but there is no difference on random maps.
There are also several custom scenarios available online, that put the player in different circumstances to the regular in game campaigns.
There exists at least one subtle difference between platforms. On the Amiga version, putting a Missionary into a capital causes no ill effect. On the Windows version, doing the same results in a high degree of native anger.
engine. The game features original gameplay, 3D graphics, an updated AI, and multiplayer support. It was released for the PC
on September 22, 2008.
In Civilization III: Conquests, one of the "conquests" was similar.
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
by Brian Reynolds and Sid Meier
Sid Meier
Sidney K. "Sid" Meier is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry...
released by MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
in 1994. It is a turn-based strategy game
Strategy video game
Strategy video games is a video game genre that emphasizes skillful thinking and planning to achieve victory. They emphasize strategic, tactical, and sometimes logistical challenges. Many games also offer economic challenges and exploration...
themed on the early European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
colonization of the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, starting in 1492 and lasting until 1850. It was originally released for DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
, and later ported to Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
(1995), the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
(1995) and Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
(1995).
Colonization is much like a more developed version of Sid Meier's previous game Civilization (1991) in visual design and handling, but the two have marked differences in gameplay. Instead of forging a nation from nothing, the player manages the cross-Atlantic expansion of an established one in the service of the Crown. As the colonies become more self-sufficient their subservience shifts from boon towards bane, and to win the player must ultimately declare independence and defeat the Royal Expeditionary Force in battle.
Gameplay
The journey begins with two units traveling on a ship to the new world; as the ship moves into the unknown, the map is revealed. Subsequently, the new world is discovered, the Indians are met, a colony is built, colonists begin to change the land to be more productive, the ship is sent back to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to collect more colonists, any superfluous items are sold and the exploration of the world begins. The game revolves around harvesting food and manufacturing and trading goods. Resources gleaned from the land are converted into commodities and either used or sold (usually back in Europe). The prices of commodities fluctuate depending upon supply and demand. The more of a commodity
Commodity
In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....
is sold by the colonial powers, the less the markets will be willing to pay for them. With money, a player is able to buy goods, recruit new colonists, or buy ships or artillery. While maintaining an income, the player is also required to protect his colonies from potential invasion through employing soldiers. Moreover, the player is required to manage his citizens effectively, educating the populace in various skills to increase their productivity in areas such as farming, gathering of resources, or manufacturing. There are three areas of employment in the Colonization world: primary resource gatherers, secondary resource manufacturers, and the more specialized units such as soldiers, statesmen, pioneers, Jesuit missionaries, and preachers. The geography of the land determines the productivity of a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
. For instance, some squares produce great amounts of food, while others may produce greater amounts of ore or silver. Thus it becomes necessary to link various colonies together via trade roads (roads grant increased mobility of units) or sea trade routes, to transport goods from colonies where there is excess to those where there is demand.
Specialist buildings and special squares, as in Civilization
Civilization (computer game)
Sid Meier's Civilization is a turn-based strategy "4X"-type strategy video game created by Sid Meier and Bruce Shelley for MicroProse in 1991. The game's objective is to "Build an empire to stand the test of time": it begins in 4000 BC and the players attempt to expand and develop their empires...
, have greater output. Specialists, who produce more per turn, can be trained or recruited. Indentured servants and criminals are as good as ordinary colonists in primary production but not so good at manufacturing or statesmanship; but they can be transformed into improved unit types by education or experience. Missions established in Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
villages eventually encourage converts to join a colony; they are better than ordinary colonists at most outdoor pursuits, but not industrial ones.
Horses can be bought and sold, but they also multiply in any colony that has two or more of them and a food surplus. They help any colonist move further in a turn, add to military strength, and allow Scouts to be created to meet with native settlements or foreign colonies.
Ships of several types (Caravel
Caravel
A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward...
, Merchantman
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
, Galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
, Privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
, and Frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
) can be purchased or built (a larger ship, the Man-O-War, can only be acquired during the War of Independence, and then only by recruiting a European power to join your revolution). They move goods, horses, and colonists around, and some can attack. Wagon trains (which are built in colonies) move goods and horses on land, and can be used to trade with the native tribes.
Relationships must be carefully maintained with Indians and other colonial powers, from waging war and maintaining strategic defenses to offering tributes or "recruiting peacemakers" (Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
and Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
). Destroying native settlements yields a quick profit and makes land available, but prevents the substantial long-term gains to be made by friendly bargaining and trading. Destruction of native settlements also counts against the player's final score.
The king of the player's home country meddles in colonial affairs from time to time, mostly by raising the tax rate. Occasionally they might force colonial armies into wars with rival colonies. The player must also pay attention to political developments and the recruitment of Founding Fathers (roughly corresponding to the Civilization Advances of Civilization), to ensure the best possible chance of success.
On the easiest level, the action essentially takes place at the speed in which the player wants it to. With each increase in difficulty level, the restrictions that bound successful endeavors become more pronounced. The game is eventually won by seceding from the motherland, signing the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
and defeating the armies which are sent to usurp the player's ‘unalienable rights’. Successful navigation through the game requires the player to strategize and to effectively make use of what resources are provided, to explore and cultivate the land and to negotiate between rivals.
While the military aspect of the game is important, it is less so than in the Civilization series, focusing more heavily on aspects of trade and the inter-relationships between peoples and colonies, which make up the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
. In doing all these things the player is required to develop certain fundamental notions which influence both the game world and the real world, such as: infrastructure restrictions and requirements, methods for increasing productivity
Productivity
Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production. Productivity is a ratio of what is produced to what is required to produce it. Usually this ratio is in the form of an average, expressing the total output divided by the total input...
, the importance of economic and civic
Civics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
growth, the centrality of trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
, that some natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
are more useful and more valuable than others, the importance of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, that newspapers and diplomats influence public opinion, that religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
can affect people's allegiances, even that it’s more sensible to use the colonists who aren’t proficient in a trade or profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
as soldiers, the influence of historical figures on colonial New World societies, and the list goes on.
European Powers
There are four European powers available. The player may pick to play as a colonial leader of any one of these powers, and the remaining three powers will be the computer-controlled competitors. Each power has certain bonuses that make them unique and different from each other.| Nation | Color | Default names | Starting units | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Red | Walter Raleigh Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England.... , New England New England New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut... |
Soldier, pioneer, caravel Caravel A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward... |
An increased efficiency of Cross production, which is what prompts new free colonists to appear on the European docks. This will make it easier to expand the colony and build up the cities. The bonus alludes to "religious unrest" in England in the 17th century, such as that which led people such as the Puritans and Quakers to come to America. |
| French | Blue | Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big... , New France New France New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763... |
Soldier, expert pioneer, caravel Caravel A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward... |
A reduction in the rate at which they generate tension with the Natives. This leads to easier negotiations, trade, and coexistence with the natives, which can be cultivated as a military alliance as well. This bonus is in reference to the coureurs des bois Coureur des bois A coureur des bois or coureur de bois was an independent entrepreneurial French-Canadian woodsman who traveled in New France and the interior of North America. They travelled in the woods to trade various things for fur.... |
| Spanish | Yellow | Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the... , New Spain New Spain New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire... |
Veteran soldier, pioneer, caravel Caravel A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward... |
A 50% military bonus against native villages. Using this leads to a lot of treasure and possibly some converts, and eliminates a potential threat (but also potential ally). The bonus alludes to the aftermath of the Reconquista Reconquista The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus... , which left the Spanish with a huge eager military with nothing to do; they were then sent to colonize the Americas, ultimately wiping out some of the land's most legendary tribes. |
| Dutch | Orange | Michiel de Ruyter Michiel de Ruyter Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter is the most famous and one of the most skilled admirals in Dutch history. De Ruyter is most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century. He fought the English and French and scored several major victories against them, the best known probably... , New Netherlands |
Soldier, pioneer, merchantman Cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade... |
A more favorable fluidity of prices on trade with Europe; the prices are more stable when trading in quantity, and return to their usual levels more quickly. This ultimately results in better profits and more money. |
Founding Fathers
Analogous to technologies in Civilization, social and industrial advances are achieved by the addition of "Founding Fathers" to the "Continental Congress", which are gained by generating a sufficient number of "Liberty BellLiberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
s" through the colonial pride of settlers. These are all named after real historical figures.
Exploration
- Francisco Vázquez de Coronado - Makes all existing colonies (of all European powers) in the New World visible.
- Henry HudsonHenry HudsonHenry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
- Doubles production of fur trappers. - Sieur de La Salle - Any colony with 3 or more people automatically gains a stockade. (This is sometimes undesirable, as it makes colony removal impossible, as noted above)
- Ferdinand MagellanFerdinand MagellanFerdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
- All ships gain one extra move point, plus travel from the Pacific to Europe is sped up. - Hernando de SotoHernando de Soto (explorer)Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
- All land units gain 2 sight points, plus "Lost City Rumor" (goody box) squares are positive (the unit taking the square cannot be lost, the Rumour cannot be worthless, etc.). Note however that it is still possible to "disturb native burial grounds" and so cause a tribe to become hostile.
Military
- Hernán CortésHernán CortésHernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
- Conquering native villages always results in treasure and all treasure trains are transported to Europe for free, although the prevailing tax rate must still be paid. (Treasure must be taken to Europe with a galleon to be cashed in, and using the king's galleon costs fifty to seventy, depending on the difficulty level, percent of the treasure) - Francis DrakeFrancis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
- Increases combat strength of privateer ships by 50%. - John Paul JonesJohn Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
- Receive a free Frigate unit. - Paul ReverePaul ReverePaul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
- Non-soldiers will defend a colony under attack, if there are no soldiers and there are muskets in the colony stores. - George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
- Non-veteran soldiers are promoted to veterans upon winning their first battle. Also, soldiers who are petty criminals are promoted to indentured servants, and indentured servants are promoted to free colonists.
Political
- Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
- Colonial powers will no longer go to war with the player simply because of the political situation in Europe. Negotiations with other colonial powers are more favorable, and peace is always an option. (Normally, when the European nations go to war, their colonies go to war as well. Franklin is not always desirable, since the king sometimes gives veteran soldiers at the start of a war.) - Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
- Increases liberty bell production by 50%. - Thomas PaineThomas PaineThomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
- Liberty bell production is increased by a percentage equal to the current sales tax rate of the player's European parent power. - PocahontasPocahontasPocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
- Resets all native tension to zero and halves the rate at which tension grows. - Simón BolívarSimón BolívarSimón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
- The percentage of independence-minded colonists in all of player's colonies increases by 20.
Religious
- Jean de BrebeufJean de BrébeufJean de Brébeuf was a Jesuit missionary, martyred in Canada on March 16, 1649.-Early years:Brébeuf was born in Condé-sur-Vire, Normandy, France. He was the uncle of the fur trader Georges de Brébeuf. He studied near home at Caen. He became a Jesuit in 1617, joining the Order...
- All missionaries from now on become Expert Missionaries. - William BrewsterWilliam Brewster (Pilgrim)Elder William Brewster was a Mayflower passenger and a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher.-Origins:Brewster was probably born at Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, circa 1566/1567, although no birth records have been found, and died at Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 10, 1644 around 9- or 10pm...
- Player can select from a short list of colonist types whenever new colonists appear on the docks in Europe, which will not include criminals or indentured servants. - Bartolomé de Las CasasBartolomé de Las CasasBartolomé de las Casas O.P. was a 16th-century Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar. He became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians"...
- All natives (currently) working in colonies become regular colonists (This can lead to a decrease in effectiveness for agricultural tasks, but an increase in manufacturing or skilled labor.) - William PennWilliam PennWilliam Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
- Increases cross production by 50%. - Juan Ginés de SepúlvedaJuan Ginés de SepúlvedaJuan Ginés de Sepúlveda was a Spanish humanist, philosopher and theologian. In 1533 and 1534 he wrote to Desiderius Erasmus from Rome concerning differences between Erasmus's Greek New Testament , and the Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209...
- Attacks on native villages are more likely to result in a "convert" joining the player's colonies.
Trade
- Jakob Fugger - All European boycotts on various goods (the result of Boston Tea PartyBoston Tea PartyThe Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies...
-like dumping of various products) are forgiven. - Peter MinuitPeter MinuitPeter Minuit, Pieter Minuit, Pierre Minuit or Peter Minnewit was a Walloon from Wesel, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, then part of the Duchy of Cleves. He was the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633, and he founded the Swedish colony of...
- Native land is free to use. (Normally, natives demand one-time payment for use of their land.) - Adam SmithAdam SmithAdam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
- Factory buildings can be built, which generate 50% more processed goods per unit of raw material (compared to non-factories), but actually use less raw material to do it. - Peter StuyvesantPeter StuyvesantPeter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
- Custom House can be built, which automatically sends any amount of selected materials over 50 units straight to Europe, without need for manual shipping. - Jan de Witt - Allows trading with foreign colonies, and adds information to the colonial intelligence screen.
From Resources to Commodities
Another important ingredient is the production and collection of raw goods that can be converted into commodities for sale in Europe, to the Native American tribes and, provided a certain Founding Father is in the Continental Congress, the other European powers playing in the game. These commodities start out as cotton, sugar, tobacco and furs, and eventually get transformed into cloth, rum, cigars and coats (respectively). In addition, a player can mine for silver which is ready to be sold 'as-is'.
Accordingly, there exists a certain connection between the resources available and the units that can harvest them most efficiently, along with the buildings that workers use to transform them into commodities. For example, Cotton is generally available in prairies, but there are also 'Prime Cotton' squares with far greater output. Inside a town, a colonist can harvest a basic amount of Cotton from the fields (starting at 3 per turn), but a Master Cotton Planter can generally harvest twice as much (6). Once the raw materials have been collected - or perhaps at the same time - another colonist can make Cloth from Cotton (3 per turn). Again, a Master Weaver can produce twice as much Cloth (6) from existing stores compared to anyone else. To further improve this efficiency, a Weaver's Shop doubles the production rate of either the regular colonist (from 3 to 6) or the Master Weaver (from 6 to 12). Additional factors can affect the final output, such as the existence of a factory (+50%) or the town favoring independence at 50% or higher (which adds a bonus to colonists working in the town). Finally, each building supports a maximum of up to 3 workers at one time.
| Good | (Special) Resource | (Special) Harvester | (Special) Worker | Building / Factory | Best Suited Terrain |
| Cigars | (Prime) Tobacco | (Master) Tobacco Planter | (Master) Tobacconist | Tobacco Shop / Cigar Factory | Grassland |
| Cloth | (Prime) Cotton | (Master) Cotton Planter | (Master) Weaver | Weaver's Shop / Textile Mill | Prairie |
| Coats | (Prime) Furs | (Master) Fur Trapper | (Master) Fur Trader | Fur Trading Post / Coat Factory | Tundra/Boreal Forest/Mixed Forest |
| Rum | (Prime) Sugar | (Master) Sugar Planter | (Master) Distiller | Rum Distillery / Rum Factory | Savannah |
Native tribes
Aside from European colonial powers, the NPC powers include eight Native American tribes, in four main categories. Each Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
settlement can convert one regular colonist into a specialist (such as an Expert Farmer or Cotton Planter); the specialist type varies in each settlement, with the capital settlement able to convert multiple times. When a scout unit tries to enter a settlement, results may range from monetary gifts, to the revealing of nearby lands and the occasional being tied up for target practice (usually only if the natives are wary of the player's actions or growth on their lands).
More advanced tribes live in larger cities. Conquering them is harder, but yields more treasure.
On the standard map they typically have fewer settlements than the other tribes, but there is no difference on random maps.
Semi-Nomadic
Semi-Nomadic (technically, hunter-gatherer) tribes live in teepees.- ApacheApacheApache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
- SiouxSiouxThe Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
- Tupi
Agrarian
Agrarian tribes live in longhouses.- Arawak
- CherokeeCherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
- IroquoisIroquoisThe Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Game Modification
Colonization allows for some basic game modification, mostly in the form of altering text files that control certain aspects of the game. The primary file is "names.txt", which contains information such as square-types and their output of natural resources, but also on the goods and their prices in Europe. One can alter the starting prices, the min/max values, the drop and recovery levels, etc. By setting the min/max values to be the same, one can effectively "fix" the price of a particular item.There are also several custom scenarios available online, that put the player in different circumstances to the regular in game campaigns.
Platforms
EWLINE
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There exists at least one subtle difference between platforms. On the Amiga version, putting a Missionary into a capital causes no ill effect. On the Windows version, doing the same results in a high degree of native anger.
Remake
Civilization IV: Colonization is a Firaxis remake of Colonization, using an upgraded Civilization IVCivilization IV
Sid Meier's Civilization IV is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game released in 2005 and developed by lead designer Soren Johnson under the direction of Sid Meier and Meier's studio Firaxis Games. It is the fourth installment of the Civilization series...
engine. The game features original gameplay, 3D graphics, an updated AI, and multiplayer support. It was released for the PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
on September 22, 2008.
In Civilization III: Conquests, one of the "conquests" was similar.