When Should One Take Exploration as England?

[Silver Felyne]

I just (almost) finished my England>GB run for Anglophile.
It wasn't perfect, and it was pretty much my reintroduction to EU4 (after a failed WC as Poland).
Anyway, I swear by Diplo-Category>Admin-Cat>Whatever when it comes to first idea groups and I've been wondering if taking Exploration first instead of my usual Influence was a mistake.

It's obvious I took Influence too late, when I already lost over 1000 Diplo to unjustified demands.
Now, it wasn't all bad, I was able to be the only colonizer in the world after annexing both France and Spain before 1500 (and vassalizing Portugal).
So the question isn't "Should" I take Exploration, it's "When"
So should it be my first, second, or third?

[bri]

Well, if you're playing historic new world you aren't reaching anything until tech 7 + 3 exploration ideas without ripping provinces from the Iberians. That said, taking 2 dip groups back to back (assuming ez-mode rules) is likely to leave you gasping for the points to fill them. I generally go Explo-quality with England (or the reverse if the mil stat is better) but I also don't do things like try and force the PU or take a lot of land without claims and such so influence isn't a priority.

If you're going with a more conquest oriented approach such as you describe then there's no huge rush on colonization though. When I did Anglophile the only European stuff I took south of France was Gibraltar and the Islands so I had little worry about unjustified demand costs as I wasn't taking stuff without claims...

[DrunkenBarbarian]

I second Bri's comment, it's good advice though I tend to grab a MIL tech first then Expo.

[mystafyi]

I prefer exploration 2nd playing england now. england missions give you so much claims and a early pu with france, I dont have the resources to justify that extra little bump when I will be taking out france/spain/portugal later and will get their CN's giving me doubles in some area's.

[Silver Felyne]

引用自 bri：

Well, if you're playing historic new world you aren't reaching anything until tech 7 + 3 exploration ideas without ripping provinces from the Iberians. That said, taking 2 dip groups back to back (assuming ez-mode rules) is likely to leave you gasping for the points to fill them.

I'd be more worried about the Corruption penalty from being so far behind on Diplo. And if I want to tank my Idea-Group balance, that's my prerogative.