Staying in colonial era as long as possible?

[velasquezt43]

I've noticed that there is a steam award for staying in the Colonial Era for more than 100 months and I tried to delay as long as possible declaring independance during the Pirate King scenario to see if I didn't end up in the hole financially.

Question here is, does anyone think there are good reasons to stay as long as possible in the Colonial Era? You can't be kicked out by losing elections and have time to build up basic infrastructure. Only thing is, you'll take a huge hit regarding health care when you go independent seeing as you can't build any health care buildings in the first era.

Pros and Cons anyone?

[ArchK]

Well I got the achievement for my first sandbox game, rather inadvertantly, I just like the colonial aethetic and was patiently biding my time.

It did allow me to go into the next era with a siginficant financial advantage, but I don't necessarily think it pays to do it everytime.

[Rogue]

Either for achievement or just stay till you can maintain about 65 % approval. Since the next era is the beginning of elections and thus giving you a headstart in achieving an election win.

[Silvius]

As far as I know, the missions to extend your mandate run out at some point. I can recall a quest where Lord Oaxford actually tells you that from that point on the oppertunities to extend your mandate has ran out "so choose your reward wisely".

Aside from the financial benefits of progressing to the next era, it is alos pretty hard to defend yourself (against f.e. pirate attacks) in the colonial era due to the sluggish, expensive fords you have to build.

[zeitbauer]

each era has its own problems. the arbitrary change of eras is middle-school short attention span. building a working colony is a goal, not a prison sentence.

is there any way to stay in an era, like the civ 5 mod?

[DolganCJB]

There are mods available for this game. One of them gives you a new edict to give you a 10 year extension on you colonial mandate. The edict is called "10 year plan" I think.

[zeitbauer]

thanks. i think that's not long enough -- "one hundred years of solitude", as the author says. i think this game is wrecked by the phony political junk -- the 'personality' stuff that middle-school kids like to play in. "being the dictator" junk. your real tropical dictator tortured and killed and put people in prison camps as slave workers. castro and che and duvalier. they weren't 'cute'. That would be the poltical game, and the one i'd expected back when the first 'tropico' came out. given that that obviously didn't sell cute games to kids, i'd accepted that there was going to be some role-playing, but hopped that maybe a realistic economy might be modelled, one which would be fun to play. tropico 4 had a lot of good mods, but 5 offered easier management. less micromanagement and more granularity. not enough though to keep the game interesting.

[blookiee]

Originally posted by Rogue:

Either for achievement or just stay till you can maintain about 65 % approval. Since the next era is the beginning of elections and thus giving you a headstart in achieving an election win.

elections? now that's a good one mate

[webkilla]

Its never a bad idea to build up a solid agricultural infrastructure in the colonial era - and to have good coverage from teamster buildings and construction offices. Make sure you have at least 2 sugar, 2 tobacco and 2 cotton plantations so you can fully supply a cigar, cloth and distillery factory once you go world war

that said, I'd love to get a link to that "ten year plan" mod - I can't seem to find it anywhere.