Unable to recruit in Carribean

**TonyUK** · June 10, 2009, 01:18 PM

Playing as Dutch, cannot recruit in my 2 regions in the caribbean -stuck with 3 units and now around year 1736. It never changes so I cannot win the game like this. do not really understand the manpower thing except that you can recruit more units at certain intervals, OK in Europe for me and Ceylon. Is this a bug in the Carribean? Otherwise despite expensive ugrading costs my finances are doing pretty well. I will need to attack France at some point, and they have 5 or 6 units in French Guyana agsinst my 2 nextdoor.

**Danigol of South America** · June 10, 2009, 01:19 PM

check your manpower?

**TonyUK** · June 10, 2009, 02:30 PM

Manpower is 30/30 whatever that means - it never changes in this region

**Sgt Gul** · June 10, 2009, 02:32 PM

thats a sign that its full right guys?

**l33tl4m3r** · June 10, 2009, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Sgt Gul

thats a sign that its full right guys?

It should be, but 30/30 is far too low even for the colonies -- I will look into it when I get home tonight or Alpaca may see this before then.

**TonyUK** · June 10, 2009, 03:24 PM

Sorry I got that wrong. It says 139/139 (+30) in the colonies. Supply 255/853. I can never recruit as I can elsewhere. Can build ships only in that region. If this is normal then what do I have to do to get it moving. I have built all the upgrades for that area except the very expensive ones.

**l33tl4m3r** · June 10, 2009, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by TonyUK

Sorry I got that wrong. It says 139/139 (+30) in the colonies. Supply 255/853. I can never recruit as I can elsewhere. Can build ships only in that region. If this is normal then what do I have to do to get it moving. I have built all the upgrades for that area except the very expensive ones.

What unit size are you playing on?

Also, part of controlling the colonies was about shipping in troops from Europe.

If you do not have enough manpower and can't take a region (which would give you more manpower) then it may be time to consider bringing in a non-colonial army!

**TonyUK** · June 10, 2009, 04:32 PM

OK, I think I am playing with large unit size. Getting troops from Europe is very hard when France keeps declaring war, but I have to try that eventually.

**Tancredii** · June 10, 2009, 04:35 PM

The balance is a tricky one. Whilst conquests tended to be carried out using regular troops the vacuum left behind was "manned" by provincial or colonial troops. The seven years war (French and Indian war to any sceptics reading) saw large drafts of provincial troops to man forts, bateus/boats/wagons and keep supply lines open.

With the manpower levels this is impossible atm. So we need to bring garrisons in too which is a little ahistoric. a way around this might have been improving the flintlock citizen troops to be more like the provincial levies/regular establishments. But i don't know if that is moddable.

For the carribean islands garrisons would have to come from the mainland - home.

**Kip** · June 10, 2009, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Tancredii

The balance is a tricky one. Whilst conquests tended to be carried out using regular troops the vacuum left behind was "manned" by provincial or colonial troops. The seven years war (French and Indian war to any sceptics reading) saw large drafts of provincial troops to man forts, bateus/boats/wagons and keep supply lines open.

With the manpower levels this is impossible atm. So we need to bring garrisons in too which is a little ahistoric. a way around this might have been improving the flintlock citizen troops to be more like the provincial levies/regular establishments. But i don't know if that is moddable.

For the carribean islands garrisons would have to come from the mainland - home.

Well keep in mind that the Seven Year's War took place around 50 years after the game begins... 50 years is quite a bit of time for population growth, especially considering even the oldest colonies in North America were probably in the ballpark of 300 years (New Spain etc). But that really isn't a great example, since New Spain wasn't about establishing a population of Spanish settlers as much as it was simply exploiting the natural resources of the area. Consider rather the Thirteen Colonies. Fifty years would allow a lot of population growth, which is simulated in game... that would be 150 turns worth of population growth/accompanying manpower growth.

**Tancredii** · June 11, 2009, 04:34 AM

I know it was 54 years anyway you absolutely correct i've fallen into the trap of replying in reference to my current campaign! However my experience is the growth for GB colonies is not high enough to replicate the very large movement of immigrants to the new world.

However using citizens might allow APETI to replicate the ability for colonies to defend themselves (eventually at the 11th hour) or garrison as a back filler for regulars. Even better would be two turn "drafts" - that then demobilise after a two turns to replicate the colonials serving by contract .............. okay iam probably not going to get that wish and that system reflects gb relationship with its american colonies not the french or spanish.

**TonyUK** · June 11, 2009, 07:11 AM

Have virtually knocked out France at home and take French Guyana. It is 1750 and I have a massive 500,000 money. Found I can recruit a few generals in Dutch Guyanna which helped a lot. Once I have got rid of the French at Home I will build a stronger fleet and send the troops to the carribean. In this mod investments in technology though expensive really pay off in the long run, and I notice too that allied nations really do help - in vanilla they do nothing.

**alpaca** · June 11, 2009, 08:13 AM

The problem is probably that you less manpower than the required threshold. This will be changed a bit in 1.1 but anyways, you shouldn't be able to recruit more than a very few units there (historically, in regions like Curacao, you wouldn't get more than the occasional single soldier joining your ranks).

I also implemented a start boost for manpower for the three colonial powers if protectorates are handed over at game start and I'll look into making it possible to somehow move supplies from Europe to the colonies.

Also keep in mind you still have your free militia units and town watch which kind of represent the colonial troops here.

Edit: Besides, you shouldn't be able to conquer anything in the Americas without shipping in troops from Europe. This is a bit of a problem for the AI though so I'll wait for ETW 1.3 and see if I have to give it any additional bonuses.