Not Quite Civ: Gaining Independence in FreeCol

[Huinesoron]

Spring 1695



It was a beautiful spring day when Pocahontas took the stage before the City Hall of New Bath. Behind her, the rest of the Continental Congress filed in, with only a few notable by their absences: Magellan, Minuit, Cortes, Brebeuf, Sepulveda. Magellan was far away, his ship exploring the newly-discovered western island of the Sioux; the others had reasons of their own.

The native princess, her long hair falling silver to her waist, held up her hands for attention. The crowd, a mix of colonists and soldiers, of Natives and Europeans, fell slowly into silence. Only when the last voice had stilled did she raise her head and speak.

"My friends," she said, "for many years we have suffered the indignities Her Majesty saw fit to inflict upon us. We have seen our taxes rise and fall according to her whim, enforced by boycotts which even Congressman Fugger's best efforts could not wholly end. We have seen her wars with the Netherlands spread to our own shores, until we had no choice but to take their colonies by force. We have seen her stand idly by as the French expanded across this land, absorbing the Spanish with nary a quibble. And we have seen her offer military aid - at ruinous prices - with one hand, while raising up an army to crush us with the other.

"This cannot stand."

Pocahontas half-turned, and voices buzzed the crowd as noted revolutionary Thomas Jefferson stepped forward. He handed a roll of parchment to the princess, then retreated as she unfurled it. The crowd waited with bated breath for her words.

"'This Day, the Continental Congress has passed the most important Resolution, that ever was taken in America.

"'I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Day's Transaction, even though We should rue it, which I trust in God We will not.'"

Pocahontas lowered the scroll, and her eyes seemed to gaze straight into the soul of each person gathered before her.

"This very morning, the Continental Congress has voted to declare the Confederation of West Wessex independent from the Kingdom of England. It is our solemn hope that Elizabeth will see her way fit to allowing us to part in peace, and Congressman Franklin," the man in question nodded from behind her, "will depart ere nightfall to negotiate it; yet we fear that she will see only a rebellion which must be crushed. Having been elected President by the Continental Congress, I-"

A ripple ran through the crowd, spreading out in waves from the stage. Voices murmured, rose into debates, then broke into shouts and exclamations. A chant went up, starting among the Native colonists but quickly spreading across the entire assembly: "Mother-of-us-All. Mother-of-us-All!"

President Pocahontas could do nothing but wait, as the people's acclamation swirled around her; and if some stayed silent, glowering, what of it? Natives and Europeans had mingled together for many years in West Wessex, and the prejudices of a few Europeans weren't going to change that.

Finally, the crowd returned to order, and Pocahontas stood forth once more. "As your President," she said, "I have pledged to defend your lands, your cities, your nation. Admiral Drake!" A cheer went up as the famed pirate stepped forward. "Colonel Revere!" A second cheer, louder this time. "General Washington!" The loudest of all, a wall of sound that battered the stage. "Are you prepared to take up arms against the Royal Expeditionary Force, to halt Elizabeth's army in its tracks, and to secure the liberty of this, our new nation?"

George Washington spoke for all three. "Madame President - Your Highness - Mother-of-us-All -" Each title punctuated with a bow and a small smile. "- for the Confederation of West Wessex, my soldiers and I would fight the very Devil himself, and raise our banners about the ramparts of Hell."

The crowd erupted, every man and woman leaping to their feet to cheer the Conqueror of New Holland and his men. Washington took his place at Pocahontas' side, waving to the people as the rest of the Congress came forward. From a dozen places in the crowd a song rose, haphazard at first but weaving together, until ten thousand voices joined as one into the anthem of the fledgling nation:

O home belov’d, where’er I wander,
On foreign land or distant sea,
As time rolls by, my heart grows fonder
And yearns more lovingly for thee…!

~

Welcome to FreeCol, the open-source remake of Sid Meier's Colonisation. It's about 90% a straight remake of the 1994 game with better graphics; the changes are mostly to fix bugs and unintuitive mechanics in the original, or to add things such as more European nations (up to eight, from the four in the original).

As someone who owned Colonisation on floppy disk, FreeCol is an absolute delight to me every time I remember it exists. It feels like a heavily-modded Civ 3 or 4 - which is probably why they chose Civ 4 for the commercial remake/reimagining - but in many ways it is entirely its own thing.

As you can see above, colonies in FreeCol look very different to their counterparts in Civ. The most notable difference is that colonies don't have an inherent population - every one of those colonists can step out of New Bath and head over to the next town whenever I want. They're also highly specialised: while the standard Free Colonist exists, almost all of my people have been trained to one profession or another. New Bath has everything from farmers and fishermen (in the hinterlands, on the left) to weavers, preachers, and a couple of Colonial Regulars placed in the various buildings of the town. (The Regulars are teaching at the university, training the next generation to fight. They don't actually have any students right now - I'll fix that for next turn.)

There are four ways to increase your population in FreeCol. The simplest, now out of our reach, is to ship colonists in from the homeland - but, y'know, we've just declared independence, Queen Elizabeth I isn't going to be letting our ships dock. Secondly, any colony that hits 200 food will use it to generate a new Free Colonist, who can then be trained up (all of mine go straight to one of the university towns to become soldiers). Thirdly, native villages can send you Native Converts, who are excellent farmers but not too good in buildings. And fourth, you can capture unarmed European citizens, who become your own with no downsides.

Put simply, the goal of FreeCol (and Colonisation before it) is to settle the New World, build up your colonies, declare Independence, and fight off the mother country's army to secure it. This report opens on the very eve of the declaration, and will follow the Confederation of West Wessex through to either its victory (driving off the Royal Expeditionary Force) or defeat (losing all its coastal colonies/90% of its population to the REF).

Along the way, I'll explain a few of the game mechanics (see above), but mostly this is a narrative story. My cast of characters is made up of the 25 Founding Fathers from the game, AKA the Continental Congress. You elect these every so often, and they provide bonuses and benefits to your colonies. Of course, they're also a wildly-anachronistic collection… what I'm saying is, my cast will share names, nationalities, and some traits with their real counterparts, but in terms of specifics of their history and personality, I'm working on mostly from their FreeCol bonuses and my own imagination.

Here's the two who've had speaking parts so far:


Pocahontas
Real World: Daughter of a native chief local to the Jamestown colony, who (anecdotally) saved John Smith from execution, and (actually) married John Rolfe and had a son named Thomas. She died in England at the age of 21; her descendants include astronomer Percival Lowell. 1596-1617.
FreeCol: Removes all tension with the natives that has been accumulated to that point, and makes it accumulate half as fast. Joined my Continental Congress in 1649.
West Wessex: President of the Confederation, Princess Powhatan, Mother-of-us-All. She combines the best of her own story and the Plymouth Colony thanksgiving tradition, and has been instrumental in unifying the natives and Europeans in West Wessex. Her election, however, was not unanimous... 


George Washington
Real World: The General who led America to independence, and its first President. Come on, it's Washington, you know this one. 1732-1799.
FreeCol: On winning a battle, a soldier or dragoon is upgraded to the next level (Soldier>Veteran Soldier>Colonial Regular). Joined the Congress in 1664.
West Wessex: General of the armies of West Wessex. He will be organising and leading the offensive against the Royal Expeditionary Force.

(The song, by the way, is 'Oh Home Beloved', which I've cribbed from the Latter-day Saint hymnbook. It's by a Welshman who moved to America, and is nice in that it's mostly about the landscape, rather than violent patriotism and/or religion. It's a bit anachronistic, dating from around 1900, but, y'know, President Pocahontas. )

Next update will be the map of West Wessex; then we'll get stuck into the War of Independence itself.

PS: I'm assuming that as a remake of a Civ-relative, this thread is okay to be in the Civ forum. If it would be more appropriate on the Gaming Table, I'm happy for it to be move/to move it (not sure how that works).

[Huinesoron]

The Confederation of West Wessex
By Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, Chief of Intelligence



This New World of ours can, broadly speaking, be divided into three parts. The larger southern continent is divided in two: to the east, New France sprawls across the former Spanish territory, while in the west, the native empires of Aztec and Inca still hold sway. North of the warm Ceredigion Sea, however, the Confederation of West Wessex stands alone as the preeminent North American power.

How has this come to be? Certainly, our ferocious drive to explore has played a part. Rumours of lost cities and fountains of youth drew our people ever onwards, inspiring the youth of England to strike out into this brave new world. Too, our decision to focus several colonies purely on - to be crude - breeding was in hindsight enlightened, and one cannot fail to mention General Washington's brilliant campaign against the New Netherlands, and their incorporation into our borders.

Yet for all that, the most crucial factor in the creation of our nation was our friendship with the natives. Our early missionary work led to vast numbers of converts arriving from the Iroquois and Arawak villages, seeking work in our colonies. When Bartolome de las Casas gave his inspired speech before the Continental Congress, pleading for the extension of citizenship to these native inhabitants of our land, he spoke at length of how much they have done for us, and how much they could yet do.

History has proved his words. The native citizens have flooded our universities, becoming farmers, fishers, soldiers, all manner of professionals to carry the burden of a nation. Now - despite the desires of certain backward-thinking Europeans - they stand as our equals, and under President Pocahontas' leadership they will march with this new nation into a bright future.



West Wessex consists of four states and one sparsely-settled territory. The oldest state is also the smallest: the State of Arianna. Containing the dense metropolises of New Bath (the capital) and New Tywyn, it is truly the soul of the nation.

Second to be founded is the State of Mawddach River, named for the longest river in North America. If Arianna is the soul, Mawddach is the beating heart of West Wessex: the industrial hubs of New Hamilton and New Tilbury churn out the tools New Tywyn needs to build our ships and guns, while the workshops of New Chippenham prepare our exports of cigars and rum.

Thalia is viewed by many as a provincial state, and certainly many of its cities stem from the later stages of our expansion. But New Kent is almost as venerable as New Chippenham, and New Chafford has become a centre of industry to rival New Tilbury itself.

In the north, the heavily-settled State of New Holland is the legacy of conquest: all of its cities were first settled by the Dutch. But Queen Elizabeth's wars set us at odds with the New Netherlands, and under General Washington's leadership, we were able to take their colonies from them and end their presence in the Americas. Now Nieuw Amsterdam houses one of our preeminent universities, while Mauritsstad and Paramaribo provide valuable ore to the workshops of New Tilbury.

Last-settled, Becca Territory consists solely of the two colonies planted by the Dutch in their efforts to escape Washington's offensive. Sparsely-populated Fernambuco and Oranjestad are seen by many as barely part of West Wessex at all; Oranjestad in particular is isolated from the road and trade networks, and will remain so as long as the Iroquois are our allies. Yet these colonists, too, are citizens of West Wessex, and in the coming war we will fight to defend them from the English onslaught.

~

One of the more delightful aspects of FreeCol is that as you explore the map, you get to name the geographical features you come across. Rivers and mountain ranges are nameable by the first European to set foot on them, and the entire map is divided into regions with the same property. Most of my states of Arianna, Thalia, and Mawddach River, for instance, are in the Arianna region, and Mawddach River state sits astride the river Mawddach. It doesn't actually do anything, you understand, but it's charming.

National borders, on the other hand… actually also don't do very much. They spring up around any tile your citizens have worked, or any tile you've placed a road on (or ploughed, I assume, though I haven't actually tested this one). About the only effect they have in-game is to prevent other nations from working that tile, or conversely, you from working another European's tile. (The natives can't work your tiles, but you can buy their tiles away from them - until you get Peter Minuit as a Founding Father, who makes all native tiles free to take.)

They don't prevent enemy movement, or give you an advantage in combat - they don't even stop the enemy using your roads. This is very similar to how I remember Civ 2 working; it's very different to what we expect from the more recent games.

As Vazquez de Coronado says, appointing Bartolome de las Casas to the Continental Congress turns all your native converts into Free Colonists. If you've maintained good relations with the natives, this is a huge boost: it transforms a whole heap of colonists from pure outdoors-workers into units that can be trained and advanced. Interestingly, FreeCol actually has a unique sprite for these upgraded natives (well, it's the Free Colonist but with darker skin); sadly, it doesn't carry over once they're trained.

And yes, 'European' and 'native' are the only ethnic groups in the game. There's no slavery; the closest it comes is the Petty Criminals and Indentured Servants you can receive from Europe (all white). On the one hand, I appreciate that - if they followed the model of the Petty Criminals or the Native Converts, you'd need to recruit a Founding Father in order to reject slavery, which would make for an icky-feeling early game. On the other hand, you could definitely tweak it into a moral/gameplay dilemma: you can get cheap labourers through slavery, but you can't use them in town, and they can never be promoted or used as anything but slaves. On the other other hand, I have a feeling that in the later game, when money and colonists are plentiful, you'd just take all the now-useless slaves and abandon them on a corner of the map, which has all sorts of nasty connotations. So perhaps not.


Francisco Vazquez de Coronado
Real World: Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition from Mexico in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. His expedition marked the first European discovery of the Grand Canyon. 1510-1554.
FreeCol: Makes all European colonies show up on the map. Joined the Congress in 1650.
West Wessex: Chief of Intelligence and one of the two scouts in the service of the Confederation. As an important government minister, he mostly stays in New Bath.

[Huinesoron]

Autumn 1695

"How can they be here already?"

John Paul Jones shook his head. "I don't know, Congressman Fugger, but Admiral Drake is very clear. The Fleet has encountered advance elements of the Royal Expeditionary Force south-east of the Arawak nation; he says he's preparing to engage."

"He is a fool," Robert de La Salle said flatly. "Our entire navy couldn't stand against the full might of the REF, and with the frigates scattered all along the northern coastline…"

"But it surely cannot be the entire REF." Jacob Fugger looked down again at the map on the table. "Benjamin can hardly have reached London by now; we should at least a year have before Elizabeth's forces can reach us."

"That's an assumption." President Pocahontas straightened up and looked the men over. "What if the REF was moored at Gibraltar? What if it was waiting in the Azores?"

"But that is Portuguese territory," Fugger protested. "The only reason for them to be there is if they'd been forewarned…" He trailed off, glancing guiltily towards the back of the room.

Juan Gines de Sepulveda laughed sharply. "Oh, si, si - say it." He pushed off the wall and strolled forward, towards the nervous Fugger. "You think I told them about the Declaration. You think that just because a man doesn't want to bow down before heathens, natives, and women," he flicked a hand towards Pocahontas, and sarcasm oozed into his voice, " - all due respect, Madame President - he's a traitor to West Wessex and everything we've worked so hard to build."

Jacob Fugger looked away, staring down at the table. "I have not said that."

"Nor should you." Pocahontas fixed Sepulveda with her steely glare. "I do not believe any member of this Congress - regardless of how little they like me - is a traitor to our cause. But," she held up a hand, "that does not mean I will tolerate your disrespect. Behave yourself, or leave."

De Sepulveda rolled his eyes. "By your command, Mother-of-us-All." He returned to his spot against the wall, folding his arms ostentatiously.

"Good." Pocahontas reached out to touch the carved wooden ship placed on the map-board. "We cannot know whether Drake has encountered a single ship or the entire REF, but we do know that Elizabeth's soldiers are coming. Colonel," she turned to La Salle, "how do the defences stand?"

La Salle shrugged. "As well as they can," he said. "Paul - pardon, Colonel Revere tours the colonies in Arianna and Mawddach River, where we assume the worst will hit. We're raising forts in any city which lacks one; we have artillery batteries in every colony except Oranjestad. Our armies are encamped about New Bath, New Tywyn, New Hamilton, and Nieuw Amsterdam."

"General Washington's 'central response forces'," Pocahontas said with a nod. "Very well. Minister Smith - what of the factories?"

Adam Smith gave her a lopsided smile. "We'll keep building as long as Hudson keeps sending us the materials," he said. "We've got the smithies in Hamilton, Tilbury, and Chafford going full-blast, and guns rolling off the lines at Hamilton and New Bath. At Admiral Drake's request, we're trying to put together one of those big Men-of-War the REF's so fond of at Tywyn - he thinks it could make a big difference if he can catch the enemy at sea."

"I'm not convinced by that," John Paul Jones said. "Especially given the time it will take to build… last I heard, we were looking at years."

Adam Smith shrugged. "It's a big job," he agreed, "but we're working as fast as we can. And if the Customs Houses can keep selling-"

"We are shipping to New France," Jacob Fugger supplied. "They will buy from us, unless we end up at war with them also."

"Right," Smith said. "Then we can probably speed things along by throwing a little gold at the problem. There's nothing in this life that can't be fixed by enough money."

Pocahontas gave him a thin smile. "I'm not so sure about that." She pushed her long hair back from the map and looked down at the wooden ships once more. "But it will suffice for going on with. I just hope Drake pulls through…"

~

Of course, the Azores don't exist in this game. So far as I can tell, the REF simply appears from the high seas the turn after you declare your independence.

As Congressman Smith mentions, FreeCol allows you to spend gold to finish a build. But unlike Civ, where gold is a byproduct of a nation doing its business, in FreeCol you have to earn it through trade.

The trade cycle starts in the colonies. Colonists working on the land produce raw materials, as does the city centre. Some of these (wood, grain, fish) go directly into growing the colony; others are used for trade. In the capital of New Bath, we have a Textile Mill and a Fur Factory, housing specialists who are converting cotton and furs into cloth and coats.

Any resources - raw materials, manufactured goods, even the food and wood I mentioned - can be loaded onto a wagon or ship. You can then send it off to your trading partners - the homeland (by ship, up until you declare independence), the natives, or other Europeans (after Jan de Witt joins the Congress). They will offer you gold for it, and the amount they offer will go up and down depending on how much you supply.

You can also use gold to buy from those same sources: Europe will supply anything, while the natives have specific resources on offer. You can turn a tidy profit by purchasing raw materials from the natives, refining them into manufactured goods, and selling them straight back to them. (There's an idea for a variant: harvest nothing at your colonies but the four essential resources of wood, grain, fish, and ore; get everything else by trade.)

Gold has other uses, too. Back when we had access to Europe, we could train specific specialists there, speed up the next emigration, or even buy artillery and ships. Occasionally when Her Majesty started a war, she would come offering us guns and soldiers for a price. Usually, that price was all our gold, but it still worked out cheaper than buying them normally - and I knew we'd need them. Right now, I'm building up a reserve, so we can complete urgent projects when the war demands them.

By this stage in the game, I'm able to ignore the latter half of the trade cycle, because Peter Stuyvesant lets me build Customs Houses. These sell to Europe directly, and under FreeCol rules (a change from Colonisation), they will continue to sell as long as you're at peace with at least one European nation. So we're still turning a nice profit on our manufacturing.


Jacob Fugger II
Real World: A German banker and trader, and one of the richest individuals in modern history. Sometimes known as 'Jacob the Rich'. Oddly for a Founding Father, he doesn't seem to have any connection to the Americas. 1459-1525 (which is probably why).
FreeCol: Removes all boycotts in existence at the time of his appointment. Joined the Congress in 1660.
West Wessex: One of the team responsible for negotiating with England - while Ben Franklin is overseas, Fugger is managing things on the home front. If there's ever a need to talk to the REF in person, it will be his job.


Robert de La Salle
Real World: A Frenchman who explored from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico, and claimed the entire Mississippi Basin for France. If France hadn't ceded its New World territories to Britain in 1763, La Salle's claims would have been the foundation of a nation stretching from Louisiana clear to Labrador. 1643-1687.
FreeCol: All colonies get a free Stockade when they reach size 3. Joined the Congress in 1659.
West Wessex: Colonel in charge of colony defence. Under Washington, he works alongside Paul Revere - La Salle focussing on fortifications, Revere on the militia.


John Paul Jones
Real World: One of America's first naval commanders, he was the first to raise a US flag on a naval vessel. He is probably best remembered for responding to a demand to surrender with "I have not even begun to fight!". 1747-1792.
FreeCol: Gives you a free frigate. Joined the Congress in 1666.
West Wessex: Vice-Admiral of the Fleet, under Francis Drake. He is currently waiting on-shore for his flagship to be built.


Juan Gines de Sepulveda
Real World: Spanish Renaissance humanist who held that Native Americans were 'natural slaves'; Wikipedia goes so far as to say 'today, Sepulveda's views would be considered extremely racist', so that's lovely. 1494-1573.
FreeCol: Increases the chance that a subjugated Indian settlement will 'convert' and join a colony. I'm not actually positive what this means - as President Pocahontas shows, I've been fairly friendly to the natives. Joined the Congress in 1637.
West Wessex: A nasty piece of work. Racist, sexist, and fanatical. He is a member of the Continental Congress, and hangs around Congressional House, but Pocahontas has not appointed him a role in the government.


Adam Smith
Real World: Scottish economist and philosopher, whose text The Wealth of Nations is the foundation of modern economics. Something something invisible hand; I don't know, I'm not an economist. 1723-1790.
FreeCol: Allows the construction of factories, which manufacture goods more efficiently. Joined the Congress in 1635.
West Wessex: Minister for Manufacture. Also has an interest in trade. Given that guns, artillery, and ships all fall under 'manufacture', Smith is a key element of the war effort.

[GreyWolf]

FreeCol was actually my first introduction to the Colonization genre. I like the flavor, but it's quite micro-heavy.

[yuris125]

These are great, keep them coming

[Brian Shanahan]

Adam Smith
Real World: Scottish economist and philosopher, whose text The Wealth of Nations is the foundation of modern economics. Something something invisible hand; I don't know, I'm not an economist. 1723-1790.

Lets just say free market ideologues like von Mises and the Adam Smith "Institute" massively over egg his attachment to the free market (essentially the idea that government should put no impediment in the way of how rich people and businesses do business, eg no safety standards, no taxes), for instance he was a very big supporter of both rent controls and wealth taxes.

[Mardoc]

Brian, that belongs in the Off Topic forum, not here.

[Huinesoron]

Thanks for all the comments, guys! It's great to know people are reading.  GreyWolf: I think it's more accurate to say that FreeCol (and original Col) is micro-focussed. Unlike Civ, there's no research to do - it's very much a game about maximizing the output of your cities. In this game in particular, the geopolitics meant I didn't have to do any fighting until Independence (I did a bit, but that was by choice), so I was entirely busy with micro-managing my colonies.

Which is either a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about it. It's been a nice change from the other games I've played recently, but I'm not sure I could do it over and over again.

~

Spring 1696

"Madame President! Madame President!"

President Pocahontas stopped, turning to look at her head of Intelligence. "Francisco Vazquez de Coronado," she greeted him with a nod. "You have been absent for a long time."

"Not so long as I might wish," Vazquez de Coronado said grimly. "I bring news from New Holland - from Fort Nassau."

"Is it the Iroquois?" Father Jean de Brebeuf gave Pocahontas a stern look. "I told you, Pocahontas, we should have made sure to convert them long ago. With the Cherokee remnant joining up with them, they were always going to-"

"The Iroquois remain as they always are," Vazquez de Coronado interrupted, "a delight to befriend. No, this is much worse - the Royal Expeditionary Force has been sighted."

Pocahontas frowned, glancing at Vice-Admiral Jones. "But we know they are in the south-east, near Arawak - Admiral Drake's fleet remains in sight of them. He tells us he has driven one Man-of-War off - a more than equal exchange for a single Privateer. Is he-?"

"Admiral Drake may be fighting some of the fleet," Vazquez de Coronado said, "but the majority is far from him. They were sighted off the peninsula, sailing to the west."



"To the west?" George Washington turned to stare at the spymaster. "Into the Pacific?"

"Even so." Vazquez de Coronado gestured vaguely. "I can only imagine they intend to fall on the cities of Becca Territory - where we are weakest."

"That hardly makes sense," Washington disagreed. "We can easily afford to lose the entirety of Becca - apologies, ma'am, but they hardly contribute to the war effort."

"Of course not," Father Brebeuf scoffed. "Heathens, one and all. If you ask of me, I would say we were better off without them."

"I would not." Pocahontas' voice was firm and cold. "They are still our people, Father, and we are sworn to protect them." She turned her back on him, facing the General. "Are you prepared to evacuate Oranjestad and Fernambuco?"

"Yes, but I cannot promise to keep the refugees safe," Washington replied instantly. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I still cannot understand it. Why would they attack there? Why not directly at New Bath? They must know we could never resist the full force of their army - not yet."

"Because they are seeking to split our forces." Hernando de Soto strode up the path and whipped off his helmet, tossing it to the surprised Father Brebeuf. "Your Highness," he said, making a sweeping bow, "I have just this moment returned from Arawak territory with dire news: Chief Tamanaco has declared war on West Wessex."

"What?" Bartolome de las Casas, who until now had been quietly reading reports, jolted upright. "But that is impossible! We have been allies with the Arawak for decades, trading partners - friends."

"Of course it is possible," Brebeuf told him. "They are heathens - they do not even heed the missionaries from New France who labour in their villages, and they are Papists."

"There is rather more to it than that," Pocahontas said coolly. "They remember the Cherokee."

It wasn't only Brebeuf who bristled at that. "That was self-defence, ma'am," Washington said quietly. "They attacked us."

"Because we had taken their land," Pocahontas replied. "And yes, it was the Dutch who stole it first, but we chose not to return it. I know the arguments, gentlemen, let us not rehash them now. The Arawak are at war with us; so be it. Can we defend against them?"

"I will ride south myself," Washington promised. "I will take the garrison of New Kent and surround Manaos; if they choose to attack, we will put an end to their warmaking once and for all."

Pocahontas looked to the south, towards the vast unspoiled tracts of Arawak territory in the heart of West Wessex, running clear up to the hinterlands of New Bath. "Yes," she said faintly. "Perhaps that would be best."

~

As mentioned before, the natives are extremely unequal AI players in FreeCol. They are unable to build any settlements beyond the villages they start with, and while they can expand their territory (I know this because one of my roads reverted to being Iroquois at one point), they seem to do so very slowly. They're also subject to having their land taken away on the European players' whim: I could pay them gold, get it free through Peter Minuit, or just ignore their feelings and straight-up steal it.

They also suffer badly when it comes to units. The Europeans have three military unit types - soldiers, dragoons (ie, mounted soldiers), and artillery. The natives start with exactly one: the Brave, who doesn't even have a shirt, let alone a gun. They can upgrade to Indian Dragoons, but only in a rather curious way: the natives have to either be sold/gifted horses by Europeans, or defeat a mounted European unit. When they do this, they steal the horses and start mounting their own soldiers.

According to the manual, Braves and native Dragoons are actually quite strong; I haven't spent enough time fighting them to know. They can also carry goods, which are exclusively used for gifting to European players - in a couple of turns we will see a native randomly bring 80 Cotton to one of my colonies.

In essence, the natives are remote ancestors to the city-states found in recent Civ games. They don't expand. Befriending them gives benefits - they might send you converts, gifts of resources, or step in to fight your enemies. You can trade with them. But they occupy land you might prefer to own yourself, their Braves wander your roads and clog up the transit system, and they're fickle - if your enemy sends a missionary to their town, you'll find them suddenly best friends with the opposition instead of you.


Father Jean de Brebeuf
Real World: A French Jesuit missionary who lived with the Huron people in Canada, learning their language and customs. He was a scholar and an artist, who wrote Canada's first Christmas song, the Huron Carol - in the Huron language. He's actually kind of awesome and this alternate history does not do him justice. 1593-1649.
FreeCol: All missionaries function as experts. Joined the Congress in 1647.
West Wessex: Has positioned himself as the spiritual head of the nation, even though few of the people of West Wessex agree with his religious ideas. Believes the natives should all be converted, and condescends massively towards them in their heathen state.


Hernando de Soto
Real World: The Spanish Conquistador who led the first European exploration into the depths of the US South; he was the first European to cross the Mississippi. Oh, and before that he was part of the conquest of the Incan Empire. Really, I'd prefer to switch his character with Father Brebeuf above, but the game design dictates what I do with them.
FreeCol: All land units see further, and exploration of Lost City rumours (=goody huts) always gives positive results. Joined the Congress in 1657.
West Wessex: Depending on who you ask, either a master scout or Pocahontas' chief spy. He excels at slipping into and out of places, including quite frequently 'trouble'.


Bartolome de las Casas
Real World: Spanish Dominican monk who rejected the treatment of the native Americans, gave up his native slaves, and agitated in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor for their rights. But, uh, one of his arguments was that people should stop enslaving natives and instead ship in black slaves from Africa, and we know what a good idea that wasn't.
FreeCol: All native converts at the time Las Casas is appointed become Free Colonists. Joined the Congress in 1662.
West Wessex: Minister for Native Affairs, working alongside William Penn as Minister for European Affairs. In a thoroughly mixed nation like West Wessex, you have to either represent both or neither.

[Huinesoron]

Autumn 1696

"This is an outrage!"

"But hardly surprising," Peter Minuit drawled. "They are, after all, savages."

"Of course," Father Brebeuf agreed readily, "but to slaughter an innocent missionary who just wanted to preach the Word of God--!"

"We are at war, Herr Priest," Minuit said. "One can hardly expect savages to respect the sanctity of the Church."

"Or anything else," Sepulveda agreed. "And yet we allow them their territory - and for what? They hardly set foot outside their villages!"

"But General Washington will put an end to that," Brebeuf said with satisfaction. "Like the Cherokee, the Arawak will soon be no more than a memory."

"I would not be so sure of that," Hernan Cortes said in his heavy voice. "The promises of the spring do not look like to come to roost in autumn."

Brebeuf and Sepulveda frowned at him, and even Minuit straightened from his customary slouch. "Whatever do you mean, Hernan?" he asked. "Surely Washington, of all people, will do as he promised."

"Not if there is other business to occupy him," Cortes said. "Now that Drake has driven the eastern fleet back to England, all eyes are on the west."

De Sepulveda scoffed. "The Becca colonies? Half savages themselves. Let them fall - or will that offend Madame President's delicate sensibilities?"

"That is just what I said," Brebeuf chimed in. "Let them fall, I told her, but would she listen? Not a word."

"Ah," Cortes said, bulling over Sepulveda's reply, "but Becca may not be the only territory at risk." He looked around at the other three. "Have you not heard? The REF has been sighted on the Chattahoochee river, within striking distance of De Punt. And," he added, holding up a hand, "that would give them access to the road network…"



The others digested this news. For Becca to fall, with its half-civilised and ignored colonies, was one thing; for De Punt to be threatened, the first city taken by West Wessex in New Holland, was another matter entirely.

"And what," Sepulveda asked at last, "is the President doing about this?"

"Come, Juan," said Cortes, "I am hardly her intimate, any more than you. But I hear a few troops are on the move - the disposables, you know. The real army is staying put."

"Defending the truly important states," Minuit said, settling back again. "That'll be Washington's doing. He talks idealism to the little lady, but mark you well, the man is a pragmatist at heart…"

~

Roads in FreeCol work pretty much like you expect them to: they make any move take 1/3 of a movement point. Rivers act the same way, though you have to road onto a river, not just up to it, to get a continuous path. Most land units, including artillery, have 1 movement point. Trade wagons have 2. Mounted scouts and Dragoons have 4, which lets them move around very quickly. It's only two or three turns to get my cavalry from one side of West Wessex to the other. Of course, as we'll see, that goes both ways…

Some tiles cost more than one movement point to cross. In general, forests (of any kind) take 2, while mountains take 3. The Dragoon in the image above can't move onto the mountain, because he doesn't have 3 movement points left; however, if a Soldier started his turn on the space where the Dragoon is, he could use up his entire movement point to step onto it.

Ships, naturally, have loads of movement points, and gain an extra one under Ferdinand Magellan. My Privateers are up to 9 by now, which sends them racing around the map. Most of the fleet was down harassing French shipping when we declared independence; now they're all nearly round to the Chattahoochee, half a world away.

Of course, that's less useful than it might be. Men-of-War have a strength of 24, while Privateers are down at 8, and Frigates at 16. If we get to attack, that's viable: Francis Drake increases the Privateer's strength, and being the attacker increases it again. But if the enemy attacks us, we have to get very lucky not to be immediately driven off.

Yes, driven off. Ships don't sink - they get sent back to the nearest drydock for repairs. Prior to Independence, they could also be sent back to Europe if you didn't have a drydock. They then take five turns to auto-repair.


Peter Minuit
Real World: The man who 'bought' Manhattan for a handful of beads (all right, for about $1000). He was apparently chronically unable to pick a country, being a Walloon (native to Belgium) from modern-day Germany, who ran the Dutch colony of New Netherland, and later set up the Swedish colony of New Sweden. (It was in Delaware and lasted about 20 years.) 1580-1638.
FreeCol: Natives no longer demand payment for their land. Joined the Congress in 1646.
West Wessex: An obnoxious layabout. Like Sepulveda, Pocahontas didn't even offer him a role in the government. He remains in the Continental Congress, but with no defined job.


Hernan Cortes
Real World: The Spanish Conquistador who brought down the Aztec empire. Much to the dismay of John Keats, he never stood 'silent, upon a peak in Darien' when first sighting the Pacific Ocean - that was Vasco Nunez de Balboa. 1485-1547.
FreeCol: Conquering Native settlements always gives a treasure wagon. Joined the Congress in 1668.
West Wessex: An explorer and soldier with a penchant for antagonising the natives. He theoretically works alongside de Soto and Vazquez de Coronado, but in practice has spent his time teaching at the university in New Bath instead.

[Huinesoron]

Spring 1697

General Washington slumped over the desk, his head in his hands. "I was so sure I knew what they were doing. So sure I had outthought them."

"You can hardly claim all of the blame." Hernando de Soto reached for the rum bottle, but it was already empty. "That winter encampment of theirs on the Chattahoochee peninsula - why linger there if not to strike at De Punt come the spring?"

"So I thought," Washington said morosely. "But now their full force stands outside Fernambuco, their fleet has retreated, and - o, most bitter of ironies - because of the kindness of our allies, I cannot even reinforce the city!"



"Yes." Juan Gines de Sepulveda unplugged his personal flask and took a swig. "I do find it suspicious that the Iroquois generously brought us their gift of - what was it, cotton? - just in time to block the roads we would need to defend Fernambuco - or evacuate its civilians."

"No, no!" Simon Bolivar leant across the table, his face crumpled into a scowl. "I will not hear of such! The Iroquois have been nothing but our most faithful allies - it does you great ill to disparage them, Senor de Sepulveda!"

"As they do great ill to us," Sepulveda shot back. "Now Fernambuco is doomed - those few citizens who sought to flee are caught in the woods by the English - and it is entirely the fault of the natives!"

"No." Washington raised his head and blinked at the others blearily. "The fault is mine, and mine alone. I should have seen what the Royalists were up to - shouldn't have let myself be distracted by the phony war - God's truth, I should have kept our allies informed!"

"So fix it."

Washington turned to stare at Bolivar. "What?"

The revolutionary stood abruptly. "You claim responsibility - so, so. Far be it from me to take that from you. Then how might you make amends?"

"I can't!" Washington, too, leapt to his feet, planting his hands on the tabletop. "I only have a handful of troops close enough to slip into the colony before the Royalists close the siege-"

"So send them," Bolivar snapped. "Once they are behind the defences, their strength will account for two of the English at least."

Washington looked horrified. "You want me to send my men to their deaths?"

"Si." Bolivar did not waver. "Such is a general's job, when it serves the greater good."

"If it is any comfort," de Soto put in, "we think the REF would prefer to capture, not kill. Your men will like as not be put to work in Fernambuco itself."

De Sepulveda snorted. "A great consolation to the soldiers whose freedom is to be pointlessly thrown away."

Washington frowned, then shook his head slowly. "Not pointless," he said. "Their defence will slow the enemy force, or split it. If we… Hernando, the map."

De Soto pushed the roll of paper across the table. The General unfurled it, pinning the corner with the abandoned rum bottle. "Our cavalry can converge on the road to Fernambuco," he said, tracing paths across the map. "Here, in the valley of the Thames. They should be out of reach of the enemy infantry and artillery, but in range to strike at them without retaliation." His hand swept down, finding the chief cities of the Confederation. "And to draw them out… if we advance only a portion of the cavalry, and conceal the remainder in New Grove and New Tilbury, we can decoy the Royalists into engaging, then come at them from the flank."

"And when they fail?" Sepulveda asked. "We should plan for that this time, no?"

Washington winced, but his nod was firm. "We can move artillery into Tilbury and Grove," he said, "and reinforce the fortifications there. I'll send Colonels La Salle and Revere to command the defences." He frowned suddenly, and his gaze moved back to Fernambuco. "And…"

Simon Bolivar laughed. "John Paul will hate you," he predicted. "That money was intended for his flagship."

"Vice-Admiral Jones can wait a little longer," Washington said, smiling. "If the extra funding can finish the fort at Fernambuco before the Royalists make their move, then who knows how much damage we can do?"

~

Yes, by sheer bad luck, the Iroquois gift (carried by a Brave, who are able to carry goods for this purpose) led to the blocking of the one road into Fernambuco at exactly the moment that I needed it.

I have no idea how the AI 'thinks' in FreeCol. I assume it can't see inside my cities, the same as I can't see into its, but can I use that to trick it? The plan here is to leave a small force at a crucial point on the road east from Fernambuco, draw the enemy in, then bring in the rest of the cavalry from New Grove (to the south) and New Tilbury (to the east). But is that even necessary? For all I know, the AI would happily throw every unit it has at a vastly superior stack.

I've sort of run out of things to say here, so let's talk about the game itself. Colonisation may well have been the first Civ-related game I played. I don't remember where I got the floppy-disk version, but I don't think it was new; on the other hand, the copy of Civilisation II: Test of Time that came with one of our computers probably wasn't new either. (I'm still sorely disappointed that I haven't found any mods duplicating the Test of Time scenarios and conversions in Civ 4 yet. They were cool!)

I wasn't very good at it. I remember playing it, but not winning; the interface was clunky, and things kept happening without any clear reason why. Then floppies started to fade away, and I walked away from it without looking back.

Fast-forward… oh, more than a decade, though still some time ago (2009). I think I found FreeCol while looking at the various free versions of Civ - C-evo, for instance. It sparked off the memories of the original game, I downloaded it, and started playing.

I still wasn't all that good. But I had fun, and managed to drag my nation (Portugal, that time) through the War of Independence. I even mapped out the invasion, and posted it to the FreeCol forum to thank them for the game. Good times.

Fast-forward again to this year. I still had FreeCol installed, and happened across it during an 'argh what shall I play' trawl. A quick update, and I was ready to go - and it just so happened that I knew of a community of people who really like reports on turn-based strategy game playthroughs...


Simon Bolivar
Real World: Venezualan leader who was instrumental in gaining independence for a slew of Spanish-speaking American nations. He was of native ancestry, and is also one of the most recent Founding Fathers in the game. He might actually be the most recent, being born after the US declared independence. 1783-1830.
FreeCol: Gives every extant colony a free 20% Sons of Liberty membership. Joined the Congress in 1621.
West Wessex: A soldier and revolutionary-without-portfolio. He was also one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, alongside Jefferson and Paine.