Colonia

[aln]

What is the purpose of the Colonia build option. I noticed it for the first time while playing earlier on. It has appeared in the Roma build options but is very expensive to just build and see what happens. The description doesn't really give enough information as how to use it. I obviously know the historical uses of colonies (placating veterans, romanisation, trade protection and overpopulation), But in the game is it purely to ease population issues or do I get to place the resulting building in any provence.
A nice touch would be if a colony gave you a unit of veteran principii which could not leave its province, so it would purely be a defensive unit. Pretty sure this is not possible though. I suppose it could be a house rule.

[Avicenna]

The bonuses are one. It also allows the best long term options: allows you to build all available 'Roman' units, but a limited choice of local troops. You can also build all the most advanced buildings in a Roman settlement which is a Colony.

[aln]

OK but I don't see why the option comes up in Roma?. This is the capital of the Republic after all and would never be classed as a colony. Also historically many colonies founded during this period were Latin colonies and never received full citizenship. Thus not all colonies would be able to build every Romani unit.

[Avicenna]

All the Italians received citizenship at a certain point. Rome has the Colonia building built because in the end, EB is still a game, and it is restricted by the hardcoded limits of the RTW engine, on things such as a limited number of buildings. Also, it would be too much of a hassle to make a specific building just for Rome itself.

By the way, no access to the game so I might be wrong. If the Colonia has the number 'I' it has the description as I said in my earlier post. If it has a 'II' it will have access to all that, but not quite the most advanced buildings or units.

[aln]

Perhaps that would be the answer. A colonia 'I' in provence with a homeland resource and a colonia 'II' elsewhere reflecting the different status. A Latin colony was founded at Cartiea in Spain in 171 B.C. That is the latest reference I have so there is 100 years of 'restricted' game play. Remember the early republic was very reluctant to give citizenship. Hence the Social war 91 to 88 B.C., which was fought in Italia itself so I'm assuming there was Latin colonies still being founded up to that point.
As you say in the end it is only a game but I have read many threads on this forum which complain about lesser inaccuracies.

[qvcatullus]

Are we talking about a government system here? I didn't think so, reading the OP, but I might be wrong. I thought that it was the 'colony' building, like veteran colony or something; I remember seeing that building myself. It simulates setting up a colonia (well, probably not just one) in the hinterlands and shipping excess population there. Somewhat counterintuitively, it slows population growth (if I read the card correctly), so I suppose that is to represent that the population is leaving the central city. Don't recall the other effects. Carthaginians have a similar 'punic colony' or some such available, if I recall.

[stalin]

I really hope he is talking about the +10 happiness -1% pop growth building otherwise I am totally confused..

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Are we talking about a government system here? I didn't think so, reading the OP, but I might be wrong. I thought that it was the 'colony' building, like veteran colony or something; I remember seeing that building myself. It simulates setting up a colonia (well, probably not just one) in the hinterlands and shipping excess population there. Somewhat counterintuitively, it slows population growth (if I read the card correctly), so I suppose that is to represent that the population is leaving the central city. Don't recall the other effects. Carthaginians have a similar 'punic colony' or some such available, if I recall.

Yes, it is supposed to be a splitting off of population from the city that builds it. We can't have negative pop growth, but we can negate pop growth bonuses, and give some happiness. So that's what colonies are supposed to do anyway, relieve population pressure in the city and give some relief. We've simulated that as best we can. It's just like another city being built in the province (the idea of one) - not supposed to be the city itself becoming a colony or anything like that.