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Random Old World[]
"Dune" as a map key produces an unusual random Old World map in Imperialism 2. Fascinating layout with lakes (which may have rivers going through them) and inlets (which roads can cross) and inland seas dotted with islands (nothing like the Imp1 version, which is mostly desert and tundra). Curious red lines separate some tiles, and mouseover does not indicate timber on most forests except where they are next to capitals and developed, as not all of them are.
Great Powers between them have no horse ranches, only 4 open ranges, 6 fertile hills, 18 grain farms.
Neutral States between them also have no horse ranches and only 8 grain farms, 2 open ranges, 1 mountain, 2 barren hills, 3 fertile hills, and 2 swamps.
The world could be considered not worth playing in, with no new horse potential, very little grain, and Old World barren hills or mountains totalling only 20. You will want "simple" food setting even for 7-grain Portugal, though Sweden can get on top of things at "Normal" level producing 6 grain and 6 meat with little trauma.
Great Power terrain[]
| Name | Hue | Prov- inces |
Grain Farm |
Open Range |
Hard- wood Forest |
Scrub Forest |
Barren Hills |
Moun -tains |
Fertile Hills |
Swamp | Horse Ranch |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | Red | 5 | 1 | - | 4 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | |
| France | Blue | 5 | 1 | - | 6 | 1 | - | 3 | - | - | - | |
| Holland | Orange | 7 | 2 | 1 | 8 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | |
| Portugal | Green | 5 | 7 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | - | |
| Spain | Yellow | 5 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | Capital max popn 3: build port soon |
| Sweden | Light blue | 7 | 5 | 2 | - | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | Hills produce iron, adjoin possible capital site |
On "Normal" food setting, only Sweden and Portugal can feed their initial population (10) properly without conquering some other province that has grain or (too late) researching enough to take grain farm(s) to level 3, so the others might lose 2 or more population early: sacrifice the pikeman and one carrack so as to keep 4 labor; build one port for four or more fish; then look for a grain province to conquer. Incidentally, Spain finds most hardwood forests yield NO timber and interestingly other GPs keen to sell horses - maybe there are hidden horse ranches or the AI GPs haven't assessed the situation properly. A human in charge of Portugal found a similar keennes to sell horses and managed to own 28 at one stage.
Neutral states[]
Noting what they initially claim to export and what their provinces hold (apart from trees, which a fair number do):
- Denmark exports nil
- Copenhagen has 1 mountain, 1 fertile hill; Jutland and Schleswig have nothing
- Germany exports timber
- Hamburg produces 1 timber from a tile across the province border but no timber from a hardwood forest within the province; Bavaria has the timber next to Hamburg and 1 swamp; Bremen has 1 grain, 1 barren hill; Brunswick has 1 grain and 1 swamp; Rhineland has nothing
- Ireland exports timber
- Dublin has 2 scrub forests in city radius, only one producing timber; Connaught, The Pale, and Ulster have nothing
- Italy exports wool
- Florence has 1 grain, 1 fertile hill; Corsica 1 grain; Milan nothing; Savoy 1 fertile hill, 1 barren hill
- Scotland exports nil
- Edinburg nothing; Ayr 1 grain; Highlands 1 open range
- Switzerland exports nil
- Bern nothing; Aargau 1 grain, 1 open range; Basel nothing; Zurich 2 grain
Scrub forest by Stockholm should produce timber but doesn't
New World[]
Similar quirky terrain. Clearly some forests that yield nothing. One scrub forest yields diamonds, which few if any deserts seem to do! As with neutral states, think twice about invading a province that has lots of trees and nothing else, because your money may be wasted. Half a dozen fur tiles in the expected latitudes, some sugar cane, but very little tobacco.
Specific nations[]
Sweden can win the game on Normal difficulty setting, though it may take until the 20th century. For a SPOILER game report, see the Sweden subpage.
Portugal was Sweden's chief rival in one game by Sweden. For a SPOILER game report, see the Portugal subpage.
For comparison of progress in actual games, see the Comparisons subpage.
European Old World[]
It should not be nearly such a challenge as the random one. At least Europe is normal. But the New World is quirky in the same way as it is in the random game. At least five diamonds (two of which are in forests; one of the desert ones is right next to an eastern coastal desert and therefore very easily found by your rivals too), and some of everything else you would hope for.
See the Spain subpage for a report and screenshot.