Help! Good National Ideas for Sardinia-Piedmont? (2024)

I just formed Sardinia-Piedmont and I can choose my 3rd National Idea. My first one was Diplomatic, my second one Defensive.
Which one should I pick? I plan to colonize but I'm not sure if I should pick Exploration as my 3rd or 4th idea. Maybe I shouldn't bother with colonization at all? What would you do in my position?
Below you see my current position. The Papal State and Urbino are my vassals and once I've annxed them I plan to form Italy.
View attachment 99067View attachment 99068

Btw my state religion is Protestant.

Thanks!

This, I think, depends on what you want to do in Europe as well. In your position, if I wanted to colonize, I'd pick one of those two ideas next. I'd almost want to go with expansion though for a few reasons.

1. More diplomatic relations and reputation. This way you could more easily diplo-invade the rest of the HRE and perhaps become emperor.
2. Merchants. Get more trade from your colonies.
3. Colonist. Because ... well colonization.

Maybe then for your fifth idea you could go for exploration for the extra colonists.

SheaferDaDawg said:

Take Naval and Trade. If you can expand into Spain and patrol the Western Europe node, you can basically steamroll everyone.

Click to expand...

That's what France is doing atm. Taking all the Money that Castile is making in Brazil and steering it to Bordeaux. Poor Spanish

So you wouldn't bother with colonization in my position?

JimboJJ26 said:

This, I think, depends on what you want to do in Europe as well. In your position, if I wanted to colonize, I'd pick one of those two ideas next. I'd almost want to go with expansion though for a few reasons.

1. More diplomatic relations and reputation. This way you could more easily diplo-invade the rest of the HRE and perhaps become emperor.
2. Merchants. Get more trade from your colonies.
3. Colonist. Because ... well colonization.

Maybe then for your fifth idea you could go for exploration for the extra colonists.

Click to expand...

Taking expansion sounds very reasonable. Thanks!

When I'm in a location like Savoy/Sardinia-Piemonte, I typically colonize using expansion rather than Exploration. I usually only go exploration if colonization is going to be a big focus of my nation. You get the 1 colonist, merchant and 2 diplomatic relations which are a nice bundle. Last time I played S-P, I conquered Mali and used my 1 colonist to fully fill in the west African territories, but depending on how things are in the new world, you could for example conquer Mexico and start colonizing in that direction too.

For a third idea, I typically pick one from the administrative branch so I can spend excess admin monarch points before they start capping at 999. I typically take economics for the -20% building cost, but religion could be a great choice if you decide to conquer North Africa. For fourth idea, I'd pick up expansion, and fifth another military one, either quality or offensive.

Just my opinions and GL with you game!

thefourthestate said:

Pick expansion. India/China is much more valuable than the new world, you'll have it revealed with time, and it's much easier to steer the trade home.

Click to expand...

Hmm that is true. I was wondering how I would get trade home from the New World anyways besides moving my capital or collecting somewhere else with a huge penalty.

From India/China I steer through the Gulf of Aden/Alexandria home?