Imperialism 1 has such a diverse set of difficulties that what works on Introductory won’t work on Normal, and what works in Normal won’t work on Nigh on Impossible (NoI).

Here are a few guidelines that should be enough to carry you pretty well even through the harder difficulties:

- Setup trade consulates and subsidies with several minor nations. Make sure to check that you are doing this with minors that have the big 4 resources. Buy your big 4 resources (Timber, Coal, Iron, and Wool/Cotton) from them. It is better for you to buy resources (and gain the benefit of most-favored nation status) than it is to spend money improving your internal network and collecting your domestic resources.

- Sell Hardware, Furniture, and Clothing only. If your transported food can support it, raise additional workers instead of selling furniture and clothing. As soon as you earn enough through furniture and clothing, stop producing Hardware and use the Steel to make either industrial improvements or guns.\

- Look at everything upgrade not only in terms of how much it costs, but how much it will cost you in the long run. If you have 4 Steel and 4 Lumber in your warehouse that is going to be replaced before you need to use it, upgrade a factory. There is nothing wrong with having more factory capacity than your labor force can handle, because it doesn’t cost you anything. In fact, it is factored into your internal strength when the AI decides whether or not it wants to fight you.

- Remember that Military = Labor + Guns + Cash. It doesn’t cost you anything to keep Guns or cash around, and spare labor can even help once in a while. However, it costs money to maintain a standing military, and that military won’t do anything but eat money when you aren’t at war. So bulk your labor force to as much as your transported food can allow, but don’t build military units until you need them.

- The smallest standing army that you can use to defend yourself with is done entirely with heavy artillery. Unless you are invading elsewhere, heavy artillery is all you need.

- If you are an island, a strong navy is a great thing to have. Not only does navy not have maintenance costs, but it removes the need for you to have a standing army for defense. In times of war, you simply destroy opposing navies, and then blockade the hell out of enemy ports to steal precious manufactured goods and merchant marine ships.

Lastly, this game is hard to Napoleon your way through. What I mean is that a pure militaristic stratagem will ultimately lead to you failing to keep up with other major powers. You NEED 3-4 Minor Nations to sell you resources early if you want to comfortably play through NoI. Trade and Diplomacy are far more important than military strength.

– Eric Nelson