First things first: this post is entirely useless for any strategic use in the game. It doesn't require opponents to be stupid, on the contrary, it requires the opponents' full and careful cooperation to assist one single player to get this maximum score. However, it was fun to do. If you spot any errors or find an even greater possible score, please let know.
For maximum score for one single player, 5 players are required.
The maximum score is 248.
It builds up like this:
It's easier if the winning player starts with the corn field, so corn may be sold in the beginning. The first building to be built (indeed, before any production building) must be the university, to get the maximum benefit of it. Selling one unit of corn is not enough, so dig some gold as well, or get the role bonus doubloons.
While it is possible to get even more colonists by building the hospice, it mustn't be done. The hospice gives 11 colonists among with the 11 fields collected after the starting field. However, this exhausts the colonist supply faster, reducing the number of mayor phases from 13 to 11: as such, the player may collect a total of 8+11+2+9*3+2 = 50 colonists, worth 16 of fortress bonus instead of 15. However, removing any of the buildings listed above causes a loss of more than 1 point.
It would also be possible to get more colonists through the university by replacing a large building by small ones; this doesn't improve the score either, even the residence is worth 4+7 = 11 points, or 5½ points per city space it occupies, while the remaining small buildings are at most worth 3 (or, assuming city hall or guild bonuses, 3+1 = 2+2 = 4).
Of large buildings, city hall and guild house are omitted. Either of them would be worth 4+6 = 10 points, or 5 points per city space occupied, however any building used here is worth more than that. Of 3-point buildings, factory is omitted. It doesn't help in creating any points except its base value. Money obviously is no issue here.
The other players must avoid the shipping points. This is easy for players starting with the indigo field: they simply refuse to build any production plants, or to get corn fields. The other player starting with the corn field is usually forced to produce corn. This must be sold before shipping takes place. To facilitate corn sales, this person may build the office.
The game requires a lot of useless actions by other players. Useless actions may be gold digging (money is no issue), building (no one is forced to build anything, not even the builder), trading (it is possible even without having anything to sell) and settling (everything is fine, as long as other players avoid corn fields and the winning player gets at least 4 kinds of fields, possibly indigo or sugar excluded).
Care must be taken by all players when building buildings and locating colonists. Almost all the time the colonist ship must have exactly 6 colonists on board, to give the maximum share to the winning player. One exception is obviously the 1st mayor phase, when there are 5 colonists; the other is the 13th one, when there must be 7, to allow the winning player to collect 2 without being the mayor. While it is possible to be the mayor on the final round as well, to get 46 colonists instead of 45, this wouldn't affect the score, while being the captain does. After the 13th mayor phase, 1 colonist may still board the ship.
After the second-to-last captain phase, all the ships must be emptied and exactly 1 point chip must remain. This requires some careful planning.
For maximum score for one single player, 5 players are required.
The maximum score is 248.
It builds up like this:
- 158 shipping points
- 29 building base points
- 61 building bonus points
- 121: all the initial point chips except one, collected by any means on any rounds except the final one
- 11: shipping indigo or sugar on the final round through wharf
- 8: shipping corn, coffee or tobacco on the final round
- 7: shipping corn, coffee or tobacco on the final round
- 6: shipping corn, coffee or tobacco on the final round
- 4: harbour bonuses on the final round
- 1: captain bonus on the final round
- 4: customs house
- 4: fortress
- 4: residence
- 3: coffee roaster
- 3: tobacco storage
- 3: wharf
- 3: harbour
- 3: university
- 2: large sugar or indigo plant
- 39: customs bonus for 158 shipping points
- 15: fortress bonus for 45 colonists
- 7: residence bonus for all fields
- 8: on 8 building phases: through the university
- 2: on the 1st mayor phase: the 1st colonist on the ship and the mayor bonus
- 33: on 2nd to 12th mayor phases, 3 on each: the 1st and 6th colonist on the ship and the mayor bonus
- 2: on the 13th mayor phase: the 2nd and 7th colonist on the ship.
It's easier if the winning player starts with the corn field, so corn may be sold in the beginning. The first building to be built (indeed, before any production building) must be the university, to get the maximum benefit of it. Selling one unit of corn is not enough, so dig some gold as well, or get the role bonus doubloons.
While it is possible to get even more colonists by building the hospice, it mustn't be done. The hospice gives 11 colonists among with the 11 fields collected after the starting field. However, this exhausts the colonist supply faster, reducing the number of mayor phases from 13 to 11: as such, the player may collect a total of 8+11+2+9*3+2 = 50 colonists, worth 16 of fortress bonus instead of 15. However, removing any of the buildings listed above causes a loss of more than 1 point.
It would also be possible to get more colonists through the university by replacing a large building by small ones; this doesn't improve the score either, even the residence is worth 4+7 = 11 points, or 5½ points per city space it occupies, while the remaining small buildings are at most worth 3 (or, assuming city hall or guild bonuses, 3+1 = 2+2 = 4).
Of large buildings, city hall and guild house are omitted. Either of them would be worth 4+6 = 10 points, or 5 points per city space occupied, however any building used here is worth more than that. Of 3-point buildings, factory is omitted. It doesn't help in creating any points except its base value. Money obviously is no issue here.
The other players must avoid the shipping points. This is easy for players starting with the indigo field: they simply refuse to build any production plants, or to get corn fields. The other player starting with the corn field is usually forced to produce corn. This must be sold before shipping takes place. To facilitate corn sales, this person may build the office.
The game requires a lot of useless actions by other players. Useless actions may be gold digging (money is no issue), building (no one is forced to build anything, not even the builder), trading (it is possible even without having anything to sell) and settling (everything is fine, as long as other players avoid corn fields and the winning player gets at least 4 kinds of fields, possibly indigo or sugar excluded).
Care must be taken by all players when building buildings and locating colonists. Almost all the time the colonist ship must have exactly 6 colonists on board, to give the maximum share to the winning player. One exception is obviously the 1st mayor phase, when there are 5 colonists; the other is the 13th one, when there must be 7, to allow the winning player to collect 2 without being the mayor. While it is possible to be the mayor on the final round as well, to get 46 colonists instead of 45, this wouldn't affect the score, while being the captain does. After the 13th mayor phase, 1 colonist may still board the ship.
After the second-to-last captain phase, all the ships must be emptied and exactly 1 point chip must remain. This requires some careful planning.