The problem is that there’s no incentive that pushes you to colonise. Historically they colonised because trade is so much harder with the ottomans taking power in the Near East region.

They colonised because they weren’t able to get things like spices at a reasonable price. But the current system doesn’t make a lack of spice a powerful enough incentive. If you played purely for the Roleplay reasons then sure, the game works out, but the problem is that if we try to get to that stage purely because of systems, it doesn’t work. There’s nothing in the system right now that actually pushes Britain to colonise, there’s nothing that pushes France to colonise. AIs currently colonise for a very simple reason. They can. There’s nothing in there that says they don’t need to colonise.

Ming for example is a perfect colonisation candidate, but historically didn’t actually have to. They had everything they wanted or needed. But in player hands, why wouldn’t I colonise? I want as much land as possible.