What if the sea route to India had gone differently?

Vasco da Gama rounds Africa and reaches India by sea, breaking the overland spice monopoly.

If it had gone differently: Europe's trade with Asia stays overland and heavily taxed; the seaborne empires of the Dutch and English have no template.

The real history on Wikipedia ↗

Later turning points that leaned on the sea route to India. Change it in the game and the ripples reach all of these.

1. 1500The Columbian Exchange. Without it, No potatoes or maize in the Old World; European populations stay smaller and hungrier.
2. 1525The Atlantic slave trade scales up. Without it, The plantation economy never finds its labour force; Atlantic colonies stay marginal.
3. 1600The chartered East India companies. Without it, European trade with Asia stays a matter of small merchant convoys; no company-states, no gunboat empires.