Europa Universalis IV announced

[garbon]

Odd EU:Rome just got a new patch to fix some stability issues...

[crazy canuck]

Ok.  I sort of understand how trade works now, but I can't seem to operationalize it.  That is, in the early game, what the fuck should I be doing as England with my ships and merchants?  Better to leave the merchants in London and Bordeaux and put all my light ships in Bordeaux, or to split them between Bordeaux and London, or to try moving a merchant to Sevilla to forward to Bordeaux?  Everything I try with it seems to just drop my trade income...

Assume, for this discussion, that I won the 100 years' war but have crippled my manpower in the process and have fuck-all for monarch points.

Early on the London trade node probably has little value and few competitors.  You can probably get along without light ships there.  You can direct trade from Bordeaux to London iirc.  You should use your lights ships to do that.  You shouldn't try to collect in Bordeaux or any other foriegn node where there is competition because of the large foriegn node collection penalty.  Only do that if you have a monopoly in the foriegn node - ie you are the only significant trader in the area.  If you are fortunate you will get that in the New World.  That is when your trade income climbs.

[Anatron]

Odd EU:Rome just got a new patch to fix some stability issues...

just in time 

[garbon]

Only do that if you have a monopoly in the foriegn node - ie you are the only significant trader in the area.  If you are fortunate you will get that in the New World.  That is when your trade income climbs.

I think later on it makes sense even if you are just the far dominant power in another node. Spain has some influence in the Caribbean in my game but Seville is being spammed by tons of nations, so collecting in Caribbean makes sense.

What I haven't managed to do properly yet, is pass enough trade from Asia into South Africa in enough volume that I would collect there.  I've 7 merchants / should I move some of my merchants that are currently in the west towards the east to push things more?

[Anatron]

Ok.  I sort of understand how trade works now, but I can't seem to operationalize it.  That is, in the early game, what the fuck should I be doing as England with my ships and merchants?  Better to leave the merchants in London and Bordeaux and put all my light ships in Bordeaux, or to split them between Bordeaux and London, or to try moving a merchant to Sevilla to forward to Bordeaux?  Everything I try with it seems to just drop my trade income...

Assume, for this discussion, that I won the 100 years' war but have crippled my manpower in the process and have fuck-all for monarch points.

You dont need merchant in your capital.Its only 1% trade improvement,its almost nothing.You should send your second merchant to transfer trade power to London.1 to France,the second one to North sea.

As you improve and capture new provinces is worth to change your Capital too.I play now with Hungary and captured Wien and Venice too.Now I moved my Capital to Venice and transfer trade powers there.More trade routes you use you have more profit.For example its better to transfer the trade power from Ragusa to Wien then to Venice because if I transfer the trade from Raguse to Venice directly I have like 10% less profit!

[Valmy]

Odd EU:Rome just got a new patch to fix some stability issues...

I want the option to transfer my game into CK2

[crazy canuck]

Only do that if you have a monopoly in the foriegn node - ie you are the only significant trader in the area.  If you are fortunate you will get that in the New World.  That is when your trade income climbs.

I think later on it makes sense even if you are just the far dominant power in another node. Spain has some influence in the Caribbean in my game but Seville is being spammed by tons of nations, so collecting in Caribbean makes sense.

That is what "only significant trader" means 

What I haven't managed to do properly yet, is pass enough trade from Asia into South Africa in enough volume that I would collect there.  I've 7 merchants / should I move some of my merchants that are currently in the west towards the east to push things more?

When I played as portugal collecting in South Africa made sense pretty much right away just from the colonies I had there.  All the trade I was able to direct there was a big bonus of course.  Try building up the trade value with buildings that increase production in SA.  When you can populate all the potential colonies in that trade node area.

As for redirecting the trade down there, yes you definitely need to have at least one province in nodes that have one option and merchants in nodes that have mulitiple options (all supported with sufficient light ships to dominate the node) directing trade down to you.

[garbon]

When I played as portugal collecting in South Africa made sense pretty much right away just from the colonies I had there.  All the trade I was able to direct there was a big bonus of course.  Try building up the trade value with buildings that increase production in SA.  When you can populate all the potential colonies in that trade node area.

Well right now, there is only about 10d of trade in South Africa.

As for redirecting the trade down there, yes you definitely need to have at least one province in nodes that have one option and merchants in nodes that have mulitiple options (all supported with sufficient light ships to dominate the node) directing trade down to you.

I currently have one stationed in Gulf of Aden and Ceylon...though the later probably isn't necessary. I guess then should I move that one to Malacca so that I limit the trade that escapes to China?

[garbon]

Odd EU:Rome just got a new patch to fix some stability issues...

I want the option to transfer my game into CK2

Well it is Doomdark who posted the updates...

[crazy canuck]

I currently have one stationed in Gulf of Aden and Ceylon...though the later probably isn't necessary. I guess then should I move that one to Malacca so that I limit the trade that escapes to China?

It depends on whether you have provinces in the places you will not have merchants.  You need to have light ships in all of them to push the trade along.  You cant have ships in a node if you have neither a merchant or a province - or I suppose shipping rights.

[garbon]

I currently have one stationed in Gulf of Aden and Ceylon...though the later probably isn't necessary. I guess then should I move that one to Malacca so that I limit the trade that escapes to China?

It depends on whether you have provinces in the places you will not have merchants.  You need to have light ships in all of them to push the trade along.  You cant have ships in a node if you have neither a merchant or a province - or I suppose shipping rights.

So only one where I don't have significant provinces & lightships is Ceylon. I actually have about 25% of the trade in the China node too.

[garbon]

Hey, Anatron, Wiz had this to say on Poland-Hungary:

"Hungary and Poland are not historical rivals. I tried having them as historical friends, but the result was very bad for the Ottomans so it was reverted."

Wonder if they'll get the balance right at some point then.

[crazy canuck]

So only one where I don't have significant provinces & lightships is Ceylon. I actually have about 25% of the trade in the China node too.

I am not sure then why your trade node in SA is worth so little.

[garbon]

I don't know either. I'll have to investigate. Possibly Gulf of Aden is my weak point.

[crazy canuck]

I don't know either. I'll have to investigate. Possibly Gulf of Aden is my weak point.

Yeah, you have to dominate that.  Should be easy to do but it is a must.