Trading

[WilberDaForce]

Hi,

Am doing my first European campaign as the French (i.e. the one after the Egyptian one) and was wondering how exactly to tackle trade.

1) I presume I am best sticking to trading in the Med so as to avoid les Anglais?
2) How many trading ships should you stick on each node?
3) Why does the trade route still seem to go past the UK into Calais rather than into the new trading port for the Med I have built on the coast of Southern France.
4) Are more advanced trading ships better at trading itself or do they have better guns?
5) Any other trading tips would be appreciated.

Merci.

[Clodius]

Your big starting problem is that all your trade goes through the trade port nearest your capital.

In turn 1 this is Antwerp which the British almost always raid and blockade (in fact their huge navy will probably do nothing else for much of the game).

AFAICS the trade will continue to go through Antwerp even if it is non-functional or if you have a higher level trade port in the Med.

So best strategy is to either immediately demolish or turn all of your Channel ports into dockyards (demolish is probably best as it takes effect in turn 2 and France won't need more than one dockyard and that is best built at Nantes which allows you to build warships cheaper and is less likely to get raided).

Simultaneously upgrade Genoa to a commercial port and build trading ports at Toulon and Bastia in Corsica.

This will lead to all your trade going through Toulon or Genoa which are much less likely to be blockaded than Antwerp.

Then spam as many merchant ships as you can from the three Mediterranean ports and take over all the trade nodes that are free along southern edge of the map.

5 ships per node seems to be about optimum as you get declining returns on each additional ship - however you can go to 10 or more and still make a profit.

I'd stick with the basic cheap merchantmen - if you get attacked by actual warships the Indiamen with more guns will probably still get sunk so are not worth the much higher cost.

You also need to make trade agreements with everyone you can and avoid war with the Prussians and Ottomans as long as you can as they can be very lucrative trade partners.

Also watch out for sudden British landings along the Channel - as before you know it they can sneak up and besiege Paris - in which case all your trade will stop and you'll go bankrupt very quickly if you've become dependent on it.

Oh and sending Murat with a flying column of 4 or so cavalry units to take Gibraltar is a good idea as it is generally only defended by one militia and one foot unit and will give you another trade port or dockyard perfectly sited to dominate the trade nodes in the SW corner of the map (plus if Spain later betrays you at an awkward moment you can sell it to them in exchange for peace and a new alliance).

[Red Hue]

Develope your port in Marseilles, leave the others for a few turns.

Put ships, any ships on an ivory and a spice trade spot then try to get a sugar. Build your trade ships in the south for now.


Also, here is a handy to have item for the first time player:


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Trade nodes, from North to South to East.

Far North (I) North of Scotland

1) to Boston- Furs

2) to Baltimore- Tobacco

3) to Norfolk- Tobacco

4) to Savannah- Cotton


West (II) SW from Ireland

5) to St. Augustine- Cotton


SW (III) starting off Spain

6) to Recife- Sugar

7) to Santos- Sugar

8) to Calcutta- Tea

9) to Cameroons Town- Ivory

10) Casablanca- Tea


North Afrecia (IV) S. Spain

11) Oran- Ivory

12) Algiers- Spices


Tunisisia (V)

13) Annaba- Coffee

14) Tunis- Coffee


Malta (VI)

15) Valletta- Spices


East Med. (VII)

16) Kandiye- Coffee

17) Izmir- Coffee


E. Black Sea (VIII)

18) Trabzon-Furs

19) Ochamchira- Furs

[Travisk]

Make sure you have atleast two small fleets after taking trade nodes. The coalition WILL raid your trade routes.

[Clodius]

True - its a good idea to raid Split on the Adriatic to stop the Austrians from building a raiding fleet.

Strangely the Russians seem to be the most active raiders of trade nodes and will send fleets all the way from the Baltic to the Med - so you do need to keep a fleet.

Alternatively you could try leaving a frigate or two on each node - this might actually deter the raids.

[coppernail]

For France, try building a commercial port at Nantes, then most of the med trade gets routed to there. I suppose it is the only port In 'France' and it is round the corner and less prone to interference from the British, esp if you keep them busy in the channel. I think cheap warships are less important.