Trade income questions

[Lord_Slop]

This is my first post, I've been playing the TW series since RTW, and I must say that ETW is by far the most epic of them, however, here's my situation.

I'm playing as the United Provinces, which means that trade is supposed to be my main source of income, so I did what's expected of me, control all nodes in the East Indies, 4 out of 5 in Brazil (The fifth is Great Britain, my ally), 3 out of 5 in both Ivory coast and Straits of Madagaskar, each node has between 4 and 5 trade ships depending on the theater.

At the beginning I made 5 trade agreements, 4 sea routes (1 for each port I have) and 1 land route to Westphalia.

I've managed to eliminate the pirates and take their 2 settlements in the Carribean (Leeward Islands and Trinidad & Tobago), took texas to prepare for when I take on Spain then took on Mysore and eliminated them, as well as taking Portugal then their indian settlement Goa, was then declared on by the Maratha Confedaracy and I'm steadily advancing through their land, have taken all the south of India + Heidarabad and Nijapur.

All this is good, so where's my problem.

1. Great Britain are at war with France, Sweden and Spain, they're blockading all trade to England now, which deprives me of near 50% of my trade income (close to 10,000 per turn).

I'm not sure, should I cancel my trade agreement with GB and free a trade route to another trade agreement, or should I step in against the French and Swedes to free this trade route, bearing in mind that war with France will drag spain into this war, eventually I will have to fight France and Spain for the territories in the victory conditions, but I was planning to postpone that till all other objectives have been met.

2. From the beginning of the game I've only been able to establish 5 trade routes in total, regardless of how many ports or land routes I have to other nations (I now have 9 trade ports and have land borders with Mughal Empire), however it's always stated that not enough ports, any ideas?

[eXistenZ]

Conquer flanders, and change the shipyard in antwerp to a commercial port. You will have to fight them (france and spain) eventually, and it's in your victory conditions. However, it will require a full stack to keep flanders in your hand, so that's a bit of a cost. but worth it

[Lord_Slop]

Thanks for the swift reply, so am I guessing correctly that it's not taking the extra ports I took over into account unless they're in the home theatre?

[eXistenZ]

Thanks for the swift reply, so am I guessing correctly that it's not taking the extra ports I took over into account unless they're in the home theatre?

Extra ports only provide extra trade routes if they are close to your capital. (a direct route to them). So flanders is a bit of a key area for france as UP.

So to reply to this: taking over marocco or so wouldn't give you extra trade routes.

[dutch81]

Yeah they have to be close but not direct I think because in my Austria campaign I have trade going through Berlin ... and it is not connected directly to Vienna.

Yeah I would go to war with France and Spain if you have the naval power to do it ... Spain especially tends to have a powerful fleet ... if you don't want to take them out just fight a defensive war in Europe using primarily your navy to strangle them, and go for their colonies that you can use.

[Lord_Slop]

Ok, so tonight I end the war in India and begin unblockading that trade route to sustain a new stack and take Flanders, does this sound right?

[dutch81]

No I would continue the ground war in India ... having India will make you stinking rich ... and on the plus side expanding there does not anger any of your european counterparts. But you could just enter the war on the side of GB and use your naval power to blockade France and Spain this will help GB ... and keep Spain and France in the game as you said you wanted to do for now ... maybe just take a few colonies from them in the Americas to make it worth your while.

But, yes you must take Flanders this is vital area for you ... I'm surprised this was not your first move!

[eXistenZ]

Conquer first the whole of india. It will make you very rich, and after you have conquered it, you can disband a few troops (not all of them), giving you more financial space. India is a very rich area, both in taxes and trade. for America, i did this:

With the army i conquered the pirates, i began a journey through south and central america, picking every colony of spain, with ease. Because you are a republic the people stay happy, allowing you to move fast from city to city, and the spanish offer very little resistance. I did this: starting on Curacao, taking the pirates and the french colonies:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

But yeah it is very surprising that you didn't take flanders first. cause the nice lady advices you to do so.

[Lord_Slop]

Thanks both for the advice, I took Flanders yesterday night, but by a different route

1. In India, I gave HaydarAbad to Maratha for a cease fire agreement.
2. Made a swap deal with Spain, took Flanders and gave them Portugal and Texas.
3. GB's trade routes were blockaded by France, Spain and Sweden, however, the trade route affecting my trade with them was only blockaded by Sweden, so I pulled a fleet from India consisting of 4 fourth rates + 2 sloops to unblock this route, which I did, however, next turn Sweden returned with a nice fleet of 15 fourth rates, dicimated my fleet and blockaded Rotterdam, making me instantly bancrupt, next turn I managed to pull together all my fleets from the different theatres and form a full stack of 9 third rates + 11 fluyts, leaving only the indiamen in the trade theaters and destroyed Sweden's navy completely, thus freeing all my trade.

The situation is like this now:

1. Net income is up to 32,000 per turn.
2. I have 2 full land stacks in Europe, 1 In Curacao and 3 in India.
3. My navy reuires re-building as I have only 1 half stack of heavy ships in the English Channel.
4. The victory conditions have almost been fulfilled, only 4 territories remain (French Guyana, New York, New Andalusia and Hindustan), which will take my total count to 21 territories with 4 to gain anywhere, probably North Africa.
5. I am now at war with Sweden and Barbary States, Allied with GB and have excellent relations with most of Europe, including France and Prussia.

I think my next move will be to take the North of the Blatic sea (Denmark + Sweden), followed by North Africa, and as a final assault I'll blitz France and Alzace Lorraine to facilitate my war in the Americas against the newly founded countries and Spain.

Think this would work?

P.S. How do I +rep you both?