Why do i bother?

[Dayve]

Playing as Sweden, the year is 1730. As of yet i haven't been at war with anybody, but the Poles have had large armies stationed on my borders and are hostile since the start, but that's all. Anyhow, i have only 4 trading partners, of which only 2 are worth anything. Britain and France. Denmark and Courland contribute barely anything and are definitely getting the better deal.

Then, out of the blue, my income plummeted from 4,000 per turn to -848 a turn, because the British and UP went to war and were blocking British trade into my lands, from whom the vast majority of my income depended. The port of London was blocked i noticed, no matter, the British have almost a full fleet stationed there and another half a fleet on the port next to it.

4 turns later it was still blocked, and the British had made no attempt to unblock it. My people were unhappy as i'd had to tax all classes to the max, and i had to take action, so i sent my fleet, 6 sicth rates and 4 fourth rates, with a fifth rate admiral, to defeat the UP navy and unblock the port.

I won a phyrric victory, the port was unblocked, but my navy was badly beaten up, with all 6th rates sunk, the admiral dead and 2 50% strength 4th rates remaining, and that was with me outnumbering the UP!

I got the ships back to port and reinforced them with 6 more fourth rates and a new admiral. The UP sent another navy to block the port of London, and again, the British did nothing about it. Their navy consisted of 14 Fluyts and various assorted light support ships, sloops, brigs, and a 5th rate admiral. 17 units all in all, to my 8.

I would like to have waited and built up my navy more before going in and fighting at odds against me of 3-1, but i had run out of money and my income had plummeted even further, and i was now slightly in debt with no way of getting out of it, so i had no choice.

What followed was a 2 hour battle which i was winning for the first half, until out of nowhere 2 of my ships that had not yet entered combat sank as i turned them to fire their first volleys, leaving me with 5 beaten up fourth rates and an admiral, whose ship was sent to a watery grave soon after. For the next hour those 5 ships routed, re-routed and sank a great many of the enemy ships, but although Fluyts are inferior to fourth rates, with 2-1 odds they'll still win. My entire navy was lost. My income is negative, there's nobody else i can trade with and i have no money to build another navy.

The fleet blocking the port at London is so beaten and battered the British could send 3 or 4 sixth rates at it and sink the bastards, but they would rather just avoid combat and let 100% of their empires trade be denied to them, despite the fact that they have 2 enormous fleets in and around London harbour.

In the diplomacy panel, Britain is Terrifying/Destitute.

So i ask myself... why do i bother.