Trade, Tradepartners and Traderoutes

[Fridgebadger]

I think the concept that trade has to come through your home capital is a reasonable one. There's nothing to say there's no trade going on over your land borders, just not trade that your government can properly tax - unless it all comes through their capital's warehouses. (I think in this period some of London's warehouses were the largest man-made buildings in the world?)

Iirc (and I probably don't), wasn't the ol'Boston tea party due to the fact that London was slapping huge tarrifs on tea, which came from India via London?

As to whether the trade ports are bugged, that's another matter entirely ;)

PS. I don't think the Irish trade port gets trade income for GB because it's not connected to London via a land route, unlike the Scottish ports. However, I don't know how this applies to say, a pan-European Prussian empire, where nearly all their ports would be connected via land... maybe it has to be in a province directly adjacent to your home province as well?

[anweRU]

PS. I don't think the Irish trade port gets trade income for GB because it's not connected to London via a land route, unlike the Scottish ports. However, I don't know how this applies to say, a pan-European Prussian empire, where nearly all their ports would be connected via land... maybe it has to be in a province directly adjacent to your home province as well?

The Irish trade ports most definitely do. If you start up the game (post-patch 1.2), you can make a total of 9 trade agreements as GB on turn 1. If the Irish trade port was not functional, it would be only 7. I know you can't see the trade route on the screen, as I've never seen a trade route appear from there pre- or post- patch, despite maxing out the trade agreements.

As long as your ports are connected (via a direct land link or "bridge"), they will be functional. However, the strategic-map displays may not always show them properly.

There is another issue that caught my attention. Fisherking is correct (in several posts in several threads) in that the game conspires to nerf trade. I am currently in 1725, and the prices for spices - and more importantly ivory have been steadily declining - despite the fact that not a single trade ship has been added to any trade spot for at least 30 turns!

Demand should be going up as the population increases, and prices go up as the supply remains constant!!!