Trade Theatre Usage Analysis

**Prodigal** · 06-03-2009, 08:06

The two factions that start with units on trade spots have mixed fleets, the only logical reason the dev's would do that would be to provide fleet protection, which leads to the conclusion that trade spots were/are meant to be being raided. That they are not looks like a pretty obvious issue, bug may be too strong.

There are some other fleet problems that are probably considered more pressing, but trade spots attacks, and a tweaked fleet generation system that considered increasing faction wealth where a trade spot has been captured would be quite a major game improvement.

**al Roumi** · 06-03-2009, 14:01

Originally Posted by Prodigal

The two factions that start with units on trade spots have mixed fleets, the only logical reason the dev's would do that would be to provide fleet protection, which leads to the conclusion that trade spots were/are meant to be being raided. That they are not looks like a pretty obvious issue, bug may be too strong.

There are some other fleet problems that are probably considered more pressing, but trade spots attacks, and a tweaked fleet generation system that considered increasing faction wealth where a trade spot has been captured would be quite a major game improvement.

Labelling this a bug or issue is misleading and IMO irrelevant. It's a failure of the AI to perform what, to the Human player, is a basic, if not essential procedure. With the consequence of cippling the AI controlled factions and handing an un-merited advantage to the player.

Personally, I'd rank this as high as the inability to perform naval invasions. AI controled France, GB, UP, Spain and Protugal are all economically crippled by their inability to trade as effectivley as the player.

**Didz** · 06-03-2009, 17:34

AI wise those factions that can trade should trade to the best of their ability, and those that can't should be hiring privateers/pirates to prey on those that can.

**AussieGiant** · 06-10-2009, 07:57

God, I hope they fix this crap!!

Good work Didz, thanks for the analysis.

**Hosakawa Tito** · 06-10-2009, 10:37

I notice in my UP campaign that the commodity price drops even if I just swap an Indiamen Merchant vessel for a Fluyt on a trade spot. I didn't add an extra vessel to the spot just swapped to use the Fluyt's firepower to attack a Pirate fleet in the East Indies trade theater.

**Didz** · 06-10-2009, 11:30

Originally Posted by Hosakawa Tito

I notice in my UP campaign that the commodity price drops even if I just swap an Indiamen Merchant vessel for a Fluyt on a trade spot. I didn't add an extra vessel to the spot just swapped to use the Fluyt's firepower to attack a Pirate fleet in the East Indies trade theater.

I think you've posted this in the wrong thread.

This thread is specifically analysing the usage made of Trade Theatres by the AI, or as it turns out the inability of the AI to make use of Trade Theatres.

I did in fact, do a thorough analysis of the Return On Investment (ROI) possible from each Trade Theatre here:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=117356

What this shows is that the Trade Value of a commodity does vary over time, and is dependant upon the world market for that commodity not just your own level of shipment.

Check out the figures over there and see if they vary significantly from yours.

**Papewaio** · 06-15-2009, 07:11

Awesome work Didz!

I would much rather a smart AI rather than artificial bonuses to make up for poor programming.

Although it does seem that some value is inverted if Warships are on trade zones and Trade ships are in war zones. I doubt that it is that simple... but none of us get un-confused with double negatives.