Trade...how?

[uberf1end]

I've read a few guides about trading and they seem to suggest that all you need are some ships, ports and trading posts..Is it really as simple as that? Do I just build them and they work for themselves? The manual is suitably vague...How do I go about 'linking my ships to friendly ports?

Any help much appreciated, I have a war with the French to contend with so I can't give it my full concentration.

[Boris of Bohemia]

It's as simple as that, but if you're at war their ships will block the trade route. Press v and look at the sea zones. Green zones are friendly and hostile zones are red.

[Pericles]

I've read a few guides about trading and they seem to suggest that all you need are some ships, ports and trading posts..Is it really as simple as that? Do I just build them and they work for themselves? The manual is suitably vague...How do I go about 'linking my ships to friendly ports?

Any help much appreciated, I have a war with the French to contend with so I can't give it my full concentration.

What country are you playing as?

Basically, the buildings/units you list are correct. To trade you need to make sure that you have at least one ship in every sea zone linking your port(s) to the other port(s). The more ports you link with, the higher the trade income.

You should note that even a single enemy ship placed in one the linking sea zones will stop the trade between those linked ports. Thus a war with another maritime power could hamper you financially. So you should also build farm/mine improvements.

[derF]

Yes the manual is vague.

You seem to have all the right things.

1. Port (in one of your provinces)
2. Boat (or boats leading to every sea from your province to a trading province)
3. Trading Post
4. Peace with trading province.
5. No enemy ships.

[uberf1end]

Cheers guys. I am England.

It was the ship in every section of sea between me and the trading port that I was missing.

[Pericles]

Cheers guys. I am England.

It was the ship in every section of sea between me and the trading port that I was missing.

England, eh?

Heheh

A maritime war can kill you financially.

Best to also build farm and mines too.

BTW, Sweden is a rich province to grab (hint, hint)

Have fun!

[derF]

A maritime war can kill you financially.

This is very true. Although very rewarding, boats arent cheap and war can disrupt trade heavily.

[TonyJ]

You could try to have at least two ships in each sea sector for when the inevitable war comes and then later try to have several fleets of several ships in each sea sector - sounds hard, I know but if you dedicate a couple of places to ship building they'll spit them out in no time. Try and get up the tech tree as well so you can start building tougher ships like cogs quickly.

If you can get a good link to the major middle eastern ports like Antioch and then also to Venice, you're trade will be soaring in no time. Even better - try to grab Antioch via a crusade or something.

Oh and one last thing - watch out for the Spanish and keep a decent fleet or fleets at Gibraltar

[derF]

You could try to have at least two ships in each sea sector for when the inevitable war comes

Its a good idea. But a better idea which i adopt is to have a skeleton 1-ship-thick trading chain, while having a fleet of a combined 10 ships. Maybe 2 of these fleets if im playing aggressively.

[TonyJ]

Ho ho, I like the sound of that !!

A fleet of 10 ships - wow now there's an idea - so you like stomp around the Med with it whenever there's a threat ?

Oh I like it

[derF]

so you like stomp around the Med with it whenever there's a threat ?

Exactly!

[Saracen_Warrior]

yea the AI seems to neglect building enough ships. It was my first campagn as Egypt and I had Antioch genrating 3500 each year and of egypt and tripoli casshin in. So basically half of my 9000 dollar income was from trade. Then out of the blue, the byzantines my main trading partner attcks me so my income plumeted. Luckily I has built up over 100,000 florins of buffer money. So i just hired as many mercinaries as i could, Built as many troops and wiped out the bysantines navy then proceeded to take over the byzantines and most of eastern europe before the horde arrived. I ended up with about 20,000 florins left.

Is it just me or is assasinating the royal family of the horde cheasy. Thats what i did, but now i think it would have been more fun to have fought them. Thats what ill do on my second campagn. But im england now and i probably wont have to deal with them.

[TonyJ]

I had a similar problem in the Campaign I am currently playing through.

I am playing the Spanish and had a good chain of ships to all the major ports: England (my ally) decides to take out my ships and so of course my trade revenue takes a hammering. Fortunately I had several fleets of a couple of cogs sitting around the Straits of Gibraltar and around Sicily - goodbye English fleets.

Once the maritime threat was dealt with and their trade income was crippled, I used the good old 'moving wall' approach and swept their armies northwards out of europe. By the time my armies were sitting in Flanders waiting for Eurostar, most of their home counties were in revolt. They now have one province left - Wales.

Which as a Welshman I obviously find offensive and will have to rectify

But seriously it became quite obvious that the English couldn't afford to train troops anymore once their ships had gone: it can all to easily happen if you're not really prepared.

[Sensei Warrior]

I always get caught with my pants down on this. I build a fleet and get oodles of cash and pretty soon I'm expanding rapidly, then whack someone shreds my ships to smithereens and I'm caught in the red during a time when bankruptcy doesn't exist.

So I highly recommend giving yourself a good florin buffer not to mention the 2 ship trade approach. Oh and a couple of fleets of some type of warship works well too.

[English assassin]

They now have one province left - Wales.

Oh wow, that's MUCH crueller than just killing them.

[derF]

Is it just me or is assasinating the royal family of the horde cheasy.

Actually, its very accurate. Ghengis Khans successor (Ogadai) was largely incompetent. And as a result the mongolian movement fell.

Historically speaking, killing leaders is VERY successful.

[TonyJ]

@ English Assassin

OI !! Watch it boyo, I'll 'ave you, see you

[Thessalos]

I just hate one thing in MTW. Everyone wants to make alliance with you and after 2 or 3 rounds everybody turns against you!!! I HATE THAT!
These loose alliances made me to loose a LOT of money from trade...

[TwinMfg]

Technically, all you need is a trading post. However, the province will only be able to trade with other provinces that it shares a border with. Trading by sea is how you get filthy rich- just keep control of those trade routes!