Useless shipping!!!

**The Shadow One** · 09-12-2005, 23:53

Okay:

I have played MTW for some time now without developing my shipping. Why? Because it doesn't work. I mean, it never works. Not even once. Not even on a bet. You don't get squat from your ports.

Maybe I have to one defective version of MTW. Maybe somewhere in my code, some drunk programer at CA decided to throw me a curve ball, just for laughs. But, that possibility notwithstand, I tried again today to build the Byzantine empire by using shipping.

I might as well have just cut my throat and let the blood run down the ground.

Yes, I did read the excellent article on MTW economics 101. Yes, I did develop my shipping by:

1. Building ships (I know this obvious, but just so you know I did it).

2. Linking my port in Constantinople with the Egyptian ports to the south east and the Italian/Slovakian ports to the West. I use shipping boats not warships and I took over twenty-one years to build a hefty navy.

3. I built a merchant on my end. I even advanced my merchant.

And I sat back and waited. You know, for the millions to roll in. HA!!!! After four full years -- almost a quarter of decade devoted to develping my shipping and I click on a port and how much do you think its making?

0. That's right. Nothing. Squat.

What a waste of @!#$#%&!! money!

What I am doing wrong? How the heck does shipping work in MTW???

**Graphic** · 09-13-2005, 00:05

The way you describe it, it should be working. Maybe you're being blockaded by an enemy.

**The Shadow One** · 09-13-2005, 00:08

It's the beginning of the game and I'm the only nation -- other than the Italians -- boats in the water.

**m52nickerson** · 09-13-2005, 00:09

To make millions you need multiple ports bringing in trade. You also need to link to almost every other port on the map. Also remember you need unblocked lanes of trade. All it takes is one enemy ship to disrupt your whole net work. In my Polish game I have eight ports linked to every other port on the map and are bringing in about 10,000 florin profit every turn. So even with the mighty C you need more ports. You can also click on the economy page and check to see if you are bringing in trade profit.

**The Shadow One** · 09-13-2005, 00:19

Okay, good points, all of them.

Let me it really clear. I had a port in the big C and another in Greece. Both states had merchants.

I had a boat on almost every part of the big Med west of Sicily and Malta. That means I had uniterrupted shipping between Egypt, which had a port, Tunisia, which had a port, and the two or three ports in the Agean.

And it wasn't that I was disappointed with how much I was making -- I wasn't making squat. Zip. No money in the port at all.

The only nation I was at war with was Turkey.

Okay, do you have to be allied with the nation to trade with them?

Do you have to establish some kind of trade agreement?

Do you have a special kind of boat?

Do you have click on their port or something?

Is there a magic password?

Seriously, five years after linking my ports in Greece and the big C, I still was making NO money and I was the only boat in the water.

**ShadowMagnet** · 09-13-2005, 00:28

Mate, seriously, the last thing I want to do is patronise. But somehow it just doesn't seem likely for anyone to struggle to develop a strong trade network when playing the mighty Byz. I do not understand the problem. You have the boats, you have the ports, in peace with everyone. Definitely should work. Damn sure did for me.

**Come Together** · 09-13-2005, 00:34

Well, if you REALLY want to build trading with ships, try to have a ship in most of the provinces with ports/tradable goods. You can check the money being brought in from trading by going to the economy tab, and clicking on one of the provinces doing the trading.

**m52nickerson** · 09-13-2005, 01:02

You are not linked to enough foreign ports. Each port you are linked to will only give you around 25-50 florins a year per your ports. You need to make more ships and link to all ports on the map. All the way to Sweden. You don't need any special type of ships, and you don't need to be allied with faction to trade, but you can't be at war with them.

**Roark** · 09-13-2005, 01:05

Just to make sure we've covered all bases:

You do know that Constantinople's adjoining sea-region is VERY tiny (ie: it isn't the one that is adjacent to Greece and Nicea.