Allow independent trade companies.

[firecage]

Once we set up a trade company in, say, India. And if we manage to give it a strong presence, which requires 51% trade power there, we should be able to make the trade company autonomous. Basically it would be similar to a vassal or client state.

For example, in real history, the Dutch East Indian Company was fairly independent from the Netherlands.

 

[Reverend Belial]

I fully support this. The East India Company was basically a colonial nation in its own right.

 

[Franz Limit]

Or alternatively this could be represented as it's own estate.
I think the main issue with independent trade companies is just the balance. If it still gives you the + merchant, the + naval focelimit, the + trade, it would be a bit over the top if it also provides troops and ships by itself. (yes it would be realistic) So if we want to change trade companies, we might need some general changes too. Maybe letting them use your own manpower + forcelimit pool or something like that? I don't know for sure how it would fit best.

 

[Incompetent]

Or alternatively this could be represented as it's own estate.
I think the main issue with independent trade companies is just the balance. If it still gives you the + merchant, the + naval focelimit, the + trade, it would be a bit over the top if it also provides troops and ships by itself. (yes it would be realistic) So if we want to change trade companies, we might need some general changes too. Maybe letting them use your own manpower + forcelimit pool or something like that? I don't know for sure how it would fit best.

The trade company would have to give me 100% of its trade power for me to trust them with autonomy. Trade is one of the most complicated aspects of the game, and I don't trust the AI to do a good job of managing it.

Even then, autonomy wouldn't necessarily be OP though, because a) you lose the direct tax/production/manpower benefit of those provinces (which can actually be significant with the right ideas and buildings) and b) you gain troops and ships *controlled by an AI*, which is not as good as controlling them yourself.

Regarding the +merchant from CNs and TCs, I think the current setup is much too generous for Western maritime empires (who end up with so many merchants that where to put a merchant is no longer an interesting tactical decision), and slightly too harsh on non-Western tech and on inland traders (especially given how vital merchants are for inland trade). But this would need to be fixed regardless of whether or not TCs can have autonomy.

 

[Sparticulous]

I really would like to see autonomous trade companies like that of colonial nations.

 

[impspy]

They should use the troop type native to the area, but still be the tech as the parent country too.

 

[Chief of Staff]

I've been wanting something like this since EUIV was released. Just hoping Paradox will do this one day. Some restrictions should be made like massive nerf to culture and religion conversion because trade companies are in business of making money, not converting others to their culture and religion. +1

They should use the troop type native to the area, but still be the tech as the parent country too.

^ this. Their tech will be same and primary culture will be same but they can only raise native troops. They can hire European troops in limited number via, say, mercenaries or maybe via random events (though that probably wouldn't work out).