can someone explain the mercantile mechanic to me please?

[andysonofbob]

After 100+ hours I'm just starting to get the hang of this game! ;-)

So, 'mercantile':
1, what is it?
2, how does this work?
3, What type of county needs to consider it
4, any tips relating to it.

Thanks!

 

[zerosius]

1. Its a modifier that influences the Trade power from your provinces.
2. Its a pretty straight forward modifier: 15% Mercantilism gives 15% more Trade Power from your Provinces i think. You can look it up at all times in the Trade Overview Tab.
3. Well its most important for Countries that play the Trade Game and get a lot or the Majority of their Tradepower from their Provinces. So Big Landlocked Powers for example or with low Naval Forcelimits.

 

[Empreorpoef]

1. Its a modifier that influences the Trade power from your provinces.
2. Its a pretty straight forward modifier: 15% Mercantilism gives 15% more Trade Power from your Provinces i think. You can look it up at all times in the Trade Overview Tab.
3. Well its most important for Countries that play the Trade Game and get a lot or the Majority of their Tradepower from their Provinces. So Big Landlocked Powers for example or with low Naval Forcelimits.

every 1 mercantilism is 2% more tradepower in provinces you own

 

[Camtheman]

And you always want to max it out.

 

[Empreorpoef]

basically to answer all your questions:

1. 1 mercantilism improves provincial trader power by 2% (so if you have 10 mercantilism, you get a 20% bonus to trader power in your provinces)
2. each province has trader power which goes to the trade node...mercantilism improves it.
3. its important for trade nations but its never negative to have mercantilism
4. it's always positive to have mercantilism, so whenever you can get it, you probably should

 

[Xara]

Your trade power in a node is a combation of :

1. Provincial trade power. This is trade power added by provinces, which is boosted by province buildings and mercantalism.
2. Ship trade power. This is trade power added by light ships protecting the node.
3. Streaming trade power. This is trade power added by the influence of your trade power in other, connected nodes. The most complex type.

Provincial trade power is most useful in:

-Your home node
-Trade company regions. When you control 50%+ (iirc) provincial trade power in a trade company region where the provinces have been given to that trade company, you get the regional bonus (+1 merchant etc.). These regions are in Africa, India, and southeast Asia

It's most useful on a nation that's going to selectively acquire provinces, rather than conquer everything outright. The provinces you want to acquire are ones with trade power bonuses, such as Sounds and river deltas.

 

[Less]

mo' mercantilism mo' money.

 

[Autoclave]

While the bonus is not that big for regular provinces, those that contain important center of trade, river estuaries, it can give quite a big buff.