Ask the multiplayer crowd if Money is indeed that useless a resource. Not criticizing what you said - just that to say a thing is useless, you have to analyze it when players with similar skill are playing, not human vs AI.
Well, as one who plays MP on a regular basis, I'd would rather spend money than Monarch points for sure. Yes, in the early game money is a bit scarce, but in middle-late game is very abundant, plus if you happen to not have enough in a war, you can always take loans. But unfortunately you cannot borrow power points. Also, the problem of monarch points abundance is only there if you have really good monarchs and few provinces to build stuff on. Hell, as of the stream, ahead of time penalty is only +5% per year now, so just invest in tech if you have got so many. Now, also tech cost increase over time is also draining many more points than before, so I don't see the issue with too many points.
The con of using money as payment is that adds to snow-balling and strengthens big countries, while the con of monarch points is that it is too much luck-dependent and would basically be a western-only mechanic.
EDIT: got an idea to solve this issue, what if policy enactment costs scaled on monarch stats and country size? So if the ruler is 3 you pay base cost, with like 0 giving +75% cost and a 6 -75% cost. Also cost would scale depending on number of ships/brigades/provinces or more simply base tax.
Trade needs a major overhaul indeed.
What I want to see is strategical control of essential military goods. For example:
1- Increase all units cost across the board.
2- trade power would decrease costs. For example, got trade power in a node full of Naval Supplies? Ship costs would decrease. Copper? Cheaper ships and above all artillery.
3- Trade agreements would also be nice.
Suddenly Trade NI group would become MUCH more viable.
Maybe reduce costs by your trade share of the good divided by like 2. So if you control 20% iron, your artillery costs 10% less. Nice idea actually, and would stimulate trade hugely.
