Help me optimize my indian trade network

[Ole122]

So, I'm currently playing a Mughal-game, happily conquering left and right and bashing heads in, but I feel that I could do better, especially in regards to trade. I've never been good at the trading-minigame, but I usually do okay. However, the trade centers in India and the Middle East are confusing the shit out of me.

I tried to make Hormuz in a quasi-end node after I looked at the connections (before I changed I had Delhi as my Main Trading Port) but I fear that this didn't work.

As for ideas and so on: I'm at Admin 11, so still way to go till I unlock the next group at 14. Thought about taking Trade then, as the 3 Merchants I have (2 base+1 from another Islam school) don't seem to be enough. I probably also have to redistribute my states and territories - those just developed over time and I never changed them much, but I guess the india provinces might be better as states due to their higher development.

Anyway, here are a few screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/GXTXM

The merchants are all currently collecting - one in Goa, one in Persia and one in Kashmir. Trade Fleet is protecting trade in Goa

What can I do better? What did I miss? If you need anymore screenshots, just tell me.

 

[Vetgirig]

If you have an end-node you wanna collect there and steer with all merchants to your end node.

So why collect ? Try steering all towards your "end" node.

 

[Brynjar]

More details on what is going on in the relevant nodes is kinda necessary. I would expect a lot of value being drained to the Gulf of Aden, either due to trade power from downstream nodes, or light ships.

Hormuz really isn't a very good node for you to have your trade capital in. A huge part of your value can't be transfered to it, as your other nodes are either downstream from it, or there are too many nodes where you have too low trade power to make it worth steering towards it. You could try transfering trade from Indus to Hormuz for a month to see how it affects your trade income, but your trade power in the other nodes are most likely too low for steering trade towards hormuz to be worth it.

Also, it's easier to just use the forum function for posting the screenshots. They won't go away, and there is no need to switch between tabs to see them.

 

[Sfan]

Yes, you should not collect everywhere. Have one merchant collecting in Hormuz for +10% income, it's usually better when you have so little merchants (steer trade is exponential). And have two merchants steering trade. I would say one in Indus and one in Kashmir. Test this, and test noone collecting in Hormuz but steering trade in Kashmir, in Goa and in Indus. You're losing all the trade, it is taken away by everyone in Goa, in Kashmir, in Indus because you don't use your trade power here. So far it's pretty hard for you to make a proper network because your land is really disconnected. I bet a lot of your state cores are in the Persia node, which is not connected to the Hormuz part because you don't control Basra. Once you control more of India, it will be a lot easier to make everything flow on Hormuz. So far half of your trade is in Persia and half could be in Hormuz (but is lost along the way), that really sucks.
But having your capital in Asia also means you can't make TC. If I were you, I would have rushed to put my capital in Europe or in Africa, stated mostly my culture group, and TCed all of India. Wayyyyy more income.

 

[SaucyBaron]

Conquer Gulf of Aden, Zanzibar, south Africa

Trade capital in Zanzibar, TC's everywhere, transfer everything into Zanzibar, conquer Indonesia/spice islands for infinite money.

 

[$ilent_$trider]

Don't collect with the merchants, put one of them from the Goa node to steer towards Indus, one on Gulf of Aden towards Ormuz and collect on Ormuz.
Perhaps put the third one inCeylon node and steer towards Goa (or Gulf of Aden, you can test which one will deliver more money at the end of the month).

 

[Sfan]

Not Ceylon, he lacks control of Ceylon. Kashmir or Indus.

 

[Brynjar]

Not Ceylon, he lacks control of Ceylon. Kashmir or Indus.

Steering from Kashmir is probably one of the worst things he can possible do, as it is downstream from Indus.

 

[Dominion]

Steering from Kashmir is probably one of the worst things he can possible do, as it is downstream from Indus.

Not saying steering from Kashmir is a good idea, but it certainly isn't downstream from Indus.

Indus and Kashmir both feed into Samarkand.

Kashmir > Doab > Goa > Indus is technically possible, but wild and unnecessary.
It also makes Indus downstream from Kashmir. Technically.

@Ole122
Your whole setup isn't ideal if you want to create any kind of trade flow.
I'd grab India and gather in Persia+Indus.

Or at least pick up Kashgar to get something out of Samarkand.

Right now you're dropping trade income left and right, especially in Persia where Shirvan still has two CoTs.
Tabriz and Shirvan alone should account for 40% of Persia's total trade power in your current setup.

 

[Stadhouder]

Personally I would make Persia my home trade node, as you can steer all your trade there and only a little leaks away.

Use all your merchants to steer trade, not to collect, they will happen automatically in your home node. Place one in Indus and one Goa for sure, you're leaking a lot there. The thrid one you can experiment where he adds the most value. Probably Ceylon, but you can just experiment a bit as check how different places effect your trade income.

 

[Brynjar]

Not saying steering from Kashmir is a good idea, but it certainly isn't downstream from Indus.

You can steer from Indus to Kashmir, so technically it is downstream, even though you can meke it upstream if you control 4 of the Indian nodes, and have plenty of merchants. You'll also find countries in the Samarkand trade node getting trade power in Indus due to "Transfers from trade power downstream".

Kashmir > Doab > Goa > Indus is technically possible, but wild and unnecessary.
It also makes Indus downstream from Kashmir. Technically.

In his current situation, which is what he is asking advice for, that would be just as bad, or worse because it's wasting more merchants.

I agree with the rest of your post. At the moment he is simply having to little control in all the nodes to create an effective trade network.

Edit: re-read your post, and deleted part of my answer, as I misunderstod your point.

 

[Sfan]

He needs Basra to make Persia a valuable homenode.

 

[Dominion]

I didn't quote you. Sfan quoted a guy suggesting to steer from Ceylon, but Sfan suggests Kashmir instead. He is already collecting in Kashmir, so I think it's safe to say that Sfan suggested steering from it. You can steer from Indus to Kashmir, so technically it is downstream, even though you can meke it upstream if you control 4 of the Indian nodes, and have plenty of merchants. You'll also find countries in the Samarkand trade node getting trade power in Indus due to "Transfers from trade power downstream".

You can not steer from Indus to Kashmir.

He needs Basra to make Persia a valuable homenode.

Theoretically? Maybe, yes, no, could be, dunno.
Fact is he's dropping between 30 and 40% of his trade power in Persia right now because Shirvan's CoTs are massive.

 

[Brynjar]

You can not steer from Indus to Kashmir.

I stand corrected. Got fooled by the arrows in his screenshot. It is indeed only going to Samarkand. My original point stands though. Steering from Kashmir would be a terrible idea with that low trade power in Samarkand.

 

[bly08]

Do NOT steer at this stage. Collect in three places. Try collecting in Indus instead of Goa. The difference between steering and collecting in Indus should actually be minimal since you've made Hormuz your trading port.

There seems to be a general belief among the community that steering is usually superior and I'm not sure where it comes from. Collecting is always almost superior with little trade power.

Hormuz isn't a good node to make main trading port since it's easily contested and only Indus goes there.

 

[Ole122]

Thanks for the input! I'm trying to put all this together and came up with the following suggestions/ideas/plans:

In the west:
1) Take out Shirvan and take Persia.
2) Take out Iraq and take Basra.

In the east:
1) Take Indus.
2) Take Goa.
3) Take Ceylon.

Once I have superiority in the west:
1) Put my capital in Europe and create TCs in India.
2) Set Persia as Trade Port and collect there, using the TC merchants etc. to steer towards it (by going Kashmir/Doab/Ceylon->Goa->Indus->Hormuz->Basra->Persia)

General:
1) Unstate everything thats in a TC and use the free states in Persia etc (assuming I actually have any states in a TC region)

Anything I missed? I guess I could expand towards Aden as well, but that would require real long-time planning

 

[Dominion]

Anything I missed?

Yea.

You don't have access to Europe yet.
Lucky for you, Dagestan (Shirvan's most northern province) is in Europe.

 

[ShoGuL]

Yea.

You don't have access to Europe yet.
Lucky for you, Dagestan (Shirvan's most northern province) is in Europe.

In case you don't understand why this is important --> If you move your capital to Dagestan, it means you can make Trade Companies out of Asia and Africa, which allows you to get 0% autonomy everywhere at half admin cost and not using states. It's one of the most powerful mechanics to take advantage of in the game.

Essentially you would State Persia and trade company entire India.

 

[Zxeres]

Looks like you are Protecting trade in Aden, you should pirate there instead. If you collect in Hormuz try steering through Goa - Indus. If you make more from collecting from nodes than steering it then just find the nodes you collect most from and use them. I've noticed sometimes it is more beneficial to collect in all nodes than to steer, depending on who is steering with you, but takes a bit of trial and error to find out what the best income will be. And do use those trade companies ASAP they are AMAZINGLY powerful!

 

[Bouchart]

Conquer the Ottomans and move your trade capital to Constantinople. Then move your regular capital there too and make Asia into trade company land.