how can adding light ships to protect trade, reduce trade?

[egill]

I understand that too many ships may not be cost effective.
But the tool tip for protecting trade says adding ships can hurt trade in some nodes?
WAD?

 

[TenshiN]

Probably because they would cost more maintenance than the profit the added tradepower would bring

 

[Apollyonna]

Hurting trade is not the same as reducing income (I.e. Cost of ships maintenance versus trade income) so this answer makes no sense.

I have also noticed on occasion a reduced income from trade in a specific node after sending more ships. Never could figure out why.

 

[Coffer]

Hurting trade is not the same as reducing income (I.e. Cost of ships maintenance versus trade income) so this answer makes no sense.

I have also noticed on occasion a reduced income from trade in a specific node after sending more ships. Never could figure out why.

I've noticed tooltips that told me I'd get less income from them (nothing to do with the maintenance) yet my income still went up when sending my ships there anyway.

 

[TenshiN]

I've noticed tooltips that told me I'd get less income from them (nothing to do with the maintenance) yet my income still went up when sending my ships there anyway.

Trade tooltips are notoriously buggy and have been so since the game was released all those years ago. You can't really trust those income predictions for the sent tradeships.

 

[henzington]

The best way is to make note of your income then send the ships and see what your income is next month. The best bet is to just conquer the node and all nodes upstream but world conquest isn’t for everyone and every game