How to gain trade contracts

[KRBLACK]

I have been looking at the forum and at the wiki, and I am unsure how the trade system works. How can I influence the AI to trade for my resources instead of another country's?

I am currently playing Italy, and other Fascist countries still purchase far-away goods from Sweden. Then I noticed Sweden has a modifier ''liberty ethos +20% trade deal opinion factor'', is that a modifier that attracts trade?
I read somewhere on the forum, that this modifier is quite useless and that it only increases relations after a trade deal has been struck.

 

[BeauNiddle]

I don't think there is any real way to get people to trade for your resources. If they have a good opinion of you they are slightly more likely to trade with you but I think it's fairly minor in the great scheme of things. Spies can also do propaganda style missions.

However most resources run out half way through the war (except chromium, mostly) so you'll probably get some trades regardless.

Unless you're in a faction with the USA in which case they will probably be supplying most peoples trades need!

 

[Bunnytob]

Generally it's only relation - though I've noticed that (especially when you're playing as a minor) the AI does seem to prioritise trading with you.

 

[blue_yonder]

The smooth-talking charmer does this job. For years he was bugged, but as of 1.9 he earns his pay. But he costs 150pp, so he's normally a long way down on a priority list - depends on how resource-rich your country is.

 

[billcorr]

The smooth-talking charmer does this job.

If I understand correctly, Blue Yonder is asserting that "The Smooth-Talking Charmer influences an A.I. nation to pay for a player's resources instead of buying resources from another source."

 

[billcorr]

The smooth-talking charmer does this job. For years he was bugged, but as of 1.9 he earns his pay.

@blue_yonder, can you demonstrate that the smooth-talking charmer actually increases the chance the A.I. will buy resources from a player?

HoI4 has a history of stating that their product does X, but their product does not, in fact, do X.

• Panzer Leaders did not provide the +5.00% speed bonus
• All weather air advisors did not provide protection against bad weather
• Compassionate Gentleman does not appear to improve relations by 15.00%
• Ideological Crusader advisors does not seem to work
• Ideological Crusader's tool tip does not describe the Ideological Crusader's effect
• Artillery Expert does not increase artillery strength (it increases artillery division attack, but not artillery itself)

@blue_yonder, please back up your assertion that the smooth-talking charmer does as you say it does.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

 

[bitmode]

The AI does not ever reevaluate the trade deals it already made until it has to. So most of the trade is decided in the first few days of the game.

To shake up the market you can temporarily buy out (some of) your competitors to the point that other customers don't get their full share and start looking for another source.

 

[blue_yonder]

The AI does not ever reevaluate the trade deals it already made until it has to. So most of the trade is decided in the first few days of the game.

To shake up the market you can temporarily buy out (some of) your competitors to the point that other customers don't get their full share and start looking for another source.

This is gold. I keep meaning to test the smooth charmer, with and without him, and see how many more overseas factories he brings in a year, but I'm just not analytical enough and never get round to it.

 

[Ricka the Rekka]

• Panzer Leaders did not provide the +5.00% speed bonus
• All weather air advisors did not provide protection against bad weather
• Compassionate Gentleman does not appear to improve relations by 15.00%
• Ideological Crusader advisors does not seem to work
• Ideological Crusader's tool tip does not describe the Ideological Crusader's effect
• Artillery Expert does not increase artillery strength (it increases artillery division attack, but not artillery

• 
  
  after all these years they still not working !

 

[billcorr]

• 
  
  after all these years they still not working !

The developers fixed:

• Panzer Leaders did not provide the +5.00% speed bonus

 

[blue_yonder]

@blue_yonder, can you demonstrate that the smooth-talking charmer actually increases the chance the A.I. will buy resources from a player?

please back up your assertion that the smooth-talking charmer does as you say it does.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

m'lud, the case for the defence rests on podcat saying "yeah, he works now" or somesuch, when 1.9 was released. But that is an impressive track record of inertia you presented - credit where it's due.

 

[bitmode]

I keep meaning to test the smooth charmer, with and without him, and see how many more overseas factories he brings in a year, but I'm just not analytical enough and never get round to it.

Smooth-talking charmer makes it easier to import resources by increasing your trade influence in all other countries. You can't influence the AI with it.

 

[blue_yonder]

Smooth-talking charmer makes it easier to import resources by increasing your trade influence in all other countries. You can't influence the AI with it.

How very odd. Spies set to 'control trade' already do this, so to have a government appointee duplicate the job makes no sense to me. And the need for a smooth tongue comes when you're selling stuff, not buying it. No one needs charm when they walk into tescos or walmart.

 

[billcorr]

@blue_yonder, can you demonstrate that the smooth-talking charmer actually increases the chance the A.I. will buy resources from a player?

HoI4 has a history of stating that their product does X, but their product does not, in fact, do X.

• Panzer Leaders did not provide the +5.00% speed bonus
• All weather air advisors did not provide protection against bad weather
• Compassionate Gentleman does not appear to improve relations by 15.00%
• Ideological Crusader advisors does not seem to work
• Ideological Crusader's tool tip does not describe the Ideological Crusader's effect
• Artillery Expert does not increase artillery strength (it increases artillery division attack, but not artillery itself)

@blue_yonder, please back up your assertion that the smooth-talking charmer does as you say it does.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Possibly add "escort efficiency bonus" to the list of features that Paradox claims to provide in their product...but doesn't (?)

I had seen it list among other broken modifiers like escort efficiency. I'll have to test it some time.

 

[STABBY5]

Possibly add "escort efficiency bonus" to the list of features that Paradox claims to provide in their product...but doesn't

Really its hard to tell what is working and what is not. Also the artillery expert works perfectly. It's just really weird that all of the high command applies to the divisions and not battalions. You need to add the word division in them so people know its not simply "armor" or "artillery" getting buffs but Armor divisions and artillery divisions getting buffs.

 

[DicRoNero]

so people know its not simply "armor" or "artillery" getting buffs but Armor divisions and artillery divisions getting buffs.

Or SPA divisions getting buffs from both. It's a bit weird, but still an interesting design decision as your 'best' template might vary depending on advisors available for the country.

 

[HugsAndSnuggles]

To shake up the market you can temporarily buy out (some of) your competitors to the point that other customers don't get their full share and start looking for another source.

But would it even work? In my campaigns as Japan I often found Manchuko starts to sell some of its steel off to Mengkukuo, reducing the amount I get through earlier established deal. Same with other resouces (part of the reason reason I never bother getting rubber from Siam any more).

How very odd. Spies set to 'control trade' already do this, so to have a government appointee duplicate the job makes no sense to me.

To be fair, advisor was introduced before the spices (so did having higher relations, more forces across the border, or navy at their shores - unlike advisors, those were working). Besides, it's a pretty inefficient use for spies.

 

[STABBY5]

Or SPA divisions getting buffs from both. It's a bit weird, but still an interesting design decision as your 'best' template might vary depending on advisors available for the country.

I hadn't considered that one. Artillery divisions get buffs from both infantry and artillery. Traditional cavalry get buffs from cav and infantry experts. Special forces are the most intuitive and get bonuses from both infantry and commando. Traits also work like this.

The game in general needs to be better at explaining what things do and how, then we may know if stuff works or not. It could be worse though, it could be Victoria 2.