Make navies more relevant by making them more essential to sea-based trade nodes.

[koopertrooper]

The problem with navies as of now is that they are irrelevant, unless you are on an island they really just do not matter.

Therefore, why not make them relevant by making them essential to sea based trade? Naval-based trade is the most significant source of trade and ships are considerably more efficient at carrying goods than any land alternative. Therefore, make it so that light ships are essential to participate in sea-based trade nodes by making them the largest source of trade power for any node, either by decreasing provincial trade power or increasing light ship power. Furthermore, increase the power of blockades by making them decrease provincial trade power significantly if a port is blockaded. Sea based trade is the most efficient form of trade and by cutting it off it should significantly decrease that city's ability to conduct it.

It is not without historical precedent too. The British were able to beat the French not because the English *produced* more, but because their sea-based trade made it more efficient at generating wealth from that production, either by being more able to import raw materials or find markets for their goods to sell. Furthermore, the British cutting off France from sea based trade in both the Seven Years War and the Napoleonic wars, as well as maintaining their own access to sea borne markets, proved a decisive factor in Britain being able to beat France. Not only did it deprive France the ability to fund her armies, but trade also allowed to consistently supply and subsidize her continental allies. (Of course burgeoning industrialization helped too).

 

[jonjowett]

Therefore, make it so that light ships are essential to participate in sea-based trade nodes by making them the largest source of trade power for any node, either by decreasing provincial trade power or increasing light ship power.

I think the best choice for this part would be to increase light ship trade power. (Because there are so many other events and modifiers that affect provincial trade power, meaning it'll be very difficult to balance global decreases in provincial trade power.)

Furthermore, increase the power of blockades by making them decrease provincial trade power significantly if a port is blockaded. Sea based trade is the most efficient form of trade and by cutting it off it should significantly decrease that city's ability to conduct it.

I think that a fair way to do this would be for blockades to negate all trade power bonuses from estuaries and port centres of trade. With their sea-facing infrastructure negated, they should become identical to an inland province.