My merchants never last.

[durecellrabbit]

It's getting kinda annoying now. I spend loads of money getting my merchants up to 5 and then "poof" they're gone. It's happened to me both as Venice and Norway. I had no BBs, + stability and it was climbing, was not at war, and nobody refused to trade. Is there anyway to stop this? It's kinda expensive and repetative sending merchants especially as poor Norway.

 

[Stonewall]

What are your national ideas? Shrewd commerce practice gives a boost to the merchant competition.

 

[durecellrabbit]

What are your national ideas? Shrewd commerce practice gives a boost to the merchant competition.

I don't have that but the AI that have it have 5 merchants anyway. I just start with merchant adventures.

 

[stnylan]

As Venice I went Merchant Adventurers, Shrewed commerce, and National Trade. Also got an advisor to increase my prestige, stayed out of wars, and by the end of the demo ended up with 5 merchants in every European CoT, along with Alexandria and Hormouz (which were all the CoTs I knew about by 1520). Only ended up losing merchants after I gained a monopoly (as per EU2).

 

[durecellrabbit]

Does this mean its not worth trading unless you own NI like Shrewed commerce becuase you'll just get competed out?

 

[stnylan]

Does this mean its not worth trading unless you own NI like Shrewed commerce becuase you'll just get competed out?

Well, I have had more limited success without shrewd commerce, but i think if you wish to build a large trading empire EU2-style it is vital. I am not sure what effect it has, but my trading has always seemed much more secure when I have higher prestige.

 

[unmerged(59737)]

As Austria I got 5 merchants in every COT with almost no trouble. Odd, that.

 

[Duuk]

As France I have 5 in IdF and Flanders and usually Genoa. Venice I take a beating in because it's so competetive.

I haven't taken any trade NIs. Was too busy taking ass-kicking ones and QftNW

 

[jtfris]

As england with no national ideas to support my merchants started out OK, but by 1500 were getting hammered. It looks like this is true competition. Therefore, it may not be worth trading unless you have a national idea to support or they make the volume levels high enough that sending a merchant will pay off in one month.

 

[Duuk]

keep in mind that trade level affects your competing chances. if you've neglected trade tech you're going to get pwned by countries that haven't.

And IIRC from EU2, the AI countries pretty much balance their research and never fall behind.

 

[HarkovAdm]

well I hope the real game isn't like the demo as far as merchants go because I can't seem to keep any merchants in any COT (and I send them all) as spain.

 

[unmerged(21215)]

What about just making:

- LESS Merchants (less gained each year, fewer slots in CoTs)
- Make them more expensive and more profitable (pr merchant)

This would reduce some of the tedious micromanaging...

 

[Vharzul]

Whilst playing today, i did very well in CoT's but it goes up and down with Monarchs changing as the Monarchs Administration dose alot to help with Merchants, yet not the only thing thiers also stability and then Idea's, but from today's play id say Monarch Administration value is a good key, what is your Monarchs Admin like? mine had 8 Admin, 6 Dip and 6 Military, and other monarchs were less or nearly close as this one here.

Also Duuk mentioned Trade Tech, yea the better it is the better chance you got etc as well thier are multi pull factors:-

-Admin skill
-Trade Tech lvl
-Stability
-Idea's (not a necesity)

Hope that might help durecellrabbit....

 

[HarkovAdm]

well, isabella died and I was under regency. If that is the cause of all my merchants going out of business then I strongly support a patch that tones down the monarch's influence on business success because I was making zero dollars per month trade-wise and spending half of my yearly profits on merchants.

by the way 'merchant wars' were my LEAST-favourite part of EU2 and I am disappointed that trade wasn't smartly automated or made less time-intensive somehow. It's no fun to have to check five or ten COTs every month and replace them with merchants (this can ruin a multiplayer game) in addition to the empire-building and perhaps wars you have to deal with already.

'Oh no! My opponent has two other monopolies in china and india again this month! I have to drive him out or he will have a 5% bonus and a huge edge! <click click click>'

I'd much rather be managing my empire than sending traders and getting messages about traders being forced out of business all the time o

 

[Vharzul]

Well if you hover over Regancy youll see that thier base skill is 3 in each area, Admin, Dip, Military, and if other nations have better then your going to be some what stuck, i like this fact its got a lovely twist.

Oh also what difficulty lvl you playing at i think that also has a factor to it.

 

[Verenti]

Actually, I've seen some rather competant regencies, 7 ADM.

 

[NobillyT]

I too was disappointed to see the merchant and trading system carried over from EU2 (not enough to not preorder, but still). I hope that either Paradox officially can make the trading system in EU3 less of a micromanaging nightmare through patches and upgrades (Paradox is very good about adding features and tweaking their products to enhance enjoyment of their product for years after release) providing more abstraction and automation, or that the EU3 community can do the same.