Preface: This is an example of how collaboration tools can improve development. This suggestion started with the last DD where the ability to build ports was introduced. @Mr. Wiggles made a request for someone to post a suggestion on the Senatus Populusque and during this weekend we have discussed many options in this thread. I want to thank @Decius , @Bovrick , @ChrisAdams3997 , @Ketchup & friends , @Vohen , @Marcus Pica and everyone else who has read and participated in the discussion for this proposal. I also want to thank Devs for promoting this collaborative tool that is the SPQR, it is so much fun.
Observation: as many others before me have said, trade is not routed in the territory and it feels very unrealistic. With the possibility to build ports I have an idea for a fun mechanic that incorporates ports, routes and trade.
Suggestion:
Use ports above level 2 as hubs for the nation long-haul trade.
How:
Ports levels:
Only ports above level 2 will reroute trade and their bonus will be the following:
Port level 1:
Fishermen port
No boats construction allowed
Allows for some commerce and production
You can build it anywhere with a free building slot
Port Level 2:
City Port
Allows for trireme construction
Migration Attraction +0.10
Allows for internal commerce
You can only build it in cities
Port Level 3:
Big City Port
Allows for bigger ships construction
Migration Attraction +0.10
Pop Migration Speed +0.10
Ship Recruit Speed: +10.00%
Allows for international commerce, rerouting all nearest long-haul trade routes through them and adding +5% to all trade routes routed through this port
Local base trade routes +1,00%.
You can only build it in cities with access to deep waters and natural shelter
Port Level 4:
Metropolis Port
Allows for biggest ship construction
Migration Attraction +0.20
Pop Migration Speed +0.20
Ship Recruit Speed: +20.00%
Allows for international commerce, rerouting all nearest long-haul trade routes through them and adding +10% to all trade routes routed through this port
Local base trade routes +2,00%.
You can only build it in metropolis with access to deep waters and natural shelter
Port Level 5:
Alexandria type of ultimate Port
Allows for biggest ship construction
Migration Attraction +0.30
Pop Migration Speed +0.30
Ship Recruit Speed: +30.00%
Allows for international commerce, rerouting all nearest long-haul trade routes through them and adding +15% to all trade routes routed through this port
Local base trade routes +3,00%.
You can only build it in metropolis with access to deep waters, natural shelter and being a provincial capital
Distance calculation:
Distance can be calculated once and before loading the game.
If we weight every terrain and sea tile with distances, for example like this:
This table will be stored in game and loaded only once at the start.
Then trade routes distance can be calculated as a call to the table between origin and final territories Trade Route Distance = Distance (Territory 1, Territory 2).
If there are ports above level 2, to assign a trade route to a Port the program will choose the available port with lower distance:
Distance (Territory 1, Port 1 Territory) + Distance (Port 1 Territory, Territory 2)
Distance (Territory 1, Port 2 Territory) + Distance (Port 2 Territory, Territory 2)
The creation/destruction/blockade of ports will affect trade routes way points. But will not change distance calculations. Every month end the program will check if all trade routes are going through the shortest route using the available ports above level 2.
This check is not an algorithm of shortest path (it has been already calculated and stored in the table), only a distance comparison. If one port is unavailable due to destruction or blockade, it will not appear in the comparison. The same, if a new port is created, it will appear. Thus, for each trade route, each month end this comparison will occur:
Distance is calculated as: Distance (Territory origin, Port n Territory) + Distance (Port n Territory, Territory end)
This will also allow to take into account transportation costs as function of distance. The nation is not concerned about this cost, as it is a matter of traders and we are only busy capturing as much revenue from them by protecting their maritime trades through our ports. However we can use it to change the tax on exports by reducing the profit made by the traders as I explained in this suggestion Playing with taxes and currency.
Trade Map:
The game should show trade routed with this system on the trade map for all provinces.
Example:
For simplicity this example only uses one province trade representation, all provinces should be represented.
A nation without ports above level 2 will have trade routes represented like this for each capital province:
The same nation with only one port above level 2 will have all its long-haul routes redirected through that port:
This rerouting will be automatic, without the player intervention. If this port would be ever blockaded, all long-haul trade routes will be rerouted to another port if available or loose their bonus.
The player, could upgrade another port above level 2 that will automatically capture all long-haul trade routes nearest to it:
When calculating nearest distance, the program considers the origin but also the destination points. In the example above, the new port upgraded is closest to the provincial capital but not all routes go through it because the other port above level 2 makes routes shorter.
Acknowledgements and further suggestions on trade:
This post is only about trade routing. Many others have made suggestions on trade before me and I have got ideas from them. I cannot list all here as there are too many.
This system ties in with other suggestions I have made on making trade more fun and less frustrating:
forum.paradoxplaza.com
forum.paradoxplaza.com
Observation: as many others before me have said, trade is not routed in the territory and it feels very unrealistic. With the possibility to build ports I have an idea for a fun mechanic that incorporates ports, routes and trade.
Suggestion:
Use ports above level 2 as hubs for the nation long-haul trade.
How:
- Nations without ports or below level 2 ports will remain as they are, with trade flowing from each province capital to their destination. The traders will use existing trade routes to reach their destination.
- Ports above level 2 will concentrate long haul trade from all province's capitals. This will be automatic and give a bonus to the player as maritime trade is better handled and protected. All long-haul routes will be routed with the nearest port above level 2 as a way-point or hub. If there are more than one port above level 2 it will route to the nearest one.
- In case of a blockade of a hub port, all routes of that port will be rerouted to another port above 2 while blockaded. If there is no another port above level 2 the trade will resume as in point 1. Blockades are useful because they negate the trading bonus of ports for the blockaded player.
- The player will be able to reroute some trade by building ports above level 2 closest to the provincial capitals (only trade that its route is made shorter going through the new hub will switch ports).
Ports levels:
Only ports above level 2 will reroute trade and their bonus will be the following:
Port level 1:
Fishermen port
No boats construction allowed
Allows for some commerce and production
You can build it anywhere with a free building slot
Port Level 2:
City Port
Allows for trireme construction
Migration Attraction +0.10
Allows for internal commerce
You can only build it in cities
Port Level 3:
Big City Port
Allows for bigger ships construction
Migration Attraction +0.10
Pop Migration Speed +0.10
Ship Recruit Speed: +10.00%
Allows for international commerce, rerouting all nearest long-haul trade routes through them and adding +5% to all trade routes routed through this port
Local base trade routes +1,00%.
You can only build it in cities with access to deep waters and natural shelter
Port Level 4:
Metropolis Port
Allows for biggest ship construction
Migration Attraction +0.20
Pop Migration Speed +0.20
Ship Recruit Speed: +20.00%
Allows for international commerce, rerouting all nearest long-haul trade routes through them and adding +10% to all trade routes routed through this port
Local base trade routes +2,00%.
You can only build it in metropolis with access to deep waters and natural shelter
Port Level 5:
Alexandria type of ultimate Port
Allows for biggest ship construction
Migration Attraction +0.30
Pop Migration Speed +0.30
Ship Recruit Speed: +30.00%
Allows for international commerce, rerouting all nearest long-haul trade routes through them and adding +15% to all trade routes routed through this port
Local base trade routes +3,00%.
You can only build it in metropolis with access to deep waters, natural shelter and being a provincial capital
Distance calculation:
Distance can be calculated once and before loading the game.
If we weight every terrain and sea tile with distances, for example like this:
- sea tile: 1d
- inland river: 2d
- farmland and plain: 3d
- Forest and jungle: 4d
- marshland, hill and desert: 5d
- Mountain: 6d
| Shortest Distance Table | Territory ...n | Territory 2 | Territory ... 1 |
| Territory 1 | 23 | 12 | - |
| Territory 2 | 45 | - | - |
| Territory ....n | - | - | - |
This table will be stored in game and loaded only once at the start.
Then trade routes distance can be calculated as a call to the table between origin and final territories Trade Route Distance = Distance (Territory 1, Territory 2).
If there are ports above level 2, to assign a trade route to a Port the program will choose the available port with lower distance:
Distance (Territory 1, Port 1 Territory) + Distance (Port 1 Territory, Territory 2)
Distance (Territory 1, Port 2 Territory) + Distance (Port 2 Territory, Territory 2)
The creation/destruction/blockade of ports will affect trade routes way points. But will not change distance calculations. Every month end the program will check if all trade routes are going through the shortest route using the available ports above level 2.
This check is not an algorithm of shortest path (it has been already calculated and stored in the table), only a distance comparison. If one port is unavailable due to destruction or blockade, it will not appear in the comparison. The same, if a new port is created, it will appear. Thus, for each trade route, each month end this comparison will occur:
Distance is calculated as: Distance (Territory origin, Port n Territory) + Distance (Port n Territory, Territory end)
This will also allow to take into account transportation costs as function of distance. The nation is not concerned about this cost, as it is a matter of traders and we are only busy capturing as much revenue from them by protecting their maritime trades through our ports. However we can use it to change the tax on exports by reducing the profit made by the traders as I explained in this suggestion Playing with taxes and currency.
Trade Map:
The game should show trade routed with this system on the trade map for all provinces.
Example:
For simplicity this example only uses one province trade representation, all provinces should be represented.
A nation without ports above level 2 will have trade routes represented like this for each capital province:
The same nation with only one port above level 2 will have all its long-haul routes redirected through that port:
This rerouting will be automatic, without the player intervention. If this port would be ever blockaded, all long-haul trade routes will be rerouted to another port if available or loose their bonus.
The player, could upgrade another port above level 2 that will automatically capture all long-haul trade routes nearest to it:
When calculating nearest distance, the program considers the origin but also the destination points. In the example above, the new port upgraded is closest to the provincial capital but not all routes go through it because the other port above level 2 makes routes shorter.
Acknowledgements and further suggestions on trade:
This post is only about trade routing. Many others have made suggestions on trade before me and I have got ideas from them. I cannot list all here as there are too many.
This system ties in with other suggestions I have made on making trade more fun and less frustrating:
Trade for fun
I know that many others have discussed trade before me and all have very good points (sorry If I didn't mention you): @Jays298 Regionalizing trade and food @htimsnivek Improve the trade goods import window (with example UI) @LordJimmehFace...
Goods Auctions
Problem: I am finding increasingly hard to trade the goods I need for my provinces. Cause: I cannot choose internal production (I hope we can on the future) and when a foreign good surplus is put on the market then first-come, first-served...
Last edited:
- 19
