Question on trading strategy: placement of merchants

[bleakie]

Have been playing the demo as Portugal, and my overall trading strategy is to open my path to India. I managed to conquer and colonize bits along the African coast line (5 provinces in Congo, 2 provinces in Cape, St. Helena, Mauritius) and sailed to India. Then I start to wonder the optimal placement of merchants for best trade income. Particularly, the problem lies in the ivory coast. Should I collect trade there, or transfer the trade downstream to my home node of Sevilla? I think there may be bonuses for carrying the trade forward, but the competition of Sevilla is severe, and I only managed to get ~40% of the share.

 

[Arthasus]

don't you get like -75%(additive) to your money gained from trade node which doesn't include your capital ?
I think this alone makes it more worthwhile to steer trade to sevilla and collect from it
also : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0At73KTzHGGdXdE9VRDYxbEVXV1NlOTdlRTI4QjU2dnc#gid=0

 

[bleakie]

But if I direct the trade forward, 60% of the money will be shared by other states. So the difference is not so large...

 

[Arthasus]

you can always use more light ships and conquer provinces in sevilla trade area to increase your trade power

 

[Dutchling]

Why do you have such a low competition in Seville? I got 70% or so, mostly because of ships and Berber trade posts.

 

[Cymsdale]

don't you get like -75%(additive) to your money gained from trade node which doesn't include your capital ?

No. It's a penalty to your effective trade power, not to how much money you collect.

If you have 100% of the trade power in any node, you collect full value - capital or not.