Sorry devs, but trade should be automatic

[Merovingio]

I love Vic3 and I do not think it is an empty game. However I spend most time looking at the market window creating new trade routes. Sometimes I don't even have time to care about nearby crises. Therefore I think some level of automation is a must.

 

[TalTal]

It would be great. If shopping centers could create trade routes themselves. It's great that we're getting reports that the trade route is no longer active. It is not always possible to notice all the messages, and you can skip them. Sometimes I only start noticing when my production chain breaks down. imported components are no longer available. Some trade routes are so unstable, you'll be lucky if it lasts even a year.

 

[Question]

Heres a trick : play in a way such that you need to create as few trade routes as possible. You should only trade for resources that you cannot obtain easily (e.g. opium). Trade routes are easy to disrupt and they arent "free", they require pops to work in trade centers to make them work and convoys. If you can produce those resources yourself, i think its better than importing it in most cases.

 

[Zhetone]

it's interesting to compare this to how moving POPs worked in Imperator on release. It was fully manual, which was great for allowing control in the hands of players, and yes, powers at the time would have had manual movement of populations often. But it was also incredibly annoying to deal with and basically required micromanagement (there was no automated migration). The game also had manual trade route creation like V3, but I can't remember if it could be automated or ever got changed.

Imperator eventually added automated migration and I can see a similar path for Victoria 3 trade, at least as an option, since it has become something which seems to preoccupy a lot of players more than it really should. I know for myself annoyances with trade have caused me to drop the game entirely and enjoy other things instead.

 

[shoebird]

I don’t know. I have played several countries and I don’t see this problem with trade routes. I usually create some trade routes and forget about them. Unless I go to war with the country I’m trading. But the main problem is when the country you’re trading has a civil war, which happens more often after the legitimacy rework.

Still, I don’t need to interact too much with trade routes. Trade is one of the things I interact less, honestly. I’m surprised so many people say they have to micromanage it.

 

[TheWorstPro]

it's interesting to compare this to how moving POPs worked in Imperator on release. It was fully manual, which was great for allowing control in the hands of players, and yes, powers at the time would have had manual movement of populations often. But it was also incredibly annoying to deal with and basically required micromanagement (there was no automated migration). The game also had manual trade route creation like V3, but I can't remember if it could be automated or ever got changed.

Imperator eventually added automated migration and I can see a similar path for Victoria 3 trade, at least as an option, since it has become something which seems to preoccupy a lot of players more than it really should. I know for myself annoyances with trade have caused me to drop the game entirely and enjoy other things instead.

Imperator currently has the ability to auto accept all export requests, except for specific goods you select which will instead require manual permission, as well as province(state)-wide auto-imports which I believe just imports randomly except for food needs(?), but can be manually changed and messed with too.

I could see a similar system working in vic3, where trade hub buildings or ports or whatever are able to trade automatically for what they wanted, with the options for the player to manually handle trade for specific states or resources.

 

[Richard Dolder]

I would like automated trade routes just to make trade policies more meaningful.
I want protectionism to be protectionism where I can actually protect local industries and not just be balanced import/export policy.
I want isolationism to include "except trade agreements".
And obviously free trade should be a giant economic kick me sign.

 

[shoebird]

Btw, a thing people asking for auto trade should think about is what will happen if the AI decide to trade with a country the player want to go to war against. Or a country that goes to war against the player. I think people need to think of the unintended consequences of what they are asking for.

 

[thedarkendstar]

Btw, a thing people asking for auto trade should think about is what will happen if the AI decide to trade with a country the player want to go to war against. Or a country that goes to war against the player. I think people need to think of the unintended consequences of what they are asking for.

What if relationships beyond embargo’s just effected trade between nations in the new system trade center will automatically set up route with certain things in mind price productivity convoys needed the strength of the other side and friendliness.

 

[Merovingio]

Btw, a thing people asking for auto trade should think about is what will happen if the AI decide to trade with a country the player want to go to war against. Or a country that goes to war against the player. I think people need to think of the unintended consequences of what they are asking for.

AI countries already do it importing from player's market. The only way to avoid that situtation is embarging.

 

[Fawr]

The AI is already on the lookout for every opportunity to trade with your country. The only difference is that it wants to own the merchants and spend its convoys rather than you spend your ones.

 

[shoebird]

What if relationships beyond embargo’s just effected trade between nations in the new system trade center will automatically set up route with certain things in mind price productivity convoys needed the strength of the other side and friendliness.

Yes, more things can be taken into account. But this doesn’t mean players are going to agree with what the AI decides. So automatization is not without risk. Even if it is optional, people would complain about how it works.

AI countries already do it importing from player's market. The only way to avoid that situtation is embarging.

You can still set your own trade routes to mitigate it.

 

[Slaikkiz]

Yes please.

 

[Will Steel]

Automatic trade, and automatic construction/industrialization, are two things this game urgently needs.

I enjoy the game, but spending 90% of the time staring at construction and trade menus is not a fun thing.

 

[Meneye]

Automatic trade, and automatic construction/industrialization, are two things this game urgently needs.

I enjoy the game, but spending 90% of the time staring at construction and trade menus is not a fun thing.

Won't this replace staring at construction and trade with just staring?

 

[Notme1]

Won't this replace staring at construction and trade with just staring?

Nope - you still could add/remove stuff you want.
For example switch PMs causing shortage and then mass building stuff, that would fix shortage.
Even devs did that on stream.

 

[Lazy Sorcerer]

Btw, a thing people asking for auto trade should think about is what will happen if the AI decide to trade with a country the player want to go to war against. Or a country that goes to war against the player. I think people need to think of the unintended consequences of what they are asking for.

It would make you think twice before going to war with a country you are economically dependent on? What's wrong with that?

 

[PatrickGeovani]

Its not the first time I saw someone asking about auto trade. I think there is no problem adding a option to it, diferent people plays the game diferent. But if the devs think this is a core game mechanic, maybe they can add but do not reward...i dont know...dont give achievements or something like that. Or just the automatic works but its not good enough, so you can active but its better if you do manually.

 

[Lazy Sorcerer]

Its not the first time I saw someone asking about auto trade. I think there is no problem adding a option to it, diferent people plays the game diferent. But if the devs think this is a core game mechanic, maybe they can add but do not reward...i dont know...dont give achievements or something like that. Or just the automatic works but its not good enough, so you can active but its better if you do manually.

That's the worst of both worlds - when devs add an option but try their darnest to make you not use it. You are not giving anyone what they want.

 

[PatrickGeovani]

That's the worst of both worlds - when devs add an option but try their darnest to make you not use it. You are not giving anyone what they want.

I dont think so, for me, Im just a casual players and I dont want to use, so nothing changes, but if are people that want it, I thinks its fair some drawback.
But if they just change to auto, everyone that think its a good mechanic will need to change their way to play.

I think it need a drawback simple because makes the game easier. A drawback or ,the worst case for me, change for everyone to auto.