trying to understand trade window

[unmerged(36339)]

Let's say that I'm already in the second trade slot and slot #4 is blank. Would I send two more merchants to try to grab slot #4?

What exactly is the strategy for grabbing more spots?

 

[Dspencer]

you could send 2, or 6 or how ever many you like. It probably depends on your strategy.

 

[Taylor]

Let's say that I'm already in the second trade slot and slot #4 is blank. Would I send two more merchants to try to grab slot #4?

No no, it's not like that! What you call "Slot #4" lists how many nations have 4 merchants in the CoT. In your case none. A CoT has 20 slots (spaces for merchant). To see how many slots are occupied, you can count how many nations have 1 merchant, count how many nations have 2 merchants etc. Then the total number of merchants in the CoT is:

1*(nr. of nations with 1 merchant) + 2*(nr. of nations with 2 merchants) + ... + 6*(nr. of nations with 6 merchants)

Alternatively you can go to the ledger to the "Center of Trade Information" page and then add the percentage that is your activity to the percentage of the competition. Then every 5% is equivalent to a merchant.

 

[unmerged(16181)]

Sending three merchants works best for me. Generally one fails, one succeeds, and one competes another merchant out. Sending six merchants is twice as good, but twice as expensive.

 

[Xoxxon]

Also, flooding a CoT with too many merchants at once is a good way to earn a trade embargo from the owner, which ultimately reduces your trade income. The trade-off is the resulting CB you get, assuming you like fighting trade wars.

I do.

 

[unmerged(16181)]

Oh...um...right. When I said six merchants, I meant for a CoT you own. For other CoTs, three is best. Unless, as Xoxxon says, you like trade wars.

 

[unmerged(32886)]

I only use the open slot method since I consider the rest a waist of money. In SP I just pause at the first day of each month (April - November since the other months the AI trades more) and check for open slots. Each open slot gets 1 merchant and not more. It's the best and most efficient way IMO.

 

[unmerged(33767)]

I only use the open slot method since I consider the rest a waist of money. In SP I just pause at the first day of each month (April - November since the other months the AI trades more) and check for open slots. Each open slot gets 1 merchant and not more. It's the best and most efficient way IMO.

I do the same, saves a lot of money compared to 3 merchant policy and lets you expand much quicker. I mean why waste your own merchants and money to kick others out, let the AI do that for you