Western Euro Trade Node Question

[Gustavus]

I'm a little confused with the WE trade node in my game. It's about 1495 right now, playing as Burgundy. I've colonized a little bit of West Africa, as well as a pair settlements in the 13 Colonies and Canada. I have a decent share of the trade power in each of the three associated colonial trade nodes. However, I've noticed that the WE trade node still has a value of zero. Do I need to put a merchant in the Chesapeake or Mauritianian node to first steer trade to the WE? I guess I thought that the trade was supposed to automatically steer even when a merchant is not present (unless, of course, it is your capital node).

Thanks for any help!

 

[AurochsAway]

The value shown on the node on the trade map is the value kept in that node, so the WETN keeps zero because no-one collects there. The important figures are the ducats going along each of the exiting trade routes, which is what your merchant will effect if placed in the WETN.

 

[Yxklyx]

If I may hijack this thread...

It seems that unless you are France, Spain, England, Brittany, Ireland (i.e. one of the nations next to WETN) that you will need fleet based rights from one of these or else your protection fleet will suffer large amounts of attrition . Since most of these have large empires that means paying 2 gold a month in Harbor Fees - making WETN not very profitable unless you are one of the nations next to it.