Slaving at Trading

Dear All, another one-off question, though this one's a bit fuzzy, with lots of loose ends. When making Trade Investments into Regions, I've always thought of that as exports from the home nation to the area concerned - straight forward enough. But when we get to colonial territories, sometimes those are imports? If I invest in the spice trade with India, I'm clearly not exporting spices to India - I'm raking-off the profit on importing spices from India and selling them in my home-country. So what about re-exporting trade goods? If I've invested in the spice trade with India, can I (should I?) then invest in a spice trade with Europe? What started me thinking about this was the Slavery trade. If I've invested in the slave trade with Africa it's not historically likely that I'm mass-importing slaves into my European homeland. I'm presumably selling them in other colonies. Does this mean I have to have invested in the slave trade in at least one colonial area, as well as having invested in it in Africa - or does having invested in the slave trade in Africa also take care of the other side of the trade? (Which all gets potentially more complicated by the "triangular" nature of the historical slave-trade!) Also, I've seen mention of "slave blocks" in various quarters- do I need to establish these to get maximum value from my immoral earnings? And if so what's the cost and recommended approach?

Hope someone can make sense of my ramblings...

When I was playing as England a long time ago I set up the triangular Atlantic trade. Manufactured goods from England to Africa to buy slaves with - textiles, iron works etc. Then the slaves go to the plantations in the west indies and america and work on the plantations to produced suger, tobacco, indigo, cotton, then these raw materials are sent to England and sold off there. This trade formed the basis of my economic health reaching the giddy heights of 10! (I am not boasting here as my economic health as Austria in game 7 has been banging along the bottom at a 2).
I had a few qualms for a while about conducting a slave trade but the game rewards historical game play.
I am sure that most countries could replicate this in the game, but having the plantations in america and the west indies is a big advantage if used properly. Slaver ships may be more important than slave blocks. You need to transport your purchased slaved more than you need to store them. You can buy your slaves in Africa without needing a colony or a strong presence there, just a local agreement to purchase slaves which could be taken straight out to your ships.

My understanding is that trade is relatively abstracted, so if you invest in slave trade, then that encompasses all of it, buying and selling. My assumption, perhaps wrong, is that who you are will have some effect on your success. If you have colonial holdings that will naturally use slaves, you're probably going to do a better business than if you don't and have to find buyers.

I suspect trade is a bit like uniforms.

Some people just go X amount to Africa trade, Y amount to America's, Z amount to Europe. While others go into huge amounts of detail which makes very little difference in game terms but they enjoy it.

I do however believe that like most things in the game following historic trade patterns for your position is generally a wise move esp if you are not going into great detail.

So if you are going to enter the China Tea Trade it helps to be a nation of tea drinkers like Russia or England or if you want to try your hand at trading in American Tobacco, Sugar, Cotton etc paid for by the sale of slaves from Africa to the America's it probably helps if you are English, French, Dutch or Spanish.

If you going to try your hand at a trade different to the usual trade patterns for your position it probably does help to but foward a business planto Agema.

A key point for the Slave Trade & America's trade in general for non usual suspects is if the major players in these markets are running a monopoly/navigation acts or are free traders.

If you are playing in a game where France, England & Spain have all limited access to their colonies to non English, French & Spanish slave trades are probably going to suffer unless you are a smuggler.

If its not a natural trade for your position reade

I think your point about it not making huge amounts of difference is critical.

However clever you are, you can't move the needle that much, or it will disrupt the balance of the game. By all means be clever (I certainly try!), but limit your expectations.

well as Russia I regularly used to invest in the region of 11 million a year in all trade areas, more if there was a dip in last years profits I was getting a lot more back I can tell you, but it needs time to build

Was that 11 million a year in each Trade Area? or 11 million spread over all Trade Areas? (Don't know why I'm asking really... as if I had that money to spend!)

I think this was game 3 which was at ~1737, so had a LOT of years to grow and the established players were very very rich...

If you invest in trade in the trade area that your Nation is located then it will help your own EH score as well, I take it this reflects you helping your own traders to make money, maybe it refects the government issuing contracts to said merchants.

In general I think trade is more an abstract form, It may possiably be better to name the type of goods you intend the investment to target, then I beleive( beleif is a dangerous thing) you take profits from trading in a worldwide context.

Some goods are more valuable than others, ivory, jewellry,bullion etc being top performers, but if everyone else also invsets in them then profits will be pushed down.

Ask ministers what your major imports & exports are, are there any areas that have a shortage of a specific material that you have or could easily trade in.

Investing early in the year allows the investment more time to mature before the next income round. Investments fade overtime, so reinvestment in the area is also required.

Hope this may been a bit of help.

All very helpful, from all sorts of points of views. Great value of this board.

I have been playing for several years and I applaud

jimbotten wrote:All very helpful, from all sorts of points of views. Great value of this board.

for asking this: I am struggling growing my position but with few resources and last year I invested heavily but late in the year.

Now matters are well, shall we say, "Interesting".

I'll report back in 12 months