An observation regarding trade-based economies

[Immaculate]

I recently played a game with Hannibal where i wanted to combine an espionage and trade economy on an archipelego map. Needless to say, thats a great combination because of the synergy between trade and espionage for the castle improvement (and also because of Hannibal's cothon).
By the 1100s i was able to self-research liberalism in 3 turns (@100% research) with only one cottaged city (after stealing education and making a run for the free tech) and by the 1400s i didnt' need EP anymore and was just running 100% cash so i could rush buy infrastructure for my overseas cities (like cothans and castles). I was making 4500$+/turn and i realized the game was won- so i retired.

I had really enjoyed using the whip on my fast-growing farmed-up cities so i tried another game, one with Monty to make use of his UB (7 turns whip anger instead of 15 on epic speed from a courthouse). I decided to play this on a Big & Small map. With the advantage of hunting and one free scout and another scout 7 turns later, i was able to map out a large portion of the 'big' continent very early and realized that it was very convoluted and that most cities would probably end up being coastal. Remembering the synergy between farms, whipping, and larger cities for trading, i built the great lighthouse in my second city (with excellent effects for my then six-city empire). My largest cities at this point where trading with rival civilization capitals for a measly two commerce per turn while most of my cities where just trading with each other for 1 commerce (per trade route) per turn (in about 500BC).

Okay, so here's the point: I built a city on an offshore island and immediatly my GNP shot up. All my cities now had one trade route worth 2 commerce per turn. There's another off-shore island with space for two more cities. I can build on them and then all my trade-routes will be domestic and all worth at least 2 commerce. I plan on stocking these cities with warriors for MP and growing them as large as possible, just for the trade income.

The point is that i don't need to be trading with my rivals. I make as much trade income with domestic off-shore islands as i do with my huge rivals on the same continent. Maybe its worth closing borders with all my rivals until they start to build significant off-shore cities or i discover the 'small' continent. My domestic trade routes might be enough.

This means i could actually use mercantilism in a trade-route based economy (at least until astronomy comes along and i can trade routes that are not only foreign but intercontinental).

Any thoughts?

 

[Refar]

Also if you happen to have a Vassal, you cah still have his Traderoutes in Mercantilism and the trade routes you get from him will Count as Foreighn. So settling a 3 city island and makin it Colony might be worth it.

 

[absimiliard]

The only problem with the vassal is that he'll probably only have a small number of cities, so you'll use his trade-routes up quickly.

The domestic city can provide a trade-route to every other city you have.

So the vassal gives better trade-routes, but less of them.

In a trade econ I say open borders to everyone. You need to maximize that trade income, it's what you do. Although mercantilism might sometimes beat it if you have few opponents and a couple of off-shore cities for internal trading,

Guess I need to do the math in a game. Interesting idea.

-abs

 

[madscientist]

Yes, that is true about the trade routes. As I found out with the Willem RPC, those offshore islands essentially pay for themselves and more because of the financial trait. All you need is a lighthouse which can be whipped or bought using US.

There are several financial leaders that really shine on water maps. Hannibal, Ragnar, Willem. HC benefits because you can build the oracle/colossus/great lighthouse faster than most AIs. Victoria get's the benefit of privateers producing very fast GGs especially if she can get the Great Wall.

 

[Quotey]

If it's a 3 city island and I want some trade routes, it turns into a colony. They then become foreign trade routes!

Unfortunately, he'll steal some settling space.....