TRADE Routes For Newbies, tip

[SerriaFox]

Don't use fully automatic trading. (the button on the left)
Every wagon will see the same city as needing transport which means if it is far away every wagon will head to that city following each other around like lemmings, when one will do

Assign individual trades per wagon/ship. (the button 3 or 4 to the right, brings up annoying large list)
note assigning 1 wagon per good with multiple cities, works better than assigning 1 wagon to a specific city pair with multiple goods

If the Route is important assign one vessel to it full time. (for example getting ore to your ironworks if you can't produce enough in one city)

 

[rf900]

I think the left button (fully automate) is working for me fine.

What I do is in EVERY colony set the imports and exports as follows:

-Export ALL raw materias except the ones the colony uses
-Export ALL processed goods even if they don't produce them
-Import the raw materials that the colony uses
-(ONLY on the colony I use to transport final goods to Europe) Import ALL processed goods

I am doing this only for silver, tobaco, sugar, furs, cotton and their processed goods counterparts. But I think it could work also for the other items.

 

[Lazytiger]

Also: Renaming the unit to reflect its purpose is very helpful. Like "Tobacco Train" or whatever.

 

[Barns]

How do you rename a unit?

 

[Lazytiger]

Click on its name...

 

[Barns]

Yeh, worked it out as soon as I'd posted the question, doh! Useful to know though!