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[Seamas]

Just fell into a game of Eu3 HTTT last night and it's sabotaging my life's plans.  I've never really been sucked in before but I think this proverbial third toke was all it took to get me hooked...  A few things have come up I'm having trouble figuring out:

I feel like I'm constantly throwing merchants at Lubeck (I'm playing as Brandenburg) to keep a pithy share of the trade.  Briefly I'll hold a trade value of 50-80 ducats for a few months, or a year, and then it's nothing again.  Is it worth spending 8 ducats per merchant every time I need to edge my way back in? 

When does the turnover from the market arrive in my coffers - I'm guessing yearly but if so, do I need to focus on getting my share as high as possible just in time for December to pass? The particular market value can shift a lot in a year.

Also, inflation.  I'm running a monthly deficit, generally, and can seemingly keep inflation at a standstill by sliding the treasury bar to the far left.  But I don't understand how one would wind it down even in a good fiscal year.

Any sage advice is appreciated.

[inteuniso]

Trade income is generated monthly. I suggest that you get a national idea for boosting compete chance. Also, don't care about inflation in the early game. You can fix it later.

[Nirur Torir]

I generally avoid rich foreign CoTs like Lubeck, Venice, and Genoa in the early game if I'm not focusing on trade. Even then, they're a pain, and I prefer maxing out mid-valued CoTs first.

Displayed trade income is yearly, but divided up and distributed each month, to the minting/tech funding screen. Only tax income is given both there, and at the end of each year as a lump sum.

I advise against going above 5% or so inflation, and I usually keep it at 0% unless I have urgent need of money for something. To fight it/mint more money, hire a Master of the Mint adviser or three, and get National Bank as your first or second NI. Try to rely on your yearly 'lump sum' taxes otherwise.

Don't forget to reduce military spending when you're at peace, especially if you're low on money.

[Seamas]

Points taken.  But still my inflation continues to rise - is the only way to keep it in check by investing in banks, mints, etc later on?

[Hiiri]

You can get masters of mint anytime (using cultural tradition) and national bank-idea pretty early. Centralize as much as possible, it has a slight effect. Really late in the game you get a building that also helps. (Customs house? Can't remember.)

That's about all, I think. Just keep the mint slider as low as possible whenever you don't really need the cash.

[Tarran]

Really late in the game you get a building that also helps. (Customs house? Can't remember.).

You're thinking of the Tax Assessor.

"Reduces inflation 0.5% every year for this province. If all provinces have tax assessors, your national inflation decreases 0.5%."

Also, the Idea National Bank reduces inflation by .1% a year, which is about equal to a level 5 master of mint without the cost and without the hassle of having to replace him every so often.

[Toady Two]

I you are having trouble getting a positive yearly budget without minting I suggest reducing your military below the forcelimit and then also lowering their maintenance. Brandenburg, being in the HRE doesn't feel like it needs a fast response team in case of a defensive war. Unless you are struggling badly with rebellions then lowering army maintenance in peace time will help your economy.

Also you have to assess whether your merchants are worth the money you spend sending them.

[Brons]

Remember that it's ok to run a deficit each month. At the beginning/end of the year you get big lump sum inflation free.

[Ivefan]

Use all of the monthly income for research, no minting at all.
Only use the yearly income for whatever you need, if you have a monthly deficit, estimate how much you might need for your treasury to not run dry during the year.
If you aren't able to maintain a dominant presence in Cots you should not bother.

[Ampersand]

Effective trading requires sliders to be optimized for it, towards Plutocracy, and Free Trade. While there are some restrictions for Plutocracy under Feudal government types, you want to get as close to plutocracy as you can to be ready for the point you can change to better government types.

Secondly, in Vanilla, take National Bank early on, and hire masters of mint, and set your minting slider just high enough that you're burning away 0.01 points of inflation. The tool tip over your current money on the top bar should give you an overview of your monthly and yearly income. Your can be losing money on a monthly basis and still come out in the black if at the end of the year, your income is positive due to end of year taxes.

Join a Trade League. Either the Lubeckian League,  or the Venetian League. The League of Venice tends to be the most valuable early on. but Lubeck usually develops strongly early on unless it's annexed. being part of a league means that other members of the league won't compete with you unless they've already out competed all other non-league members, and means that your merchant compete is set to that of the League Leader, if it's better than yours, and it probably is. Since The Hansa is usually a one Province Minor prone to be annexed, Venice is always a good bet.

[Desdichado]

Since The Hansa is usually a one Province Minor prone to be annexed, Venice is always a good bet.

In my last game, the Hansa took all of Denmark, most of Egypt, three provinces in Holland, three in Sweden, and colonized quite well, too. 

Genoa was also pretty badass in the Crimea and in colonizing. It was the Age of the Merchant Republics, I suppose.

[inteuniso]

Why can't you form new trade leagues?

[Tarran]

Why can't you form new trade leagues?

You have to have a Merchant Republic government in order to form and maintain a league. If you're not a MR, you cannot start any. Further more, if you change your government you will lose the league. And you also cannot inherit leagues from annexed enemies.

http://www.paradoxian.org/eu3wiki/Trade_league

[Deadmeat1471]

I have a question of my own. Some nations are(and can be made) bad at trading, I sometimes find the return from investment seems near nil, or negative. Does anyone else at this point just cease external trading? If I am such a nation I usually forgo trading to save money and make my own COT. At the beginning at least. Trading is particularly effective in small nations though. As Tyrone most of my income is from trade, even at the beginning.