Merchant marines? Really necasary as is?

[swedewolf]

In my russian Campaign as Germany on full auto for the ground a third of my army was moving around in boats. Not always toward Russia, some stirred around in the med. and else where.

My wish is that all trade should create merchant marines on the map if its overseas as well as colony resources transported overseas to home countries factories. So the the very important(history wize) comerceraiding can make or break some countries war efforts(UK for example) so subs and other methods of doing harm on the shipping can come into effect. As it is now I never build any subs as Germany or probably not when I play as USA later on. McArthurs effective island jumping and bypassing of Japanees stronghold island was much in thanx to the effective US sub attacks on the vital supply shipping the Jap islands. Later also more or less blockading the vital oil transports from captured Dutch EstIndies.

All other transports should(my wish ofcource) be handled by transports they game actually provide every player with. If the got naval production awailable ofcource.
Well thats my wish. Is it ever Plausable? (famous mythbuster comment )

[Aragos]

This was discussed in the beta extensively. Different ideas were used; I prefer some sort of "off map" box where you put merchant ships, warships, air, subs, etc. into its own "supply convoy" war by region.

However, reflecting it on map would be very cool as well. As it is now, anything that goes on the world market is trades, so effectively, warring powers are happily buying and selling to each other.

[NovaCameron]

Actually I think they should have "shipping lane" hexes/areas that have a certain number a goods flowing through them. So in essence the World Market gets turned into the "World Shipping Lanes". It gets it's own map mod so you can see them like theaters/battleareas and then get to assign subs or surface fleets to defend and/or raid shipping. This would double as getting navies out and about instead of sitting at port or cruising around the shore and make subs and raiding useful. The navies are seen on the map but the trade ships aren't. The relative force values of each side determine the percentage of a nation's daily trade gets through a given area. You can now send out fleets to hunt other fleets. This also keeps the navies from bunching up into death stacks. I think this would help the AI out ALOT in how it uses it's navies. You can also program it to have a certain percentage of its fleets either protecting or raiding.

The example would be the US to England transatlantic shipping lane. The New England Coastal Shipping Lanes have the US Navy protecting them or who ever borders it. This is the First layer that every Nation AI or Player will try to keep controlled at 100% signifying a strong green water navy. You can try to raid "green water" trade routes but they are difficult due to the proximity to the protecting nations coast. IF it can't be protected at 100% trade will be routed to a nearby area that is, or the most protected area.

Next comes the Western Atlantic New England-British Isles Route. This is the first blue water section or area and because it's so big would be a good place to put LOTS of subs. Raiding/defending efficiency could be determined by the number of ship per X amount of hexes per amout of trade. A nation can only see it's raiding/defending efficiency. Trade routes always go the quickest route. And this continues to each and every shipping area on every ocean.

It's could be like a supply number but for the ocean. Subs and raiding vessels decrease it and protecting vessels increase it. Trade routes haven't much changed from when they were first created so current maps and charts can be used. It also changes the nature of the World Market. It shouldn't be instantaneous. But there should be a time lag from from where it was bought. Then it would have percentages of the final shipment stripped off for every area it travels through. All shipping efficiencies should default to 100%. Only raiding should bring it down. Protection/convoys fight it can bring the Shipping back to 100%.

Hope that this makes some sense.

Edit: oops i may have went off on too much of a tangent... Merchant marines I have noticed DO bunch up at areas they can't get through. Genoa, Suez... they go the shortest route but they ARE NOT set to go to the closet OWNED port. Even if there is no port they just sit there... and get killed or... just sit there for months. I've had to go around and collect a good percentage of my army from general clumpings and dump it at the closest port. Sometimes 20%-40% of my army...