Hello all. I'm new to the forum here, but I wanted to share my simple strategy how I use warehouses, since I saw this topic brought up in other posts. First I will discuss my overall strategy. Currently I am playing the designer's cut which will make a big difference in how quickly you can view what is in multiple warehouses. I am playing a game at year 1619 and for over a decade in play I have taken every port from western madagascar (Africa) to Jedida (Africa).
I use one simple fleet of galleons to blockade chokepoints first starting at the Cape of Good Hope when I started to take over ports and now currently below the Canary Islands. This slows down the enemy significantly because they cannot resupply through half their journey to the Indies. I then proceed to attack mostly returning ships, careful not to destroy them, (especially schooners and sloops) and then I take the goods to a nearby warehouse in my closest port. This is critical to supporting all of the upkeep on my ports and the fighting ships. This is the only downside to owning all the ports and galleons.
If I decide to attack a ship I see going out on a voyage to the indies, this means they usually have a lot of trade goods like silver and silverware. I put that stolen booty after a battle in a nearby warehouse and use some ships to carry iron wares over from warehouse to warehouse to make port upgrades. I also take goods like silver to a warehouse that I know another ship headed further out to the Indies may pass by and pick up on the way there. With the Director's Cut I can quickly see what is in every warehouse I own instead of entering the ports in the old versions. This is a big improvement.
One word of advice. Save often and build forts as soon as financially possible in all your ports if you did not at least capture a level 1 fort. The enemy AI will go to those ports like they have divine sight and take them over with one cutter ship. It is pathetic to lose one this way. The AI can be very methodical.
Make sure to let some ships like transport vessels pass so they can go to the indies and do the work for you in trade. Rob them on the way back. I made the mistake of being very efficient early on, even though I let many go through.
But take out any fleets of cutters you see. They only serve to distrupt your outbound cargo. Take the extra sight and speed skills in strategic level (when your commanders get xp) for your blockading galleons since they are slow to begin with. After a few years the enemy ships are so slow it is like taking candy from a baby.
You will notice from month to month that some trade supplies at home port come in large quantities in one month and disappear in another month. This is the reason to stock up when you see it frugal to do some in trade items. Your ships should be making money going out of port if possible even if it seems like little profit, it is better than no profit. If you see yourself going bankrupt before the year is out you can sell the trade goods in foreign port like silver when needed.
You can also build an expensive ship or port upgrade before the year is out and your upkeep is about to come up and throw you in the red anyway. One month makes the difference on whether or not you will get that ship or upgrade if you are already in the red and can't build it on the first of the year.
Good luck
I use one simple fleet of galleons to blockade chokepoints first starting at the Cape of Good Hope when I started to take over ports and now currently below the Canary Islands. This slows down the enemy significantly because they cannot resupply through half their journey to the Indies. I then proceed to attack mostly returning ships, careful not to destroy them, (especially schooners and sloops) and then I take the goods to a nearby warehouse in my closest port. This is critical to supporting all of the upkeep on my ports and the fighting ships. This is the only downside to owning all the ports and galleons.
If I decide to attack a ship I see going out on a voyage to the indies, this means they usually have a lot of trade goods like silver and silverware. I put that stolen booty after a battle in a nearby warehouse and use some ships to carry iron wares over from warehouse to warehouse to make port upgrades. I also take goods like silver to a warehouse that I know another ship headed further out to the Indies may pass by and pick up on the way there. With the Director's Cut I can quickly see what is in every warehouse I own instead of entering the ports in the old versions. This is a big improvement.
One word of advice. Save often and build forts as soon as financially possible in all your ports if you did not at least capture a level 1 fort. The enemy AI will go to those ports like they have divine sight and take them over with one cutter ship. It is pathetic to lose one this way. The AI can be very methodical.
Make sure to let some ships like transport vessels pass so they can go to the indies and do the work for you in trade. Rob them on the way back. I made the mistake of being very efficient early on, even though I let many go through.
But take out any fleets of cutters you see. They only serve to distrupt your outbound cargo. Take the extra sight and speed skills in strategic level (when your commanders get xp) for your blockading galleons since they are slow to begin with. After a few years the enemy ships are so slow it is like taking candy from a baby.
You will notice from month to month that some trade supplies at home port come in large quantities in one month and disappear in another month. This is the reason to stock up when you see it frugal to do some in trade items. Your ships should be making money going out of port if possible even if it seems like little profit, it is better than no profit. If you see yourself going bankrupt before the year is out you can sell the trade goods in foreign port like silver when needed.
You can also build an expensive ship or port upgrade before the year is out and your upkeep is about to come up and throw you in the red anyway. One month makes the difference on whether or not you will get that ship or upgrade if you are already in the red and can't build it on the first of the year.
Good luck
