General_Malaise: I’m just started my first serious attempt to understand Patrician III (so playing at shop-keeper level!) but am having difficulties with production of materials, both raw and processed.
For instance, in Luebeck I have a fishing shack, I have salt and hemp in the warehouse, but I get a yellow asterisk hovering above the shack if I go over 25%. There are over 100 beggars in the city
In Hamburg, I am growing hemp, but cannot get any production going – red asterisks even at 1% - and 85 beggars in town.
you need to check a variety of things housing for one and realize that only a handful of people will come to work for you each day. and that's if they are not getting employed by someone else. 85 beggars translates into 20 workers or 85 sailors.
Anyone got any suggestions as to where I am going wrong or what I can do to solve these issues?
your biggest problem I would suspect is that you are trying to fly before you can crawl. in the beginning you need ships and ships alone. high end profit makers are to flush throughout the Hanse.
so starting in Luebeck. I take iron goods to Rostock (or Stettin) keep an eye on pig iron and meat in those two towns you want to make money on each trip and short hops are best starting. (Hint. Luebeck can't make iron goods without pig iron). conditions vary town to town.and you want the mayor election to be at least 8 months away.
I buy cutlasses for my ship and pitch to 100 g whenever I have a chance. we need to build a crayer in Luebeck asap. I will even start a pitch plant or to as my first building venture.
you will eventually start getting loan offers you are looking for 10k plus (12k to 13k ) at terms of 33 to 36 weeks for repayment. when you start. during this time Malmo will come into play as Rostock and Stettin will no longer need your wares or have anything low priced enough for you to restock Luebecks town based Ironmongers.
when we have enough to start that 1st crayer do it take out a loan for the cash if you have to. our second goal is a cog in Stettin. expanding our trade and trying to keep Luebeck and Stettin supplied covering any needs. remember to check the Tavern a low reward 3200g or less escort or revenge against a pirate. will likely get a crayer or snaikka. take any at this time just save before hand you should be able to outrun anyone if your not completely weighed down. if you can capture a snaikka early life gets easy much faster.
to do this you need a full crew a captain who can fight and cutlasses that you've been acquiring. ( you do have to keep Luebeck in leather during this time. selling them leather at 300+. You should never pay more than 350 for Iron goods either selling at 400 plus.
don't build the big profit makers too soon the Hanse will need a lot of Beer, grain and fish as it expands then meat wool and cloth. skins, wine, spices are nice for profit but only if you can find them at the right price. Stettin is self sufficient in the big 3 and is always my second city. remember to keep building ship and buying weapons in both towns only buy ship weapons in towns with ship yards the others are very slow to advance.
the cities will not meet the demand after about 3500 people. Winters will be tough and keeping people happy and fed is the Priority. not making your fortune at the expense of the people. *annoyed people will not work* and any town you build enterprises in will look to you to supply their needs. an office and warehouses are not considered enterprises. grain Fields pitch brick maybe a fishery in Stettin and lumber mills to support need in both towns when you expand your fish you will need more salt and hemp. like I said Stettin is very self sufficient. as you expand kook for other cities that do the same. Good luck
(Capturing the early pirate Ship). a small walk through.
if you can capture that snaikka you can use the 2 you have to capture a Crayer. do this by loading some salt on the 2nd ship it should be slightly upgraded as it was a pirate the next pirate will attempt to board that ship with the armament just 1 balistia . just avoid getting hit in the process. your ship without any ballistia's will have your captain and all the cutlasses.
when the first ship is captured you should take out half of his crew *Maxed 28. when he captures you ship he must give up 5 of his crew to man it. if he is weak and you know you can capture him and did not instigate the fight you can surrender in this instance you keep the ship.( just hit the white flag before you lose all your crew) but he doesn't lose any additional crew. Then just hit him with your second ship and take the prize. don't repair unless your ship is below 70 %. go to the nearest port. move all the crew from the captured ship to your ship. move the captain to the ship you emptied and hire 1 sailor from the tavern to the captured ship.move the sailors from the other ships to the captured ship and move the captain to each ship and hire a sailor to each. this will ensure all your crew are happy. fully man the crayer and give him the captain and all the cutlasses he needs.
this same technique holds true for ships you build..... transfer captain, zero out crew to another ship, never (fire) and hire at least 1 sailor.
