Patrician III – Trucs et astuces rapides pour les débutants

After spending nearly 600 hours playing this amazing game on Steam and even more before it was available on the platform, I wanted to share some gameplay tips and tricks that I’j'ai ramassé. These tips will be helpful for new players to start earning money and exploring the game’s mechanics on their own.

introduction

À mon avis, the third installment of the Patrician games remains the best even after almost 20 years since its original release (Pat4 didn’t live up to expectations). j'ai’t found any other game that matches the quality of this trading simulator.

Starting location

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the best starting location, but I believe there isn’t a definitive answer. Each town has its advantages and disadvantages. Personnellement, I always choose Luebeck as my starting point because it feels like a natural choice being one of the League’s founders and its central location on the map. Luebeck is known for producing profitable Iron goods, which are in demand in six neighboring towns. En outre, Luebeck is an ideal place to build ships due to its production of Pitch. When it comes to starting conditions, choose what suits your preferences. I prefer starting with a single trading ship (snaikka or crayer) and some initial cash to create a more realistic experience and gradually expand my trading empire.

Your goals

You have the freedom to play the game in any way you like. You can aim to become the Lord Mayor of your hometown and eventually the Alderman of the Hanseatic League. Alternativement, you can focus on monopolizing a specific good or eliminate competition to become the sole trader in the League. You can even pursue multiple goals simultaneously. toutefois, as a new player, il’s important to initially focus on two things: earning money while minimizing costs and ensuring your home town is well supplied.

Easy money-making for beginners

Là’s a reliable and fast way to earn money in the game, which involves selling Iron goods (IG). IG is the most profitable good in terms of both high profit per unit (buying IG for up to 300g and selling for at least 400g) and high demand. Towns require IG for various purposes such as construction, population consumption, and production of Skins if the town produces them. By filling my ship with 150 units of IG in Luebeck, I can make a profit of 15,000g or more in a single trip, visiting only 3 à 4 towns like Rostock, Stettin, Gdansk, and Torun. No other good in the game comes close to the profitability of IG. Il’s important to note that producing IG requires Pig iron, which is available in towns like Stockholm and Bremen, but not in Luebeck. By supplying Luebeck with Pig iron, obtained from neighboring Aalborg, you not only ensure a steady supply of cheap IG but also profit from the sale of Pig iron. This is another reason why I prefer starting in Luebeck rather than Stockholm or Bremen. Peaux, which also require IG for production and are in high demand but to a lesser extent, can be traded once you establish your presence in Stockholm, where they are abundant.

First moves

Laisser’s return to the opening scene with my initial ship (snaikka or crayer) in Luebeck’s harbor. There are a few actions I take at this point:

1. I access the town’s trade screen and purchase IG. Since the supply is usually low at the beginning, je’m willing to pay a slightly higher price (up to 330g) to buy 20-30 unités. I also add 5-10 Wine to the cargo, costing a maximum of 260g. Alors, I send the ship to Stettin.

Wine is abundant in only two towns, Cologne and Groningen, and is widely traded by competitors since it doesn’t require any specific inputs for production. Par conséquent, Wine is often not in high demand, especially in the North Sea and Southern Baltic regions. Transporting Wine to the Northern Baltic, where it is in short supply, can result in slow profits.

2. I hire an administrator/manager in the Luebeck office to ensure a steady supply of IG. I instruct the manager to buy 60 IG for a maximum price of 300g.
3. I construct a Pitchmaker, a cost-effective business that produces Pitch used for shipbuilding. I prefer building it outside the town walls to reserve space inside for more valuable businesses, particularly future Workshops that will produce IG. The production of Pitch requires Timber, so I instruct my manager to buy 10 Timber at a maximum price of 65g.
4. I visit the Weapon Smith and purchase all available Cutlasses, usually just a few units. Regularly buying from the Weapon Smith stimulates weapons production, keeping in mind that Leather is needed for weapon manufacturing.

Initiate Trading

A ce stade, it is assumed that your ship has arrived in Stettin, or you can fast forward until it reaches there. Proceed to sell a considerable amount of IG, ensuring a minimum price of 400g. Alors, achat 30-50 units of Beer, not exceeding a maximum price of 40. Après, direct your ship to Malmo.

It should be noted that although Beer may not yield substantial profits, it plays a crucial role in enhancing your reputation, especially in your hometown. Ainsi, it is advisable to purchase Beer in small quantities regularly to maintain an ample supply in Luebeck. Aussi, keep in mind that dissatisfied populations can disrupt the production of goods necessary for generating income.

In Malmo, sell any remaining IG and acquire Cloth, ensuring the maximum price does not exceed 220g, as well as Pig iron, not surpassing 900g. If you possess a minimum of 5 loads of Pig iron, send your ship back to Luebeck. Sinon, proceed to Aalborg and purchase additional Pig iron. In Aalborg, you will also find a good supply of Leather, Viande, and Whale oil. The maximum prices for these items are 270g, 950g, and 90g, respectivement. Purchase limited quantities of each, tel que 10 bundles of Leather, 2-3 barrels of Meat, et 5-10 barrels of Whale oil. Enfin, return to Luebeck and unload all acquired goods into your warehouse.

Instruct your administrator to sell the Pig iron for a minimum of 1,100g, Beer for a minimum of 46g, Leather for a minimum of 350g, Meat for a minimum of 1,200g, and Whale oil for a minimum of 120g. Although the profits from these items may not be substantial, they will ensure a steady flow of IG and contribute to increasing your reputation in the town. Retain the Cloth in your warehouse for shipbuilding purposes, as you will need 3 units of Cloth to construct a snaikka. Any excess Cloth can be sold at a minimum price of 280g.

À ce point, it is possible that your funds are running low. Check your warehouse in Luebeck as your administrator might have purchased a stock of IG that you can transfer to your ship and sell in Rostock, Stettin, Malmo, Aalborg, or other locations.

In each town you visit, make sure to explore the taverns. If you come across a capable Captain, consider hiring them for your ship. Captains are essential for establishing automated trade routes and are often found in river locations such as Torun, Novgorod, and Cologne.

Embarking on a Second Ship

You can significantly increase your wealth by continuously selling the Iron goods purchased by your manager in Luebeck and fulfilling the town’s demands for various goods (Pig iron from Malmo and Aalborg, Beer from Stettin, small amounts of Honey from Rostock, Cuir, Viande, and Whale oil from Aalborg).

Once you accumulate around 50,000-60,000 in cash, it is advisable to join the local guild in Luebeck. The entrance fee increases with your wealth and reaches a maximum of 75,000, so it is best to join early on. Membership is necessary to advance to higher social levels. A cette heure, you should also have sufficient Pitch to place an order for a new snaikka from the Luebeck shipyard. En outre, you will require a certain amount of IG, Tissu, Bois, and Hemp. Hemp is usually abundant in the early stages of the game and can be easily purchased for less than 300g. toutefois, its availability diminishes as the game progresses, so it is wise to maintain a stock of 20-30 loads of Hemp in your Luebeck office if your finances allow.

Once the second snaikka is completed, send it to Stockholm and establish a circular trade route in the northern Baltic region. Initialement, you can manually manage the trade route by following this path: Stockholm (purchase IG) >> Visby (sell IG) >> Riga (sell IG) >> Reva (purchase IG) >> Fous (sell IG) >> Novgorod (sell IG). Once you have a trade office in Stockholm and a Captain assigned to the ship, you can set up an automated trade route. Keep in mind that a higher reputation is required to construct a trading office in Stockholm. Pour y parvenir, consider supplying the town with Beer (from Novgorod) and Wine (from Luebeck), or engage in pirate hunting activities (see the next section).

Il’s worth noting that Stockholm produces its own Pig iron, donc là’s no need to supply it. toutefois, Reval lacks Pig iron, so you may want to bring along some Pig iron from Stockholm to sell there.

After the completion of the second snaikka, proceed to order a third one. Si vous avez’t acquired a Crayer yet, place an order for one. The Crayer is essential for pirate hunting. Sinon, continue ordering snaikkas, as they are cost-effective and fast to build and operate. A fleet of snaikkas will be more than sufficient to establish your early trade empire.

Embarking on a Pirate Hunt

Engaging in pirate hunting is the most effective method to enhance your reputation throughout the entire Hanseatic League. At this stage of the game, it is crucial to have a good reputation in all the locations where you intend to establish trading offices (as discussed in the next section).

For pirate hunting, a single Crayer is typically employed as it possesses both decent firepower and speed. A Level-3 Crayer is generally sufficient to engage even Habakuk Beneke’s fleet consisting of 2 Cogs and a Crayer.

If your initial ship is not a Crayer, it is advisable to order one from the Luebeck shipyard as soon as you have the necessary funds and upgrade it to Level 3.

A présent, you should possess an ample supply of ship weapons, y compris 2 small catapults, 4 large catapults, et 28 cutlasses, allowing you to equip your ship adequately. Evaluate your existing Captains and assign the one with the highest Sailing and Fighting abilities to your pirate hunter. En outre, hire the maximum number of sailors (28 for early game Crayers). Ensure the pirate hunter is undamaged and carries only weapons on board, maximizing its speed and eliminating any other cargo.

There are two approaches to pirate hunting:

1. Pursue pirates at sea, particularly targeting the notorious and bothersome Habakuk Beneke. This method requires patience and a stroke of luck since Beneke traverses the entire map at a relatively high speed. You can employ informers in taverns by paying them to provide you with Beneke’s most recent location, allowing you to plan an ambush. Favorable locations for intercepting pirates include the busy passages above Aalborg or below Malmo.
2. Accept missions from taverns to escort individuals to other towns. En chemin, you will encounter a generic pirate who will attack you. If you manage to sink or capture this pirate, your reputation will increase. It is advisable to avoid Escort missions in Gdansk, as they have been known to cause game crashes.

How to achieve victory in every naval battle

I have discovered a winning strategy for triumphing in every ship battle by utilizing a single Crayer at level 3, equipped with optimal armament (2 small catapults and 4 large catapults) and manned by a complete crew of sailors armed with cutlasses. It is crucial to ensure that your Crayer is in excellent condition, with minimal damage, and carries no cargo other than its weaponry.

The key to success lies in harnessing the power of the wind and maintaining a strategic advantage over the enemy vessels. Due to its superior speed compared to Cogs and Hulks, your Crayer can gain distance from the enemy, execute well-timed turns to unleash devastating attacks, and swiftly maneuver back into the wind’s favorable position before the opposing ships can retaliate. Throughout prolonged battles, it is important to stay vigilant and monitor changes in wind direction. If the enemy possesses a Crayer among its fleet, prioritize damaging that specific vessel as it is the sole ship capable of keeping pace with your own unless it sustains damage.

When faced with a solitary enemy ship, such as during Escort missions, I recommend boarding and capturing the vessel as soon as its crew size falls below your own (typically waiting until there are 20 enemy sailors remaining while you retain 28).

In the event of multiple enemy ships, concentrate on sinking them one by one until you can secure the final ship. Sinon, the remaining vessels will continue to assail your ship with cannon fire while you attempt to board one of their counterparts.

Establishing the foundation of a trading empire

As you embark on constructing your third ship and your reputation flourishes, it becomes essential to strategize the setup of your initial trade empire.

Personnellement, I prefer dividing the map into three distinct trade regions:

1. Southern Baltic: Comprising Luebeck, Rostock, Stettin, Gdansk, Petit enfant, Malmo, Oslo, and Aalborg.
2. Northern Baltic: Encompassing Stockholm, Visby, Riga, Reva, Fous, and Novgorod.
3. North Sea: Involving Ripen, Hambourg, Brême, Groningen, Eau de Cologne, Utilisé, Londres, Scarborough, et Édimbourg (Bergen’s isolation often renders it less significant for my trade operations).

Each trade region should possess a central hub (Luebeck, Stockholm, and Scarborough, respectivement) and its dedicated fleet of ships. Pendant les premières étapes du jeu, I exclusively employ snaikkas for trading purposes, while utilizing Crayers for pirate hunting or transporting valuable cargoes such as Skins or Spices.

At this initial phase, the primary focus should be on trading Iron Goods (IG) to generate substantial profits. Par conséquent, it is no surprise that the three chosen hubs are the principal IG producers in the game.

The Northern Baltic region offers an excellent IG trade route spanning from Stockholm to Visby, Riga, Reva, Fous, and Novgorod. The latter four towns serve as major producers of Skins, necessitating a substantial supply of Iron Goods. While Reval produces IG itself, it requires Pig Iron, which can be obtained from Stockholm.

My typical approach entails dedicating one ship for trading Iron Goods and another for purchasing Skins. The acquired Skins are stored in Stockholm, where they can be sold either to the city itself or Visby. Any excess stock can be periodically transported to Luebeck for further distribution to either the Southern Baltic towns (Rostock, Stettin, Gdansk, and Aalborg) or the North Sea region (where Skins are scarcely produced).

In the North Sea, I operate a ship route transporting IG from Scarborough to Ripen, Hambourg, Brême (for additional IG procurement), Groningen, Eau de Cologne, and Bruges. En outre, a separate ship route connects London and Scarborough, facilitating the supply of Pig Iron from London to Scarborough while transporting IG back to London. Another ship is assigned to collect IG from Edinburgh and Bergen and transport it to the central hub in Scarborough.

It is worth noting that as the game progresses, it is advisable to consider assigning a dedicated ship for each town to facilitate efficient goods transportation between the individual towns and your central hub, rather than relying on circular routes.

Maximizing profit through contracts

Occasionnellement, towns present lucrative contract opportunities in the town hall, requesting a specific quantity of particular goods. These contracts are limited to a set range of goods: Vin, Laine, Tissu, Bière, Grain, and Timber.

While these contracts offer substantial profit margins, I personally opt to accept contracts primarily involving Wine, Laine, and Cloth, as the remaining goods tend to yield less profitability. To fulfill these contracts efficiently, I maintain dedicated snaikkas in Bruges and Torun (later establishing a trading office in Torun). Both Bruges and Torun serve as producers of Wool, the primary good in demand for these contracts. From Bruges, it is convenient to acquire Wine from Cologne and Cloth from London. In the Baltic region, Luebeck provides Wine, while Malmo or Visby offer Cloth.

Venturing into the realm of piracy

Engaging in piracy within the game presents considerable challenges and risks. The game developers have deliberately discouraged this playstyle, but it is not entirely impossible to pursue.

For those seeking the exhilarating challenge of targeting all white ships, including those of your direct competitors and resident merchants, it is advisable to undertake this endeavor early in the game. The fines imposed for acts of piracy increase with accumulated wealth, making them relatively lower (though still substantial) during the initial stages. toutefois, rebuilding your reputation will prove to be a time-consuming task.

Personnellement, I reserve piracy for eliminating direct competitors only after attaining the position of Lord Mayor in my hometown and establishing trading offices in all towns. A ce stade, reputation holds less significance unless you aspire to become Alderman and conclude the game. Il y a 12 direct competitors to contend with, aux côtés 24 resident merchants.

Resident merchants primarily focus on supplying their respective towns with low-profit essential goods such as Timber, Sel, et céréales. Should you opt to eliminate them as well, be prepared to take over this trade to prevent a catastrophic collapse of the League’l'économie.

Maintenant, how does one go about eliminating direct competitors?

Avant tout, it is vital to secure political cover. Visit the baths in your home town and engage in bribery. Idéalement, bribe at least one, preferably two or three different councillors (budgeting around 35-40k per councillor). Once bribed, they will assist in shielding you from condemnation and substantial fines when charged with acts of piracy. Note that this protection only applies to a single charge; if faced with multiple charges simultaneously, condemnation and fines are still possible, even with bribed councillors.

Suivant, establish a strategically positioned Crayer and/or Snaikka, complete with a capable captain and a full crew of sailors, in an ambush spot such as the route between Aalborg and Luebeck or Ladoga and Novgorod. En outre, station two spotter ships at either end of these chokepoints to provide advance warning of approaching vessels. Utilize the Snaikka for engaging other Snaikkas, while employing the Crayer to confront larger enemy ships.

The art of Spice trading

Scarborough, Londres, Utilisé, and Cologne offer favorable opportunities for purchasing Spices at a low cost. These towns regularly feature large quantities (70-80 barils) available at a minimum price of 168g. By establishing trading offices with managers who procure Spices at this base price, one can swiftly accumulate a substantial stock of Spices, which can potentially be sold at double the price in other towns.

toutefois, it is crucial to note that demand for Spices is typically minimal, usually a few barrels per week per town. Par conséquent, selling off the amassed quantity of Spices can be an arduous and costly endeavor.

I personally commence Spice trading only after achieving the status of Councillor, enabling me to sell all Spices directly to the Prince’s representative at the gates of Luebeck. The Prince is willing to purchase any quantity of the required goods, allowing for the sale of hundreds of barrels of Spices acquired at 168g for prices exceeding 300g. This method yields significant profitability, although it may feel somewhat exploitative, given the inherent imbalance in this game mechanic.

Establishing self-production of goods

One common mistake is initiating the production of goods too early in the game. Establishing and operating businesses incurs significant costs, and failure to sell goods promptly can lead to rapid depletion of funds.

During the initial stages of the game, it is essential to allocate available funds towards purchasing stock, ordering ships, and constructing trading offices. I refrain from building any businesses except for the Pitchmaker in Luebeck (to expedite ship construction) and one or two Iron smelters in Aalborg, Stockholm, and London, provided there is insufficient Pig Iron supply to meet the demands of Luebeck, Reva, and Scarborough.

Ensuite, I typically construct one or two workshops in Luebeck to ensure an adequate supply of Iron goods in the Southern Baltic, as Luebeck serves as the sole producer of such goods in that trading region. The Northern Baltic and North Sea regions generally possess sufficient producers to fulfill the early trade empire’s Iron goods requirements.

Donc, during the early stages of the game, I focus solely on establishing businesses for high-margin goods in significant demand, which can be sold swiftly, such as Pig Iron, Iron goods, and possibly Skins.