Letter to the marquee

[Pinstar]

I'm confused about this edict a bit.
What are really it's benefits? since there seems to be a LOT of setup to get it enacted.

Since you have to befriend a nation and have them be your patron, then use the war mission to get your nation and another fighting, THEN you can do the edict.
Seems to be a LOT of risk and trouble for a benefit that doesn't seem ALL that great, but then again, I don't know all of the specifics to it's benefit.

[Nena]

I've used letters of marque once in a campaign mission where I started out with a patron at war (cut out all the prep work of sucking up to someone then getting them to fight).  In that mission I opened up my smugglers cove to both nations, so they both knew where I was, and never saw signs of the enemy nation getting ready to invade.  Meanwhile, the added income built up my personal stash a lot faster (the goal of that scenario was a set stash amount).

I don't know if I'd want to try to squeeze in all the work to get there from scratch on a scenario with a short time limit, but in one that has a few extra years to work with and a goal related to cash, it seems like it definitely helps build up money faster, since you can plunder their ships and still get their money at the cove.

[Egg]

  Okay coconut kid, thanks for the history lesson. But one thing I want to know is what is the benifit of the lisence? Why take sides when you can plunder from both sides. There is no point. Is there an advantage you can point out to me? I can't seem to figure it out. Thanks!

[CafeDave]

Egg, the letter is one step beyond taking a patron nation.  Having a patron protects you from other nations invading, so it is good if your relations are very poor with a nation.  Having a letter of marque avoids your relationships with the other nations being affected any more than they already are because your privateering is now legitimate.  Relations are affected by information from escaping, released or ransomed captives for these items, depending how the captive was captured:  sink merchant ship -4 points, sink naval ship -30, raid settlement -60.  If a letter of marque was in effect when they were captured, they will not report anything when they return since it was a legitimate action.

Pages 54-55 of the manual gives some info on the letter of marque.  Also, a letter boosts your relations with that nation by 15 points.  Having a patron boosts it by 20 per the strategy guide.  Of course you lose these if you repeal it later.

[Egg]

  Okay thanks Dave!

[Egg]

  I've been trying with the sandbox modes but I can't seem to foster war so that I can issue the Letters of Marque edict.

  What constitutes to the success of fostering war? My chances seem slim as I always fail...