merchants earn too much?

**xor0** · January 16, 2007, 01:30 AM

Playing as Moors I have 2 merchants on gold in Africa, they are making 4k per turn. With the "go slow" policy (not fighting all the time) this means I have over 80k after 40 turns. Too much money

In those 40 turns I only took 3 rebel settlements and didn't attack the AI yet. But the AI didn't attack me either. All a bit too peaceful really. Maybe its because I am playing H/VH and the ultimate AI mod is tuned only for VH/VH?

**Phil Stanbridge** · January 16, 2007, 05:21 AM

I disagree actually - with the changes the 2.0 has introduced, you really need to make good use of those guys as income is so hard to come by. Africa has the gold mines and I *think* they are the richest resources on the map. Out of interest how did you make 2 merchants? I can only make 1 using LTC 2.0.

**Uandwhosearmy** · January 16, 2007, 06:11 AM

You raise the cap on merchants by building markets and later trade buildings.

**xor0** · January 16, 2007, 02:00 PM

You get one merchant per town with a market in it. Still seems unbalanced to me, now (turn ~50) I have over 100k from just 2 merchants, probably enough to win the game already. I haven't noticed a difficulty in getting money at all since war is much less common.

**Becephalus** · January 16, 2007, 02:21 PM

Your ability to make money in this game is SOOOOO closely tied to your standing army size. Army is regularly at least half your expenses.

There is not a whole lot of difference between a army that costs 13,000 a turn and one that costs 16,000 (one fullish stack, or an extra 2 units per settlement). But after 30 turns you will have 100,000 extra gold with the first.

**Fetchez la Vache** · January 16, 2007, 03:02 PM

Only problem I feel is that very often your Merchants in Africa never get bothered by hostile acquisitions. AI doesn't send many down there unfortunately, for me at least.

You need the cash for high-end buildings and upgrades, although I feel that there's scope for increasing them even further. I also throw quite a bit around keeping other factions sweet. It's nice to be able to do that imo, adds something to the game.

**Phil Stanbridge** · January 17, 2007, 03:14 AM

Originally Posted by Fetchez la Vache

Only problem I feel is that very often your Merchants in Africa never get bothered by hostile acquisitions. AI doesn't send many down there unfortunately, for me at least.

You need the cash for high-end buildings and upgrades, although I feel that there's scope for increasing them even further. I also throw quite a bit around keeping other factions sweet. It's nice to be able to do that imo, adds something to the game.

I'm playing as Spain and I have two merchants working their way towards the African goldmines. I have just had two guys taken over by hostile acquisitions. So I guess it really is luck of the draw eh? I am struggling to make a decent amount of money - at the moment (with 6 settlements; 2 of them castles) I cannot afford to upgrade my cities.

**Daovonnaex** · January 17, 2007, 08:34 AM

I'm playing as England on VH/VH. I control the British Isles (minus Edinburgh and Inverness, which are controlled by Scotland), Antwerp, Bruges, Caen, and Rennes. After reading this thread, I took all of my merchants, except the one on the Dublin silvermine (I don't want the Scots getting this resource), and sent them packing to Africa, along with priests and a diplomat. I bribed Timbuktu and Alguin to become English (I had to put up with rioting for a couple of turns--big deal), and now I'm trading lucrative amounts of gold and ivory. I'm making huge amounts of money every turn, and as I have marriage alliances with France and Scotland and a global reputation of "Very Reliable", I have no enemies. These African resources kick ass.

**FriendoftheDork** · January 19, 2007, 03:37 AM

I'm playing france, and I have taken all of current france as well as Bruges and Genoa. I have two merchants on silver making about 1k, and I'm sending 3 more down to Timbuktu. I got 100k recently, I'm at war with scotland (who is excommed and will soon lose Edinburgh against my crusade), so now I'm down to about 80k....

I don't really need those merchants do I... well so far I can spend as much as I want, and I buy alot of mercs now. This game isn't really that hard, even though I'm not blitzing, only defending vs those who attack me, and only conquering the ones that get excommed.

Oh yeah, and i go for chivalry, not hunting down every single routing enemy, and relasing prisoners, never exterminating or sacking.

**Faust Gottes** · January 19, 2007, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by xor0

I haven't noticed a difficulty in getting money at all since war is much less common.

Lucky you. I started a game using LTC 2.0 as the Moors. 2nd or 3rd turn Sicily attacked me at Algiers with nearly a full stack of mercs...*#!* that money script... Anyway, I have been nearly at constant war. I destroyed the Sicilians, eventually, but had to sell myself into vassalage to Spain, France, and Milan because Portugal and HRE and Byzantine empires all attacked me. I don't have the money to face them all. They are fielding feudal knights and dismounted feudal knights, so my spear militia are getting run over. Things are beginning to look bleak...although I just sacked Venice (Byzantines) so maybe they'll make peace...

Anyway, back on topic, my merchants down in Timbuktu are the ONLY reason that I'm still alive. I had two die of old age at the same time, and it just about finished me off-I went in the red and had to go sack a town to pay for new merchants. My point is that they are integral to a winning strategy. And I don't think that they are overpowered. Maybe if you aren't constantly at war (I haven't attacked any one yet, but I think everyone has attacked me at least once), then you sill end up with a lot of money. Besides 100k isn't really enough to win the game. Build some armies, go a'conquering and see how fast that money disappears.

**FriendoftheDork** · January 19, 2007, 12:55 PM

100k alone is not enough, but if you also manage to get a few ks per round you will probably never go bankrupt unless you start building level 3 siege in every city or convert all your cities to castles.

**Turbo** · January 20, 2007, 08:20 AM

All the merchants do is make me flush with cash and make the economic game way too easy for me. I don't use them.

**danes** · January 21, 2007, 08:50 PM

FriendoftheDork is right, 100K can give u a big breathing space but once war start (esp with some factions u trade heavily with) and u start churning out armies while losing trade at the same time u can lost 15K a turn or more.

**Agenteusa** · January 23, 2007, 07:43 AM

Hi everyone,

100K ??? Man, that is nothing, I'm playing with France, with 300 turns to go( which means played 150) and in 100 turns I spent more than 600K easily.

I have France reunited but HRE are always betraying me, Portugal also did it twice and England, well England is always the same against France. What I found strange was that Milan didn't attack me at all...

HRE are already storming around with Dismounted Gothic Knights and Imperial Knights. Don't know how they did it...

**Faust Gottes** · January 23, 2007, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Agenteusa

HRE are already storming around with Dismounted Gothic Knights and Imperial Knights. Don't know how they did it...

It's the money script...I'd love to get a 20000 Florian boost every turn. Especially with the added cost of building. But I'm not complaining! This campaign has been incredibly challenging and fun because I've had to spend every single turn seriously debating my options. love this mod