Can you steal people's trade?

[Rasui Runihura]

Just like the rebels do, is there any way to steal people's trade by sitting on their roads?

[Roman Clone]

You can block but not steal their trade.

[Cyrus the Virus]

"Steal" their trade would be like merchants in Medieval which I think is a stupid feature. They're stupid. Stupid merchants.

[Severous]

Hi

I agree with Roman Clone. You can block their road trade but not steal it.

(I might agree with Boromir also except I dont have MTW2 so have no idea what a merchant does.)

There is a way to gain extra income at the expense of another. If you blockade anothers port the trade ships from a third faction may now find your ports as the most profitable route. So you gain trade by blockading another.

[Cyrus the Virus]

(I might agree with Boromir also except I dont have MTW2 so have no idea what a merchant does.)

You can use merchants to take other factions resources. Different resources gives different income, of course all the merchants goes for the ones with highest income. I think this feature only takes time, and after they die you must send a new merchant to the resource.

Other merchants can take over the resource, which happens often.

[MattErickson]

"Steal" their trade would be like merchants in Medieval which I think is a stupid feature. They're stupid. Stupid merchants.

They don't steal the resources. Those resources are sitting there untapped until a merchant goes on top of them. So either way it's not being stolen.

That'd be cool if you could send your Roman fleet to the Carthaginian ports and return with their shipments of grain and gold!

[Cyrus the Virus]

They don't steal the resources. Those resources are sitting there untapped until a merchant goes on top of them. So either way it's not being stolen.

Untapped? So you mean they're useless if not a merchant is brought there?

[Domitius]

If you block an enemy port with a land based army (by standing on the port), will the ships find another trade rout or does it only make the enemy loose money?

[Roman Clone]

We are talking about Rome You do realize.......

[Scutarii]

He's responding to Severous' post by explaining what merchants do. I'm sure he's fully aware.

[Severous]

Thanks Boromir.

Domitius. Thats a good point to raise..port blockade from the land. A useful thing to know especially if you are Roman and attempting senate missions which are often blockades.

Yes the blockaded enemy looses its sea trade at that port. The trade fleets operating out of the blockaded port cannot trade. Trade fleets from other non blockaded ports will divert elsewhere.

[Sétanta]

Like other said, you don't steal trade, but you can definitaly hurt the economy of the city that your are sitting near.