Is a good idea to sign trade agreements...?

**biscayzacu** · June 12, 2008, 07:10 PM

Hi, I wonder, should I send 3 or 4 embasadors to all the world and sign a trade agreements with all the nations? Is it good?, should I just sign with some, or with the closest ones or the far away nations?

Noob

and I'm not english speaker

**snuggans** · June 12, 2008, 07:18 PM

the council of nobles or the merchant guild will give you missions to initiate diplomatic relations sooner or later, so just do it. : P

it increases your relations with the faction, even if only just a tiny bit.

might not make much sense to have trade rights with faraway countries, but who knows? your expansion might make you their neighbor one day.

**St Naffatun** · June 12, 2008, 07:23 PM

Yes seeking trade agreements helps you out financially.

Unfortunately the game doesn't allow you to chop diplomats' heads off and send them back to their ruler (who'd be a medieval diplomat? worst..job..ever...).

**YD23** · June 12, 2008, 10:54 PM

You get way more money.

Do it.
Unless you cheat for money, then it doesn't matter :laughing:

**Aldwen** · June 12, 2008, 11:31 PM

I find, actually, waiting to get trade agreements works best. The Council of Nobles and eventually the Merchants Guild will start to give you missions to initiate diplomatic relations or set up trade agreements and when you wait for that you often get rewards.

I always set up Trade Agreements with neighbors but I usually wait to set things up with far away factions just to get that extra 500-1000 gold, or a few extra free military units.

**snuggans** · June 12, 2008, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Aldwen

The Council of Nobles and eventually the Merchants Guild will start to give you missions to initiate diplomatic relations

deja vu!

**RollingWave** · June 12, 2008, 11:47 PM

you could sell trade rights with map for a decent sum too...

**spanish_emperor** · June 13, 2008, 02:02 AM

@RollingWave: i find that if you try to sell trade rights for map info or money they don't accept or barely accept if your lucky.

Sometimes they even ask fr money even if your just giving them trade rights, what is with that.

**miau** · June 13, 2008, 02:40 AM

Sometimes to get something first must give something else in return. Just as in real life.
I am happy when AI makes me contraoffers :-)

**Notimeforaname** · June 13, 2008, 02:53 AM

i usually won't accept or offer trade rights with a faction unless i am actually trading with them. For instance if i'm france and novgorod makes it's way to me asking for trade rights, i'll tell them to piss off. You can get a hefty sum of money, usually map information and sometimes tribute (which I find to be more useful than either) if your trade is actually something important.

The AI seems to recognize this and will usually capitulate to my extortionate demands.

**PeteSKTemplar** · June 13, 2008, 02:57 AM

Officialy trade agreements should raise income of both factions from trading but in reality I cant find it in numbers unlike I can see better income when Ive just build a port for example.

**YD23** · June 13, 2008, 03:05 AM

Yea...by the way, if you look into your income summary, and if you are trading with most of the factions, look under trade, you get something like 5000+ florins....I hope that makes sense now. I know for fact that I wouldn't survive sometimes without that extra money.

Also build good ports, and roads. That makes the trade money rise.

**shenryyr** · June 13, 2008, 03:11 AM

ai-controlled factions really really really like trade agreements.

one way you can 'cheat' the ai is to repeatedly give them trade rights and money (usually 1000 x 10 or 20 turns) to buy a region of theirs. then cancel the trade rights and payments, and do it again. it's like they have amnesia!

**DeaDBolT** · June 13, 2008, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by shenryyr

ai-controlled factions really really really like trade agreements.

one way you can 'cheat' the ai is to repeatedly give them trade rights and money (usually 1000 x 10 or 20 turns) to buy a region of theirs. then cancel the trade rights and payments, and do it again. it's like they have amnesia!

That seems like on bad ass AI flaw/exploit, which always makes me feel like im cheating but who cares?

Anyways, in the early game a couple of things that really get the money going are a port, dock, merchants wharf, paved roads and trade agreements, the dirt roads barely seem to give a bonus and are merely for some good order when moving armies.

**St Naffatun** · June 13, 2008, 05:17 AM

Council quests are good but as I roleplay an illiterate and brutally violent medieval knight I completely ignore them (as I can't read) and kill anyone stupid enough to approach my castle. Raynald De Chatillon eat your heart out (or eat someone elses).

**PeteSKTemplar** · June 13, 2008, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by St Naffatun

Council quests are good but as I roleplay an illiterate and brutally violent medieval knight I completely ignore them (as I can't read) and kill anyone stupid enough to approach my castle. Raynald De Chatillon eat your heart out (or eat someone elses).

Until Saladin beheades him with his scimitar.

**DeaDBolT** · June 15, 2008, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by PeteSKTemplar

Until Saladin beheads him with his scimitar.

Ah good times, good times

But that particular playstyle makes most factions hate you pretty badly and that end up getting you excommunicated and it generally makes the game that much harder, so i tend to be very pious and chivalrous.

Unless i play the Norwegians, then im going Viking style on the Danes and England asap, which is hard, but fun.