Do ports actually cost you more money than they bring in?

[Kyroshill]

Of course my experiences seem much different than anyone else's.... but I am debating harder about building ports.... it seems that whatever little bit of income I may get is quickly used up building and maintaining ships to defend them.... since I always seem to be pissing everyone off, I am always at war with some faction.... and half the time the war is strictly naval.... so either I let my ports stay blockaded and earn no trade... or spends tons o' cash building and rebuilding ships.... which I think probably costs more in the long run....

So maybe.... no more new ports.... may help my economy

[John Doe]

Blockade usually don't last that long, so it's not worth spending money on active defence. Ports are worth their money.

[Lord Jake]

You can't really look at ports as "stand alone" structures. They increase trade, and income, but the real increases come from the effect they have on markets, increased good will with trading partners, etc., and all of that translates into positives... That makes them worth the expense, and worth fighting for.

[Border Patrol]

Ports are moneybags. The three big port cities in the east are why Egypt gets so rich every game.

[Vipman]

Of course my experiences seem much different than anyone else's.... but I am debating harder about building ports.... it seems that whatever little bit of income I may get is quickly used up building and maintaining ships to defend them.... since I always seem to be pissing everyone off, I am always at war with some faction.... and half the time the war is strictly naval.... so either I let my ports stay blockaded and earn no trade... or spends tons o' cash building and rebuilding ships.... which I think probably costs more in the long run....

So maybe.... no more new ports.... may help my economy

I don't understand how people can get it so wrong... Do you know what the settlement details scroll is and know that by putting buildings on queue you can see what will it's effects be once it's built?

No man, ports + merchant's wharf building is what gives you the most money. Second is paved roads. If you want to make economy, don't build markets past level 2 (market), THOSE are actually worthless 90% of the times. Level 3 market (Fairground) would barely be worth to build in large or huge cities that already have a lot of income due to (naval) trade. Unfortunately you'll have to make sure you have built level 1 market in large towns, preferably before upgrading the settlement, or else the governors will gain Bad trader trait...

[FriendlyThing]

Of course my experiences seem much different than anyone else's.... but I am debating harder about building ports.... it seems that whatever little bit of income I may get is quickly used up building and maintaining ships to defend them.... since I always seem to be pissing everyone off, I am always at war with some faction.... and half the time the war is strictly naval.... so either I let my ports stay blockaded and earn no trade... or spends tons o' cash building and rebuilding ships.... which I think probably costs more in the long run....

So maybe.... no more new ports.... may help my economy

As above said, look at the settlement details, and see what gets you money.

[ScipiiLover]

Ports are the best way to make money and you really only need to spend money on a navy for transporting causes the A.I hardly blockades ports and even when they do it's only for a couple of turns anyway.

[Kataphractos]

If you want to make economy, don't build markets past level 2 (market), THOSE are actually worthless 90% of the times. Level 3 market (Fairground) would barely be worth to build in large or huge cities that already have a lot of income due to (naval) trade.

Eh, I'm a completionist, so I end up building every building in a town or castle anyway. But why are higher tier markets not worth it?

[complete noob:(]

Because they do not give you much money each turn. I think they give something like an extra 50 per turn for each upgrade. So if a level 3 market costs me 6000 (IDK how much they cost. Been so long since I've built any), then I can divide 6000 by 50 and see that is takes 120 turns for me to make my money back. The one real advantage that higher level markets bring is the additional merchant.