Merchants

[smitty]

I've seen a couple threads around here with people showing pictures of their merchants bringing in around 1300 gold per turn! Right now my best merchant brings in about 32 gold per turn. Woohoo! I was wondering what the best way to level up my merchants is and if certain resources are just doomed to crappy trade? Also, the more trade rights you share with countries the more gold per turn, ya?

[blake_synel]

First, no trade resource is necessarily bad, just less important for some factions.

Second, from what I've been learning the best way to have your guys earn is to start out in your home land, bribe some other merchants, and then take them across the globe. For example, take a ship from England to Timbuktu and try slave trading or gold. (I had a bad merchant bringing in 160+ per turn there. My good one was bringing in nearly 700+)

And Trade rights = income.

[Cypher1014]

Patch you game. I think it is due to the merchant glitch. I was pulling in <100 from some ivory in the north-eastern africa region, now I am getting more then 300

[akinkhoo]

actually you just need to move your capital around
the value is not base on your faction, but where your capital is at.
the basic rule is that they become more vauable if you have:
1. monopoly
2. distance from capital
3. does the capital want that kind of goods (if it already produce it own silk or is already trading for silk, it won't pay alot for it etc)

[johnny76]

If someone is able to help me out with this question, I would be greatful. If a foriegn merchant comes into your territory and kicks out your merchant, where does your merchant go? I had a merchant from Milan kick one of my merchants out of my land, and my merchant disappear. Thanks in advance.

Johnny76

[Artos]

Well he just disappears. I don't what happens to that poor merchant (does he die or run to the hills, shaming his bad merchant skills etc), but in game he simply disappears.

[Thanatos]

Wait, wait, wait...

Merchants get more money if they go to foreign lands? I had no idea.

[kleemann]

Well the merchants income increase allsou when you build up better markets.

Merchant income = finance skill + distance + ressourse value + your markets size + trade rights

I have realized that kind of working.

[johnny76]

Well, maybe my missing merchant actually slipped away into the woods, donned a Milan merchant outfit, and came back to my land as one because he was only making 6 Florins a turn as an Englishman. Who knew???

Johnny76

[parvus]

the merchants go the magical pixieland of pong where no man returns. i believe this has all been said before, so basically, summing it all up, the product must be in demand i.e. spices/slaves/silk for the country. it must be really far away from the capital, so a russian merchant would earn heaps more from chocolate in the new world than slaves in timbuktu. the merchant also needs skill, which doesnt come easily. i just pick out really weak merchants on the way to my destination and stay away from uber merchants. i also try to stop on products on the way, so the earn a bit. btw do merchants earn experience by reaching a certain level of gain, or by the time they sit on a product?

[Vision1984]

This is actually something I have been wondering to. I have had merchants sitting on trade resources for quite a while including places where my merchant guild tells me to go and their level hardly seems to go up but AI merchants always seem to have high levels. I guess I could try seeing what is in demand. is thee something else I am missing?

[Zhou]

This is actually something I have been wondering to. I have had merchants sitting on trade resources for quite a while including places where my merchant guild tells me to go and their level hardly seems to go up but AI merchants always seem to have high levels. I guess I could try seeing what is in demand. is thee something else I am missing?

A good way to level up merchants quickly is to send them around the map to eat up other merchants. Of course, it's not always as easy as it sounds because often times it's difficult to find low-level AI merchants. It's best to start early in the game though when everybody still has fairly low-level ones.

[Commander_Vimes]

i have found silk cotton and gold which seem quite good but where on medieval2 do u ivory, slaves and chocolate

[Ippius]

Ivory: Timbuktu and RIGHT down south in Egypt (whree Memphis was in RTW)
Slaves: Random places. There's one in Hungarian/Russian borders south of Kiev. Also one in the mid east of Turkey.
Chocolate: New World

[Commander_Vimes]

thanks cause my merchants were making like 100 at the most

[parvus]

my merchants used to earn like 50 at teh most. now my lvl 5 ones earn >250 on like cotton/spices.

[Ippius]

@ Commander_Vimes have u installed patch 1 cos that fixed my problem with earning very little...

[Trajan]

Check out Darth's new diplomacy mod. My merchants are now racking up thousands of florins. This was a huge boost to my general income.

[Ippius]

LTC does that as well. Mercahnts are actually worth it

[Sitarus Originalus PM-30+]

my reckord for 1 merchant is 662 - i use no mods and my merchand was in alexandria region and standing on shugar i think. ... i have never seen more then that.