Trade - How Exactly?

[BDC]

How does it work? In MTW you just put one ship in each naval provence or had land contact...

How do roads and stuff matter now? I was too lazy to do the tutorial...

[Sjakihata]

and apparently too lazy to do a search... so am I ~:p

[Lord Ovaat]

Well, I've read the manuals, and they didn't seem to get very specific. But having played a couple campaigns already, it appears to me that you do NOT need to build any trade fleets. But you MUST make a trade agreement with any faction you wish to trade with. Use diplomats. Building better roads enable faster trade, therefore more money, and larger ports enable additional trading lanes for more money. I have not found it necessary to protect any "seas". You'll continue to trade with friendlies you have agreements with as long as the enemy AI doesn't blockade your ports, and they haven't blockaded one of mine yet. I now only build boats for transportation and the occassional Senate assignment. The naval battles suck. I'd rather spend the money on troops and structure.

[zentuit]

But you MUST make a trade agreement with any faction you wish to trade with.

I do not believe this is correct. You will trade with factions that you do not have trade agreements but you will not have as high an income.
HOWEVER what I think I'm seeing is you can only trade with cities that you know about by you visiting, or perhaps you buying the map information from another faction.

In my current campaign, Antioch has had a level 2 port for a few seasons - so it should have 2 trade slots available but I only have 1 trade line going. However I've only visited/seen Rhodes, one Partian (landlocked) city, a couple of Egyptian cities and a couple of rebel cities. I am currently at war with Egypt so cannot trade with them, nor the rebel cities. I did not send out any diplomats/agents to Greece proper so I have not "discovered" those cities. I did send out a faction member to pick up some mercs but he did not go near the cities and the Egyptians sank his fleet (along with 2 Cretan archers, 3 hoplites and a 1 slinger - that hurt)

In MTW, the other town/province also had to have a port; this is probably true here too. Although to determine this you'd need to send a spy, or hope you can see the other city's trade route. So its possible to determine if this is a requirement.

I may have to start up another campaign to test some of these hypotheses.

[TinCow]

In MTW, the other town/province also had to have a port; this is probably true here too. Although to determine this you'd need to send a spy, or hope you can see the other city's trade route. So its possible to determine if this is a requirement.

I do not think so. Each coastal city starts with a 'fishing village' where the port will eventually be. I believe the trade will go in through there if a port has not yet been built. That is merely an educated guess from memory of my campaign though, so no guarantees.

[Lord Ovaat]

HOWEVER what I think I'm seeing is you can only trade with cities that you know about by you visiting, or perhaps you buying the map information from another faction.

No disrespect intended, but I've sent my diplomats to different cities within the same faction after establishing trade, and have been bluntly told that a trade agreement already exists. I've also established trade and other agreements simply through their diplomats and army commanders, without ever visiting their cities. That part I really like, 'cause the AI has more brain cells to devote to pushing diplomats around the map.

On another trade point, an unfriendly army (enemy/rebels) doesn't seem to alter the situation much if they're sitting on your roads. The little wagons keep slipping beneath their feet. Anyone know for sure?

And as far as ports go, you need one to trade by sea, though it has no bearing on land-based trade. I don't know if the city you're trading with must also have a port, but that may be true. I've been unable to trade by sea with some factions, Britain for example, that I had agreements with, and the reason may be the existance of fishing villages and not ports. Must check that out.