A question on Rhodes and other very small lands

**Titus Livius** · 03-14-2005, 23:22

I generally play as the Greeks, but whoever I play I am extremely fond of taking every island in the Mediterranean. Rhodes is possibly the best of these.

After having built everything possible in Rhodes, the only option left was to build roads. My question is this: is it even worth it? Rhodes is basically a postage stamp and I don't see that building roads would do any good at all. I have the same concern with other territories like Crete, Sparta and Corinth. Should I build roads, or would that be throwing my money away?

**HoreTore** · 03-14-2005, 23:26

They increase trade, so yes, it is a good thing to build.

**lars573** · 03-15-2005, 00:38

The boon to trade that roads give even on a postage stamp like Rhodos is totally worth it.

**m4rt14n** · 03-15-2005, 00:57

roads only increas land based trades, so no.

**Byzantine Prince** · 03-15-2005, 01:01

Technically the goods have to be transported to the Docks so yes you'll need roads to maximize that.

**Kaiser of Arabia** · 03-15-2005, 01:11

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
He's right

**Red Harvest** · 03-15-2005, 01:35

First level roads = no change in trade income (this is just bizarre.)
2nd level = 100% increase
3rd level = an additional 50%

**hrvojej** · 03-15-2005, 01:46

From the Economics guide by Quietus:

Roads –Roads ONLY affect the land trade of the settlement from where it originated. Roads neither affect Sea Exports or Imports.

link: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=40072

This is also consistent with my own observations.

**Someone Stupid** · 03-15-2005, 03:08

I've never sat down and actually tested it, but when I do play, I have paid attention to if or if not I'd get anything from building roads and their upgrades - I honestly can say that I've never noticed any increased effect though.

**Es Arkajae** · 03-15-2005, 05:51

I provide all my provinces with the best roads I can, because I'm just such a nice guy

**HarunTaiwan** · 03-15-2005, 06:15

Yeah, just pave over Rhodes and Baleric Islands...the Brits who come 1,500 years later to get wasted will appreciate the flat surfaces to pass out on.

**Kraxis** · 03-15-2005, 11:27

What I have noticed is that the trade goes faster. Like small racing carts rather than lumbering ox-carts.

**The Stranger** · 03-15-2005, 16:07

yeah, build the roads, it's good if you have a port as said above. and even if the first level gives nothing (by RH), the second does (3rd not available for Greeks)

**Calmarac** · 03-15-2005, 18:48

Hmm, there still seems to be some confusion about this despite hrvojej providing a link to the economics guide by Quietus

The question concerns roads on islands

Islands only have Sea Trade - not Land Trade. Roads only affect Land Trade. So roads on islands (like Rhodes, Sardinia etc) have no effect on trade.

Try playing Carthage and look at Caralis on Sardinia. No trade at all until it`s big enough to build a port. Then you get sea trade. No amount of road building on Sardinia will make any difference to this.

When you open the Settlement Details scroll and add a road to your build queue you will see any trade increase which will result - shown as `greyed out` trade icons under Income. Doesn`t happen with islands.