Value of Trade Links and Trade Rights

[Woad Warrior]

Just wondering how much income these actually gain. Also, do Trade Rights benefit one faction in the deal more than the other, and do they get just a few denarii, or thousands of denarii each turn? Just wondered because their always being negotiated over, but I'm not sure what they're worth.

[Zenicetus]

Trade agreements are very important, especially in the early game. I always try to get trade going with anyone I can find, even factions I plan to attack soon. It helps fund my advancing armies, and helps pay for the improvements to captured cities. If possible, I prioritize my expansion towards the fat, juicy trade centers like the larger cities, and any city with a port. Port cities are worth their weight in gold (eventually).

To increase trade income, improve your roads at least up to the paved road level. Bigger port buildings also provide more trade routes and therefore more income. This is why the Brutii (for example) are the easiest Roman faction to play. They expand into the rich eastern Med, and can get tons of ports opened up for trading with other factions, as well as within their own empire.

AFAIK, trade income is symmetrical between both parties. Someone correct me if that's wrong.

Don't forget that trading helps your enemies too, so use port blockades and roadblocks (armies standing on top of main enemy roadways) to economically starve a faction you're trying to wipe out. I always do that to the Egyptians before the main invasion thrust, to help balance their huge production capacity and population size.

[Avicenna]

It will benefit a small faction more than a larger faction, as the larger faction might perhaps only gain trade from one city, whereas the single province of the small faction suddenly gains a lot more income. Trade with foreign powers is very important financially, even for massive powers such as the Roman Empires in BI.

[Severous]

Trade Rights..allow trade routes with another faction. No cash is gained from from granting rights.

Trade links/routes...these generate income for the cities at each end of the route.

Jerusalem and Antioch generate huge amounts of cash from trade. Athens is I think the super star city.

In this Jerusalem case all the trade income is coming from trade with my other Egyptian cities. None has come from other factions.

[Woad Warrior]

2222 income per turn from one city, just from trade?!!! I have seriously underestimated it until now. Thanks a lot for this help!

Also, I suppose this means areas with resources you see on the campaign map are more valuable than they appear. So, do Trade Routes by see just act the same way as trading through roads? Also, how does the farm income work? This thread has been really useful thanks everyone.

[Zenicetus]

Also, I suppose this means areas with resources you see on the campaign map are more valuable than they appear.

Definitely. It's one reason playing as one of the northern Barbarian factions in original RTW is so hard. The initial provinces around you are very poor in resources, as well as having tiny settlements and crappy roads (or no roads at all). So it takes a long time to get much worthwhile local trade running. Compare that with the juicy provinces around the eastern Mediterranean coast, Asia Minor, and the Nile valley.

So, do Trade Routes by see just act the same way as trading through roads?

Well, there are a few differences. Trade routes by land are fixed routes that you can't change. They can be blocked if they travel through a faction you're at war with, or if an enemy army sits on the road (although the game AI will only do that accidentally, not intentionally). Sea routes are more flexible. The ship captains will find the best deal in the area, and can automatically re-route from a port that becomes unavailable due to warring faction or blockade. So as long as you can keep your ports open, then sea trade is a little more resistant to disruption from war. On the flip side, that's why it's so important to blockade enemy ports as part of an invasion/conquest strategy, because it can be a cash lifeline when you cut off other trade routes.

Also, how does the farm income work? This thread has been really useful thanks everyone.

I'm not 100% sure about this (I haven't played the game in a while), but I don't think you get income directly from farms. They're basically to support your population, although it may be that surplus production (if the population is lower than the farms will support) goes into the general pool of trade resources. Maybe someone else can confirm that?

At any rate, be careful with farm upgrades. It's a good way to boost population in the early game, but it can come back and bite you in the later stages, causing surplus population, riots, etc. You can't destroy farms and go back to smaller ones, like you can with building upgrades. That's why I almost never go past the first farm upgrade, even on the largest cities.