Value of Trade Links and Trade Rights

[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.