Merchants: Suggested tactic's and deployment area's

[Didz]

Unless I have a quick access to Timbuktu, I don't use merchants at all. And even when you control the entire Timbuktu/Arguin region with skilled(but not maxed) merchants on every resources, it only generates the same amount of money as one good large city.

I agree that in the late game when cities are fully developed and generating large amounts of cash merchants are not as critical. But, by that stage merchants are also easy to acquire and manage so why not grab another 5,000 florins a turn.

However, I find merchants most valuable in the early stages of the game when even 250/500 extra florins per turn can make a big difference.