Portugese Trade

Portugese Trade, an Overview

The Good News

Here's the deal: if you become a christian and build a Portugese Trading Post, you will receive some newfangled weapons (Arquebus, whis is of doubtful value). What they don't tell you, probably because they assume it to be obvious: Trading Posts will also provide some trade revenue: 200 Koku per year, no matter how many you build. Even if you're not interested in the firearms, the additional income may be rather welcome.

If you show true devotion to christendom by building a Cathedral, they will even sell you Muskets, much better firearms, which really hold the potential to decide battles. As a side effect, the Cathedral itself will generate quite some income (100 Koku per year for every church on Nippon, whether built by you or any other Daimyo).

So regardless of wether you can really believe in the Holy Trinity or mereley pretend, there's obviously a lot of money to be made from making a good show of it.

The Downside

Being of a different faith than your people is sure to create some unrest among your people; if you do nothing about this, revolts will soon rip your empire apart. You may restore peace by either returning to buddhism or converting all your people to christianity; but at first, you'll need a garrison of about 100-200 men in every province; alternatively, two or three good Shinobi also do the job. That's a lot of manpower and money tied up in the hinterland, possibly for many years.

Other Effects of Becoming Christian

Your troops will be immune from the morale effects when facing Warrior Monks; however, you probably also won't be able to field monks yourself (although it is possible, see Cheating the Portugese below).

Conquest may be slowed down considerably because newly conquered provinces will require stronger garrisons for a longer time: in addition to the usual unrest created by the change of ownership, you'll also have the religious issues to deal with.

Portugese Trade, in Detail

The Portugese first appear some years into the game in Satsuma. From then on, they will show up in another privince each year when it becomes winter (right after you cash in the year's revenue).

Spoiler:

42 Satsuma  50  58
43 Hizen    51  59
44 Tosa     52  60
45 Bizen    53  61
46 Owari    54  62
47 Izu      55  63
48 Musashi  56  64
49 Mutsu    57  etc.

Agreeing to their offer has no serious in-game effect; Churches and Trading Posts will become available, that's all. If you refuse to meet their emissary or decline his offer, the next time they hail at one of your provinces you'll be asked again wether you want to meet them this time. Even if you're not interested at all you may safely "accept" just so they won't bother you again.

Becoming a Christian

Agreeing with the Jesuit is mere words. Deeds, however, count so much more: the moment you start working on either a Church or a Trading Post, the Portugese will know that you are serious; likewise, this will announce to your whole people that you embraced the new faith and are no longer a fellow buddhist. Civil unrest will ensue; you better have garrisons and/or Shinobi in place before you order any christian building to be constructed.

Cheating the Portugese

Like you turn christian in the very moment when work a church or trading post begins, you may return to buddhism by building a Buddhist Temple. There's no limit to how often you change your faith throughout the game, and it's even possible to start building several trading posts and a temple at the same time, thus switching your religion twice during one and the same turn – in that case, you won't even need any garrisons.

The Trading Posts will still work, even if you turn out to not be a christian after all. Likewise, you may still train Warrior Monks if you happen to have any Buddhist Temple; in a scheme similar to the above, you may construct and expand Temples even though you actually want to stay a good christian.

This may seem like a mean exploit, but there's at least one valid use: with a Citadel and Armory, you may build a Gun Factory and produce your own firearms, even Muskets. However, you still need to feint interest in christianity in order to build a trading post and get a sample of the newfangled weapon design.

Becoming a Christian, for real

Trading Posts

...require a Large Castle and a Port. They will generate an annual revenue of 200 Koku. From an economic point of view, they're like a second harbor built on top of the first one. As a side effect, they will allow you to train Arquebusiers. Building even a single Trading Post will announce your new faith all over your empire, upsetting people.

Churches

...require a Large Castle. At a cost of 800 Koku, they offer no immediate benefit; however, they preach the new faith to your people, thus eventually restoring peace. The effect also spreads into neighbouring provinces; churches in adjacent provinces will support each other, likewise, a church built inbetween a number of church-less territories will have a hard time converting even it's home province.

If you're serious about christendom, you'll need churches. It's recommended that you start early and build several all in go, all over your empire: if you have to go through a phase of religous unrest, you should at least try to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Priests

...may be trained at churches at 50 Koku each. As missionaries, they're about as effective as a church in a neighbouring province -- you should try to squeeze out quite a few in order to speed things up.

Once our empire is wholly christianised, you may send the priests into foreign lands in order to prepare the terrain. Missionary work in the lands of a buddhist ruler apparently is difficult and slow work, but still, some flock can be gathered anywhere.

Besides, they're rather effective as emmisary-spies: while actual, buddhist emmisaries will often have several Ninja on their tails the moment they stick their nose out, the other Daimyo obviously respect even the most outlandish faith and are reluctant to assassinate priests.

Cathedral

If you really decide to embrace the new faith at the highest level, you may just as well go all the way and build a Cathedral. Of course, this will consume a lot of time and money, mostly because you need a Citadel first; the other requirement, to have at least six churches anywhere on the map, is easily met.

In return, you get to recruit actual Musketeers not only at the Cathedral, but at every Trading Post; you will also receive an annual 100 Koku for every Church on Nippon; and finally, the existance of a Cathedral will impress people all over the country, easing the work of your missionaries.