Great Merchant: Trade Mission Value (Gold)

[Lost Soul 1]

I don't know if this is a quirk or not, but here's what happened:

Currently playing: Warlords (v2.13), Noble, normal speed, 6 AIs, terra/temperate

I earned a Great Merchant in the 1100s (or so) and sent it on a trade mission to one of the medium-distant neighbors (fartherest ones were at war with me at the time). For my efforts, I received 1300 gold (not bad!).

OK, jump ahead 200 years (or less) and I pop another GM via being first to research Economics. I send this GM to my furtherest AI with open borders (no longer at war with me) and when I get to his capital (much further than previous GM traveled with 50% more population), the indicated trade mission gold to be granted was... 700 (!). OK, maybe it's an anomaly, so I venture to another of this same AI's cities--a bit farther from my capital with 2 less population. Same trade-in value (700 gold) indicated. (Don't know whether this matters in the trade mission valuation or not, but the AI--Alexander--was "Cautious" diplomatically with me at the time.)

I packed up my GM traveled down to see another AI who has "Pleased" diplo status with me. Closer capital (to my capital), less population (by 3 or 4) than other AI's and the indicated trade mission value is 1700 gold (difference of 1000 gold for traveling back closer to my capital and to a city with less population). So, I opted for the closer, more gold mission.

My questions (given the above scenario):

(1) Does diplo relations with trade mission AI matter--that is, worse relations = lower gold value?

(2) Would it matter that the first (previous) trade mission was conducted with an AI (Peter) that is now a Vassal of the "Cautious" diplo AI (Alexander), whereas the slected later "Pleased" AI was one with whom I had not had a previous trade mission, if only by vassal association? Can you run trade missions to the same AI (or one of his/her vassals) and derive the same gold value, or is there a reduction for subsequent trade missions based on previous "trading?"

(3) Any other possible explanations for the higher gold value going to an AI capital city that was closer (by 15-20% distance-wise) and has a smaller population? By a 1000 gold difference?

Comments/advice?

LS1

[larsenex]

Yes let us know!

I would like to know about this as well. I do know that large pop with friendly status is more $ than the same size pop with unfriendly. I dont know about the Vassal thing however.

Do you find that GM are pretty much going to do Trade missions or do you use them to discover techs? I might hold one to get a corp but they are a godsend when I am planning for war. Nothing like fattening the treasury just prior to invasion.

[Supr49er]

I use my GM for a trade mission just prior to upgrading an invasion force. I rarely lightbulb, but agree that founding a Corporation is a good use of the GM.

[Nor Me]

Relations don't matter. What does matter is if you've recently been at war with the civ.

I think trade mission gold depends on how much commerce the city would get from a trade route with your capital. The size of your capital is more important than that of the city. Harbours, custom houses and the Temple of Artemis in the city will help so it can be worth checking cities with them.

If you can see a city, it's possible to find out how much the merchant would get by holding down shift and queuing-up a goto order to the city, mousing over the trade mission button and then cancelling. This even works for cities on other continents. The visibility restriction might be new in BTS.