Minister of Trade: First trade route?

[MrWhereItsAt]

I notice that one of the Caravans we cleverly stocked up is of Beads. The Egyptian city of Killdeer demands Beads, so we have the opportunity to set up our first trade route as soon as our Caravel gets home to Apolytonia.

Shall we do so?

• As soon as the Caravel returns home, then move onwards with the new Settler
• Move the new settler to a new city site along the coast we have discovered FIRST, then establish
• Not yet - Killdeer is too close for a good trade bonus. Wait until we find a larger/more distant city.

I know that as soon as we deliver a caravan we get an instant bonus of gold and beakers that can be many hundreds at a time, greatly boosting tech progression. I cannot really estimate how much boost we would get from a trade to a city that, although it demands Beads, is quite close to the starting point of the Caravan and is not very large (size 6).

3 Days.

[MrWhereItsAt]

I'm a bit iffier about this, especially since right now there is little room for another city in the areas w have explored. However, since Navigation was the major science advance we needed, I would go for getting another city going first, and establishing the trade route as soon as there was the chance.

[Sparrowhawk]

While I would very much like to see us get trade routes established, I think for the time being, cities are a greater priority, as such I voted against trade routes, which can wait until we have no settlers and an open caravel (whenever that is).

[rjmatsleepers]

Originally posted by Sparrowhawk
While I would very much like to see us get trade routes established, I think for the time being, cities are a greater priority, as such I voted against trade routes, which can wait until we have no settlers and an open caravel (whenever that is).

Yes, cities are a high priority. We have a settler sleeping in the capital and we should build new settlers in the colonies. However once the caravel has transported the settler from the capital it will be free to deliver one of the 'vans. Yes we have a lot of things that need to be done in a hurry but in a republic, the on-going benefit from those trade routes is very high.

RJM at Sleeper's

[Zedd]

bannana, I think that city is fine but agree to wait on the delivery.

[cavebear]

I say grab 2 Caravans and send them toward the East or West. We are bound to hit large cities in either direction. Just go there and see who wants what we carry.

Then come back for the new Settler and defender to establish a 4th city.