I've been expanding to 4 cities (capital plus 3 coastal CS) then using any extra GMOV for trade missions. I think they gain more from trade missions than the standard GM, but can't find it in writing anywhere. Don't think it says in the Civlopedia. 
How many CS do you tend to buy as Venice?
- Thread starter kamex
- Start date
Primacide
Settler
I know I'm not typical but I don't buy a single one. I take 3/4 cities by the Renaissance from an AI (because they inevitably declare war). I use them for my expos and use the GMoVs to buy the army to do it with. Plus you can grab CS allies on your flanks this way.
FYI you get +60 influence (instead of 30 with a regular merchant) and you get (I think) double the money for the trade mission. This gold increases by era as well.
FYI you get +60 influence (instead of 30 with a regular merchant) and you get (I think) double the money for the trade mission. This gold increases by era as well.
Dragonfabri
Chieftain
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 61
Do you know if this stacks with the Commerce Policy that buffs great merchants?
If so, how much influence and gold could you gain with it?
Last game, full Commerce tree, Information Era - was getting 4000 gold and 60 influence from a single GMOV. Very nice. Seemed better than just buying up CS because you can.
Primacide
Settler
I was hoping someone else would come in on this, but I think that the commerce buff adds double gold (yes, it's insane) but the influence stays at +60. Where is joncnunn when you need him?
Two. Optics is reasonably early (btw - the optics free GMoV does not raise Sci/Eng/Mer costs) and fill the market as soon as I get it. Then play 3 city tradition. While Venice is designed not to expand well, I usually end up with three cities as Venice earlier than with other civs using tradition.
Max 2. But only if CS are inrange of food cargo ships.
GMoV is twice as powerful as regular merchant. Commerce policy gives double gold. Its stacks, so you get 4x as much gold as 'plain' merchant.
As CS are better as ally and GMoV gives so much gold, I prefer to abduct major AI cities for food cargo ships
GMoV is twice as powerful as regular merchant. Commerce policy gives double gold. Its stacks, so you get 4x as much gold as 'plain' merchant.
As CS are better as ally and GMoV gives so much gold, I prefer to abduct major AI cities for food cargo ships
stormtrooper412
Peacemongering Turtlesaur
Pretty much.
For min/max would you not want 3 expos -- like any Tradition play? It took me longer than average to figure out, but definitely Trade Missions >> puppets. Still, you really want two or three cargo ships feeding the cap.
The part I struggle with is figuring out which sort of CS are the most disposable. That is, which CS type are the least bad to puppet as opposed to having as an ally?
Being within range for early cargo ship is the main criteria, but usually there are some choices to make. Mercantile, Cultural, and Maritime are all so valuable as allies, that I kind of settle on Religious and Military as the better options.
The part I struggle with is figuring out which sort of CS are the most disposable. That is, which CS type are the least bad to puppet as opposed to having as an ally?
Being within range for early cargo ship is the main criteria, but usually there are some choices to make. Mercantile, Cultural, and Maritime are all so valuable as allies, that I kind of settle on Religious and Military as the better options.
