Trade Route Question

[AveiMil]

Hello,

I have a question in regards to the Trade Routes. Please view the following image:



I don't understand the mechanics behind this. What's the point of building a harbour if the 50% don't actually apply? Does it apply but simply not show the total amount correctly?

Thanks for reading.

Regards,
AveiMil

 

[Cao Mengde]

In that case (and in many other places in CIV), the game rounds down to the nearest whole number. If you have foreign trade routes with higher base values, the multipliers matter more, and if you can get enough multipliers to kick you up to the next whole number of course they'll be useful then.

 

[AveiMil]

So, in cities with trade routes that produce less than 2 building a harbour is virtually useless? That is dissapointing

On a side note, could you (or anyone else) please review this (attached) save game (3.19, BTS) and tell me how I can get trade routes active with foreign cities? All my Trade Routes are with my own cities and they all produce 1 coin only. Why won't my cities trade with the coastal city to my east for instance?

 

[Ghpstage]

As has been said rounding down is the problem. For the most part, harbours do not offer a significant retrun until base trade increases.
Base trade value only increases when the city the route goes to, grows to more than 10 pop. Also, if I understand the mechanics correctly, distance limits the maximum base value.

In that case (and in many other places in CIV), the game rounds down to the nearest whole number. If you have foreign trade routes with higher base values, the multipliers matter more, and if you can get enough multipliers to kick you up to the next whole number of course they'll be useful then.

As far as I am aware foreign routes do not get a greater base value than your own cities simply for being foreign.
They only get bigger bonuses of up to 150% for sustained peace and 100% for a customs house.

That being said, with the base value capped by distance foreign routes will likely give higher base later in the game.

Theres an article on trade value here, most of the article is on vanilla but the end covers the simpler BTS trade rules.

 

[Ghpstage]

So, in cities with trade routes that produce less than 2 building a harbour is virtually useless? That is dissapointing

On a side note, could you (or anyone else) please review this (attached) save game (3.19, BTS) and tell me how I can get trade routes active with foreign cities? All my Trade Routes are with my own cities and they all produce 1 coin only. Why won't my cities trade with the coastal city to my east for instance?

In your game all other leaders except Tokugawa are running the Mercantilism civic, this prevents any foreign trade routes unless they are to a vassal
Bear in mind also that you can only have 1 trade route to a specific foreign city in your entire empire.
Wheras in domestic trade every one of your cities can have a trade route to your most profitable trade city.

 

[AveiMil]

Thank you mate

 

[Willem]

So, in cities with trade routes that produce less than 2 building a harbour is virtually useless? That is dissapointing

No, that is strategic. Look for cities that make it worthwhile to build a Harbour and let the rest build ships instead. Who says that every city has to have all the available improvements? Once you get Astronomy and start trading with overseas civs, then your coastal cities will start providing alot more. At least some of them.