[GS] [1.0.0.341] trade route bug

[Qwan]

Because the game LIES by having the Trade Route rollover say "Total number of turns to complete this route" when actually that's only the minimum tile distance between the two cities, I've been using the Better Trade Screen Mod. However, I've noticed that my turns to completion have been going negative. It appears the trader is taking AN EXTRA TRIP than I expect.

My experience was if one round-trip took more than 20 turns, then the trader would make just one round trip. I have two trade routes. The minimum tile distance between the two cities for both trade routes is 11 tiles. The actual tile paths (road) for the two routes are 12 and 13 tiles. So I expect them to complete in 24 and 26 turns. Instead, the trader keeps going!

Was something changed in the Sept update to make trade routes longer?

The only Mods I'm using are UI Mods (like Better Reports). I even tried removing Better Trade Screen right before a trade route should have finished. It didn't. I play at Deity level, standard speed.

Oh, and both the mentioned trade routes are international.

Save game available upon request.

 

[Qwan]

It's not just international routes. After watching several trade routes carefully, it appears that the trader keeps going for at least 30 turns. Why is this bad?

Routes with road-paths of 4, 8, and 16 all finish in 32 turns. (Road-path of 15 finishes in 30 -- just had one such.)
Routes with road-paths of 7 or 14 finish in 42 turns.
Routes with road-path of 13 finishes in 52 turns.

It's not merely that the UI doesn't tell you the above, even if it did, one shouldn't have to struggle to have routes which finish in a reasonable time. One should pick routes because of their benefit. And having a reasonably short route of a 13 path road shouldn't take more than an era to finish. It's likely that the origin city's needs will have changed long before then.

I really recommend the following simple solution: one round trip, period.
(As well as fixing the UI so it tells the truth. If a mod can do it ....)

Because the game LIES by having the Trade Route rollover say "Total number of turns to complete this route" when actually that's only the minimum tile distance between the two cities, I've been using the Better Trade Screen Mod. However, I've noticed that my turns to completion have been going negative. It appears the trader is taking AN EXTRA TRIP than I expect.

My experience was if one round-trip took more than 20 turns, then the trader would make just one round trip. I have two trade routes. The minimum tile distance between the two cities for both trade routes is 11 tiles. The actual tile paths (road) for the two routes are 12 and 13 tiles. So I expect them to complete in 24 and 26 turns. Instead, the trader keeps going!

Was something changed in the Sept update to make trade routes longer?

The only Mods I'm using are UI Mods (like Better Reports). I even tried removing Better Trade Screen right before a trade route should have finished. It didn't. I play at Deity level, standard speed.

Oh, and both the mentioned trade routes are international.

Save game available upon request.

 

[Qwan]

So I'd really like to know, what's the justification for NOT having all traders simply do ONE round trip?
Because, if that's to encourage longer trade routes, it fails, and there are BETTER ways.
Already, you have trade routes connecting to foreign trading posts gain an extra gpt.
Simply make this stronger.
You could make connecting to trading posts, domestic as well as foreign, gain an extra gpt. (Rome would have to be changed to be even better.)
You could then make foreign trading posts gain more than one extra gpt.
You could make non-terminal trading posts worth double (passing thru each way).
You could make multiple trading posts on a route increase gpt non-linearly.

As the game is, I already ignore trading posts.
Change them to make them more meaningful, and that's a better way to encourage long routes. (Alliances help a little, but not very much.)
It also encourages making short routes first (if domestic trading posts matter), so roads don't go around cities.

I really recommend the following simple solution: one round trip, period.

 

[Knasp]

I don't think this is a bug, but rather working as intended. The minimum duration for a trade route is 20 turns on Standard speed. You can check the wiki here under the heading "Duration": https://civilization.fandom.com/wiki/Trade_Route_(Civ6)
/In my mod I've reduced the duration to 0 which ends the trade route whenever the trader has returned to the origin city.

 

[Knasp]

Checking the game file: Expansion2_Eras.xml found under: \Sid Meier's Civilization VI\DLC\Expansion2\Data'

There's an attribute called "TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange" which I believe adds more turns onto trade routes depending on Era.

    <Eras_XP2>
        <Row EraType="ERA_ANCIENT" GrievanceDecayRate="10" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="0" EraScoreThresholdShift="-3"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_CLASSICAL" GrievanceDecayRate="9" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="0"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_MEDIEVAL" GrievanceDecayRate="8" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="10"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_RENAISSANCE" GrievanceDecayRate="7" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="10"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_INDUSTRIAL" GrievanceDecayRate="6" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="20"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_MODERN" GrievanceDecayRate="5" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="20"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_ATOMIC" GrievanceDecayRate="4" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="20"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_INFORMATION" GrievanceDecayRate="3" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="30"/>
        <Row EraType="ERA_FUTURE" GrievanceDecayRate="2" TensionDecayRate="10" TradeRouteMinimumEndTurnChange="30"/>
    </Eras_XP2>

 

[Ansive]

Thank you for finding this. I was going crazy trying to create trading posts for Russia's 60 distance trade route achievement.
I wonder if the additional value is flat or scaled based on game speed. Probably scaled.

MED & REN -> 50% longer routes
IND & MOD & ATO -> 100% longer routes
INF & FUT -> 150% longer routes