Don't understand trade routes

[ironic_lettuce]

Hi guys

I was wondering if anyone could explain to me how trade routes work? For instance, I have a game where one of my coastal cities has three trade routes open with America and they make 6,8 & 9 gold (I think). Whereas, my capital city has three trade routes with three of my own cities and they only produce 1 gold each! I dont understand why this is happening, and any explanation would be great! The city with the three American trade routes was my second founded city, before I'd even met Washington, so that's not the reason. I have a harbour in the city which increases trade yield but it doesnt explain it all. Was just wondering if there's any way to force my capital (or any of my other cities) into a better trade route?

Oh and I know that in that saved game I'm nowhere near as good as most of the people on here but I'm still learning and I'm slowly but surely getting better at the game! I did go on to win that game with a space race victory

 

[ironic_lettuce]

This is the saved game (Warlords)

 

[Thedrin]

The most profitable trade routes go to the cities that have the ability to make the most money out of the trade routes prior to the application of bonuses. If your capital isn't on the coast and has a smaller population than your second city then your second city will usually (in this case) get the better trade routes.

Some ways to get better trade routes:

1) Open borders with far away civs - greater distance between cities gives greater profits from trade.
2) Allow your cities to grow. Trade income is based on city population - not city size. Larger cities experience larger changes in population than smaller cities for similar changes in city size.
3) Build coastal cities. They get a bonus to trade route income and a further bonus once you build a harbour.

Often times this can be too inconvenient. I'm guessing that at this stage (since I haven't looked at the save) the only way to boost your capital's trade income is to let the population grow which may impinge on the way you have set up the city.

Alternatively, don't look to increase your trade income. If your capital is only making one commerce per route then all of the easily profitable trade routes are taken and you have access to more routes than you need.

Things you could do:

1) Don't adopt free market. If you're taking in a lot of +1 trade routes then the bonus trade routes from free market aren't helping you as much as other economy civics could.
2) Adopt state property. If you have a large empire you'll save money on distance maintenance costs, find the workshop and watermill improvements to be more beneficial and very likely still keep the multiple commerce trade routes.
3) Adopt mercantilism. This will close all foreign trade routes and give you one specialist in each city instead. While I can't account for your entire empire, your capital willl benefit - it won't lose any income from trade routes (since you still have domestic trade routes which give 1 commerce each) and will gain the benefits of a specialist. Your second city will lose out. Determine which is better overall by checking each of your cities.
4) Adopt enviromentalism. The increased city population caps will allow you to make more gold through increased population while still keeping the biggest trade routes.

 

[ironic_lettuce]

Thanks for the great reply

Just so you know, Washington is the American leader in this case, not my city

My capital city with the three trade routes is Birbacte (or whatever the Celtic capital is called!)

Thanks again for the tips

 

[Killroyan]

Also coastal cities can build harbors which boast your trade routes by 50%. Propably the reason why you are seeing higher numbers over there.

 

[ironic_lettuce]

Also coastal cities can build harbors which boast your trade routes by 50%. Propably the reason why you are seeing higher numbers over there.

Yeah, I said in my original post that there was a harbour in the city, but arent harbours only +50% trade yield? I wasnt sure if a harbour had THAT much of an effect on the routes and that there had to be an additional reason

(that sounds like I'm being really harsh but I'm not! It just reads that way, I appreciate the reply )

 

[East St Trader]

IL, I can't open your save but it is a pound to a penny that your capital is not on the coast.

Cities can only trade with other cities with which they can communicate. As you research the seagoing techs, coastal cities are able to trade via the sea and later the ocean. (Look for the two arrows signs in the tech tree). But that does not apply to land locked cities. They can only trade with cities with which they are linked by road. With the additional requirement as regards foreign cities that you have a route into their capital.

The upshot is that you will always get substantially better trade income from coastal cities than landlocked ones.

 

[Thedrin]

coastal cities are able to trade via the sea and later the ocean. ... But that does not apply to land locked cities.

Really? I thought only a route was required and that intercontinental trade routes went to coasal cities simply because they usually made more money that way.

Edit: I've just had a look at a picture of a very large landlocked city which was trading with a civ based on another continent. The cities massive population would overcome the coastal bonuses of other cities to make the foreign trade routes more profitable in the landlocked city than in the coastal cities.

 

[UncleJJ]

This article on Trade Routes should explain most of your questions