Trade mechanics

[Rusty Nail]

Is there an overview of this somewhere? I am a bit stymied. In a new game I have three coastal cities and a nearby coastal Station, and have three trade depots and three trade vessels. The capital trades with the Station and cities 2 and 3 have a route. But I am not permitted to use my third trade vessel (no external coastal cities available yet). The only sea route listed as available is the one I already have between 2 and 3. There are no available sea listings for city 1 in the Trade Overview, even though I believe there should be two additional internal sea routes possible ( 1 to 2 and 1 to 3). It is as if the Station route eliminates all of the internal route options to/from city 1? Is that intentional? Comments please.

 

[alpaca]

Did you reveal a path over water that connects the cities? You need to have knowledge of a complete legal path from A to B in order to create a trade route. Over sea, it's easiest to explore along the coast, on land you need to find a path without miasma

 

[Rusty Nail]

Later in the game the two missing routes to city 1 opened up. I wonder if there might have been an alien creature on the coast blocking it. This might be the answer if the trade vessel cannot go around such an obstacle. Another possible explanation could be that a small section of the route was still in fog. I just don't know.

Later one of these routes was blocked by an invisible "enemy" on the coast and I got the message that the route was broken (red crossed swords in the hex). What could cause that? A covert agent? There is no alien present.

Anybody have an explanation for what is going on?

 

[Rusty Nail]

Thanks alpaca. You explained it before my message launched. What about the second phenomenon with the crossed swords?

 

[alpaca]

Thanks alpaca. You explained it before my message launched. What about the second phenomenon with the crossed swords?

I'm not sure, but I think that's not the trade route but the city connection being interrupted. Sea units can do that if they block all sea tiles in front of your city.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Yes. It was the sea aliens. But apparently it is not necessary for them to actually block all exits from the city. Being two hexes away seems to be enough to block the sea city.

 

[alpaca]

Yes. It was the sea aliens. But apparently it is not necessary for them to actually block all exits from the city. Being two hexes away seems to be enough to block the sea city.

What I mean by "blocking" is that their zone of blockade, which stretches two tiles in every direction, covers all sea tiles next to your city. You can do the same during war, by the way.