Trading post bug?

[l-c]

Maybe someone can tell me if I misunderstand how trade routes work or if there is a bug here. This was an online game in R&F.

Below are two screenshots, where I am trying to create a route with my second trader. I had previously completed a trade route from Radom to Wroclaw, and I restarted that first trader along the same route.

So there should be a trading post in Radom. Now I try to send a second trader. Sending it from Poznam recognizes the Radom trading post, and this trader can get to more distant cities. However, the other screen shot shows that if the second trader is sent out from Legnica, it can only go to Radom--not recognizing the trading post supposedly there.

 

[Leyrann]

Sometimes, it works a bit weird with creating the paths, and it may not always properly find trading posts. Can be very annoying, in particular in a case like this where only one variation is possible.

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

Maybe someone can tell me if I misunderstand how trade routes work or if there is a bug here. This was an online game in R&F.

Below are two screenshots, where I am trying to create a route with my second trader. I had previously completed a trade route from Radom to Wroclaw, and I restarted that first trader along the same route.

So there should be a trading post in Radom. Now I try to send a second trader. Sending it from Poznam recognizes the Radom trading post, and this trader can get to more distant cities. However, the other screen shot shows that if the second trader is sent out from Legnica, it can only go to Radom--not recognizing the trading post supposedly there.

I think the explanation may lie in the slightly different path the Trader from Poznam takes when continuing on to Legnica versus a Trader coming out of Legnica on route to Poznam. In the case of the Poznam - Legnica Trader, it makes use of the existing road by moving into Radom and then further along that road by one hex, before turning towards Legnica.

So basically, I think the Poznam origin Trader has enough range to reach Radom and pass through, getting the Trading Post range boost, whereas the Legnica origin Trader has only enough range to reach, but not pass through Radom, and thus doesn't get it's range boosted.

Would require additional testing to prove if this is what is actually happening.

 

[l-c]

I think the explanation may lie in the slightly different path the Trader from Poznam takes when continuing on to Legnica versus a Trader coming out of Legnica on route to Poznam. In the case of the Poznam - Legnica Trader, it makes use of the existing road by moving into Radom and then further along that road by one hex, before turning towards Legnica.

So basically, I think the Poznam origin Trader has enough range to reach Radom and pass through, getting the Trading Post range boost, whereas the Legnica origin Trader has only enough range to reach, but not pass through Radom, and thus doesn't get it's range boosted.

Would require additional testing to prove if this is what is actually happening.

Thanks for responses. Regarding this idea of different distances, I don't see the idea yet. Radom is 11 tiles away from Poznam, and it is 13 tiles away from Legnica. Both distances are safely under 15 tiles, so I don't see how the distances could matter (apart from a bug.)

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

Thanks for responses. Regarding this idea of different distances, I don't see the idea yet. Radom is 11 tiles away from Poznam, and it is 13 tiles away from Legnica. Both distances are safely under 15 tiles, so I don't see how the distances could matter (apart from a bug.)

Pretty sure trade routes are based on movement points, and not just number of tiles.

 

[l-c]

Pretty sure trade routes are based on movement points, and not just number of tiles.

I was counting the tiles over which the white dashed lines go in the screen shots. So these are the tile counts for the real trade routes (which avoids mountains, lakes etc.) Is this what you meant by "movement points"?

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

I was counting the tiles over which the white dashed lines go in the screen shots. So these are the tile counts for the real trade routes (which avoids mountains, lakes etc.) Is this what you meant by "movement points"?

I'm far from an expert on how trade routes work, so I'm mostly going from the screen shots you provided. The trade route from Legnica to Radom takes a different path than the trade route from Poznam to Legnica via Radom. The reason seems to be that the Trader leaving from Poznam can make use of the existing road hex from Radom towards Wroclaw. The Trader unit's behaviour looks like the same behaviour that units get, as they can enter the road system via a city and get the benefit of the road, which you don't get moving onto a non-city road tile from a non-road tile.

So trying to guess at what's happening here, it looks to me like the different routes may be based on what route uses the least amount of movement points (where an empty hex counts 1, a hill counts 2, a road counts less based on era, etc.) for travel in that direction. I think that's what I've observed in my games, Traders taking the fastest route, not necessarily the most direct, and making use of existing roads where possible.

I know the trade routes guide says trade routes on land can be up to 15 tiles, but I'm not sure exactly how that works or even it it's 100% accurate (it might be). It seems like the actual movement points involved may play some part. And as for when trade posts apply their benefit, I'm just speculating that maybe the trader needs not just to reach, but actually be able to pass through the tile with the trading post to get the benefit of the extended range.

Why these things are left as mysteries rather than clear from the game documentation is a source of continual frustration with Civ 6.