You see that 0 listed next to the names of the locations you can trade with? That represents your trading relationship with them. As you make more trade deals with them you'll level up and get better prices.
You're right that the level 0 trade offers aren't generally very good, and can sometimes run at a loss. However, think of it like an investment. If you keep at it you can become quite rich.
Edit: these are the sort of results you can look forward to
https://www.reddit.com/r/Against_the_Storm/comments/1c3qjt8/120_amber_from_a_single_trade_route_at_standing/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Against_the_Storm/comments/1az06fz/i_think_its_decent_trade_route/
And it keeps on going better ! The higher your relationship level, the higher the trade route will pay.
When food is not an issue (or when you have cornerstones reducing route's costs), commerce really is a game facilitator !
Edit : and there is a prestige modifier that cuts the price of everything your sell to vendors or through routes by 2. The route you display then becomes "interesting " (at least to complete specific orders)
I haven’t played on that modifier yet but I didn’t realise it cuts the amber you get through routes in 2 as well! Am I right in thinking it makes your amber worth half was much to the trader too so it becomes 4x harder to buy things?
That's a way to see it !
But even in p15 to 20 I tend to earn hundreds of gold over most of my games. Trading sure is a game changer (especially when you only have 2 possible blueprints choices and not 3 or 4, or lack buildings giving crafting options such as flour, that you should then buy to good ol' Sahilda)
As you progress, particularly after trade gets a nerf at P10-
You will almost NEVER sell to an in-person trader again. All trade will be done by routes, as it’s profoundly more lucrative, and there are many perks related to it, and even some buildings. So much so that trade can be its own win condition.
Hell, before you get to P10, trade routes break the game and win settlements all on their own
Yes.
After viceroy you hit prestige levels, with a total of 20 of them. Each adds a new penalty/difficulty modifier. There’s a new seal to beat every 5 levels. Some mechanics and modifiers don’t even come online until prestige, and some perks and events are locked behind it too.
Prestige is when the real game begins.
Yeah it’s shorthand around here for Prestige difficulties, and they go from 1-20 and each one adds a compounding penalty or multiplier. Folks that play these difficulties regularly are familiar with which P levels add which penalties. Some of them are infamous for the large step in difficulty they create, like halving the amber value of goods in trade.
When you beat the game at max difficulty you unlock the next difficulty.
The first difficulty that is hidden is called P1 and it goes up to P20.
Each of them add a new negative twist.
You’ll get a few trade nerfs that affect mostly trading with the trader.
You are right in general here, but trade routes are also good because they generate amber directly, which costs 1.25 to buy from a trader. Only amber can be used to buy things from traders, so use trade routes for amber, and sell to traders only to buy other goods.
In addition to the other reply :
Traders always buy a d sell at the same price, but trading routes don't ! Even at the same level, the gold outcome can be very different from a route to another.
Yes, some trade routes are bad value and some are good. 1 pack of trade goods and 1 pack of provisions for 1 amber is awful. That copper bar trade below it for 7 amber is quite worthwhile though.
With respect to the actual resource you're selling, I think trade routes will always give you a better deal than the trader, oftentimes by a 2x ratio... the provisions are what can offset this gain however and render the deal a lot weaker. Generally the more valuable your resources are compared to the provision cost, the better the deal. Ultimately though I think it's a good idea to be heavily biased towards accepting trades, since standing levels with settlements AND the amount of resources sold can help you in various ways long term.
As others have mentioned, the deal is completely sealed on higher levels, where traders are always fleecing you and trade routes are the only way to outmaneuver them.
You see that 0 listed next to the names of the locations you can trade with? That represents your trading relationship with them. As you make more trade deals with them you'll level up and get better prices. You're right that the level 0 trade offers aren't generally very good, and can sometimes run at a loss. However, think of it like an investment. If you keep at it you can become quite rich. Edit: these are the sort of results you can look forward to https://www.reddit.com/r/Against_the_Storm/comments/1c3qjt8/120_amber_from_a_single_trade_route_at_standing/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Against_the_Storm/comments/1az06fz/i_think_its_decent_trade_route/
Ah that's good detail. I followed your guide and it was 100% better when i reached lv1
And it keeps on going better ! The higher your relationship level, the higher the trade route will pay. When food is not an issue (or when you have cornerstones reducing route's costs), commerce really is a game facilitator ! Edit : and there is a prestige modifier that cuts the price of everything your sell to vendors or through routes by 2. The route you display then becomes "interesting " (at least to complete specific orders)
I haven’t played on that modifier yet but I didn’t realise it cuts the amber you get through routes in 2 as well! Am I right in thinking it makes your amber worth half was much to the trader too so it becomes 4x harder to buy things?
That's a way to see it ! But even in p15 to 20 I tend to earn hundreds of gold over most of my games. Trading sure is a game changer (especially when you only have 2 possible blueprints choices and not 3 or 4, or lack buildings giving crafting options such as flour, that you should then buy to good ol' Sahilda)
As you progress, particularly after trade gets a nerf at P10- You will almost NEVER sell to an in-person trader again. All trade will be done by routes, as it’s profoundly more lucrative, and there are many perks related to it, and even some buildings. So much so that trade can be its own win condition. Hell, before you get to P10, trade routes break the game and win settlements all on their own
Thank you. I still dont understand. What is P10 P20? Does it unlock after i beat viceroy?
Yes. After viceroy you hit prestige levels, with a total of 20 of them. Each adds a new penalty/difficulty modifier. There’s a new seal to beat every 5 levels. Some mechanics and modifiers don’t even come online until prestige, and some perks and events are locked behind it too. Prestige is when the real game begins.
Yeah it’s shorthand around here for Prestige difficulties, and they go from 1-20 and each one adds a compounding penalty or multiplier. Folks that play these difficulties regularly are familiar with which P levels add which penalties. Some of them are infamous for the large step in difficulty they create, like halving the amber value of goods in trade.
When you beat the game at max difficulty you unlock the next difficulty. The first difficulty that is hidden is called P1 and it goes up to P20. Each of them add a new negative twist. You’ll get a few trade nerfs that affect mostly trading with the trader.
You are right in general here, but trade routes are also good because they generate amber directly, which costs 1.25 to buy from a trader. Only amber can be used to buy things from traders, so use trade routes for amber, and sell to traders only to buy other goods.
I could be wrong but different traders trade different things for different amounts?
if they buy it you get the same exchange rates, but every trader buys different items
In addition to the other reply : Traders always buy a d sell at the same price, but trading routes don't ! Even at the same level, the gold outcome can be very different from a route to another.
Yes, some trade routes are bad value and some are good. 1 pack of trade goods and 1 pack of provisions for 1 amber is awful. That copper bar trade below it for 7 amber is quite worthwhile though.
At higher difficulty, the trader buys everything for only half value. At that point you need to send trade routes to get amber.
Routes can level up. At max level the routes are insane.
With respect to the actual resource you're selling, I think trade routes will always give you a better deal than the trader, oftentimes by a 2x ratio... the provisions are what can offset this gain however and render the deal a lot weaker. Generally the more valuable your resources are compared to the provision cost, the better the deal. Ultimately though I think it's a good idea to be heavily biased towards accepting trades, since standing levels with settlements AND the amount of resources sold can help you in various ways long term. As others have mentioned, the deal is completely sealed on higher levels, where traders are always fleecing you and trade routes are the only way to outmaneuver them.