Merchants

[Grand_Armee]

I see other nations merchant ships come and go. I notice mine sitting in port are earning no income, so I move them iinto the sea and they show income. Do I need to send them to a foreign port then bring them back home? Or, will they earn money just sitting in the Skaggerak twidling their thumbs and tacking with the wind?

Thanks in advance!

[Uncle_Joe]

Yep, they earn money for being in a sea zone with a lot of ports and upgrades nearby. They earn less money if a lot of merchants congregate or if privateers are in the same zone.

I tend to get pretty good money in the Baltic area. The AI seems to like to pile up merchants around England, so I dont see much way to make money there.

Merchant income also seems to vary wildly from turn to turn. Without moving my merchants, I'l be making 106 one turn and 25 the next. I havent seen much rhyme or reason to the changes, but over time, they do seem to earn money. Note that having a a high Feudal level reduces merchant income.

Hope it helps.

[Naomi]

The waters off Marseille are good choices too, scarsely haunted by merchants.