The Trade Travois (Travois before The WarChiefs), Barter Merchant, Rickshaw, Trader, and Scholar are level 1 land rout traders, available at the Trading Post from the beginning of the game. They may only yield experience when active and they cannot generate other resources. Trade Travois available on North America maps, Barter Merchants on Central and South America maps, Rickshaws on Asia maps, Traders on Africa and Middle East maps, and Scholars on European maps.
Oceanic Carrack and River Traders are level 1 water traders with the same mechanics as their land counterparts. Oceanic Carracks available on Africa and Middle East maps as sea traders, and River Traders on European maps as river traders.
Level 2[]
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Travels along Trade Routes.
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—In-game description
The Stagecoach, Traveling Merchant, Trading Cart, and Caravan Trader are level 2 land route traders that travel along a pre-determined Trade Route and deliver experience, food, wood, or coin to any Trading Post they pass. At this level, the route is a packed, rutted track that can be upgraded one more time. The Trade Route appears as a white line on the mini map. Any player can build on an unclaimed Trading Post site. Enemy players can own Trading Posts along the same Trade Route. Level 2 traders move faster, delivering resources more quickly.
The Trade Galleon and Cargo Boat are level 2 water traders that, unlike their predecessors, are able to stockpile food, wood, and coin when producing.
Anyone who has built a Trading Post on a Trade Route gains Line of Sight around the level 2 trader. This means that the level 2 trader entering the fog of war or completely unexplored areas can see what is immediately beyond it.
The Trade Travois and Scholar upgrade to a Stagecoach, the Barter Merchant to a Traveling Merchant, the Rickshaw to a Trade Cart, the Trader to a Caravan Trader, the Oceanic Carrack to a Trade Galleon, and the River Trader to a Cargo Boat.
Level 3[]
“
Travels along Trade Routes.
”
—In-game description
The Steam Train and Caravan Guide are level 3 land route traders that travel along a pre-determined Trade Route and deliver experience, food, wood, or coin to any Trading Post they pass. The Trade Route starts as a dirt track and can be upgraded over the course of the game. The Trade Route appears as a white line on the mini map. Any player can build on an unclaimed Trading Post site. Enemy players can own Trading Posts along the same Trade Route. Level 3 traders have greater Line of Sight and deliver resources more quickly.
The East Indiaman and Trading Barge are level 3 water traders. They generate resources and experience at a faster rate than their predecessors.
This is the last upgrade available for the Trade Route.
The Stagecoach, Traveling Merchant, and Rickshaw upgrade to a Steam Train, the Caravan Trader to a Caravan Guide, the Trade Galleon to an East Indiaman, and the Cargo Boat to a Trading Barge.
History[]
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The travois is an elongated triangle frame designed to be dragged by humans, horses, or dogs. The long sides trail away from the puller and are sometimes held apart by a third support. It allows the transport of heavier loads than can be carried on a human's or an animal's back. Goods are tied to the travois or piled onto a cloth or leather tarp.
Nomadic Native Americans used travois to transport their homes. They dragged the travois themselves or harnessed dogs to it, or horses after the Spanish introduced them. Across rugged terrain, these travois often fared better than wheeled carts.
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—Trade Travois description from the Compendium section
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Stagecoaches were used to transport passengers and mail along overland routes before the rise of railways. Stagecoaches were four-wheeled wagons that could accommodate a dozen passengers (or more if passengers rode outside with the driver). Teams of four, six, or eight horses pulled stagecoaches. As a result, horse breeds with great strength and speed emerged and were valued as teams for drawing stagecoaches. Passengers could expect a bumpy, uncomfortable trip in spite of the thick leather straps used as shock absorbers.
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—Stagecoach description from the Compendium section
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The first locomotive made in the United States used rifle barrels for the tubes of its boilers. Early steam engines went through several iterations and changes before they adopted their familiar shape.
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—Steam Train description from the Compendium section
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Early passenger cars on American trains were short and carried few passengers. They very much resembled the stagecoaches they replaced. Over time these cars lengthened to accommodate more and more passengers.
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—Passenger Car description from the Compendium section
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Early freight cars were largely made of wood with cast-iron wheels and hand brakes. They carried all manner of goods north and south, east and west across North America. Flatcars were used to carry large, bulky objects, and boxcars were used to transport smaller goods.
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—Freight Car description from the Compendium section
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The caboose is the last car in a train and contains the train crew's sleeping quarters and kitchen. Cabooses started as wooden shacks built on flatcars to shelter cookfires and sleeping crewmembers. Crew in the caboose kept an eye on the train, so that the crew in the Engine could keep an eye on the track ahead. If the train separated in the middle, the crew in the caboose could put emergency brakes on to stop the loose train.
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—Caboose description from the Compendium section
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Contrary to popular belief, rickshaws did not originate in the East and were not even glimpsed there until the mid-nineteenth century. The name itself, “rickshaw,” is not specifically linked to any specific conveyance, but rather to the idea behind it: Japanese “jinrikisha,” literally meaning a human-powered vehicle.
The rickshaw first appeared in Japan around 1868, during the Meiji period. Its speed and low cost of operation quickly made it the preferred form of transportation, and by 1872, the city of Tokyo was home to about 40,000 rickshaws. Soon after its introduction in Japan, the rickshaw appeared on the streets of India. It was primarily used by Chinese traders to ship goods; but in 1914, the Chinese applied for permission to use rickshaws as a method of human transport. Once that occurred, the rickshaw became a common sight in most major Asian cities.
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—Rickshaw, Trade Cart description from the Compendium section
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The various regions of Africa and the Middle East engaged in one of the most lively series of trade networks in human history. Land routes were often traversed by caravans, large convoys of merchants, their pack animals, and – when applicable – their guards. Laden with resources and riches, caravans were fruitful enterprises – and even more tempting targets.
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—Caravan Trader, Caravan Guide description from the Compendium section
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The various regions of Africa and the Middle East engaged in one of the most lively series of trade networks in human history. Sea routes were often traversed by large cargo ships such as carracks, which could carry more than caravels and were more seaworthy. Laden with resources and riches, trade ships were fruitful enterprises – and even more tempting targets.
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—Oceanic Carrack description from the Compendium section
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The various regions of Africa and the Middle East engaged in one of the most lively series of trade networks in human history. Sea routes were often traversed by large cargo ships such as galleons, which were even more seaworthy and could carry more than carracks. Laden with resources and riches, trade ships were fruitful enterprises – and even more tempting targets.
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—Trade Galleon description from the Compendium section
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The various regions of Africa and the Middle East engaged in one of the most lively series of trade networks in human history. Sea routes were often traversed by large cargo ships. Laden with resources and riches, trade ships were fruitful enterprises – and even more tempting targets. To combat the threat of piracy and protect royal and entrepreneurial investments, several European nations formed trading companies. Their vessels, East Indiamen, were officially licensed to trade and were capable of carrying immense amounts of goods while defending themselves from pirates.
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—East Indiaman description from the Compendium section
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Universities had existed in Europe since the High Middle Ages, but it was only during the Renaissance period that they became an integral part of royal affairs. With the decline of feudalism, a growing class of professionals traveled far distances to receive education from scholars who promoted the burgeoning academia of the era. The father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, was influenced by his findings as a professor at the University of Wittenberg, while the Belgian physician Andreas Vesalius revolutionized common understanding of human anatomy, resulting in doctors becoming more invaluable than ever. By the end of the 16th century, scholars wielded arguably the greatest amount influence on the course of European history, eventually culminating in the Age of Enlightenment, where great academics such as Voltaire, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, and Benjamin Franklin shaped the foundations of modern political society.
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—Scholar description from the Compendium section
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Maritime commerce in Europe dates back several hundred years. Because rivers often formed the political boundaries of emerging states, merchants frequently preferred to travel by water instead of land. The Danube River played a particularly important role in European river trade, since it passed through the territories of several different powers, stretching all the way from Germany to the Black Sea. Other significant trade networks existed along the banks of the Volga River, which passed through much of Russia; the Rhine, which branched from the swampy Dutch Lowlands to the mountainous Alps; and the Elbe, which connected many influential cities throughout the vast Holy Roman Empire.
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—River Trader description from the Compendium section
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Early modern armies increasingly depended on the deployment of heavy artillery. To ease the burden of transporting large arsenals across the plains, swamps, and hills of Europe, shipwrights built massive prams for the sole purpose of carrying military equipment around the fickle terrain. As cargo ships grew in capacity, demand for them skyrocketed. To fully realize their potential and to ensure safe passage in times of war, engineers built elaborate waterways that linked major bodies of water all across the European continent. Some of the most important canals during the early modern period include the Eider-Kanal, which opened direct trade between the Baltic and North Seas, as well as the Canal du Midi, which allowed ships to travel from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean via France.
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—Cargo Boat description from the Compendium section
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As river trade networks grew in quantity and importance, managing waterway traffic became an increasingly onerous process. To carry large amounts of cargo without sacrificing efficiency, larger and larger vessels had to be constructed. Moving such heavy Trade Boats down rivers typically required a frightful amount of manpower, but with the invention of the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution, manual labor ceased to be a serious obstacle, making it more feasible to construct enormous Barges for the purpose of commerce. Since the strength of early steam engines was limited, merchants often turned to chain ships, whose innovative use of chain pulleys greatly reduced the amount of power necessary for steam engines to operate successfully. Chain ships dominated continental maritime trade throughout the 19th century until improvements to steam engines allowed them to work autonomously.
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—Trading Barge description from the Compendium section
