How do you make money or weapons?

[Vermilion Knight]

I'm on year 3 without a single coin. How do you even make money? I have a trading station but it does nothing. Also, how do blacksmiths make weapons or armor? All I can make is tools and I don't see a building for weapons. I also can't trade for them either. My settlement is totally fine and self sustaining with lots of food I just don't see where weapons and money come into the game? Are they not added yet?

[Gnoraks]

You have to select items that you want to export in the trade depot and set a surplus threshold lower than what you currently have.
Basic items just get sold without a bought trade route occasionally.

Specialised workshops are built as backyard expansions in lvl 2 burghages/houses. Including blacksmiths and fletchers.

[cachmandrake]

Trading Post is not automatic, you have to set up what you want to export (sell), and assign families to it.

[Vermilion Knight]

Originally posted by Gnoraks:

Specialised workshops are built as backyard expansions in lvl 2 burghages/houses. Including blacksmiths and fletchers.

Oh wow I've been building my homes exactly the same size so they fit in in an area that keeps them close together. I had no idea the only way to get black smiths was from civilian homes! I'm probably going to have to restart my game because it's basically ruined now.

[Prikkiki-Ti]

Upgrading homes will generate some income as well as increasing your settlement level which gives you points to use for developing the region. You can access this tech tree by clicking on the town name in the top middle of the screen.

It takes you to a tech tree in which you'll find armormaking and other good stuff. :)

For trading: Snap a trading post to the pre-built road that goes through the region and off map. Assign a family to work there, then click on the trading post and go to the trade tab.
On the left side of any items you wish to trade you have to select import, export or full trade as well as adding the amount of resources you wish to import/export.

So for example if you have 50 planks but you only want to keep in stock 20 planks for yourself you can sell the rest by setting the desired surplus in the trade screen to 20.

I hope that helps.