The Merchant isn't coming?

[Luke]

The merchant never comes.. I have a fully-staffed trading port with goods in it and he's not taking the bait. One time he did come and he just kept on rowing which pissed me the hell off. Why does this guy never show up?

[EveryoneLovesPirates]

Odd, I've never seen a trader pass by the site without stopping. As long as it's being worked (I'm sure you don't have the stop sign above it, right?), he should stop (you don't even need it stocked afaik).

My only suggestions are quit and reload, build a new trading post, or start a new game. If it's actually a bug, you can submit it to the developer here (including the save file will help if it's reproducable):
http://www.shiningrocksoftware.com/forum/categories/bug-reports

[Luke]

How do I even get him to show up on the map? I haven't seen him in like 5 or 6 in game years..

[TemplarGFX]

I would try rebuilding your trading post, sounds like something has gone wrong. He will come even if there are no traders and work is turned off. he will still stop there.

make sure that the river you built it on is the big one, and not one of those thin streams, or a lake only joined to the river by a stream.

[Luke]

Does it have to have 6 traders or can I skeleton-crew it?

[TemplarGFX]

I run mine on only 1 trader

The trader is there to gather supplies from town and bring them to the trading post. I do not believe you need a trader to make a trade

[Luke]

...Oh. That would be why, then. It's a lake joined to a thin stream, but I saw him coming from this direction the first time. Weird.

[EveryoneLovesPirates]

I think I've had to wait a year, max. If it's taking that long and there's no other reason, then a bug seems like a possiblity. Your trading post is on the major river, right?

You can always try saving another copy of the town and demolishing and rebuilding the post. If that doesn't work after a couple years, and it's a town that you really don't want to lose, you could upload your save to a file sharing site and I'll take a look at it. Alternatively, you could post a video or series of screenshots showing everything concerning your trading post.

edit: Looks like Templar got it first. Have fun trading! (fyi, i also only use 1 trader)

[Daniel Mtanous - USA - INACTIVE]

This is how the Trade Post works:

It has to be on the "wide/big" river or on a lake that has the big/wide river going through it.

You have to stock a certain amount of goods in the port.
If you don't have enough goods stocked at the port; the merchants never trigger for the first time.

After a set amount of goods have been stocked, you will start to see a boat come down the big/wide river. It is the merchant.
The merchant has different names each has a different type of good to sell and buys a different type of good as well.

After you buy/sell stuff the merchant doesn't leave, you have to manually "dismiss" them.

Merchants take a long time to get there. They are also random. Sometimes it takes longer than a year. I've had one come 3 years later. REALLY REALLY long time.

[EveryoneLovesPirates]

Don't know about the minimum goods at the post initiating the trader, but it certainly could be true. It would be nice to know exactly what that number is, and if it's quanity or value based.

Traders will definitely leave the post after a certain amount of time, which is the main reason you want your trading post stocked before they arrive. Dismissing them quickly doesn't seem to make them come back any quicker, but I do it anyway.

[uncleLukie]

Are you sure you put it on the wide river that is connected to the fictituous 'other world'?

[Daniel Mtanous - USA - INACTIVE]

It is quantity based. If you read the help section it tells you. press F2 and click the question mark icon. Look for trade port.

[Steely]

If you have 2 docks you get every year 2 traders, if you buy from a trader you get same trader next year most of the time, the first years the trader dont come, dunno why.

I create most games, 2 trade docks so you have more change to get live stocks or seeds.

[EveryoneLovesPirates]

Originally posted by Daniel M. - Texas, U.S.A.:

It is quantity based. If you read the help section it tells you. press F2 and click the question mark icon. Look for trade port.

Thanks, I read through everything in the in-game help, but apparently that didn't sink in. Luckily I haven't had trouble getting traders to come.

Originally posted by Steely:

If you have 2 docks you get every year 2 traders, if you buy from a trader you get same trader next year most of the time, the first years the trader dont come, dunno why.

I create most games, 2 trade docks so you have more change to get live stocks or seeds.

Out of curiousity, if you have more than one trading dock, which one(s) do they stop at?

[Unleashed]

suppose to drop by once a year...

[Steely]

dock 1 get 1 trader and dock 2 get next trader, so you need some stock in both to sell or just empty dock 1 and fill dock 2.
You only need staff to fill or empty dock, I always swap between my fisherman and use them to do the job ;)

and place a storage area and storehouse next to traders, this way you can swap fast, they stay only 2 seasons at dock.