When would it be a good time to remove the merchant?

[SeaOfSeagulls]

Just a simple question, I am all in favor for a better defense to get a catapult on an island but the merchants hut is 3 trees in the forest out of my city before I even started cutting down any trees, my guess is when I can get myself enough income through hunting, fishing, and farming but what do you guys have to say?

[GamingNomad]

First of all, you can keep the merchant/camp and build walls if you go past it and find a clearing. Once at a clearing, you can either build a wall, or clear the trees towards your castle and build one closer. This will allow you to build walls while keeping camps. Take into account the distance and time it takes builders to reach that area.

To answer your question directly, I would generally say once you have enough hunters and you know you can rake in some nice coin. If this is the first island, gold isn't a problem and there's probably only one gate on the merchant side so I don't see it necessary. I would definitely 6 archers on one side is more than enough to bring you more coin than a merchant.

[IAmSquidget]

IMO:
Merchants pull 7 gold per day with no real effort, require no investment/recruitment, and work during Winter. Unless your map is pathologically bad, try to never remove it until you are clearing the island.

[!?!]

Never.

[Kurtino]

Don't merchants progressively give less gold coins the further into the days you are?

I had a merchant that eventually was giving 1 gold back for the 1 gold I sent him out for.

[Storm0267]

Id say never

[Crusher Von Splattenheim]

Originally posted by Kurtino:

Don't merchants progressively give less gold coins the further into the days you are?

I had a merchant that eventually was giving 1 gold back for the 1 gold I sent him out for.

No that sounds like a bug. That or maybe the greed are leaping into the merchant and causing him to drop coins.

If it's the later, greed behavior isn't completely straightforward and basic greed don't cause contact damage. It's onlly their leap attack that damages. Greed will never purposefully leap attack into merchants but if a merchant is in the path of a greed's leap attack they will drop coins. Similar to how if dawn hits and the remaining greed retreat and you quickly take a portal ahead of the retreating greed they will walk right past you without attacking. They will, however, pick up any coins you drop along their path.

[IAmSquidget]

Yep, sounds like a bug. It has always been pay 1, get 8, in my experience.

[Kurtino]

Weird, because for me it wasn't just from 8 gold to 1, it was over time the amount would be less and less until I think it was either 2 or 1 returns, like a progressive decay that was consistent. I just assumed it was a mechanic to help out with the early game but was softly removed the further you got.