The merchant is where you buy and sell the goods that you acquire.
At the top of the display you will find information about the date,
the amount of gold you have and the cargo capacity of your ship.
The information about the goods is organized as follows. The first number
is the amount of goods in your hold. Next comes the name of the trade good
(the first trade good is food), followed by a number in brackets, which is
the number of goods available with the merchant. The two numbers next to the Buy
and Sell buttons are the buy and sell price. Below the name of the good,
you will find information about the base price of the goods (essentially
the average price of that trade good) as well as information about any shortages
or surplus that you know about.
Buy All/Sell All
If you want to Buy or Sell all goods of a kind (instead of transferring
them one by one, press the appropriate button and hold it down (i.e., long
press). This will buy or sell all the goods of that type that you have available,
subject to money limitations.
The Goods
The following trade goods exist in "Pirates and Traders":
- Food: This represents food stuffs of various kinds. You crew
consumes Food, so you will always want some on board. Food is cheapest
in poor ports and most expensive in rich ports.
- Sugar: This represents sugar and molasses; vital for the production of rum.
Sugar is cheapest in poor ports and most expensive in rich ports.
- Spices: This represents the various spices of the new world, including
Cocoa - the food of the gods. Production of Spices is highest in prosperous ports
and lowest in rich and poor ports.
- Lumber: Wood and lumber is required not just for construction but also
ships. The best production of Lumber is in average ports.
- Cotton: Cotton plantations were common across the Carribean. It is
primarily produced in average ports in the game.
- Rum: The drink of the Pirate. Production of Rum is highest in
properous ports.
- Paper: Paper was an important industrial product from Lumber. Wealthy
ports produce most Paper in the game.
- Clothing: The pirates of the period were highly fashion-conscious, and
Clothing was valued plunder. Wealthy ports produce the most Clothing.
- Weapons: Weapons are much sought after due to the continuous warfare.
Rich ports produce the most Weapons. Weapons are, however, considered contraband
in Spanish and British territory.
- Gems: Precious Gems are the most expensive trading good in the game.
For this reason, the State holds a monopoly on its trade and it is considered
contraband in Spanish, French, and Dutch territories.
The five port levels are poor (1), average (2), prosperous (3), wealthy (4),
and rich (5).
If you are inspected by a patrol boat while carrying contraband, your
goods will be confiscated and you may be put on trial.