@Frost Knight ,
this is a reoccuring theme in a couple of your posts, so let me go thru this.
you're plank boosted.... if thats you in ceravyn .. you're also CH3, so
I will be conservative and say you might be @ 300% boost by now .....
( if you aren't, I will be using that as a hypothetical )
Base T1 are.... planks 9, marble 9, steel 19..... ( steel is 2x2, not 2x1/1x2 )
lets just assume then they all three are 9 , for 2 tiles......
Boosted 9 -> 9+27 -> 36 ... so planks gives you 36 vs 9 of the other two.
Traveling Merchant is 2x3 or 6 tiles.... so right there if it doesn't give you
36x3 or basically 108, every 3 hours.... its inferior to production... Yes I do
understand, production also needs pop/culture.
By making just planks, and trading in your FS @ 1:1, effectively you
magically become boosted in everything T1...
As your boost grows to its Max 700% ( then later there other ways to help )
that 9 turns into 72.... very quickly even 1 small bldg can outperform a TM.
This is why everyone says, make ur boost & trade for the rest .....
Edit: if this is you on ceravyn, then check this out ...