Traveling merchant 2

[DeletedUser14396]

Ok, I have a stupid question. The traveling merchant 2 says it boosts my non boosted tier 2 manufacturies slightly. I was wondering if it gave them the same boost my boosted manufacture gets?

 

[DeletedUser5521]

Ok, I have a stupid question. The traveling merchant 2 says it boosts my non boosted tier 2 manufacturies slightly. I was wondering if it gave them the same boost my boosted manufacture gets?

I'm not sure where you're seeing that it "boosts" your tier 2 manufactories, Feinor? Boy, wouldn't THAT be nice!! It only produces the goods as far as I know. I have had them and replaced them all (TM 1, 2, 3) in all of my cities, as they take up more room than they are worth after a while..

 

[DeletedUser14396]

lol Clearly I meant the goods those manufactories produce. Though I understand a little better now. So it produces them right? I was thinking it would cause my other factories to produce extra.

 

[DeletedUser3507]

All traveling merchant's are a waste of space in my opinion, there basically Inno filler.

 

[Desurfur]

lol Clearly I meant the goods those manufactories produce. Though I understand a little better now. So it produces them right?

Yes, the TM 1, 2, 3 will produce the unboosted goods in each tier,

I only have a TM 3, in my case it can produce either Dust or Jewel, you set it up to produce one or the other, it will produce a set amount for a 3 Hr period or a little higher amount (53 Goods) for a 9 Hr period.
It's not a waste of space as some have said, Depending on what chapter your in.
My case I won the tier 3 about the beginning of chapter 2 and it gave me space as I Have been able to proceed to about the middle CH 4 having to build no more then 1 each of my non-boosted T1 & 2 Goods (which are now gone completely) and have never built a Non-Boosted T3. All this by being able to trade T3 goods very early.
Now I do agree that at a certain point, it does become a waste of a 3x3 Sq and needs to be removed, but it just is hard to part with something that has helped me progress.

 

[DeletedUser3507]

Chapter 12 where there definitely worthless, I produce over 100k of each of my boosted goods per day.

 

[DeletedUser9247]

You don't have to go as far as XII chapter. Travelling Merch is always detrimental to any city that could build another boosted factory in it's place and get more of all the goods then they can spend.
The only beneficial situation I can think of, is getting TM2 &TM3 in chapter 1 and build up a stock you couldn't have otherwise.

 

[DeletedUser3507]

True

 

[SoggyShorts]

All traveling merchant's are a waste of space in my opinion

Chapter 12 where there definitely worthless, I produce over 100k of each of my boosted goods per day.

Instead of an opinion, how about some math?

Your level 23 Dust factory needs about 200 squares of space once you factor in all of the workshops, roads, and culture it requires.

Spoiler: 200 squares

24 squares
2 road tiles
45 squares of workshops (assuming 150% culture)
53 squares of residences for the gem factory
35 squares of residences for the workshops
41 squares of culture for res/ws/gem (assuming 340 culture per square from pole of donations) to get 150% culture

That gives it a production value of between 52 and 151 per square depending on long or short productions.(assuming 700% boost)

A Travelling Merchant 3 that was won in chapter 12 needs 7 squares of space (2x3+ a road)
That gives it a production value of between 221 and 284 per square depending on long or short productions.

Players all too often make the mistake of thinking "My factory takes up 20 squares and makes 10,000 goods, that's 500 per square!"
Wrong Wrong Wrong.
A factory needs supplies and pop, and coins, and roads
Those supplies come from a workshop that also needs pop and roads
Those residences also need roads.

 

[DeletedUser3507]

Math or not I prefer boosted good not a traveling merchant..

But if your not in a FS I could see there possible value

 

[DeletedUser9247]

I don't see Traveling Merchant Union Square in your city Soggy

 

[SoggyShorts]

I don't see Traveling Merchant Union Square in your city Soggy

I would place one if I had one....

Math or not I prefer boosted good not a traveling merchant..

That's fine if you prefer a less efficient more space hogging building, but you are wrong when you say that they are "definitely worthless", and are harming players who may read this thread with your misinformation.

 

[DeletedUser3507]

There my opinion, not gospel.

 

[DeletedUser9247]

Why then nobody exploits it? Someone would've tried it, if it was so awesome.
You gonna build up your city either way and nobody starts in chapter XII with high stats. And you cannot simply exchange one boosted factory for TM, you still need your boost, so in fact you'll be using extra space not saving it... or does TM produce your boosts?

 

[DeletedUser3507]

TM is always non boosted

 

[SoggyShorts]

Why then nobody exploits it?

1. The travelling merchant is not available in unlimited quantities.
2. As I said, very few players bother to do the math.
3. When the TM is available in larger numbers(during a major event) there are often better prizes to go for.

You gonna build up your city either way and nobody starts in chapter XII with high stats.

Pick a chapter, and tell me the max level buildings for that chapter and I'll give another example.

And you cannot simply exchange one boosted factory for TM

On Winyandor where I did actually win all 3 TMs I will be doing exactly that. I am switching from a 3/3/3 build down to a 2/2/2 build, and with my Giant's Hands, and 3xTM reducing the loss of production. Sadly I can't get enough TMs to do a full conversion, but if I could I would.

you still need your boost

With a decent trading FS there is no difference between goods of the same tier, so making 2,000 gems is exactly the same as 2,000 dust.

 

[Ashrem]

Another downside is the limited production runs. If you are regularly away from your city for 24 hours or more, your ability to produce in a TM wastes more than half of your production time, cutting it's efficiency by half for infrequent players.

With a decent trading FS there is no difference between goods of the same tier, so making 2,000 gems is exactly the same as 2,000 dust.

Unless you are a quest cycler, because no amount of TM production will allow you to fulfill the cycling quests.

 

[SoggyShorts]

Whenever we try to answer the question "Is this a good building?"
The first thing to determine is if the building produces something desirable.
If it does, then we need something to compare it to.
Non-premium/event buildings make the most sense for comparison since you always have access to them.
The next step is to figure out exactly how much a normal building makes per square and compare the numbers.

For simple buildings like culture we take the culture and divide by squares, then compare that to the best normal culture available to you.
Note: Just because you have 200% culture already does not make the more efficient event building "worthless", it just means that you don't need it, there is a huge difference.
For a pop&culture building it gets a little more complicated as you now must compare it to a residence which effects pop&culture&coins
For Goods producing buildings another layer of complexity is added with the supplies.

Unless you are a quest cycler, because no amount of TM production will allow you to fulfill the cycling quests.

Riiiight, I always forget about quest cycling. It still makes me chuckle when it seems like everyone hates the FA quest cycling, but then secretly some players cycle all the time outside of the FA. I guess mentally there is a difference between choosing to cycle in order to take full advantage of the option given and being forced into it because it is the only option.

 

[DeletedUser14396]

Yes, the TM 1, 2, 3 will produce the unboosted goods in each tier,

I only have a TM 3, in my case it can produce either Dust or Jewel, you set it up to produce one or the other, it will produce a set amount for a 3 Hr period or a little higher amount (53 Goods) for a 9 Hr period.
It's not a waste of space as some have said, Depending on what chapter your in.
My case I won the tier 3 about the beginning of chapter 2 and it gave me space as I Have been able to proceed to about the middle CH 4 having to build no more then 1 each of my non-boosted T1 & 2 Goods (which are now gone completely) and have never built a Non-Boosted T3. All this by being able to trade T3 goods very early.
Now I do agree that at a certain point, it does become a waste of a 3x3 Sq and needs to be removed, but it just is hard to part with something that has helped me progress.

Thank you so much. Your reply did the best job of answering my question. I'm currently in the middle of chapter 4 now. I received it as a random prize during the fellowship quests and just never got around to using it. I just realized I still have it and was wondering if it was worth it or not. Because of your answers I think I'll give it a shot. Thank you again.

 

[SoggyShorts]

Regarding TMs in general, there is one huge issue with them, and that is the default trade ratio.
If the 2 star system is to be believed, then the TM3 is worth 16x what a TM1 is worth.
Although that ratio is flawed, even if we use a more realistic ratio, the
TM1 is worth about half of a TM2
TM3 is worth more than double a TM2