# Trading

**Entity Type:** SystemEntity

## Description

Trading is an essential tool in Anno 117: Pax Romana. Early on, you can provide for everything your citizens need with one island, but soon enough you need to begin settling multiple islands to take advantage of their unique fertilities and trade goods between your cities. Trade is also a great source of income through selling goods to NPCs or ferrying them across the ocean with your ships.

## Trade Categories

Trade in Anno 117 is divided into two broad categories:

### Passive Trading

Passive trade means marking goods for sale at your Trading Post. When ships visit your Trading Post, they may purchase those goods automatically.

### Active Trading

Active trading refers to everything from manually sailing to another port to buy and sell, to setting up automated trade routes.

## Passive Trading System

### Trading Post Configuration

Access the trading menu by clicking on any goods at your Trading Post. By default, goods are set to "No Trade."

### Trade Options

From left to right, the four options are:

| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| **No Trade** | Goods are not bought or sold |
| **Buy** | Automatically buy from visitors when under a certain stock level |
| **Sell** | Automatically sell to visitors when over a certain stock level |
| **Maintain** | Keeps stock at set level - buys when below, sells when above |

### Stock Controls

- **Top slider:** Used to set buy/sell threshold
- **Bottom slider:** Used to set minimum stock
- Alternatively, use the input boxes to set specific numbers

### Tips for Passive Trading

- Sell excess goods for Denarii to generate passive income
- Raw resources typically sell for less than finished items
- Consider this when planning island specialization

## Active Trading System

### Trade Route Setup

1. Press **T** to enter the Trade Route menu
2. Manage existing Trade Routes or create new ones
3. Alternatively, select a ship and click "Create a Trade Route"

### Simple Trade Route Example

A basic route ferries goods between two islands:
1. At Island A: Load goods (e.g., Amphorae and Olives) onto the ship
2. Ship travels to Island B: Unload goods, load return cargo (e.g., Sardines)
3. Ship returns to Island A: Unload return cargo, reload original goods
4. Cycle repeats

### Complex Trade Routes

For optimized routes:
- Ships can carry up to 8 different goods using cargo slots efficiently
- Goods can occupy the same slot if they are loaded at one stop, then exchanged for something else before new goods are unloaded at the original stop
- You cannot have 2 different goods in the same slot at the same time
- Routes can have as many stops and different goods as you have slots for

### Route Optimization

A complex route might:
1. Collect raw materials from multiple production islands
2. Bring them to a central processing hub
3. Distribute finished goods back to the production islands

## Ship Captains

Equip your ships with captain specialists for bonuses:

| Bonus Type | Effect |
|------------|--------|
| Goods Transfer Speed | Less time spent trading in port |
| Movement Speed | Ships travel faster |
| Cargo Weight Slowdown | Reduced penalties for carrying full cargo |
| Province Transfer Speed | Faster ferrying between Albion and Latium |
| Workforce Reductions | More ships with less crew |
| Favorable Wind Angle | Better able to take advantage of wind speed boosts |

## Manual Trade

### Direct Trading

For occasional needs without setting up automated routes:
1. Manually sail to a port
2. Purchase required goods
3. Return home

**Example:** When building new ships, you need Rope, Sails, and Timber. If your province is peaceful and doesn't need ongoing supply, manually purchase from a friendly port.

### Contracts

Contracts are special trade opportunities marked by a lighthouse with a quest marker outside of a port.

**Contract Types:**
- Ferrying goods to the Lighthouse
- Eliminating Raiders
- Collecting Flotsam

**Contract Benefits:**
- Pay significantly more than standard trading
- Limited availability - must wait for refresh after fulfilling

**Example:** Marble normally sells for approximately 41 Denarii per talentum. A Marble contract might pay approximately 445 Denarii per talentum - roughly 10x the normal price.

## Strategy Tips

1. **Early Game:** Use contracts for extra Denarii
2. **Mid Game:** Set up passive trading to monetize surplus production
3. **Late Game:** Optimize complex trade routes to supply production chains across specialized islands
4. **Emergency:** Manual trade can quickly resolve shortages on islands

## Related Systems

- [Trade Routes](./trade-routes.md) - Detailed trade route configuration
- [Diplomatic Trade](./diplomatic-trade.md) - AI trading via treaties
- [Shipyard](./shipyard.md) - Ship construction for trade fleets

## See Also

- [Ships](/docs/ships/_index.md) - Ship types and capabilities
- [Specialists](/docs/specialists/_index.md) - Captain bonuses
