Trade/rumor nerf? Or just really bad luck?

[Misguided]

I like to start my playthroughs as a trader, making money and placing enterprises before getting into heavy combat.  In 3.9.2 I am finding trading to be incredibly frustrating, and I am trying to figure out if it is just luck of the draw, or if trading has been nerfed as a play style.

I am over 75 days in, doing nothing but trade routes and tavern rumors, and I've earned barely enough for 2 enterprises.  (And I've been given exactly 2 rumors.)  I've been playing since before 2.0, and I've never been this tempted to just cheat myself some money and go fight things.

 

[lconracl]

It is the same since 3.7.

Use quick question/answer board instead of creating more mess on the forum. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sarin]

Best start is, IMO, doing arena. The money is actually good in PoP, in my playthrough I decided to win in every town's arena, and within a week, I made around 100k and got to level 12.

 

[Akesh the Cursed]

Arena strategy is good for money. I find that doing Sarleon and D'shar tournaments to be the easiest because you almost always start on a horse and for me it is very hard to lose once I am mounted.

The other factions, especially Fiersvain are difficult because you usually start on foot. It is very easy to get swarmed this way even with taking control of your team. I usually save these tournaments for when I have a decent amount of HP and combat skills.

 

[Sir Mark The Mighty.]

Arena strategy is good for money. I find that doing Sarleon and D'shar tournaments to be the easiest because you almost always start on a horse and for me it is very hard to lose once I am mounted.

The other factions, especially Fiersvain are difficult because you usually start on foot. It is very easy to get swarmed this way even with taking control of your team. I usually save these tournaments for when I have a decent amount of HP and combat skills.

always follow your team and don't go lone wolf against another team, if you get a team full of archers stay behind and use them as bait, that's how I do it at least. I love playing unmounted but I don't mind horses. Gotta love speed bonus.

 

[Sarin]

Arena strategy is good for money. I find that doing Sarleon and D'shar tournaments to be the easiest because you almost always start on a horse and for me it is very hard to lose once I am mounted.

The other factions, especially Fiersvain are difficult because you usually start on foot. It is very easy to get swarmed this way even with taking control of your team. I usually save these tournaments for when I have a decent amount of HP and combat skills.

always follow your team and don't go lone wolf against another team, if you get a team full of archers stay behind and use them as bait, that's how I do it at least. I love playing unmounted but I don't mind horses. Gotta love speed bonus.

You don't have to follow them, you can command them. That's the key to foot tourneys. They seem to respond only to commands to everyone, but it works. It's vanilla mechanics.

 

[Bargian]

I agree that trade should be buffed. I started the same as autor and i have similar money... its just a little petition to devs:
pls guys consider boosting trade a little bit.

 

[Pacific_Salmon]

I wish some of the resources that see no variation in pricing be changed a bit.  I am referring to things like:  pottery, hides and many food items which carry a very similar price everywhere. 

Since there is no natural variation in price,  these are useless for trading.