Caravanserai (AoE2 unique building)

[@Slashixuz]

Imagine playing Italians, having your 50 % cheaper trade units boosted by Hindustanis teammate's Caravanserais, combined with a Bohemian ally to create them 80% faster and the last ally playing as Spanish for +25% more gold income... or replace any of them with Bengalis ally to add food generation. That's the ultimate trading experience haha.

[@junkyardemperor7030]

Someone actually did a 4x4 with a Hindustanis, Bohemians, Spanish and Bengalis team. The challenge was to not build farms and instead rely on the trade for food income. And they won

[@yodasadoy2079]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5eVg6SKe7d_n7s This is a high ELO ranked ladder match 4v4 with one team doing no farms (Bengalis trade for food)

[@thomascoppens8498]

I believe there is a game on T90s YT channel where in an Amazon tunnel 4v4 one team built no farms, getting their only food from the Bengalis bonus and maybe feitoria's but I'm not sure. It actually worked pretty well

[@danielmahon1589]

@@junkyardemperor7030 i want to see a replay

[@junkyardemperor7030]

@@yodasadoy2079 One of the most epic matches I've seen

[@uzukiltd.4133]

Personal Trainer: So what are your fitness goals exactly? Me: A mesoamerican trade cart passing a Caravanserai. Personal Trainer: What?

[@dodojesus4529]

Cut to you outrunning a horse dragging a cart full of gold behind. Peak performane indeed

[@GvsoMagnvs]

So they have guys strong enough to outrun a husar carrying a cart and they dont use it in the figt?

[@alalalala57]

@@GvsoMagnvs When the free market triumphs over the military industrial complex.

[@alexanderscott6343]

Now we just need to calculate the bonus generated with a spanish teammate (more trade gold), bohemian teammate (trade carts made faster) and a bengali teammate (food generate from trade) with hindustani caravanserai and see the true maximum overall benefit a team can get from trade

[@germanpenn]

in that case you don't even need a cheat code for the cobra car: you just buy it 11

[@rerror3577]

Spanish give +25% gold. Bengali get +10% food. Income per cart 2.68 food/min 33.5 gold/min

[@scintillam_dei]

Damn. I didn't know the Spanish had a gold bonus. I never noticed because I always use the Spanish, and I assumed their income was the same as others'. PS See "ATHEIST PROPAGANDA in Age of Empires." Huns weren't atheists.

[@rerror3577]

@@scintillam_dei You can read the bonuses in the tech tree.

[@scintillam_dei]

@@rerror3577 I know but i never get around to it.

[@lukasosterloher9105]

There is another aspect that makes this bonus even better imo. You'll need less trade carts to make the same gold, freeing up pop space for other units. In this case the effect is even stronger because less trade carts also means less bumping and therefore more efficient trade routes.

[@iambestthankyou]

You can't have both gold and pop space. It's either-or. But anyways, the flexibility and choice lies with the player is a positive. 👍🏻

[@dojelnotmyrealname4018]

@@iambestthankyou I mean you easily could. If you make 10% less trade carts, you'll have 108% gold income and save 10% pop space.

[@lloydreed4721]

Aoe2 needs more unique buildings Like these

[@hbarudi]

I suggest 1 unique economic building and 1 unique military building per civilization.

[@dj_koen1265]

Then byzantines should get lighthouses with a similar effect as these but for water

[@lloydreed4721]

@@hbarudi That would probably be too much. I suggest giving individual buildings to only 2 - 3 civilisations. Similar to the Stepplancers. It would then not be quite as unique, but still. But I think they want to avoid too much individuality, because that's what aoe4 would be for.

[@Real_MisterSir]

@@dj_koen1265 It would actually be pretty sick if there was a construction-type ship that could build buildings on water, like lighthouses and other off-shore stuff

[@scintillam_dei]

Age of Empries 2 should have more than 8 players possible. Lag problems happen, but with the right set-up, a 16-player war on a colossal realistic map would be exceedingly awesome.

[@delfinenteddyson9865]

hey sotl, I have a question regarding the lost income from caravans due to bumping in each other and if it is avoidable. Firstly, does the bumping actually make a noticable difference in the income you can get, and if so, can it be mitigated by offsetting the markets by 4-5 tiles and forcing one-way traffic with a wall? (like below?:) ▄ -------------------- ▀ (I believe I managed to force one-way traffic in AoM many years ago, but I can't remember if they started to bump in the wall instead) Cheers!

[@MatheusGomes-ej3mr]

I'm having flashbacks of "THAT" team game T90 casted, if you know it you know it

[@KaylaJoyGunn]

I do not know when t90s civilization unique economic building got converted, nor when he built an archery range on an island. These are the only two times an otherwise perfect aoe2 player ever got defeated, but unfortunately I can not confirm they happened.

[@JamesonHuddle]

please share if you don't mind, I've watched a few of T90s videos but don't have the time for most of them. Thanks and have a good day!

[@thomascoppens8498]

@@JamesonHuddle I think he means the 'no farms challenge' (I think that's what it was called) where a team in 4v4 built no farms and had epic trade

[@MatheusGomes-ej3mr]

@@JamesonHuddle kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5eVg6SKe7d_n7s indeed, the no farms challenge

[@KaylaJoyGunn]

@@thomascoppens8498 oh I thought he was talking about when t90s fetoria got converted and he pretty much rage quit. That, and when t90 built an archery range on an island are the two games he mentions over and over as his biggest regrets. For some reason. He probably needs to get out more tbh. Fuck bigger shit up, so he can regret that, like most of us. I dont remember the time I fell in a hole when I was playing as Mario. I moved on. But then again, I didn't make millions that way, either.

[@kartiksaraf4676]

This is my favourite civ since DE launches as I love cheaper villagers and am from India. I love playing Michi with them and having Bohemia ally and trade go brrrr. It actually becomes super easy to research spies if you just stop army production for a few minutes

[@AugustoBarth]

Great video as always! By the way, I think you meant "markets are 4 tiles wide" on 4:44.

[@sebbsebb9570]

This video is pure gold!

[@prussianblue9316]

20% more than original!

[@ravenknightvincent2722]

Unless you have a Bengalis ally.

[@Felix_EN]

Imagine watching RB Wololo with all the hype and then clicking on an educational SoTL video about trade

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

Aztecs showing what leg day is really about.

[@elverdaderoechomikeoscar]

Also the stone cost can be co-paid by the team if they send resources for hindustani player.

[@humanhaggis]

One of the most impressive deep-dives you've done. It's always very impressive on your end, but the thought that went into balance on the part of the developers here is really apparent and very cool. Thank you for sharing this!

[@ValerietheLovelyDeadlyItalian]

11 imagine being a cavalry unit and chasing after a fucken meso trade cart and hes just laughing at you like "git gud"

[@melonetankberry5211]

do you think it would be worth a thought to make it an imp dock upgrade as well for shoreline trade? (bestowing the same benefits to docks for cogs)

[@Real_MisterSir]

Someone else suggested that a unique Light house building could be added that would provide the same benefit to trade cogs on water. Would be really cool - kinda like outposts on water.

[@ThatJennings]

"Hey Guys, Spirit of the Law here" somehow has a similar emotional resonance to my mom saying "What do you want for supper, mac and cheese?" Soul food.

[@ffd1069]

In history Caravanserai(kervansaray) was Turks unique trade building. In Seljuks, Ottomans and other old Turks civilations built a lot of Kervensaray!

[@lizbogonia]

No idea why I haven’t seen you on the feed in a while but still love the videos man, great job!

[@micahbush5397]

I don't know what's less accurate: American traders being able to outrun cavalry, or their use of wheeled carts.

[@AlphaSquadZero]

2:09 - I think twest or someone did a video to see what it would actually come out to and it turns out to be a much higher bonus because in a heavily used trade route as there is a lot of bumping reducing efficiency and a bit of speed allows them to untangle much faster which has a knock-on effect that prevents further trade carts from getting entangled.

[@ameen6834]

Normal people : watch a math class Me : watch spirit of the law

[@joelining]

The Aztec trader hauling ass away from the hussar is hilarious

[@dodojesus4529]

He dont skip leg day

[@BrownFoxWarrior]

Then you get a 7 player team going diagonally across the map for a game just to see how much gold can be racked up.

[@Greywander87]

That could actually make for an interesting scenario. 7 players with no villagers or TCs, using only trade income and the market to get resources vs. 1 player with a TC.

[@p0neh1]

@@Greywander87 but what would the 7 players use the resources for? building more trade carts? not like they can make a military haha

[@Greywander87]

@@p0neh1 They'd have to start with military buildings, and once they get destroyed they'd be gone for good. I'm sure you could set something up with scenario triggers to allow them to build buildings or even age up without a TC, e.g. by moving a unit into a specific spot, so that might be a better option.

[@Weldedhodag]

i think you can even have 8 player teams so you can really go nuts with this

[@rerror3577]

give them 5 vills but disable building a TC.

[@philippeporto5893]

Been waiting for this video for some time, As always, thanks SOTL!! You help a lot to keep our comunity alive :)

[@LangeXander]

five minutes in i knew this was gonna be math intensive. you can do so many cool graphs with this depending on Mapsize, how many Caravanserais, trade carts, players, Spanish bonus etc. might be one of the most math intensive buildings in AoE history

[@scintillam_dei]

Damn, I'm glad part of my youth was stolen from me to be forced to learn about imaginary numbers so I could read your comment, play video games and slice pizza (plus teach English to Asians).

[@fredred8371]

I wish the trade carts wore paths on the ground along where they frequently travel across.

[@rerror3577]

Your top three civs for trade should be Hindustani, Spanish and Saracens, since you will probably want to trade resources, Saracens lower market costs will save a lot of resources. Last would probably be Italians if you want one player to take over most of the trade and give gold to the others. Hindustani put down Caranserai, Italians produce the trade carts, get +30% from the Spanish, send the gold to the Saracens who trade for the resources you need and distribute it. Nice and simple. (I forgot Bengali 10% food bonus, But Saracens are better than Italians for trade)

[@Daniel-gl2ih]

Finally! i was asking for this since 6 months ago!

[@Hengilore]

This might be a stupid question but does It work with trade ships?

[@scintillam_dei]

You mean trade cogs?

[@ardandoinfinito]

Finally, i was waiting to see more details about this less used buiding, thanks.

[@Lonezewolflonewolf]

I really need to reinvest into this game. The community is always a blast (Sometimes, not all the time)

[@SirQuantization]

Great video. Also, Wololo Legacy was great! Just saying since this is the first Aoe2 related video I come across.

[@Calihan]

Maybe you're great, did you ever think of that??

[@papnpdprpep]

Does it work for trade cogs, if build it near water?

[@christopherg2347]

I do expect there to be a diminishing return. Pathfinding can only look so far ahead. The quicker you run through your "pathfinding space" - and the quicker another unit enters and crosses that space between passes - the more likely conflicts become. And this is especially bad on multi-team member routes. No idea if that will be relevant in practice, however.

[@snoxeri]

How do you know how to space caravanserais (or any buildings) properly when deciding where to build them along the trade route?

[@germanpenn]

you can activate the grid and count the tiles if you really want to place them perfectly. However, that will take some time and effort, which I doubt you'll have to spare in imperial age, unless it's a beginner-level game. So I reckon most people will do their best without counting tiles. You'll still get a great bonus, even if it isn't pefect

[@Zurie]

Easiest way would be to go to build it, then count 16 spaces away from the first one and put it there, terrain permitting

[@PurpleBraveGiraffe]

does caravanserei heal friendly carts ?

[@muhammetaydogmus4404]

İntresting, Caravansarei were common in Ottoman empire along the silk road. They're called " Karavansaray ". Devs could give it to Turks as a buff for late game team games.

[@Bismuth9]

The building actually gives a resources discount on buildings. It costs 200 wood to build if you built a trading post in Dark Age you can upgrade it for free.

[@republicofsandles]

This means you can start with a shorter trade route and then scale it widthwise by starting trade from further away later in the game.

[@furqanabid7319]

For people troubling with pronunciation, here it is. Kar-van-sa-rai.

[@quicango]

SOTL uploading videos like nothing while everybody is watching the aoe2 wololo final 😂

[@gamerghxst]

Since AOE II has been announced for Xbox, do you think the scenario editor and mods will be part of the console version?

[@InkyCricket]

Do they work with trade cogs?

[@jakobrosenqvist4691]

Playing wierd settings on ludicris map you say, that would be me playing ludicris hyper random 2v6.

[@knights162]

Given recent events we need a video revisiting Steppe Lancers

[@KCzz15]

??

[@CG-eh6oe]

@@KCzz15 The final game if RBW was won by a player using step lancers - however, i dont really think there was anything unusal there because with over a minute faster to castle age and no pressure from the other player, he could have won with kts or ca as well probably.

[@snepkoning2805]

Honestly, I love every upload, but I miss you mentioning "Ilicktoesatnight"

[@Nysyarc]

2:39 looks like he got Cap, Bucky and Black Panther to play the roles of the 3 trade cart runners for this part.

[@tschohanfaitscher3481]

Can you please do some updates on the civ overview?, seeing as most are a couple years old. Thank you very much, your videos have that unique technology: calming effect.

[@tizioita]

And what about speed for TRADE COGS? If we construct near water cogs can beneficiate for the speed+heal?

[@Leon.Stanic]

Insane building.

[@thomaseder1072]

Do they heal only your trade carts or also the trade carts from allies???? I dont know, but if they speed up all, so i think they should heal all? Am I right?

[@zaidalielarabeloco4070]

2:45 just pure crossfit

[@pratyushdam1]

the first pronunciation is the correct one as the word sarai means a place to rest and is pronounced as suh-rah-eh

[@estellebright2579]

Something obscure but would be fun to know is what will happen if there are more than one Hindustani player in the team? Would trade carts benefit from allied Caravanserai just like allied trade carts benefiting from Hindustani player’s Caravanserai? My guess is that benefit relationship works both ways. But I am not entirely sure.

[@leonardorivelorivelo9253]

I honestly forgot this building is even in the game, it gets less use than the feitoria

[@srijitmajumder99]

You mean, less used by you in general as you may prefer to play 1v1s all the time. In team games where things go lategame this building is even more bonkers than the feitoria.

[@sirlight-ljij]

The math is all well and good, but would be great if you included the numbers from the tests as well, to see that it all lines up. Like, if you place the caravanserai in the bumpy place of the road, it will cover slightly more than 20 tiles of the journey

[@MrDibara]

What a long way the "Indians" civilization has come to. :) From being renamed to Hindustanis, to getting a whole overhaul while still retaining some of its original design (Imp Camels), yet so much better... This is quite possible the best Expansion that AoE2:DE has received since its release a few years ago! (and yes, I'm talking specifically about DE alone)

[@devilpistons1269]

do caravanserais heal or speed up the trade carts of players marked as "enemies"? is there a neutral marking in this game and if so, do caravanserais speed up or heal the trade carts of players marked as "neutral"?

[@germanpenn]

only allies. It's a team bonus

[@devilpistons1269]

@@germanpennthank you can other players be marked as "neutral" in this game?

[@jefffinkbonner9551]

@@devilpistons1269 In diplomacy games, yes. Players can switch their status from ally to neutral to enemy towards each other player.

[@devilpistons1269]

@@jefffinkbonner9551 thanks, bud 👍🏾

[@tomascostanzo3673]

My onnly problem with the Caravanserai is that, if you want it to exist on the map you need also build something around it to prevent the enemy from destroying it. And that sounds a lot of investment for just 1 building

[@kartiksaraf4676]

If your enemy is able to freely destroy buildings in your trade, your most defended area, you've already lost the game

[@warbrand2]

Not really when you realize people do the same if not more investment by castling the lines as well.

[@ashleythomas1988]

Also space to build this building in the trade route

[@M0D776]

The place where you put your trade routes is supposed to be on the deepest part of your territory, so it should be secured anyway, otherwise you're in a pickle lol

[@RandomSubs94]

As someone who hails and lives in South America, I can confirm that some dude pulling a cart at full speed despite of the cargo in it is what peak fitness looks like.

[@dominikbarczykowski8213]

On michi with Spanish, Hindustani and Bohemians allies you can delete your wood vills because it is more worth buying what you need anyway

[@Hortifox_the_gardener]

The math behind the mechanics of this game is so elegant and clever. Not that I understand much of it. Math was always "meh" for me. But I can grasp how smart the devs did it. I really wonder if there were mathematicans in the dev team.

[@beanb34n95]

Full coverage for side is 8 caravanserai which must also be 8 for diagonal trade as well since diagonal trade distance is 1.41 times longer and each caravanserai distance covered is 1.41 times as well.

[@CG-eh6oe]

But you shouldn't place your caravanserai directly in the trade route for obvious reasons, so you will need more than 8...

[@hbarudi]

It is the unique economic building of the gujaras. I would like to see unique economic building and unique military building made for every civ. The stone cost is not that bad, you have to build 13 caravanserai to spend the stone cost of a single castle. The hp is more than your town center.

[@Vindrael]

Those American caravans were Joestars ancestor, it is they who found the ultimate Joestars' ultimate technique

[@justincronkright5025]

If you want you can look into the Incan (high elevation) trade/warehouse networks that would be a good idea. They had runners who would pass information along lines of communication through young males called 'Chasqui'. And so just like this here, for trade it seems like maybe there is the idea that they're swapping carts as they go along. Same as for horses, they need breaks too.

[@db.sarvestani6554]

Carevansara is actually Persian. Sara means place of gathering or home in Persian... therefore Caravan Sara means place of Caravan gathering, or Caravan home. This building should also be available to Persians if we are being honest

[@GarfieldRex]

Do they heal multiple trade carts at the same time, or can only heal 1 at a time?

[@germanpenn]

multiple ones

[@GarfieldRex]

@@germanpenn thanks!

[@nostalgicdouchebag1912]

Oh yeah I forgot this building even exists lmao

[@warbrand2]

So mixing them with a few castles or guard towers should completely deal with small raids good to know.

[@TheManofthecross]

of course but not against seige weapons and players who know how to hit said caravanserai to make those gaps in the line for raids.

[@roguebanshee]

It's going to be a very stone (as well as time) intensive build and will take longer to recover the cost of setting up.

[@warbrand2]

@@TheManofthecross Which is expensive in its own right. If there is siege on the supply line you already lost.

[@warbrand2]

@@roguebanshee Only really viable in 4v4 and who ever is on the defensive set up is one less on the assult for a bit. but yeah. some strats are only viable in 3v3 and 4v4.

[@CrnaStrela]

@@roguebanshee since it's team game, you can just let civ with better tower and the one that don't use castle to do it. Argument can be made for the stones to be sent to ally that need it more instead but it depends on the situation.

[@minidreschi2]

2:40 can we just pause and give the moment, how freakin funny it looks like? :D

[@BreadDestroyer]

Given the extreme conservatism of 1 wood equalling 1 gold (Something that's true pretty much never, I feel like?), this makes caravanserai look very very good

[@jimchappell1258]

What if instead of minimizing investment / maximizing return on caravanserai, you optimized investment to maximize healing rate? This would be more caravanserai built to stack healing effects - generate an “invincible” gold income stream at the cost of additional wood/stone. Would love to see that math vs dps from raiding hussar for example

[@Jondiceful]

Now for the followup question. When raiding players who have caravansarais on their trade routes, is it better to target their trade carts or to destroy their caravansarais?

[@jacobmosovich]

So if its 26 gold per min wouldnt it be more cost effective to have a shorter trade route at 26 gold per trip to beat that 26 gold per minute?

[@mikewbma]

so this does not affect trade cogs?

[@reubendias18]

Imagine a watch tower disguised / skinned as guerilla warfare trees... Sounds like a mod I'd pick

[@farhadchaudhry]

These are the sort of game mechanics they're adding to AO4 as well.

[@SolazLive]

but what is the max healing you could have on a cart and could it function as a living wall?

[@7heTexanRebel]

Max healing mode would almost certainly require being surrounded on all sides by caravanserai meaning you'd probably never get attacked anyway. Even if you were able to get a +70HP/s cart it will still die to anything that can deal more than 70DPS, or that does more than 70dmg in a single hit. (siege onager and treb for instance)

[@elliejohnson2786]

3:19 True, but there's literally a relic between the stable and barracks... Might be more valuable to have both?

[@tarun2449]

KAAR VAAN SAA RYE - Means respite for caravans.

[@kratoro36]

I wish the Incas had a llama trade cart :(

[@piatansfair]

Amazing video as always! I was just a little curious with ingame experiments to validate the calculated numbers, but they should be a little time consuming to arrange

[@BenjaminKeller]

Are Covanserai allowed at the AoE2 Olympics though?

[@bondye5929]

Turkish : Kervansaray=Caravanserai, Kervan = Caravan , Saray=Palace so a palace for caravans which they could stop and have their needs.

[@edwardblom2661]

Great, now do a video calculating the probability of me playing a game that gets to post imp, being matched with a team that all are focused on starting trade instead of doing some fancy meme dream all in, getting hindustanis as random civ, and, most important of all, me remembering I even have this building available. Spoiler: I’ve never built one in game yet

[@konnigkratz]

Does it affect trade cogs if they are in range too

[@tahirtrs3147]

does anyone know how to copy the healing stats to another building in editor

[@pexyte6941]

Could you make videos of AoE4 new civs? @Spirit Of The Law

[@LotsOfS]

Wish this building wasnt limited to one civ. Easily my favorite building

[@lloydreed4721]

Or maybe for some civs.

[@resiliencewithin]

What platform do you use for multiplayer?

[@50043211]

I like the random carpets lying around. Who approved this? :)

[@kR-qj7rw]

2:43 ''ohshit OHSHIT SHIT SHIT GOTTA RUUUUUN''

[@Nasrudith]

Do Caravanserai boost trade ship speed too?

[@adityagupta8481]

Amazing work dude! I totally agree, you took words from my mouth. Now I feel that interstellar is not that complicated. Keep being awesome.

[@federicocoda7526]

Does it boost trade ships too?

[@MaybeMysticc]

imagine chasing a dude running a rickshaw cart on a horse and HES WINNING

[@JayVal90]

It seems like they’re roughly equivalent to an extra trade cart at some point.

[@Mursaat100]

For the best content ever featured on this channel, see 2:35.