Hi, love the game.
I was thinking how great it would be to be able to make 1 trade wagon in the later stage of the game. Then you can pick to staff it with 1 merchant and 2 guards leaving 50% storage for goods or 1 guard and 75% storage or no guard and 100% storage. Obviously if you have no guard you could be looted by raiders on your route. Initally you would be give the option to trade with town A, B or C. You wouldn’t have any information about them, as you visit a town more you get more information such as if I keep visiting town A and I notice they mainly trade in resources, the merchant from town A might tell me that they have recently had migration because of the drought in town B, so the next year i might travel to town B with food. I might be given information on a new religion, I might be told of rumours of vicious raiders near town C or that Lord Whatsit is particularly harsh, so then I know if Lord Whatsit is in town, I’m better off paying his army.
But if you spread yourself thin over all 3 towns you don’t get as much intel/gossip.
This may also give the option for diplomatic marriage or career swap eg. Town B desperately need teachers and will give you a reward for bringing a teacher on your next trip or the Mayor of Town B is to marry one of our villagers, to celebrate the wedding our town needs to contribute X food, pottery etc. And then we will get a diplomatic bonus such as small army support or resources during a drought.