Guides
Getting Started
Beginner-friendly walkthroughs to get you up to speed fast.
Damage Formula & Combat Mechanics Explained (With Examples)
The real TRADESMAN damage formula — Y = Z1*(X + X*Z2/100 + X*F1/100 + F2) — with a worked example and what it means for building your mercenary party.
Goods Demand Explained: What Each Settlement Actually Buys
The four demand types in TRADESMAN — domestic, industrial, military, neutral — with colors, full goods lists, and which cargo is the hardest to haul.
All Legendary Mercenaries: Where to Find Them & How to Unlock
Every legendary mercenary in TRADESMAN — Duncan Sanders, Gimli, Father Redserker, White Nightmare, Barbar, Bigfoot and more — with unlock conditions and quest steps.
Settlement Reputation Rewards: All 17 Settlements & What Max Rep Gets You
Every settlement in TRADESMAN with its demand type and max-reputation reward — legendary mercenaries, slot expansions, stat books, and which ones to grind first.
Best Early Trade Route (Full Loop, Community-Tested)
A complete multi-town trading loop posted by players and refined by the community — what to buy, what to sell, and which leg to skip.
How to Repair Your Cart (And Why Bonuses Stop Working)
Cart durability explained: why your bonuses show red X marks, how to repair, and what resources each cart needs — confirmed by the developer.
Crashes, Lag & Performance Fixes
Known TRADESMAN performance issues and what actually helps: laptop lag, the 5070 Ti crash, DXGI device-lost errors, and fullscreen quirks.
How to Dismiss a Mercenary (The Hidden Trash Icon)
The dismiss feature is buried in an easy-to-miss menu — the exact button path, confirmed by the developer, for both your active party and reserve.
First Steps: 6 Things Every New Tradesman Should Know
Cargo weight drives difficulty, mercs level by scrolls, not fights — the six mechanics new players miss most, confirmed by community reports and the developer.
Reputation Grinding: What Actually Works
How reputation really goes up in TRADESMAN — matching town type instead of chasing demand stars — plus the best goods by danger-value ratio.
Save Files: Where They Are and How to Start Over
Exact save file location on Windows and the safe way to reset your save without deleting your old run — straight from the developer.