Paulus the 1rst,
I did a small experiment yesterday night to check. I loaded my old carthago sep 160 save file. In carthago, one can export oil, wine and marble. I put export limit of all three at >100. Exports stopped completely. I switched into 159 and ran the game until the month switched to april. No trader appeared, and the financial advisor kept reporting export income as 0.
In april, I switched exports of marble and wine to export>0, and kept oil at export>100. Money flowed into my coffins, and by december I had exports had accumulated to 14,100.
(for 15 wine and 15 marble, i could have netted 15x300=4500. So the natives brought in 9600, or 32 cartloads of marble and 32 cartloads of wine in 9 months.
I see only limited explanations why you may have observed different:
a) traders were already on their way when you switched exports to export >30. I suppose, but did not check, that traders who already left the building might complete their mission even if you changed export limits;
b) you have no patch installed while I have. I am not certain this makes a difference or not;
btw, there might be a limited way to avoid caravans depleting the wrong warehouse. I never bothered to check with, but ships seem to avoid emptying warehouses set to 'getting'. Anyone who can check this for caravans and native traders?
[Omnium harum gentium virtute praecipui Batavi][This message has been edited by Citizen Paul (edited 08-24-2000).]