this game makes it so you explore, hence the search for the trader. With a prize if you do.
you dont have to look all over the place, just sail around the coast of the nearest islands land masses.
the location goes to your map first, even a long way away so the devs have just given you, us something to do.
The dev, devs have stones everywhere showing us the locations of the lords, bosses whatever so they do give us clues.
You will need the trader for stuff to make good weapons you will need to defeat the bosses.
how did you find the trader then, did you use the valheim world generator.
if you did , i do to, now, but only now as i want to eventually make a super good base or many, i have made esso's plains base up on a huge rock, and also vetlives simple boat house.
vetlives boat house fails a little as the long boat's rigging gets fouled in the roof at times.

Originally posted by retsam1:

Originally posted by squashplayer1:

You guys were lucky then. I have saild / explored a good part of the map, currently going for the Plains. But the Trader didn't appear on my map. Anyway, I will finish the game without him ;-)

So what is your the map seed? Just curious....

i would like to know also

Originally posted by PakaNoHida:

No, the game is about exploration amongst other things.

This ^

I didn't even start looking for the trader, as I had other important things to do. Eventually he just showed up. Thankfully not too far away from me. The map RNG might make it difficult though. Be patient. Don't rush the game. This is no contest. No one pays you to find him first.

You guys were lucky then. I have saild / explored a good part of the map, currently going for the Plains. But the Trader didn't appear on my map. Anyway, I will finish the game without him ;-)

Originally posted by squashplayer1:

You guys were lucky then. I have saild / explored a good part of the map, currently going for the Plains. But the Trader didn't appear on my map. Anyway, I will finish the game without him ;-)

So what is your the map seed? Just curious....

Yes I had found this site already but thanks.

Question is, shouldn't the player be able to locate the Trader without having to look it up on this website?

Originally posted by squashplayer1:

Yes I had found this site already but thanks.

Question is, shouldn't the player be able to locate the Trader without having to look it up on this website?

Well since the trader isn't required to beat the current game, don't see any reason to switch it. It is like a bonus or secret if you find him.

Ok!

But then again...this belt with the 450 kg he sells is very interesting for players. Maybe it would be an idea to increase his Spawn points? Like in every second Black Forest or at least give the player a hint somehow.

The world is very, very large.
The trader has a nice large radius of detection so that sailing around the 1 and 2 islands out from your starter is usually going to stumble over him from the ocean, you don't need to explore too hard.
I don't think of it as a bonus -- its not necessary, but the extra carry weight is almost required from swamp forward. Without it is just a major aggravation.

I’ve found the trader within 2 hrs of playing a new world and on another it took me 150 in game days. Both fun worlds regardless.

RNG Trader can be a ♥♥♥♥♥ to find tho.

Originally posted by squashplayer1:

Yes I had found this site already but thanks.

Question is, shouldn't the player be able to locate the Trader without having to look it up on this website?

Sure. It's called exploration.

Originally posted by jonnin:

The world is very, very large.
The trader has a nice large radius of detection so that sailing around the 1 and 2 islands out from your starter is usually going to stumble over him from the ocean, you don't need to explore too hard.
I don't think of it as a bonus -- its not necessary, but the extra carry weight is almost required from swamp forward. Without it is just a major aggravation.

This yes, sail around black forests and unless they're super land locked, you should be in the radius for him to pop up on your map.

Originally posted by squashplayer1:

Yes I had found this site already but thanks.

Question is, shouldn't the player be able to locate the Trader without having to look it up on this website?

No, the game is about exploration amongst other things.

Trader has multiple spots it -can- spawn in on a map. Once you find it, that locks in that spawn spot for the trader only. Any other potential spots on the map will not have the trader.

That said

Sometimes they're extremely close. Sometimes they are very far away.

If you want to know exactly the places on your specific map it then I suggest using:

https://valheim-map.world/

Input your world's seed and tick the box for trader and see where it is on your map.

Otherwise, yes, you would need to explore the entirety of the map until the bag icon shows up on it.