As far as these "artisans of" goes, I can expand into the non-major civs okay. If I try to expand into a Major (civ marked as Major) I cannot seem to be able. If I try in a city that has their major merchants guild I get the message "Cannot expand .... into Imperial .....headquarters."157179 This is an AI civ that is not Merchantile, (it had free market.) I also get a mouseover message that I can buy out the other hq but there is no option to do so. Also in my orig city I have an AI guild and I see no option to buy this out (or I don't know where to find the option.) 157182 If I take the artisan to another AI city that doesn't have a guild in it I get the message "..........has no access to silk, bannana, gems, clam, fur." 157180 As there is none of these on the map I'd like to know if this means anything?

Here are the answers to your problem, I think:

You cannot expand into a major civ's city probably because it is the headquarters of their guild. This is the same reason you are unable to buy your way into the city... you cannot buy out the city that has a guild headquarters.

Also, (and Firaxis does not do a suitable job explaining this in their game concepts) but the reason there are no silk, bannana, gems, clam, and fur resources on the map is because those are the resources provided by the guilds that are not controlled by any civ. There are five of them.

This means that you may only spread your 'major' guild to a city on the map that has one of the five other guilds, which are not owned by any particular civ but are present in nearly all cities.

Hope that clears it up!

Let me try to clarfy. This screenshot is of my city.http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=157181&d=1185984750
This is inside the city http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=157182

An AI had established a guild in my city which is my "Imperial Headquarters." I had "free trade" so it can do that.

I only wished to do this to another AI that also had "free trade" http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=157179 but the program would not let me;is this because he is at war (not with me)? Or can I only establish reciprocals with the five listed in the civopedia game concepts?(see attach)

Thanks.

Cancel the thread. I just started a new game and noticed that I start with the other guild in my city. Sorry

Cancel the thread. I just started a new game and noticed that I start with the other guild in my city. Sorry :o