Alternative trade route uses

Does anyone else, at times, forgo the most lucrative trade routes in favor of others?
I refer to choosing to trade with a city that increase religious pressure while not generating as much money as some other routes might. Conversely, do some choose to shy away from potential routes that could increase a foreign religion's pressure? Lastly, do some choose to send trade routes to weaker civs in favor of stronger civs, despite the lower revenue generated, thus helping strengthen the weak to balance the strong?

I myself almost always refuse to trade with my rival power and/or the next strongest religious player. My nation is quite the theocracy generally.
Usually, my early trade routes are sent to city states to increase religious pressure there, in favor of nearby civs seeking to spread their faith. Looking at you, Maya and India.

Somewhere in the Freedom tree (level two or three) there is a policy that gives you +4 per turn to CS relationships. Every time I've adopted that one I have sent all my trade routes to CSs.

If I have the tech lead, I will often avoid trade agreements that give rivals beakers as it is a disproportional distribution.

NyQuil, I do the same, unless I am trying to boost a minor power to help balance out a rival power of mine.

On an unrelated note, I don't think you've been replaced by Zzzquil. You still hold a special place in my heart, and medicine cabinet.

I taste good and I'm drowsy.

That's a two-fer right there.

When I go for a CV, I do the obvious and set up at least 1 trade route with each civ to get the +25% Tourism bonus.

Would you do that even if preparing for war against one civ you've sent a tourism trade route to?

NyQuil said:

If I have the tech lead, I will often avoid trade agreements that give rivals beakers as it is a disproportional distribution.

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The science is minimal and usually negligible. I was giving like maybe +5 beakers in the industrial+ era but it's pretty irrelevant. That's barely going to help them at all.

Tachii said:

The science is minimal and usually negligible. I was giving like maybe +5 beakers in the industrial+ era but it's pretty irrelevant. That's barely going to help them at all.

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NO HELP I SAY!

The difference between city state and civ trade is usually a couple of gold.

Not really a huge difference either.

If you need the tourism bonus, that's different.

There are many aspects that play a role. Given a choice, I will

• not trade with my next victim.
• not trade with anyone who lives on the other side of my next victim's territory.
• not trade with people who live beyond a lot of unclaimed territory where barbarians usually spawn.
• not trade with people who are going to exert more religious pressure over me than vice versa.
• only trade with my strongest rivals if the difference between my and their generated is really significant.
• OTOH gladly trade with people who stand to gain beakers. Today Gandhi got 11 from one trade route with me - which means he is 22 techs behind, therefore I don't care about his science benefit.
• trade with people who might be tempted to DoW me.

Usually I'm not given that much choice.