How do you get AI civs to send trade routes to you?

BroOfTheSun

Warlord
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Sep 6, 2012
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If I wanted to make a trade route focused city, one that attracted AI civs to send their trade routes to this one city, what do you need to accomplish this?

I've played several games of BNW, but still don't have a complete understanding of the trade game (besides sea routes > land routes). I want to make my city the best option for AI civs to send trade routes to it. Not worried so much about where I'm sending trade routes from. What should I focus on when building this city?

Items to consider:
- High pop city
- Gold producing builds (Market, Bank, Stock Exchange)
- Does maximizing the base gold produced in the city help?
- Trade posts
- Just for this experiment (no need to further bash Great Merchants), how would Custom Houses help?
- Unique resources/luxuries not found in other cities (AKA resource diversity)
- Being next to a river
 
I notice the AI will occasionally establish long distance trade routes, but i think they're more likely to establish a trade route with a neighbor literally bordering on their territory. Either that or go to war with you :p

My main city has east trading company and a huge population, 4 different lux, and I think 2 strategic resources.

And I have another RIGHT next to their city with 2 lux, and probably 1/3rd the size. Egypt has 2 trade routes with that city.
 
I notice the AI will occasionally establish long distance trade routes, but i think they're more likely to establish a trade route with a neighbor literally bordering on their territory. Either that or go to war with you :p

My main city has east trading company and a huge population, 4 different lux, and I think 2 strategic resources.

And I have another RIGHT next to their city with 2 lux, and probably 1/3rd the size. Egypt has 2 trade routes with that city.

I'm sure there are some AI behaviours that cause civs to send their routes to other options, besides your city. Even if your city would maximize their GPT from the trade route. I'm curious to know what these things are as well.
 
multiple lux and strategic resources.
caravansary.
Get the markets etc. up and the EITC.
be tech leader.

be friendly, they won't send TR's if they do not like you
 
I notice the AI will occasionally establish long distance trade routes, but i think they're more likely to establish a trade route with a neighbor literally bordering on their territory. Either that or go to war with you :p

My main city has east trading company and a huge population, 4 different lux, and I think 2 strategic resources.

And I have another RIGHT next to their city with 2 lux, and probably 1/3rd the size. Egypt has 2 trade routes with that city.

But did you ever sell egypt an embassy? AI needs to know the city exists, and it needs to be in range of whatever city built the caravan.
 
multiple lux and strategic resources.
caravansary.
Get the markets etc. up and the EITC.
be tech leader.

be friendly, they won't send TR's if they do not like you

Why caravansary/harbor? I thought that only helps trade routes that you send (i.e. increasing gold from the trade route, and distance you can travel).
 
A couple things that might help:

-Play as Morocco: others civs get a bonus to trade routes sent to Moroccan cities.
-Play as Indonesia: their 3 bonus resources (should) help attact trade routes due to resource disparity.
 
A couple things that might help:

-Play as Morocco: others civs get a bonus to trade routes sent to Moroccan cities.
-Play as Indonesia: their 3 bonus resources (should) help attact trade routes due to resource disparity.

Yea, I get that with these Trade specific civs. I'm looking more for any civ in general. If I plan to make a trade route center city; one that doesn't only excel at generating lots of GPT from my routes, but also attracts other civs routes, then what should I do?

Like, will planting a lot of trade posts and custom houses bring in more trade routes?
 
Only piece of advice I can give is make your trade center a coastal city. More likely for other AIs to reach you, and the GPT values are enticing.
 
The #1 factor is geographic proximity. Forward settling can have its uses here.

Also, you can persuade the AI to trade with you by removing the other options. They all want to trade with someone. Bribe them to war with each other, until you are the last trading partner left by process of elimination.
 
Bribing AIs to fight each other has many uses, but if the objective is to get more money, doesn't giving your trade income to the AI defeat the purpose?
 
that would depend on the price. It's most effective on warmonger civs like Shaka, who tend to be pretty cheap. If you want to open peacefully, it can be very beneficial to keep the warmonger occupied with attacking other civs. Trade routes are just a bonus to that. But the trade routes also go a long way towards making a long-term ally. If you play your cards right you can turn your aggressive neighbor into an attack dog that will last all game (or at least til ideology time).
 
It doesnt seem quite as simple as just what will make them the most money - they quite often seem to avoid a Colossus/EIC city if the route will give you too much profit in return. I have a suspicion that they prefer the highest profit margin rather than outright profit.
 
It doesnt seem quite as simple as just what will make them the most money - they quite often seem to avoid a Colossus/EIC city if the route will give you too much profit in return. I have a suspicion that they prefer the highest profit margin rather than outright profit.

This makes the most sense to me as I often consider this in my trading as well. On my current game as super friendly Venice, I've got the EIC and the Colossus (along with everything else) in Venice; I haven't seen an incoming trade route the entire game. My previous game as Carthage, I had dozens of incoming trade routes even though (or probably because) I had conquered half the world.

Seems to me there should be a diplomatic option for "free trade" agreements and such to help entice folks to trade with you over other people (although this would negate Morocco's UA).
 
This makes the most sense to me as I often consider this in my trading as well. On my current game as super friendly Venice, I've got the EIC and the Colossus (along with everything else) in Venice; I haven't seen an incoming trade route the entire game. My previous game as Carthage, I had dozens of incoming trade routes even though (or probably because) I had conquered half the world.

Seems to me there should be a diplomatic option for "free trade" agreements and such to help entice folks to trade with you over other people (although this would negate Morocco's UA).

This is interesting. Maybe this is an indirect buff to Carthage that we haven't seen yet. All the free harbors might entice AI civs to send you trade routes...
 
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