How does the AI determine tech value in trades?

[civvver]

You know how sometimes the AI wants three techs totaling 1500 beakers of research for say one tech that costs 800 beakers? Like usually it seems I can get monarchy for alphabet (same cost I believe) but vice versa they'll never give me alphabet for monarchy. Again, I may be off on those specific techs, but how does the AI decide the true value of a tech? Is it based on who has it, whether it's military or for a wonder not built, beaker cost, what?

[timmy827]

AFAIK it's fair. However, discounts from prereqs, other civs knowing the tech, and partial research all factor in which sometimes creates seemingly unbalanced offers.

If you ask the AI for 900 beakers of tech and you have two techs to offer which the AI values at 800 each (and no gold), it takes both to make the deal palatable. You can only be sure you're getting the "real" price if the "what would make this deal work" option puts gold on the table and it's not the most gold the AI can offer.

[bestsss]

if the AI wants cash for fitting the gap your available cash in the treasure also matters which is sort of lame (and not truly fair).

[Grey Fox]

And sometimes they already have beakers invested in the tech you want to trade to them.

[DMOC]

Usually the AI wants the number of beakers I provide to them to be abouy 1.1 or 1.2 times as much as what they are providing me for a dead-even trade.