Help with trading resources

[SpartanPete]

Is ther a guide to trading resources somewhere? It may be me, but its eems there is not alot of info in this aspect of the game in teh book or even on here?

I really dont know how or what basics are needed here, i normally just agree to AI everythime they ask for something!

A few Q...

A) I assume if you have more than 1 of something then the extra lets say i have 2 Irons then the 2nd does not benefit me at all? so i should trade it?

B)What is a good trade ? Irons good no? so whats it worth trading for?

C)If i gain a resouce, like say gold , does this benefit all my cities?

thanks for any help or advice on this part of the game.

 

[JujuLautre]

A) Unless you're playing with BTS at a time when corporations come into play, yes, excedents don't benefit you: you can trade them happily.

B) Most trade people do are:
- a health/luxury ressource against a health/luxury ressource
- a ressource against gold per turn
Watch out that these ressource are not equal to each other. Rice is better than Cows for example, because even if they both provide 1 health, rice provide a second one with a granary against a supermarket for cows; and for most of the game, your cities have granaries but no supermarkets. But the AI is not aware of that, so you can cheat them in some way.

As for Strategic ressources (copper, iron, ivory, coal, uranium, oil, aluminium), it really depends your need or your will to give it to a (potential) opponent; think carefully. One game I played OCC, I had a bunch of cats I wanted to upgrade but no iron; I made a 10 turn deal iron vs 30 gold to upgrade them to cannons; so basically I paid 300 gold to get the ability to upgrade my cats.

C) All cities that are connected in a way or another to that ressource: by roads, rivers or coast (with seafaring), or ocean (with astronomy)

 

[Willem]

B)What is a good trade ? Irons good no? so whats it worth trading for?

I'd be careful trading strategic resources like Iron, you might just be giving your neighbour the resource he needs to build some Swordsman to attack you with. It's generally not a policy to trade a resource that helps another civ militarily. If you have Copper early in the game and your neighbour doesn't, that gives you a military advantage. Trade your excess Copper and you've levelled the field. You should notice that the AI won't usually let go of those types of resources either. At least not until it's become obsolete.

 

[Willem]

BTW, never just accept a deal that the AI comes up with. Remove what he has on the table from his window then select "What will you offer for this?". Quite often he/she will give you more than what they originally offered. This sometimes works with straight swaps of things like World Maps too. If you renegotiate the deal, quite often the AI will also toss in some extra gold.

 

[KMadCandy]

I'd be careful trading strategic resources like Iron, you might just be giving your neighbour the resource he needs to build some Swordsman to attack you with. It's generally not a policy to trade a resource that helps another civ militarily. If you have Copper early in the game and your neighbour doesn't, that gives you a military advantage. Trade your excess Copper and you've levelled the field. You should notice that the AI won't usually let go of those types of resources either. At least not until it's become obsolete.

on the other hand sometimes the AI is ridiculous about wanting strategics it has no need for. i've had games where JC has iron (which he needs for praets of course) but no copper. he'll pay me an arm and a leg for my spare copper, and it doesn't do him any good except for a bonus building colossus, statue of liberty, and spaceship parts. so if it's a time where i'm not worried about any of those things, and i'm bitter at him for whatever reason, i take advantage of it.

but that's copper if somebody has iron. giving them iron when they already have copper is not the same thing by any means!

 

[Bushface]

Willem is absolutely right. Doing things that way, I've had offers of two resources, or one plus gold-per-turn, for one resource I had offered for trade and for which I'd happily have accepted much less than I actually got.

 

[Willem]

i've had games where JC has iron (which he needs for praets of course) but no copper. he'll pay me an arm and a leg for my spare copper, and it doesn't do him any good except for a bonus building colossus, statue of liberty, and spaceship parts.

Well that's what I meant about a resource becoming obsolete. If a civ already has Iron, there's certainly no harm in trading it Copper. It doesn't provide you with any advantage to hold it back anymore. Unless of course you intend to build The Colossus.

 

[L4zXX0r]

One trick I learned from some guides in these forums, is about subsidizing resources. That is, if someone needs what you have, you can actually give them money first, then trade them the resource for that amount of money. Giving you a net gain of 0.... that is for 10 turns. At that point, you cancel your deal of a gift of X amount of gold per turn, at which point, you are no longer giving them money, but lo and behold, they are still giving you money for the resource. This has an awesome two fold effect that will stifle their economy for a period, while boosting yours.

http://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/strategy/subsidies.php

Check that out for more detailed INFO!

 

[SpartanPete]

thanks for the tips guys, although i am not interested in the resource trade scam, its just cheating the games bad loop holes and then cheating myself