Advice on effective trading

[Maydrock]

For instance, Mehmed and Augustus both have Replacable Parts but neither have Astronomy, only Augustus has Rifling, and you just got Astronomy.

How do you know Augustus has rifling, unless you see his rifleman running around?

 

[ABigCivFan]

How do you know Augustus has rifling, unless you see his rifleman running around?

Yes, I had spread my religion to all his cities. He is my neighbor and the most powerful in my game, have to keep an eye on him at all times.

 

[Perugia]

Some people seem harder bargainers, too. I was playing a Monarch game the other day and Washington, who I had at friendly, wouldn't give me a tech trade that was nearly two to one beakers in his favor. The exact same trade with Augustus, who was merely "Pleased" with me, netted me the tech AND 120 gold. It was later in the game so it was still something like 5000 beakers vs. 8500 beakers or something.

Well 2 things could explain this:

1) Augustus has met fewer Civs that already know the Tech than Washington and so value's it more as he gets a smaller discount on researching it.
2) Washington was researching the tech at the time, he will subtract the beakers he has already invested from its value to him (already mentioned by ParadigmShifter).

 

[Perugia]

How do you know Augustus has rifling, unless you see his rifleman running around?

Yes, I had spread my religion to all his cities. He is my neighbor and the most powerful in my game, have to keep an eye on him at all times.

Yes you need to scout around for tech especially at the higher difficulties when you can be 2,3 or more techs behind in certain research paths. Look out for New Unit types, also use the HOF mod and other sources to see who has founded religions, changed to a new civic (eg Hereditary Rule means they know Monarchy).

Also look at their workers doing funny things eg if you know Mining and see workers mining grasslands (without copper resource showing) then the AI must know Iron Working and be linking it to his trade network!

 

[Maydrock]

Also look at their workers doing funny things eg if you know Mining and see workers mining grasslands (without copper resource showing) then the AI must know Iron Working and be linking it to his trade network!

Yea...I have seen a grassland pasture before with nothing in it...kind of surprised me the first time I saw it.