Age of Discovery question.

[Bucephalus]

In this scenario 'tobacco' is a strategic resource, which - as far as I understand - is only useful to the city which has it within it's radius, ie. for building a 'tobacco plantation'. Why then did Portugal try to extort my surplus stocks, and feel the need to declare war when I refused to give it to them? Of what possible use would it have been to them?

 

[Yoda Power]

The question you should really be asking is, why did you refuse if they had no use of it

 

[CyberChrist]

Portugal might actually have made use of that Tobacco, imagine this:
City Portugeese Colony #1 have Tobacco within it's city radius, it is however on a single tile island and Portugal is unable connect this particular source to city. Getting Tobacco from elsewhere would make Portugeese Colony #1 qualify as having having access to the needed resource and having it within city radius as well and thus allowing the special improvement to be build.

 

[Zeekater]

You obviously don't know that Nicotine is the most addictive drug in the world
Try taking away smokes from a smoker, and you'll notice he'll go to war with you over them

 

[Bucephalus]

The question you should really be asking is, why did you refuse if they had no use of it

It was my first time playing this scenario, and I wasn't sure that it wouldn't be of use to them - hence my question. Also they were much weaker than me so war wasn't any threat.

 

[Shabbaman]

You can sell those special resources to the AI for several gpt. It's really dumb, but just do it. The AI really has no use for it. It doesn't really understand what to do with those treasuries either.

 

[plarq]

As I noticed, English, Spanish and Portuguese pushed their treasures back to Europe. I even use Privateers to stop their Cossacks.