Commerce and Trade

[AZ Chukagny]

I'm going to buy Civilization 4, but i'm unsure of how the system for commerce works in the game. First of all, how does commerce work between different civilizations? Secondly, can your citizens trade within your civilization? Lastly, how does trade affect other parts of the game (such as diplomacy)?

Thank You!

 

[DaveMcW]

You mostly harvest commerce commerce from tiles around your city.

Cottages, rivers, luxury resources, and coast all produce commerce.

You do get a small commerce bonus for trading between your own cities, which can be doubled by trading with friendly neighbors or trading across the ocean.

 

[BalbanesBeoulve]

Trade routes between cities are handled automatically, and the only way you can affect them are by closing your borders with other civs, since you can only have trade routes with civs who you have open borders with.

There are different buildings, wonders, technologies, and civics that increase how many trade routes each city can have.

 

[Gliese 581]

It all depends, I wouldn't call 4-5 intercontinental trade routes a 8-10 commerce a small income necessarily.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Tons of coastal cities with decent infrastructure can be an overpowering advantage. It's like every coastal city gets +4 towns when its big enough.

The problem is, relying on trade routes is touch and go. The second you get DoW'd or someone just closes borders, it really hurts.

Still, it's such a nice boost to take advantage of in the LHC. In my most recent one opening borders with everyone @ astro (and hoarding astro so that I alone had it) instantly took me from a slight deficit @ 30 % science to 50% science and almost 500 BPT at 1300AD. Maybe not impressive to top players, but I was running SE (which is uncommon for me) and this was one of my best teching games. If you have the techs you need already, you can knock some heads at the expense of science too. Even your OWN cities make for good intercontinental trade partners, and of course vassals are just as good as normal trading partners if you can get them.

It IS more risky though, don't screw diplomacy unless you have the military to make your own trade routes .

Edit: It got nerfed to hell, I remember when Snaaty posted a trade route strat where he got infantry around 1100 ad or so IIRC. Military tech lead anyone? I'd love taking infantry vs longbows on immortal, too bad they nerfed it to reasonable levels .