Connecting AIs to your trade network?

[jkilmer]

How do you connect AI civs on other continents to your trade network? I’ve tried different things but it seems they’ll only connect at their discretion.

 

[Joshua368]

If they're connected by coast, either of you just needs sailing. If there's a big ocean between you, one of you needs astronomy. Also for trade routes they'll have to open borders and you personally will need the tech.

 

[mechaerik]

Overland, you need a road from one of your cities to one of theirs. As joshua368 says, you still need open borders for trade routes.

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

How do you get commerce from trade routes? How does that work? (IE I see what it says Harbors and Custum Houses are supposed to do, but what's it mean and how does it get you commerce?)

 

[Scoottr]

As soon as you click Open Borders with a Civ your commerce income will adjust. The cities switch to whatever forgein city will provide better income. I noticed this last night on a game where my income went from 52 to 78 with one open border agreement!

 

[Alrin Kharr]

How do you get commerce from trade routes? How does that work? (IE I see what it says Harbors and Custum Houses are supposed to do, but what's it mean and how does it get you commerce?)

If you look on your city screen, at the top left, it will list all that city's trade routes, and how much commerce you are receiving from them. This commerce works just like regular commerce you get from working tiles, and is converted in beakers/gold/culture according to your slider settings

 

[Earthling]

Actually, does anyone know the mechanics about when trade routes reset? It certainly does not seem to be every turn. I've had situations where nothing resets until after anarchy/new trade with a new AI - basically what happens is after somehow getting cut off from some AI for like a turn, I never get trade routes back with them in the normal course of things. Or alternately, I can already have open borders with many civs, filling out my routes - and then I get OB with some new guy (but no trade routes with them). But then when one of the original civs cuts off for whatever reason I go back to having domestic (not opening up new routes - anything should be better than domestic). For anyone who might speculate it's cause I don't have actual connections or something: I know it's not that, nor do I think it is a lack of total foreign cities somehow "available" due to the large map sizes I play. I suppose next time I come across an example I'll post it but if anyone knows more about the straight mechanics/code I'd be interested. Thanks in advance.

Also, about buildings like Harbor/customs house - this may not be always perfect advice but I'd say that trying to maximize trade routes is nearly pointless in BtS (ie don't build customs houses unless it's a really obvious need - it's very misleading because you'd think they are worth it but they are not). This is due to the fact that (in BtS) base commerce rarely gets higher than about 2 per route - you already get a significant bonus from population and so the building adds a very meager bonus. Invest your hammers elsewhere.

 

[Scotsdave]

@ Earthling, I'm a bit noob, but I'm guessing events in their territories could be cutting your routes, war pillagaing cutting roads etc?

 

[Timoteo]

On a related note, can you have foreign trade if your trading partner uses the Mercantilism Civic? I have an open borders agreement and connection symbol next to that AI's name, but no foreign trade routes.

Thanks.

 

[PieceOfMind]

On a related note, can you have foreign trade if your trading partner uses the Mercantilism Civic? I have an open borders agreement and connection symbol next to that AI's name, but no foreign trade routes.

Thanks.

No you won't get trade routes here. You will get them if they are a vassal though IIRC. Probably also if they are a team mate (from the game start or via permanent alliance). Someone might like to confirm this though.

 

[Willem]

On a related note, can you have foreign trade if your trading partner uses the Mercantilism Civic?

You need to read the descriptions of your civics more often.

 

[Timoteo]

PieceOfMind,

Thanks for the info.

You need to read the descriptions of your civics more often.

You need to read my post a little more carefully. I said that my trading partner is running Mercantilism not me. The game manual's description of civics is silent on how other Civ's use of Mercantilism effect trade relations.

I simply did not realize trade was bidirectional until PieceOfMind was kind enough to clarify the issue for me.

 

[nbcman]

@ Timoteo

Actually you can have trade routes to other civs when you are in Merc. Trade routes are possible between a Master and a Vassal civ.

 

[Willem]

PieceOfMind,
You need to read my post a little more carefully. I said that my trading partner is running Mercantilism not me. The game manual's description of civics is silent on how other Civ's use of Mercantilism effect trade relations.

Well if Mercantilism cancels foreign trade routes for you, why would it work any differently for the other civs? It stands to reason that it's going to have the same effect with anyone that uses it. The only exception is when you have a vassal.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Willem, he was referring to the fact that it's not 100% obvious that trade routes are always bidirectional.

It may have been possible, for example, for you to be earning income from foreign trade routes with them but not them from you. If you assume that trade routes have to benefit both civs then you will think it's an absurd question, like you are thinking.

 

[Willem]

Willem, he was referring to the fact that it's not 100% obvious that trade routes are always bidirectional.

Well yeah, it may not be obvious but they are. If a foreign city is trading with one of yours, then your city will also be trading the foreign one. That to me is just a logical conclusion as to how routes work. If some trader or caravan, whatever, is going back and forth between the two then there's going to be trade on both ends.

 

[Timoteo]

Willem, he was referring to the fact that it's not 100% obvious that trade routes are always bidirectional.

It may have been possible, for example, for you to be earning income from foreign trade routes with them but not them from you. If you assume that trade routes have to benefit both civs then you will think it's an absurd question, like you are thinking.

Thanks for understanding PieceOfMind; this is especially unclear for an old timer like me who remembers the non-bidirectional trade routes in CivI.

Well yeah, it may not be obvious but they are. If a foreign city is trading with one of yours, then your city will also be trading the foreign one. That to me is just a logical conclusion as to how routes work. If some trader or caravan, whatever, is going back and forth between the two then there's going to be trade on both ends.

It maybe logical to assume that, but logic has nothing to do with it. Its a game! If the game was always logical, then you would not be able to mine an unlimited number of axemen from the hills to send after your enemies!

 

[PieceOfMind]

Well yeah, it may not be obvious but they are. If a foreign city is trading with one of yours, then your city will also be trading the foreign one. That to me is just a logical conclusion as to how routes work. If some trader or caravan, whatever, is going back and forth between the two then there's going to be trade on both ends.

I absolutely agree.

But is everything in civ logical? Often the sensible is just as likely as the absurd in a game as abstracted as civ.