Quick side note: I am a civ1 fanatic, so there is a lot I like, and a lot I still don't understand about this game. The diplomacy/trade system takes some getting used to.
Diplomacy and trading isn't interesting below regent level, the AI improves itself so slowly at those levels, they often simply don't have anything to trade.
Chieftain is a level meant to learn "what happens if I push this button?" Once you figured that part out, I advice to move to regent level.
The oil issue makes sense because I am also unable to build tanks. Is there any terrain more likely to produce oil in the future? If I give a friendly civ the refining tech, are they likely to trade oil with me at favorable terms?
"
favorable" is a relative, learn to think in terms of "return of investment"
Oil allows you to build certain units, but what are you planning to do with those units? If you
need them to quickly conquer the world and win by domination/conquest, then a relatively high price may still be favorable compared to losing the game.
But from what I read in your posts, you don't seem to need them, so then why even put
any effort in getting oil?
I understand this is just your introduction game where you are testing things out, but thats the kind of thinking that I use to determine if a trade is favorable.
Also, regarding trade: how do I determine the value of luxuries? The Iroquois offer me 19 gpt for my dyes, but the English only offer a worthless world map. Am I supposed to haggle with each civ to find the best deal? Is this all trial-and-error, or has someone created a good tutorial out there?
It depends on how much happiness effect the lux gives you.
If you have 10 cities, and no marketplaces, then a single lux resource gives exactly 10 happiness (1 in each city) if an other civ has 5 cities, then you will need to trade 2 lux in return for 1 of his.
But if a 3th civ has 20 cities, then you can trade 1 of your lux for 2 of this 3th civ's lux.
Instead of trading lux for lux you can also combine it with gold per turn. lump sum, a tech, whatever.
If some of your cities have marketplaces things get a but more complex.
Because a marketplace increases the happiness output of a lux in that one city.
For example: If you have 6 lux already, then a 7th lux will add 4 happiness in the city with a marketplace (but still 1 in the cities without.)
