How can I know what Free Techs the AIs get?

[jlfarrell]

I need some help in getting better at trading. I often read write-ups where somebody traded for all of the AI's Free tech. How do you know when and what the AI gets for Free?

Are there any other general tips for trading techs and resources? For example, I don't understand the "Big Picture" trick where you press F4 and trade before you complete the "Big Picture" dialog box. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[vmxa]

DaveMcW has a post that explains the mechanism for the various sling shots.

 

[vmxa]

I was just looking at the SG boards and it dawned on me that if you were to read one of the OCC games, you should get a real tutorial on trading. You have to be very tuned in to trades on most levels to get by.

 

[Rik Meleet]

Have a look here. It is a succession game in which the players decided to never research and obtain all techs through trading.
I had the honor to examinate all trades and comment on them. And I think my feedback was appreciated. I hope that game can help you as well.