"A rhetorical question is one that is asked already knowing the answer."
So, when you asked "Why would you pay money for a CS when you get their luxury resource for free after Navigation?" you already knew that the answer was obviously:
To gain delegates in world congress that can either help push or deny proposals, or contribute to the diplomatic victory?
To gain units, culture, faith, food, or happiness (mercantile CS do give happiness independent of their luxuries at friend status)?
To gain access to strategic resources, such as coal, when not having any alternative source, being first to industrial and wanting to have factories up to get an ideology running quickly?
As a defensive measure, if the CS is close, and its current ally may indicate an incoming DoW, or an aggressive tactic, if the CS is close to the target, where during war the CS units will pressure and/or distract to your benefit?
You would under no circumstances pay money for a CS when you already have a copy of their luxury?
Thank you for the brilliant insight delivered by a method of rhetoric that cannot be manipulatively misinformative whatsoever.
I could write an essay why you are wrong here but I won't because I don't wanna waste more time on a guy who only types one-liners to provoke people.
Have a nice day, sir. And next time, try to contribute something useful to the discussion.
Moderator Action: This is trolling. If you do not want to "waste time", then do not comment and move along.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889