Is it time to bring back trading posts with trapping?

[Horizons]

lol, so in the beginning, when Civ5 first came out, the veritable trading post was available to build with trapping - very early on in the game - and immediately gave 2 gold pieces per turn when worked. Thus, along with gold coast and river tiles, it was relatively easy to get lots of money in the early game.

Subsequently this was nerfed a little by moving trading posts back to Guilds, originally giving 1 gold and going up to 2 gold after Economics was researched. But it was still relatively straightforward to get gold because of rivers and coasts (especially with fish haha).

Now the early game is brutal in terms of lack of gold so ... I think the trading post should be available with trapping once again and offer 1 gold per turn, going up to 2 with economics ... this would definitely help a little. Early game gold has been 'over-nerfed' and needs readjustment. As others have said, having trade routes is fine but you need units to deal with early game barbs otherwise trading is pointless.

 

[_hero_]

I honestly don't think the solution to the early game is to make more +gold hexes available. That creates problems with rush buying. Instead, I think the solution lies with maintenance costs.

I say make the first 4 units free and monuments cost 0 maintenance. This will make early game war more viable for the computer (and human) and also make it easier to stay in +gold per turn without a luxury heavy capital, but will prevent being able to get huge amounts of gold per turn going early in the game so that hammers become trivial.

Perhaps another solution would be buffing the social policy openers so they do the following in addition to their current benefits:
Tradition: Palace provides an additional +3 gold per turn
Liberty: Each city also provides +1 gold per turn
Honor: Allows 4 (?) units without maintenance costs OR doubles gold from barbarian encampments (or +25 scaling with speed so it's not overpowered for the Songhai).
Piety: Shrines provide +1 gold per turn and no longer have a maintenance cost.

 

[HeraldtheGreat]

That would be a reasonable alternative to gold other than trade routes if you're isolated or a conqueror. Plus, it's kind of a trade-off. More gold, or more production/food?

 

[Twahn]

Only had two games of BNW so far but never had a problem with gold at all.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Trading posts were moved back because people overvalued them and they were way too common on maps. You said gold is scarce right now. That means the incentive to build them early would be even stronger. The entire motive for reason them back to guilds is just as strong now as it was before.

 

[I_qua_I]

I like gold being scarce early. It levels the playing field. War is more calculated, Tradition is no longer the go-to opener. Trade routes are worth building. It's so much better.

 

[Karmah]

I like gold being scarce early. It levels the playing field. War is more calculated, Tradition is no longer the go-to opener. Trade routes are worth building. It's so much better.

I agree.
Maybe a tiny bit harsh when you need units to defend against 2 warmongers but at least it forces you to be creative and to think so yeah definitely an improvement.

 

[GreenThings]

I agree with I_qua_I. Civ V has become less cookie cutter in the early game than it was before, which I like.

 

[otaman1]

You want gold? Established an International Trade Route with whomever will give you the most GPT.

 

[joncnunn]

You want gold? Established an International Trade Route with whomever will give you the most GPT.

OP wanted it around Trapping not Guilds. Yes; an international sea route around time of Guilds will provide much more gold than trade posts.

But at time of Trapping; the international income is likely to be so small (neither city with a market place) that you're better off with a domestic cargo bay food route (and converting it to international later)