'It can't be done'

[Mapache]

I didn't put much effort in research in my last game. I thought that buying would be cheaper. I had a lot of cash and contacted other civs for selling me their latest and hottest stuff. But often - in a monopolistic manner - they all refused to trade with me. I never went to war with anyone and fulfilled all my treaties and I considered myself the perfect customer. So why don't they like to trade with me? How can I change their mind?

Thanks for strategic hints

 

[Orac]

I had the same problem at the beginning of my current game.
I figured it was because a: I was the smallest and least powerfull
and b: The tech was to new for them to sell. After trading some
luxuries and wiping the Germans of the map, trading tech's became more and more do-able. Make them take you seriously!!!

 

[Windwalker]

Originally posted by Orac
I had the same problem at the beginning of my current game.
I figured it was because a: I was the smallest and least powerfull
and b: The tech was to new for them to sell. After trading some
luxuries and wiping the Germans of the map, trading tech's became more and more do-able. Make them take you seriously!!!

Word. I've only recently realized that the AI respects only two things: power and alliances. Power: if you're strong, then they'll be nicer, in terms of not picking fights and giving better deals. Alliances: If you've recently helped to fight a war against another civ, your ally will like you for a while, and will like to trade with you...

Other than that, culture, niceness, etc. don't seem to matter all that much to the AI...

- Windwalker

 

[holyman]

sell them a city. i always had a few of their cities in hand after 100bc. anytime ai came up with something new, i trade a city for it plus some other stuff(i usually trade a city for 2 techs and something else. i dont trade immediately when a tech is discovered). they will definitely trade. in the worst situation, send a settler to some desert or tundra and built a city, then trade it. i think a settler for a tech is quite worth it.