newbie question about trading

[sukebeboy]

I'm playing my first game of CivIII and I've got to the stage where I can build units that require oil. There is no oil within my civ's borders, but I can see some within both the Japanese and the French empires. When I open the dip screen to try to trade for oil, it's never listed as an option. It there a way, short of war, to get access to these resourses?

 

[FullofHoles]

If neither the Japanese nor the French are high enough tech to see oil themselves, then they are unable to trade it.

 

[homegrown]

It can be kind of 'iffy' but you can always trade Refining to the japanese so they can see the oil, the once they have it try to trade for it, or demand it. The former doesn't always work, the AI hates to trade strategic resources, and the latter will probably prompt the war you are trying to avoid and you've given them the ability to make those oil powered units in the meantime.