I've just played a game through to 1500 and lets nail a few myths.
1) The AI won't trade you with you because you need happiness more. NO. I've had 30 excess happiness and they still request 2:1 trades.
2) The AI nations don't even trade between themselves. NO. There's a huge Roman nation in my game with just 1 resource for trade. Where are his others? Traded with other AI nations of course.
3) You can offer trades to the AI at a premium and it's ok. NO. In my game I've been ignored by the AI in terms of trades. Whenever an AI gets items to trade or money for research treaties it goes directly to their AI partners and ignore you. When it gets back to your turn they don't have money for a research treaty and you're frozen out.
4) Players can offer odd side deals to fix it and manage the problem. YES. Why should have players have to fix the broken diplomacy system instead of the designers?
5) With good relations you can get 1:1 deals. YES I've seen that in other games. How many trades at 2:1 do you have to make though in the optimistic hope that eventually they might be gracious enough to offer you 1:1?
Also - watch which resources your trade partner is asking for in the 2:1. They tend to demand ones that you don't have spare, i.e. they're offering you a net 2:0.
On the plus side, I've managed to stay out of war with pushy neighbours until 1500, with them even agreeing not to settle near me (and just waiting 30 turns then doing it, doh). The game seems to have balances of power rather than one long military dogfight. It's a shame this trading bug annoys the hell out of me so much and will ultimately lose me the game.
1) The AI won't trade you with you because you need happiness more. NO. I've had 30 excess happiness and they still request 2:1 trades.
2) The AI nations don't even trade between themselves. NO. There's a huge Roman nation in my game with just 1 resource for trade. Where are his others? Traded with other AI nations of course.
3) You can offer trades to the AI at a premium and it's ok. NO. In my game I've been ignored by the AI in terms of trades. Whenever an AI gets items to trade or money for research treaties it goes directly to their AI partners and ignore you. When it gets back to your turn they don't have money for a research treaty and you're frozen out.
4) Players can offer odd side deals to fix it and manage the problem. YES. Why should have players have to fix the broken diplomacy system instead of the designers?
5) With good relations you can get 1:1 deals. YES I've seen that in other games. How many trades at 2:1 do you have to make though in the optimistic hope that eventually they might be gracious enough to offer you 1:1?
Also - watch which resources your trade partner is asking for in the 2:1. They tend to demand ones that you don't have spare, i.e. they're offering you a net 2:0.
On the plus side, I've managed to stay out of war with pushy neighbours until 1500, with them even agreeing not to settle near me (and just waiting 30 turns then doing it, doh). The game seems to have balances of power rather than one long military dogfight. It's a shame this trading bug annoys the hell out of me so much and will ultimately lose me the game.
