Pangea Maps and Trading

[Spoonwood]

In a game I started last night, instead of putting warriors out to scout, once I founded a city on the coast (which wasn't my capital), I decided to have it put out two curraghs, each of which went in the opposite direction. A little later I had it build a harbor. The people still haven't learned Currency, and don't think we have roads to AI borders quite yet, but we have three luxuries imported already on Emperor.

It appears that the harbor + scouting the coast approach can work out better for getting up trade routes, even on a pangea map.

Edit: Make that 4 luxuries traded for, when I had written the above!

 

[tjs282]

I understood that before Astro is learned (i.e. trade possible over Sea-tiles), Barb-Galleys can cut Coastal trade-routes if they happen to stop on an inconvenient tile. So did you turn off Barbs when you set up the game? Or does it not matter at this early stage (at least in terms of trade-rep), because you're still only importing, rather than exporting?

 

[Spoonwood]

So did you turn off Barbs when you set up the game?

Well, one could take the view that I never turned them on for that game. But, I did have the barbarians setting at 'no barbarians' for that game.

However, one could play with sedentary barbarians and a barbarian galley blocking a trade route never would arise also, I think, since huts never yield barbarian galleys so far as I know at least.

I think you're correct that barbarians do block trade routes if one of the (potential) trading partners does not have Astronomy and neither of the parties has The Great Lighthouse.

 

[tjs282]

However, one could play with sedentary barbarians and a barbarian galley blocking a trade route never would arise also, I think, since huts never yield barbarian galleys so far as I know at least.

I've never seen Galleys spawn from Goody Huts, no -- so presumably you're talking about Barb-Camps? Camps next to Coastal tiles certainly do spawn Galleys at Roving+ settings, but the Sedentary setting always seemed fish-barrel-shoot-level pointless to me (either have them running around making trouble, or turn them off completely!), and I've never used it.

So you'd know better than me what happens on that setting, though it would make sense that Sedentary Barbs wouldn't spawn Galleys. Being Sea units, they can't sit in the Camp itself like the Land Barb-units (because it's not a proper town), but having them simply parked offshore doing nothing (except maybe blocking a trade-route! ) would just seem silly/pointless.

I think you're correct that barbarians do block trade routes if one of the (potential) trading partners does not have Astronomy and neither of the parties has The Great Lighthouse.

Only one partner needs Astro to make Resource-trade deals, I don't think it matters which way the export is going.

But does the GLight really (also) "Allow Trade over Sea-tiles"? My understanding was that this ability was only conferred by a tech(s), and that the Wonder-flag "Allows safe Sea travel" applies rather/only to boats that would otherwise be at risk of "Sinks in Sea"?

 

[justanick]

I understood that before Astro is learned (i.e. trade possible over Sea-tiles), Barb-Galleys can cut Coastal trade-routes if they happen to stop on an inconvenient tile. So did you turn off Barbs when you set up the game? Or does it not matter at this early stage (at least in terms of trade-rep), because you're still only importing, rather than exporting?

AI is somewhat good at hunting barbs, so that may take care of the problem as well. In fact a lot of AIs gold and tech during the early game stems from AI clearing out huts and camps.

But does the GLight really (also) "Allow Trade over Sea-tiles"?

It does.

Großer Leuchtturm (Civ3) – CivWiki

wiki.civforum.de

 

[Spoonwood]

but the Sedentary setting always seemed fish-barrel-shoot-level pointless to me (either have them running around making trouble, or turn them off completely!), and I've never used it.

The Sedentary setting quickens the tech pace compared to no barbarians. Popping huts can be the basis of a large amount of research for the human player if the level is low enough and there exist enough huts. It makes for a little more gold also, and enables a free settler. All without having to fend off hordes or fight camps. Popping two settlers from huts is something else that some of us have done on demigod or deity with sedentary barbs. The huts can also quicken the tech pace for AIs and give them a little more gold to have.

But does the GLight really (also) "Allow Trade over Sea-tiles"? My understanding was that this ability was only conferred by a tech(s), and that the Wonder-flag "Allows safe Sea travel" applies rather/only to boats that would otherwise be at risk of "Sinks in Sea"?

Yes. I've definitely had archipelago games where trade routes became available because either myself or one of the AIs had it.