Secrets/Tips for trading?

[.Shane.]

OK, I've already improved my game w/ many of the suggestions/comments I've read in this forum and in the tutorials.

I'm finding it hard to set up trade w/ other nations.

For one thing, I'm finding that tradeable resources are fairly scarce.

More importantly, how do I establish a road to another countries capital when that nation is not doing a lot of roadbuilding, etc... Can anything be done to encourage them or circumvent this problem (sans cheating, no cheats for me)?

Also, for a harbor, is it just a matter of me having a harbor and the other nation having a harbor?

Thanks, btw I'm playing C3 (C3C will be picked up soon ).

 

[Gyathaar]

AIs will be better at building roads and harbors at higher level. You can sign a RoP and send in workers and build roads for them

You (or your trading partner) must have mapped a valid water trade route between the harbors

 

[Bleser]

AIs will be better at building roads and harbors at higher level. You can sign a RoP and send in workers and build roads for them

You (or your trading partner) must have mapped a valid water trade route between the harbors

...and the harbors have to be connected by road to their capitol.

 

[.Shane.]

tx guys.

Is your experience that the game generally doesn't have that much trading going on OR if you put in the effort you can work it successfully?

 

[Gyathaar]

...and the harbors have to be connected by road to their capitol.

not if there is another connection between your capital and their capital (like a road) .. then they can use that connection to sell resources in the harbor city to you

 

[Penitent]

I've been getting better at trading recently myself, in my latest game I got a tech that nobody had (navigation) and asked my closest rival what he would offer for it, he offered a huge sum of gold per turn!
I even made him go higher, I don't know how he managed to pay me these ridiculous sums of money but his research suffered and he wasn't much of a threat after that.

The AI commits suicide through bad trade deals!

 

[wilbill]

Here's a thread with a practice trading session that Moonsinger started a couple of years ago. I found it very helpful and read through it once in a while just to refresh my memory of some trading skills it points out. Not sure if it's Vanilla or PTW, but even if you don't download the save and play it out, just reading the thread should be educational.

 

[Scuffer]

The AI commits suicide through bad trade deals!

Having the AI bankrupt itself to fund your research is deeply deeply satisfying.

 

[thetrooper]

Having the AI bankrupt itself to fund your research is deeply deeply satisfying.

Amen to that!

 

[oldStatesman]

Here's a thread with a practice trading session that Moonsinger started a couple of years ago. I found it very helpful and read through it once in a while just to refresh my memory of some trading skills it points out. Not sure if it's Vanilla or PTW, but even if you don't download the save and play it out, just reading the thread should be educational.

Hmmm, it seems that AA trading in Vanilla had many more options - you don't get to trade maps or contacts until much later in the game in Conquests.

 

[Whomp]

I think this relates to the trading game quite a bit.

I'm learning you better have a really good reason to trade any excess luxs. The AI is extremely reluctant to use the lux slider (if at all). So if they're using clowns, they're stifling expansion and in turn slowing their research. If you feed them a lux you accelerate both.

I think, and maybe someone can back me up here, that unless you're getting a needed tech, the AI is completely backwards or you're getting a needed MA you shouldn't make that lux trade.

Some recent examples. In the picture below an embassy revealed the Romans had two luxs so no need for clowns. They ran 100% science at that point....

On the other hand, the Mayans in the same game had more pop at 6 but only one lux and were already using a clown. Their research ran at 80%. If they were fed a lux it could be 100% and a lot more beakers than the Romans.

An even more extreme example is the Persians in another game where they're at pop 12 but only have 1 lux. They're carrying 3 clowns rather than turn down science.

The Greeks in this particular game had 4 luxs and became the runaway AI. Eventually we had to pound them.

 

[Abaddon]

Nice pointers Whomp.. guess il horde me lux's

Il stick to making them cripple themselves giving me HUGE gpt for techs.

 

[Abaddon]

Oh, and we have missed the main way trading wins you the harder level games. Get currags out ASAP!

suicide them all over the place. Making contact with a civ who has a monopoly on a tech is priceless. By acting broker to the rest of the world you can catapult yourself from a caveman to the science leader of the world!!!!

 

[mastertyguy]

Now, I won't trade those lux. You can be sure.