The Basics
You have access to two sources of wheat; your neighbour has access to two sources of rice. You trade your surplus wheat for his surplus rice and both sides get an increase in health. Its no big deal; you've been doing this ever since you started playing this game. So let's move on.
Resource Trading Without a Surplus
Your neighbour has a surplus of rice, but you only have a single source of wheat. There is still a small benefit in trading. There is no health gain or loss, but you get a small diplomacy bonus. The bonus may or may not be big enough to keep you at peace. But if he does declare war on you, he takes a bigger hit than you do. Sometimes, however, you will get a benefit from trading without a surplus. For example if you have lots of granaries and few harbours, trading your fish for his rice will give you a net health benefit even if you have no fish surplus. Your granaries make the rice worth 2 health. Similarly, depending on the limiting factors in your empire, you may get a benefit from trading a health resource for a hapiness resource (or vice versa). Finally, its worth remembering that the AI will always trade the maximum money it has available for any resource they don't possess - in my experience at least. Perhaps the additional gold will help you maintain your research rate, while the loss of the resource may not cause significant harm. In addition, they may be willing to give you something for a resource that is currently worthless to you. If you're not planning to build something that benefits from it in the near future, your stone or marble is not giving you anything, but the AI may be willing to trade for it. Copper is of little value for much of the game, and even iron or horses may be valueless at times.
Trading Your Surplus Resource for Something Extra
When your trading resources, remember to factor in the effect of your buildings. Deer, wheat, fish and banana will all give you one extra health, but if you have a supermarket, a granary, a harbour or a grocer, that one extra health becomes two with the right choice of trade. Remember also that its not simply the overall effect on your empire; it could be that there is one city where the impact is crucial. The same is true with the hapiness resources; with the right building, they can give you two hapiness rather than one. And sugar can give you one of each.
Cancelling Trades
Resource trades can be cancelled after 10 turns. Don't be shy about doing this. Perhaps wheat for pig was a good deal when you made it, but you'd rather have fish now. If another civ wants wheat and offers fish, cancel the first deal and establish a new one. The situation is a little more tricky if it's the civ with which you have the pig deal that is offering the fish. They may have found another source of wheat in the mean time. There is a risk that if you cancel the existing deal, they may no longer want to trade for your wheat. Have a look at your map of their territory; this may give you a clue.
A Couple of Tricks for the Adventurous
Deals can be renegotiated. You're selling your surplus wheat for 5 gold, but your trading partner now has a further 2 gold available to trade. If you cancel your existing deal, you may be able to get 7 gold for your wheat. You may even be able to apply this rachet several times and end up with a really profitable deal. But beware; the gold available for trade sometimes disapears when you cancel an existing deal.
For the really adventurous, you can try a little vendor finance. Someone wants your wheat, but they only have a surplus of 2 gold to pay for it. No problem. You can gift them 8 gold per turn and they can now afford to pay 10 per turn. So far you haven't lost anything, but you haven't gained anything either. But after 10 turns, you can cancel your gifts; the AI rarely cancels its trades, so you are now getting a clear profit of 8 gold per turn. But beware; there are risks. Don't try this if the AI civ has no existing money to trade with. You will simply be helping finance his deficit. Also beware that sometimes not all of your gift becomes available to trade. Try small gifts of 1 or 2 gold to see what happens. If some of the money you gifted does not become available, it's time to stop. You're now making a small loss during the first 10 turns, but you expect to turn it into a big profit once you cancel your gifts. However, the big risk is that the whole of the money for trade can disapear; you've now lost all the money you gifted and don't have any trade to make. But that's what it's all about; you can only make a big profit if you're prepared to take a risk. (I first read about this technique (trick?) in a posting by Hans Lemurson.)
RJM
You have access to two sources of wheat; your neighbour has access to two sources of rice. You trade your surplus wheat for his surplus rice and both sides get an increase in health. Its no big deal; you've been doing this ever since you started playing this game. So let's move on.
Resource Trading Without a Surplus
Your neighbour has a surplus of rice, but you only have a single source of wheat. There is still a small benefit in trading. There is no health gain or loss, but you get a small diplomacy bonus. The bonus may or may not be big enough to keep you at peace. But if he does declare war on you, he takes a bigger hit than you do. Sometimes, however, you will get a benefit from trading without a surplus. For example if you have lots of granaries and few harbours, trading your fish for his rice will give you a net health benefit even if you have no fish surplus. Your granaries make the rice worth 2 health. Similarly, depending on the limiting factors in your empire, you may get a benefit from trading a health resource for a hapiness resource (or vice versa). Finally, its worth remembering that the AI will always trade the maximum money it has available for any resource they don't possess - in my experience at least. Perhaps the additional gold will help you maintain your research rate, while the loss of the resource may not cause significant harm. In addition, they may be willing to give you something for a resource that is currently worthless to you. If you're not planning to build something that benefits from it in the near future, your stone or marble is not giving you anything, but the AI may be willing to trade for it. Copper is of little value for much of the game, and even iron or horses may be valueless at times.
Trading Your Surplus Resource for Something Extra
When your trading resources, remember to factor in the effect of your buildings. Deer, wheat, fish and banana will all give you one extra health, but if you have a supermarket, a granary, a harbour or a grocer, that one extra health becomes two with the right choice of trade. Remember also that its not simply the overall effect on your empire; it could be that there is one city where the impact is crucial. The same is true with the hapiness resources; with the right building, they can give you two hapiness rather than one. And sugar can give you one of each.
Cancelling Trades
Resource trades can be cancelled after 10 turns. Don't be shy about doing this. Perhaps wheat for pig was a good deal when you made it, but you'd rather have fish now. If another civ wants wheat and offers fish, cancel the first deal and establish a new one. The situation is a little more tricky if it's the civ with which you have the pig deal that is offering the fish. They may have found another source of wheat in the mean time. There is a risk that if you cancel the existing deal, they may no longer want to trade for your wheat. Have a look at your map of their territory; this may give you a clue.
A Couple of Tricks for the Adventurous
Deals can be renegotiated. You're selling your surplus wheat for 5 gold, but your trading partner now has a further 2 gold available to trade. If you cancel your existing deal, you may be able to get 7 gold for your wheat. You may even be able to apply this rachet several times and end up with a really profitable deal. But beware; the gold available for trade sometimes disapears when you cancel an existing deal.
For the really adventurous, you can try a little vendor finance. Someone wants your wheat, but they only have a surplus of 2 gold to pay for it. No problem. You can gift them 8 gold per turn and they can now afford to pay 10 per turn. So far you haven't lost anything, but you haven't gained anything either. But after 10 turns, you can cancel your gifts; the AI rarely cancels its trades, so you are now getting a clear profit of 8 gold per turn. But beware; there are risks. Don't try this if the AI civ has no existing money to trade with. You will simply be helping finance his deficit. Also beware that sometimes not all of your gift becomes available to trade. Try small gifts of 1 or 2 gold to see what happens. If some of the money you gifted does not become available, it's time to stop. You're now making a small loss during the first 10 turns, but you expect to turn it into a big profit once you cancel your gifts. However, the big risk is that the whole of the money for trade can disapear; you've now lost all the money you gifted and don't have any trade to make. But that's what it's all about; you can only make a big profit if you're prepared to take a risk. (I first read about this technique (trick?) in a posting by Hans Lemurson.)
RJM
