Total Newbie Question about Trading

[AngelGabriel]

Imagine - I'm playing Civ 4 since the first time it came out. I was addicted to FfH2 since the first time I heard about it but till now I never understood why I should or shouldn't have open borders with another nation.

The advantage of closed borders is that no missionaries can enter my homeland, furthermore other nations can't spy on my cities.

But where are the advantages of open borders? I can trade - but I didn't seem to get anything from it.

I know it's a question which would better belong into the civ vanilla area, but I thought - while mainly playing FfH2 - there are special rules which only apply to this mod.

Thanks

 

[Demus]

open borders in FFH aren't drastically different from normal civ. The main advantages from open borders are religion spread, trade routes and exploration, as well as more freedom during wars. The disadvantages are religion spread, exploration (big surprise here ), and allowing the AI to expand behind your borders (open borders makes blocking of a section of the map a lot tougher). FFH does have one added reason for keeping your borders closed though: some unique features are triggered upon entering (used to be the broken sepulcher and the pyre of the seraphic, now the 7 pines and the letum frigus are the main reasons for this). Getting these features within your borders, then closing your borders, prevents other civs from using their upon-tile-entry options.

 

[BugReportage]

Open borders also increases relations with those you share the treaty with.
I usually don't open my borders early game.

 

[Zechnophobe]

Open Borders,

Pros:

1) You can trade with the civ assuming you have a viable trade route. If that goes over ocean you'll need astronomy (Coast I think is just sailing). If you don't have a trade route to the empire, you cannot get this bonus. Check your city screen to see where your trade routes are going. If they are all domestic, you probably don't have a route.

2) Freedom of movement. The most obvious one, you can't move freely through their territory without this. Spread your religion (If you want) and explore past them, maybe even pop lairs in their empire they didn't. Also allows Great Merchants to do their thing.

3) Happiness Bonus with the Empire. +1 or +2 seems to be the max, and takes a while to exist.

Cons

1) Happiness Penalty with civs who hate the civ you are open borders with. This can often cause them to request that you 'stop trading' with the civ, and if you refuse you get even more of a penalty (And if you agree, you get no bonus to that civ, but do get a big penalty to the former open borders civ).

2) They can explore through your territory. AI's do work off of a knowledge base, and will attack more intelligently if they know where your weak cities are.

 

[Polobo]

3) Happiness Bonus with the Empire. +1 or +2 seems to be the max, and takes a while to exist.

Cons

1) Happiness Penalty with civs who hate the civ you are open borders with. This can often cause them to request that you 'stop trading' with the civ, and if you refuse you get even more of a penalty (And if you agree, you get no bonus to that civ, but do get a big penalty to the former open borders civ).

I assume you mean diplomatic bonus, not happy, unless there is some mechanic I've not seen added to FfH that indeed gives happy faces to your cities for having open borders.

 

[onedreamer]

Yeah he meant diplomatic bonus of course.

allows Great Merchants to do their thing.

Great Merchants don't need OB in order to do "their thing", AFAIK.



In general, the smaller you are, the most convenient it is for you to have OB, in terms of raw commerce bonus. Try to trade with civs who have big cities, because the amount of commerce from trade routes greatly depends on this.

 

[Sarisin]

One thing I like doing is building the Pact of Nilhon and getting the HN Stooges (or getting HN Spiders or Griffons).

Then, I open my borders to everyone and just love picking off those exploring units that enter my territory with my HN guys.

Now that there is a cap on XP with barbs it is a good way to get above 100XP with your HN units.