Trade Routes

[Irrelevant77]

Can someoneplease explain trade routes to me please. I have five cities they are all connected by roads. Why when I look at one city it says trade routes with just one other city yet when I look at another city all four cities might be showing. Also why when I trade with one AI it shows different techs and resourses to another AI ? Thanks.

 

[michaelwest777]

Also why when I trade with one AI it shows different techs and resourses to another AI ? Thanks.

I've wondered this too. Maybe that civilization already had access to that raw material.

 

[MrCynical]

I have five cities they are all connected by roads. Why when I look at one city it says trade routes with just one other city yet when I look at another city all four cities might be showing.

You are confusing trade routes and trade connections. Trade routes (listed on left of city screen) simply generated commerce, and each city has a finite number of them. At this early stage each city will probably only have one. Although they require a trade connection to the other city, they are otherwise completely separate from the trade connections. Trade connections are required to spread resources throughout your empire, and you have connections between all 5 of your cities.

I've wondered this too. Maybe that civilization already had access to that raw material.

Resources and techs only appear on the trade table if the other civ doesn't have them already.

 

[East St Trader]

Yes, I think you are looking at resources available to your cities due to their being connected with your capital or with other cities.

It is not always enough for cities to be connected. So, for example, a road or sea route which passes through the area of influence of a neighbouring faction may cut the connection.

So I suspect the city which shows only one resource is cut off from your capital for some reason but has an unimpeded connection with the city which yields the onre resource shown. The cities showing all the resources have wholly unimpeded connections.

 

[BlackMage]

A city will always run the most lucrative trade route it has, and foreign trade routes are usually more profitable than domestic ones. Trade routes follow the same rules that trade connections do when talking about what cities are connected and sea trade.

 

[Marshall Thomas]

Are sea routes more valuable than land routes? If so, is this only because of the harbor- or are they more lucrative even before a harbor is constructed? If a city has the option of creating a sea or land route, will it always choose a sea route?

 

[ShadowWarrior]

I just go Civ IV today, and was playing the game, and I got a little confused by the trade routes thing, too.

Okay, so I understand trade routes to be those inter-city commerce which would generate gold coins for me.

But how exactly do I determine the trade routes? For example, how do I get city A to trade with city B, and not city C, or D. Is it something that the computer determines for you, and that you have absolutely no control over it? Also, in one of my city, I had two trade routes, while in another, I only had one? So does that mean that I have no control over the number of trade routes too?

 

[Bevertje]

A city will always run the most lucrative trade route it has, and foreign trade routes are usually more profitable than domestic ones.

like he said

 

[Likes_Civing]

Astronomy.

When you get it, do you get the big cross ocean trades routes, or do you have to meet those civs first?

I am about to get optics, but do I have to send a Caravel out to meet other civs before the big cross-ocean routes kick in.

I have Lighthouse and Colussus. I need BIG trade routes. I have 4 per city right now. Will they kick in the moment I get Astrom?

thanks for any tips on this

 

[BlackMage]

Astronomy.

When you get it, do you get the big cross ocean trades routes, or do you have to meet those civs first?

I am about to get optics, but do I have to send a Caravel out to meet other civs before the big cross-ocean routes kick in.

I have Lighthouse and Colussus. I need BIG trade routes. I have 4 per city right now. Will they kick in the moment I get Astrom?

thanks for any tips on this

Trade routes follow the same rules as trade connections. If you have Astronomy, have line of sight to another city, are not at war, have open borders and have contact with that civ, it is possible to have a trade route. Every city is guaranteed at least 1 trade route. It will always run the route that makes the most money. Foreign trade routes make more money than domestic ones. The Mercantilism Civic disables the ability for a city to have foreign trade routes - domestic only.

You have no control over what city a city forms a trade route with, but it doesn't matter, because it always runs the route which makes the most money. Every city is guaranteed at least 1 trade route, but they get more based on civics such as Free Market, wonders like The Great Lighthouse and things like that.