Trade Routes

[Mercade]

... Now, I hate how Trade Routes work in Civilization 4. I find the system extremely opaque. I dislike how little control you have over them. I had been running on the assumption that Trade Routes as we knew them were largely gone, but this line has thrown a wrench into that.

I'm creating this thread to ask two things.

1) Is there any more information on how Trade Routes function in Civilization 5?

2) Does anyone have any thoughts on how Trade Routes could function to not be frustratingly opaque or overtly difficult.

In Greg's thread about Gold, the trade network is described in detail:
- Trade Routes are domestic only
- Trade Routes are between a city and your capital only
- Trade Routes require a road (for which you pay maintanance)
- How Trade routes work over sea isn't explained, but naval blockage is possible.
- Trade Routes become worth more if the city on either end of the route grows (so growing your capital makes all trade routes more valuable)
- A Great Merchant can do a one off trade mission to a foreign city

 

[PieceOfMind]

Greg threw this at us on this issue.



This means that city SIZE is very important to how valuable a trade route is.


Let us continue speculationing!

This was true in civ4 as well, but only after cities were bigger than size 10. The main problem was that trade route commerce was rounded down before they were added up, often costing 1 or 2 commerce if there were 3 or 4 trade routes.

 

[Lillefix]

Losing your capital is going to hurt. . .

Yes. You will lose the game. Remember the victory conditions?

 

[Thyrwyn]

There is no indication that losing your capital will cause you to lose the game. The Domination Victory Condition requires that you conquer all the other capitals, but the exact implementation is unclear. There is also a screenshot in which Germany has control of Paris, and the French have a new capital, so losing your capital does not appear to "eliminate" the civ.

 

[Schuesseled]

In Greg's thread about Gold, the trade network is described in detail:
- Trade Routes are domestic only
- Trade Routes are between a city and your capital only
- Trade Routes require a road (for which you pay maintanance) and / or a harbour
- How Trade routes work over sea is explained, and naval blockage is possible and seems automatic.
- Trade Routes become worth more if the city on either end of the route grows (so growing your capital makes all trade routes more valuable)
- A Great Merchant can do a one off trade mission to a foreign city-state

There we go thats better.

Losing your capital is going to hurt. . .

Yes. You will lose the game. Remember the victory conditions?

You clearly don't, It says:

Domination Victory - You must conquer all of your enemies Capital Cities (IGN)
Science Victory - Spaceship, Now, each spaceship part must physically be transported to the capital, so they’re vulnerable to enemy attack. [Gamestoge]
Culture Victory - Once you have progressed far enough down the social policy trees you will unlock to option to build the Utopia Project
Diplomacy Victory - Winning Votes in the UN

Notice how it does not say losing your capital means you lose the game.

 

[12agnar0k]

You won't lose the game, you won't be able to win via domination victory without your capital though obviously, you would need to take it back, but I stated ages ago that capitals will be much more important now thanks to the several capital based bonuses and a victory condition.

 

[Churchdown Yank]

I can see relocating my palace to a new capital more often in Civ V. I rarely did so in IV, but it looks to be more important this time for the economic advantages and potentially the defensive advantages.

 

[ShaqFu]

I'm really distressed by trade routes being domestic only. Given Rashid's special ability, I assumed that it would be possible to Silk Road your way through the middle game by having good diplomacy + owning prime land for trade routes, and using the bonus gold to support your economy. I guess now, his ability is something that's good, but not enough to build your game around.

 

[JonoLith]

- Trade Routes require a road (for which you pay maintanance)

This actually made me realize something.

Roads cost maintenance. Trade Routes give you gold only based on city sizes. Harbors give you trade routes without roads, although the building itself probably costs maintenance.

This means that your best trade routes will probably be formed over water, as a lack of road maintenance will make them more cost effective overall.

This also probably means that each individual trade route will need to provide at least enough to cover the maintenance cost of the roads you build to get them.

Fake number time!

If each road tile costs 1 gold to maintain, and you get 1 gold for each population from each city, then connecting two cities together that are population 1 each, and are two road tiles apart from each other, will net you zero gold overall. However, it's fairly likely that your capital will have a higher population, netting you more gold overall.

I was concerned about making trade routes that make you lose money, but I doubt that will be the case.

 

[stealth_nsk]

I can see relocating my palace to a new capital more often in Civ V.

I'd say 80% what it will not be possible to move your capital.

 

[Celevin]

This actually made me realize something.

Roads cost maintenance. Trade Routes give you gold only based on city sizes. Harbors give you trade routes without roads, although the building itself probably costs maintenance.

This means that your best trade routes will probably be formed over water, as a lack of road maintenance will make them more cost effective overall.

This also probably means that each individual trade route will need to provide at least enough to cover the maintenance cost of the roads you build to get them.

Fake number time!

If each road tile costs 1 gold to maintain, and you get 1 gold for each population from each city, then connecting two cities together that are population 1 each, and are two road tiles apart from each other, will net you zero gold overall. However, it's fairly likely that your capital will have a higher population, netting you more gold overall.

I was concerned about making trade routes that make you lose money, but I doubt that will be the case.

I want to see someone try that in a game I'm in, so I can blockade their capitol and watch their entire empire fall into dust in a few turns.