Trading resources

[david1806]

Hi...

So I have just offered to trade cotton from Persia, and when asked what they want in return, they want Gold, Spices and 5 Horses! Are they mental?! And they won't take anything less. So my question is, is this just how it is in Civ V - you get ripped off and you just have to deal with it? And this is a friendly nation!

I just wanted to know before I hit the 'Deal' button.

And whilst I am here - I have just created a caravan but it will only let it connect with a German city and a couple of city-states, no Persian cities, which is what I wanted. How do the rules apply here? I have read the manual, checked the online help, but can't fine the answer.

 

[mbbcam]

Caravans can only travel ten tiles. There are bonuses you can get later that will allow them to go further. The help is useless on important info and full of stuff you don't need to know.

If a civ offers you a lousy deal it either means they don't want the stuff (they may already have plenty of happiness, for example) or they are being deceptive in their friendliness and really see you as a target or a threat. However, usually they just try it on if you ask what they want. Don't ask what they want. Offer the stuff for 7 gpt (which is the normal price) and see how they react.

Sorry - got things wrong way - you need to pay 9 gpt to buy. Offer for 7 when you sell. The situation you describe can occur when a civ is not really friendly or when you are asking for their last copy of something. Apologies - reading on small screen and got thing upside down.

 

[david1806]

Thanks for that mbbcam. I am glad you said that about the help, because I thought it was me. It is just full of flim-flam, I have referred to it loads of times but gotten nowhere. Now I just Google my question, or failing that, come here!!

 

[beetle]

...they want Gold, Spices and 5 Horses! Are they mental?! And they won't take anything less.

That is the standard rate of exchange (3:1) when asking an AIs for his last copy of a lux. Probably Persia has lots of Cotton is his territory, but he only has the one (improved and available) for now. For most of the game, trading luxes 1:1 is no problem, but the AI civs need to have spares.

If you have a city asking for Cotton, and you have extra Gold and Spices (or if you have extra happiness), then you should make the trade. You might want to make the trade even without WLTK day as a boon. Making the trade will motivate Persia to improve any other Cotton in his territory. Do not renew this poor trade when it expires. After this initial poor deal expires, you can probably trade for Cotton at 1:1.

@mbbcam is correct in that the Civlopedia does not cover this sort of stuff. Your Advisor Council is not totally useless for learning the game, so see what they have to say!

 

[david1806]

Thanks beetle, like mbbcam's answer - most helpful...