Trading Tips

[MattB]

I feel a bit cheeky putting tips on here when there are so many experienced Civ players but I guess we are all back to the same level on Civ III so why not. These are just some things which I sure some are doign and some are not that I found really useful:

Build the Lighthouse and be the first on your continent to get to the other Civs. As soon as you meet the first one trade them communications with the Civs on your home continent. Then do exactly the same thing with all the other Civs you now have contact with and the ones from your 'home' continent.

I got a lot of maps, gold and some tech advances for really nothing.

Once you have done this you can then try and map a bit more of the world with your safe Galley.

A couple of turns later sell your World Map to everyone and again you will get loads for it.

During the early game I have also, as others have mentioned here, traded every tech advance with practically everyone. If you're going to trade with one trade with all as they will trade it themselves!

This is particularly funny when selling Gunpowder to Civs that you know can't use it as you can see before them that they don't have any Saltpeter in their land - the same I am sure will work with Uranium, Oil, Coal etc.

Use this cash boost to rush build even more science improvements or supplement your income while making a 'loss' every turn.

Finally I would also say if another Civ offers you a trade always go for the counter-proposal and check with the foregin advisor if he thinks you will get away with more - I have made loads more gold that way!

Generally I find the easiest and most profitable way to trade is to offer them something find out what they will give me for it and then raise this, with the help of the Advisor, as high as I can get it.

Apologies if I have been telling people stuff that is obvious but I can't be the only one that has found this all out the hard way!

Cheers

Matt

 

[sharpstick]

I totally agree with the tactic on being first to get to other civs on other contients - I however take a different tact on trading. I do my utmost to stop giving away contact - instead I trade seperately and act as the middle man between civs on different contients.

In some cases I pay huge monies for techs but get huge returns for selling them on and in return plus luxuries + other techs, also I find world maps are valuable and a great commodity - I believe there value is proportional to the amount that the civ doesnt know, so the increment after the initial handover is so great.

I find this tactic can really drag my standing from behind up to a level with the major civs. To me the Lighthouse in Civ3 can be the most important wonder (along with the GL). I have yet to reach the modern times and would guess this tactic has a limited shelf life but I try to reap it will I can.

 

[ironfang]

Matt, keep the suggestions comming. I have been playing Civ1 and 2 for a long time, and have found Civ3 to be a whole new challenge (in many aspects anyway). I carefully read all posts, especially ones that speak of past experiences.

My experience in trade is get ALL the luxuries you can, especially before war. One thing that I enjoy doing is giving very devastating technologies to militaristic nations on other continents in exchange for luxuries. Not does it help me wage war, it also causes mad war on the other continent which pulls them all down in standing, ruins culture, and reduces their cities to ash. Muhahaha!

ironfang

 

[Callahan]

I agree Matt. I have found that when another Civ approaches you to trade, you can almost always get more if you at first decline, then offer him what he just asked for and then use the option 'What would you offer me for this?' in the trading menu.

It can get to be quite profitable.

For the record, I generally refuse to trade my world maps if I can, because it forces the opponents to scout you out, and if you build a good border, you can turn them away and prevent them from seeing your interior, which helps keep them guessing...