Worker Trade Function?

[JJKYT]

so I was thinking of random things to make a mod for myself in Civ 3, so I decided to make a fictional nation run by a mega-powerful enterprise with its own paramilitary. I thought since it was an enterprise, its special unit would have a function similar to a worker when you're able to trade your worker for goods. The only problem is that I have no idea how that works and I'm not sure if it can work with fighting or non-worker units. So now here are my questions:

1. How does the Worker trading function work
2. Can it be mirrored on other units, regardless if its a fighting unit or not

Hope this gets some answers because that's all I want. God bless

 

[tjs282]

In the .biq, only a single unit can be set as the 'tradeable unit'. In the base-game, this is the Worker, but in theory, you could set any unit you wanted as tradeable. I'm not sure if that unit also has to be set as capturable (i.e. D=0), but I suspect not. It probably does need to be available to build by all Civs, though.

How it works in game is that tradeable units can only be traded between civs when they are in the capital (i.e. the town containing the "Center of empire"-flagged building). So while the human is always able to control when their own (Worker -)units are sellable, being able to buy the AI's units depends essentially on the semi-random chance that they happen to be passing through (or hiding in) town on the turn you open negotiations. I say "semi-random" because if the AI is at war, that increases this probability (because it always runs its D=0 Workers back to the nearest town(s), when they are in danger of being captured).

I am not sure exactly how the AI decides on a 'fair' sale-price for its units, but I have never paid less than about 115g straight up for a Worker(Foreign). So I've always assumed that it was something like 'ShieldCost x 10 + 10% +/- FudgeFactorX" where the fudge-factor depends on e.g. AI-attitude to you, and/or the AI-AI trade-rate (but I play at Emp/DG, so it might equally be e.g. "ShieldCost x 10 / AI-CostFactor +/- FudgeFactorX").

 

[Civinator]

It probably does need to be available to build by all Civs, though.

In my last CCM 2.6 test game I had several deals with workers that the human player was not able to build:

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/modding-q-a.609965/page-48#post-16477803
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/modding-q-a.609965/page-48#post-16477918

 

[JJKYT]

In the .biq, only a single unit can be set as the 'tradeable unit'. In the base-game, this is the Worker, but in theory, you could set any unit you wanted as tradeable. I'm not sure if that unit also has to be set as capturable (i.e. D=0), but I suspect not. It probably does need to be available to build by all Civs, though.

How it works in game is that tradeable units can only be traded between civs when they are in the capital (i.e. the town containing the "Center of empire"-flagged building). So while the human is always able to control when their own (Worker -)units are sellable, being able to buy the AI's units depends essentially on the semi-random chance that they happen to be passing through (or hiding in) town on the turn you open negotiations. I say "semi-random" because if the AI is at war, that increases this probability (because it always runs its D=0 Workers back to the nearest town(s), when they are in danger of being captured).

I am not sure exactly how the AI decides on a 'fair' sale-price for its units, but I have never paid less than about 115g straight up for a Worker(Foreign). So I've always assumed that it was something like 'ShieldCost x 10 + 10% +/- FudgeFactorX" where the fudge-factor depends on e.g. AI-attitude to you, and/or the AI-AI trade-rate (but I play at Emp/DG, so it might equally be e.g. "ShieldCost x 10 / AI-CostFactor +/- FudgeFactorX").

So how can I make this possible, I'm not sure if it can be done in the normal Civ 3 Editor

In my last CCM 2.6 test game I had several deals with workers that the human player was not able to build:

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/modding-q-a.609965/page-48#post-16477803
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/modding-q-a.609965/page-48#post-16477918

Nice, that's very promising for me

 

[tjs282]

So how can I make this possible, I'm not sure if it can be done in the normal Civ 3 Editor

Yes, it can.

IIRC, the 'Tradeable unit' box is under the "Edit rules: General settings" tab. But even if my memory is faulty about the exact place, it shouldn't take you too long to look through the other tabs to find the right one.

So once you've finished setting up your mod's unit-roster, all you need to do is choose which one of those units you want to be tradeable.

 

[JJKYT]

Yes, it can.

IIRC, the 'Tradeable unit' box is under the "Edit rules: General settings" tab. But even if my memory is faulty about the exact place, it shouldn't take you too long to look through the other tabs to find the right one.

So once you've finished setting up your mod's unit-roster, all you need to do is choose which one of those units you want to be tradeable.

I just checked General settings, then I checked Units, but unfortunately, this cannot be done. I think when you choose your units to be a terraform unit in the Editor this gives them the function to be traded with other nations. I will test my theory and will keep you updated if it works.

 

[tjs282]

So I just opened my Civ3 Editor, and you're right -- there is no "Tradeable unit" box per se.

But there is a "Capture results in [unit]" box, which controls what unit(s) is generated when a D=0 unit with an associated pop-cost is captured. It's set to "Worker" in the Firaxis .biq, but according to the Editor's Help(less)-file, you can set any land-unit to be that unit, which suggests to me that it might also control which unit is tradeable...?

 

[JJKYT]

So I just opened my Civ3 Editor, and you're right -- there is no "Tradeable unit" box per se.

But there is a "Capture results in [unit]" box, which controls what unit(s) is generated when a D=0 unit with an associated pop-cost is captured. It's set to "Worker" in the Firaxis .biq, but according to the Editor's Help(less)-file, you can set any land-unit to be that unit, which suggests to me that it might also control which unit is tradeable...?

So I just tested and it turns out you cannot, they must have 0 defense and attack and must be capturable. Well I'm glad I tried and I will now just play civ 3 like normal

 

[WildWeazel]

Remember when we all thought it had to be the second unit in the list for some reason?

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

I wonder if you set a normal unit (i.e. not a worker but an actual combat unit) to have defense = 0 can it be traded in the diplomacy screen if it is in your capital?

 

[JJKYT]

I wonder if you set a normal unit (i.e. not a worker but an actual combat unit) to have defense = 0 can it be traded in the diplomacy screen if it is in your capital?

Don't quote me on this but I think a unit must 100% be a non-combatant and must terraform as well because units like the Scout, Settler, & Explorer are non-combatants, however, cannot be traded.

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

Don't quote me on this but I think a unit must 100% be a non-combatant and must terraform as well because units like the Scout, Settler, & Explorer are non-combatants, however, cannot be traded.

I think you might be right actually. I'll double check later but it makes sense that only worker units can be traded.

So the reason why I'm interested in this is because I'd like to make a unit that can be traded and then upgraded by the new owner into something else. Sort of like exporting weapons to other countries.

 

[timerover51]

Interestingly enough, there is actually historical support for captured workers being less efficient than your civilization's workers. I read an account about British agriculture during World War 2, and the agricultural ministry did a study as to the efficiency of farm workers who were not men used to agriculture. One of the interesting points was that prisoners-of-war, i.e. captured workers, were only 40% as efficient as British farm workers who were used to the farm work. From this, and other comments in the various histories of World War 2 that I have read, captured workers or impressed workers of another nationality, such as the Italians working in German factories, are considerably less efficient than your own workers. Then there is always the chance of sabotage as well, messing up the works.

So if you have workers who are not of your civilization, it is actually quite reasonable for them to be less efficient. I do find that quite interesting.

 

[JJKYT]

Interestingly enough, there is actually historical support for captured workers being less efficient than your civilization's workers. I read an account about British agriculture during World War 2, and the agricultural ministry did a study as to the efficiency of farm workers who were not men used to agriculture. One of the interesting points was that prisoners-of-war, i.e. captured workers, were only 40% as efficient as British farm workers who were used to the farm work. From this, and other comments in the various histories of World War 2 that I have read, captured workers or impressed workers of another nationality, such as the Italians working in German factories, are considerably less efficient than your own workers. Then there is always the chance of sabotage as well, messing up the works.

So if you have workers who are not of your civilization, it is actually quite reasonable for them to be less efficient. I do find that quite interesting.

Not Civ 3 being historically accurate

 

[timerover51]

Not Civ 3 being historically accurate

I am not sure that I understand your comment.

 

[JJKYT]

I am not sure that I understand your comment.

its young people slang