Trade picks

from Stardock Forums
Has anyone tried an all trade race? Mercantile government, bonus trade routes... all that? Has anyone gotten it to work? I tried doing it on my normal difficulty level (Painful) and it did *not* go well for the home team at all. Do you have to couple trading with some other picks, perhaps? Or do I just suck?



~SDC~
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Try mercantile with max diplo, some eco and rest trade... (trade payoff is late game...)
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Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I did it on 'challenging', Arcean intelligent, others set on bright. Coupled with +5%PQ and +weapons, Tiny map. Kept Drengin (second race to encounter) at 'warm+', even with their military 2 times higher, no demands at all. Were the last to be conquered. Since I play mostly Tiny maps, this trade bonus is quite handy unless I want fast conquest. One game as Universalists (Painful) with slight bonus in trade was rather easy as well. Me, being 'good', had 'close' relations with Altarians and Torians, and 'friendly' with Drengin (default alignment for all races), till I attacked last. After making peace treaty, relations returned to 'normal' within few monthes.

+trade and mercantilists keeps others on good terms with you even if there is only one trade route between nations (at least, on Tiny). I also start selling all techs to every single race I encounter for small sum for long time, it could be the case why my relations are rather good/neutral with everyone till I attack them. Dunno if it will work on Genius/Incredible AI, will try in time.
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
+Trade routes on tiny is quite powerful. I once used it with mercantile, don't remember if I had also + Trade, but I can't see why it couldn't work.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I like +trade routes on tiny.

+ 3 trade routes

Mercantile party

build trade starbases (if you can stay out of war)

Be careful! Whoever you decide to trade with will get very powerful.
I'm wondering if the research party is better than the mercantile party, though. I need someplace to spend all that extra money, and the research boost means that I can keep a tech lead, and rush to "trade" faster.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
I tried an all-trade once, and it wasn't so good. Trade routes isn't worth 3 points--it's worth 2. Also I can't for the life of me figure out how to maximize Trade starbases; and yes, I've read Ellestar's method. A maxed-out Trade starbase gets me maybe 50bc a turn.

Trading techs and trade goods, though, is a totally different story. I'm halfway to Masochistic (i.e. Crippling + 2 Incredible AI's), and trading that is keeping me afloat at 100% spending.

I still love my War party. :D You get techs for free that way. Muahahahahhahaahaaaa.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
To get the most out of +trade routes, you have to build horizontal or vertical trade routes. You also get the most benefit on tiny. Ideally, you want to start in a corner, so you can get maximum-length trade routes. It seems that getting a route that's 1 sector longer is more important than choosing the best trading partner.

You have to get horizontal or vertical trade routes so that your trade starbases are effective in both directions. For other non-orthogonal routes, the mini-freighter doesn't take the same path in both directions; it moves like an ordinary ship.

I've been experimenting with +2 trade routes and +30 military, so I get more constructors. That seems to be a little better.

How come the +30 military racial pick gives only non-free production? Shouldn't it give part of its bonus free?
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
This strategy works very well if you at the same time make sure that all the AI's trade only with you, by bribing them into constant AI-vs-AI wars. Eventually their economy will depend on your trade, at which point you can choose to win in any way you like. I sometimes go for a me-with-all-AIs-alliance just for the challenge.