Why does the AI want cows for fish?

[lokiju]

So Caesar asks me to trade 1 cow for 1 fish. Both provide 1 health...so why trade one for the other? I said yes, but am not sure what the benefits are (besides some diplomacy).

Also, once my towns are linked via roads/water, each resource reaps benefits for all cities? So in the above example, all of my towns get the +1 health from the fish (not that it matters as I already had +1 from the cow)?

This game is so detail micromanagerial. It's a love'hate relationship.

[joncnunn]

One of you had surplus cows and no fish while the other had no cows but no fish.

By trading them, you are both now ahead one health point. Duplicate items don't benifit any further.

Yes, a connection to the trade network is needed for your city to fully share with the empire. It's actually less strict in Civ IV than Civ III. (Trade connection now flows via river, and a city allows benifits from a resource within the city raidius [as long as the tile is also within your empire) It's the other cities in your empire that needs the resource connected.

[lokiju]

Ahhhhh, I did not realize there was no health benefit from multiple similar resources. There's simply too much to remember (and learn), heh.

[Skanky Burns]

It helps having played the previous versions of the game - a lot of the rules are similar. Don't worry though, very soon this will all become second nature to you.

[lokiju]

Truth be told, I *did* play Civ 2 on SuperNES back in the day. I just don't remember the details (obviously).

[Saldrin]

I wondered about this also.... I do know my first couple of games I was swindled out of my Iron. I traded my only resource, and was unable to build new units requring that resource.

I'm wondering if the scenerio was you had one cow and no fish, but he had two fish... The AI does seem tricky at times, and since there is no way, that I found out, to track resources, or even get to advisor screens during trades, the AI has the upper hand in all trade deals.

I really wish the advisor screens were more informative.

[lokiju]

Well, actually, it does let you choose to negotiate, where you *can* see what you have. Helps a lot.

[Silencer]

2 cows get only +1 health - becasue all the nation uses that 1 cow - so you got extra cow for sale - same goes to fish - so 1 cow and 1 fish = +2 health very economical

Same goes for luxury - you get +1 with 2 wines.