The return of the Caravan

[Willem]

I've read a lot of people mentioning that they miss the Caravans from previous civs. And while looking through some of the scenarios in BtS, it occured to me that the new Supply Wagon would be perfect as far as graphics are concerned. Add on the trade missions that Great Merchants can embark on, maybe add the ability to help build Wonders if you're so inclined, and you'll have a reasonable replacement.

Using those graphics I've created a Caravan unit that provides 10% of what a Great Merchant does, but I can only build one at a time and they require the Palace as it's special building. I haven't actually managed yet to use it in a game, but it seems like a good idea.

[BigWilly1974]

I hated the caravans from old civs. I remember it being very manual if you wanted to be sure you were maximizing trade revenue.

[Willem]

Yeah, I wasn't too crazy with all the micro-management involved with them either. But alot of people are quite nostaligic about them. I kind of like the idea of being able to make some extra cash in BtS though, and I know the AI knows how to use Great Merchants, so it might be an interesing addition.

Does anyone know if there's an automate function with trade missions like there is for Missionaries/Executives? I haven't actually built one of my new units yet to see if there is.

[MasterDave]

The only thing more boring than moving around 50 caravans was moving 1200 units every turn in the late game of older versions of civ. The pacing is so much impoved in Civ4 and I think the automated trade routes are a big, big part of that.

[Lord Avalon]

If it helped build wonders, I'd be fine with that. Call it "Migrant Workers."

[Chronus9]

If it helped build wonders, I'd be fine with that. Call it "Migrant Workers."

This is one of the aspects I loved about the Caravans. With several cities building them, it turned world wonder building into an empire undertaking as opposed to just a one city undertaking.

Come to think of it, I loved every aspect of the Caravans. The trade routes, the immediate cash flow . . . I'm salivating as I type this!

Let's face it, Caravans gave us peaceful builders something to move around the map that was non-military. One of the fun aspects was racing your loot (much like a blockade runner) past enemy units to its faraway (and wealthy) destination.

Long live the Camel!

[Dauphin]

Transfering food is another big benefit. You can specialise a city or two to produce just food. Ignore commerce, science, production etc in those cities and have them supply food to the cities in the middle of the hills with uber-production but no food.

[eHandel]

The caravan were pure cheat for the human player. Because of them there was hardly any wonder left for the AI even on deity difficulty. Besides you could build a caravan from soem developped city then bring this caravan to some newly founded city and make the newly founded city a home city. And voila - almost instant cash flow for the newly established city.

[Palpster]

I don't miss them at all. I would hate to go back to manually moving a load of caravans every turn. I hated doing it then and certainly wouldn't want to go back now. I like what they did with the automated trade routes and the multiple ways (buildings, civics) to improve trade income.

[Kataphraktoi]

Caravans are awesome But also completely overpowered no matter how you look at it. Remember in civ2, they gave the same ammount in cash added on to your TECH progress allowing you to get to the spacerace in BC years(the fastest spaceship time is something like 16AD?)

Im content with leaving them in civ2 personally

[Verrucosus]

I still remember how I learned that the mighty caravan was on its way out:

http://www.apolyton.net/misc/column/171_interview.shtml

[Kuciwalker]

I remember that article

[Palpster]

I have never read that one before. Very funny read, love it.

[ahenobarb]

CTP2 had a much better way of handling caravans. You built them and the accumulated in a tally. Then you'd open your trade screen and all possible trade routes would be open to you. So:

Cow Rome -> Beijing 4 gold/turn 3 caravans
Cow Rome -> Shanghai 8 gold/turn 5 caravans
Iron Rome -> Beijing 5 gold/turn 3 caravans
etc.

Then once you had enough caravans for the trade route you wanted, you'd just click it and the trade was automatic. You'd see a line from city A to B with an Iron icon moving along the route in the direction of B.

Enemy units (or you) could park on top of the trade route and pillage it to steal gold from the opponent.

Man, that was/is a great game!

[MasterDave]

I liked CTP's trade system quite a bit (and the piracy of on map trade routes). I also really, really liked the way they handled terrain improvements (a public works pool where you could periodically lay down a bunch of farms, mines or whatever around your lands).

Too bad the game had such a crappy AI and multiplayer wasn't really working so well back tehn.

Dave Sukonick