Trading Philosophy

[jpk]

In case it matters I'm currently playing a game where my home continent is a small island with room for about 10 cities. The map is a cylinder 250 squares in circumference and 40 squares high.

I got Philosophy prior to any civilization getting Literacy. Then I traded Philosophy to get other technologies. The result is that none of the AI civilizations has gotten Literacy. At present the year is about 1100 AD. The good news is that none of the AI civilizations has been able to switch to Republic. The bad news is that since none of the AI civilizations is a Republic the caravans I deliver to them are not worth very much. The end result is a backlog of Wonders I simply can not afford to build.

I don't know if this lack of AI interest in Literacy is an oddity of this particular game or if it is a feature of the way the AI civilizations play.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

[SCG]

I've noticed a tendancy for the AI to go for newer and 'better' techs when they have the chance. Every time i have gifted techs to the AI, they ask for the most advanced one first and finally ask for the original prereqs. I haven't seen it specifically with literacy, but I have for things like seafaring (1800 AD and no one knows how to build a harbor in a small continent world)

As to your game, I might try and see if someone wants literacy/republic as a gift tech if you want a republic to trade with. Otherwise, I guess you need to decide whether you want the nickel and dime caravan bonuses or whether you want the wonders. I probably would pick certain key wonders and divert a few caravans towards them while sending the rest towards some far away capitol. Obviously several hundred gold per caravan doesn't quite buy what several thousand gold per caravan does, but at least the cities are cheaper to revolt too

[jpk]

geofelt, lately I have been building caravans for Wonders. The problems is a lack of money to rush build caravans. I think I know all of the tricks but the tricks I know require a steady stream of money.

I built King Richard so that at least one city could turn out caravans at a decent rate but the other cities are turning out five or six shields per turn. With about fifteen cities I really can't buy too many shields on any given turn.

Two additional worries are the Greeks to my east and the Spanish to my west. They have noted some island cities of mine and are threatening to take them, one way or the other.

A problem with really large maps is that since AI civilizations are (often) on other continents they laugh when I demand tribute. Either that or they dclare war. Since they are so far away I can't fight them and get money for the capture of cities. (One of the Wonders in the waiting list is Magellan.)

[geofelt]

Use your caravans to build those wonders. Get three offshore routes only for your science city.