The value of rushing caravans

[Messer Niccolò]

WoW / Trading

So, incremental building of caravans is only cost effective when used to build WoW (as per SG[1] Economics 101).
Otherwise - internal/foreign trade - the cost (gold amount, not counting beakers or arrows) could be higher than the returns

[Smash]

No not really.In that case,you should consider the long term effects of the trade route.

Fanatic=20 sheilds

[Scouse Gits]

Oops

[rah]

If you have a city that supplies uranium, it's always a good idea to rush it.
There are many others that work too, but that one's the most obvious. Anything my trade heavy capital demands is usually another no-brainer.

RAH
Come on AH, GP needs to get some post counts somewhere

[Messer Niccolò]

Originally posted by Smash
No not really.In that case,you should consider the long term effects of the trade route.

Fanatic=20 sheilds

Smash, since I have to look at the long terms of the trading ruote, saving 3/4 turns rushbuilding is worth the money?
(and again if looking beakers+arrows usually yes, otherwise? )

[Scouse Gits]

There is a further consideration - there are points in the game where rushing units is the only sensible thing to do with your massive bankroll

SG[1]

[LDiCesare]

Don't forget the fact that caravans bring SCIENCE, gold and arrows.
Thus if you rushbuy a caravan for say 50 gold and get a trade route of 50 gold, you actually turned 50 gold into beakers. That can be worth a lot in the early game. In particular, in OCC (or other SpaceShip victory) it is invaluable.

[rah]

I don't think anyone is ignoring the science part of this.

The issue is that if you're going to start rushing buying trade caravans for "trade" purposes only. You'd better use an incremental method that can be covered by the trade bonus so the effort is self sustaining, or you shouldn't be doing it exclusively. You sometimes have to pick your spot, to prime the pump. If you can stash away a couple of thousand from the first few, then you won't have to completely micromanage it. You'll have a little padding to make up for the ocassional loser.

[TCO]

Originally posted by rah

RAH
Come on AH, GP needs to get some post counts somewhere

I'd be up there if I hadn't banned myself so much. Now I have to slog away in the Gamer forums.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse


Lol - YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE CD NOW

Well, I did some good with it. I gave it to my sister and she is hooked. And her husband stole it and plays all the time now.

I don't have it anymore. Cause I had an attack of honesty (and work) and wiped it off my drive.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Rushing caravans is always preferable to building or rushing wonders. It's rare I'm hard up for gold, even in the early game (love to demand tribute!). SG's "tickling" method is my preferred at that stage of the game - it saves gold and still doubles the build time.

Also, if you store up wonders for the one-turn construction, you can't get caught with your pants down. Somebody else finishes the wonder, you still have your pile of camels. They can either be saved for the next wonder or delivered, depending on what commodity they have.

[Smash]

Don't worry about the gold.The concern should be to get those extra arrows from routes.The sooner you get them set up,the more benefit you gain throughout the game especially when the tome come for government changes.100 invested in 2000BC can literally pay 1000s over the game.

[atawa]

Trade arrows are a nice bonus but the instant bulbs and gold could get you an edge when you're competing for wonders.

[geofelt]

In fundamentalism, you get lots of gold, at the expense of limiting science to 50%. It 's not so bad, because the ai seems to throttle back on it's science also. BUT I think beakers from caravans are not considered. Would it be a viable strategy to use that fundy gold to rush caravans for science? I have not played a game with that strategy. Perhaps by the time you get SOL you don't need it.

[Scouse Gits]

geofelt - yes it's viable - and I love it - don't forget that the fundy science penalty is 50% of a max of 50% hence a max of 25% - I turn Science off keep a couple of Eins and trade like hell

SG[1]