Next noob question: strategic resources

[Underseer]

I'm a little confused about trading for strategic resources. Take my most recent game.

I found approximately 14 gajillion units of iron in my territory, which of course meant no rubber. I dutifully traded maps with the other civs until I found a tile with rubber on it. Just to be sure, I even right-clicked it to double check.

It's in French territory, right next to a French city, and the rubber was linked to an extensive road network that linked it to the capital. I double checked that too.

Just to be sure, I did a quick spy mission. The city screen for the French capital did not list rubber. It listed horses and saltpeter, but no rubber.

What the heck is that all about?

I went to the trade negotiation screen with France just in case. The French side listed no (strategic) resources whatsoever. Luxury resources were listed and I even made a trade. I'm not saying there weren't any items under the "Resources" heading, I'm saying there was no Resources heading at all. There was on my side, but not for France.

So the only civ with rubber was the one civ with which I couldn't trade strategic resources with (I could with the other civs).

So what did I do wrong?

Did I mess up somehow with my trade negotiations? I can't get by without rubber. No rubber means no defense for my cities and more importantly, no space ship.

I don't do the conquest thing and I'm not very good at it (at least not in Civ III yet). I prefer peace/science games anyway. But is that my only recourse? Take the resource by force?

[Cyclotron]

Make sure you have a viable trade route to the French.

This could also be the problem: Make sure that the French have actually discovered the tech that makes rubber appear. You may be seeing it while they don't have the proper techs to.

[Kingof the Apes]

It might be possible that they are trading it to another civ.

[Cyclotron]

That's unlikely, since it is their only rubber. I have never gotten an AI civ to trade away its last resource.

[Egbert]

If the French have only ONE rubber they can not trade rubber because they are using it themselves. They must have TWO rubber if they are to be able trade it.

[kring]

If it isn't showing on their side of the Resources in diplomacy (and it was connected to their trade network), it means they haven't discovered the Tech yet; otherwise, it would show as Rubber 0, meaning they only had the one source themselves.

If there is only the one source of Rubber, you won't be able to offer them anything to get it.

[Hurricane]

What Kring said.

[Nym]

Originally posted by kring
If it isn't showing on their side of the Resources in diplomacy (and it was connected to their trade network), it means they haven't discovered the Tech yet; otherwise, it would show as Rubber 0, meaning they only had the one source themselves.

If there is only the one source of Rubber, you won't be able to offer them anything to get it.

I agree.

[bobbo008]

i've heard there is (at least) one strategic resource per civ. so look around for more?

[Willem]

Originally posted by bobbo008
i've heard there is (at least) one strategic resource per civ. so look around for more?

In the case of Rubber, it's 1.2 per civ.

[Cyclotron]

Make sure to check under AI cities, too.

[bobbo008]

"under" as in where the actual cities are located to see if they've built on rubber?

[Willem]

Yes. I believe it's Ctrl-Shift-M to clear the map to the base terrain, including resources.

[bobbo008]

they should make something, maybe on the minimap, for finding resources. like you select which ones you want to show up or which color, because I hate combing the map for one little thing

[Underseer]

Originally posted by bobbo008
they should make something, maybe on the minimap, for finding resources. like you select which ones you want to show up or which color, because I hate combing the map for one little thing

That would make me happy. You know what would make me even happier? If the easier levels got more resources. The higher the difficulty, the fewer resources you get, but there's no way I should be having this much trouble obtaining critical resources at Chieftain level. Ugh.

Thanks again for all your responses.