Trade agreements. Help.

[Radical_Manuvr]

What does an economic or research trade agreement do exactly?

Is it better to have an agreement with a smaller or larger empire?

If I already have an agreement, say research, they will ask for an improved agreement? Now what happens? Just an increase in the benefits or do we exchange all techs or what?

I've never agreed to the improved agreement. Is there a "more improved" agreement and what happens with that if there is one?

[Harry Seldon]

I think it increases cash flow in your empire. Both types cost a lot of money at first. The economic treaty will turn positive over time. For research, I think it affects the amount of money allotted for research grants in your empire but I'm not one hundred percent sure on that score.

You never trade techs as a direct result of a treaty like these. They will usually improve your relations with the other race, though, and that will make it easier to actually trade tech with them in the future.

[smellymummy]

the manual does say it costs money to start these treaties but I've never noticed any such thing. a better description I think would be: when you start a trade agreement at the start of the game it will barely make any money, but once you have starports and the techs to trade several jumps away, the money starts rolling in.

trade cash flow can get really big

as for research agreements, I think it increases the amount of research points you get per turn, or maybe reduces the costs of techs a little. but there's no real evidence that I've seen that indicate exactly what it does