Quote Originally Posted by Quirinus
I generally trade with everyone and anyone, even one I know I'm going to backstab in the next few turns. Why not make a quick buck off them in the meantime? There are Romans and Greeks and Gauls, but gold is colour-blind.

While it's a pickle that the other faction also makes money from trade, consider this: you can usually spend the cash so much more intelligently than the AI does.

For barbarian factions, even more so. Their problem, I find, isn't a lack of money, but a lack of population. In a way, pumping them full of cash is a good thing as it encourages them to depopulate their cities faster. Kind of an exploit, I know, but hey. I'm bringing civilization to their muddy little hovels.
I prefer to play *AS* barbarians, and spread squalor, public disorder, and poor personal hygeine across the world. "Your puny civilization is no match for my vast barbarian armies!"

But yeah, AI barbarians are way dumb when it comes to depopulating their settlements to build their crappy all warband armies. Guys, at least put a few units of peasants or something in there for variety!