To Trade or Not to Trade?

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

The clear dissadvantage of trade rights is the fact that you can actually trade within your own area with yourself.

Although in the early game a bit of assistance from another faction to get your economy moving is fine, later on in the game it's not really required since the same profit can be gained by sending the goods to elsewhere in your own empire. This is why there is always a very low economic change when the civil war begins.

[Bartholemew-Varath]

I tend to trade with most factions, as well as offering them map information, an alliance, and demanding some map information. You need the extra trade boost at the start to begin to expand your empire, but as some of the people here have said, once you get later into the game, you will be making a hell of a lot of money, and you wont rely on trade income.

I dont really think of trade rights strategically, or alliances either, i just hand them out and prepare in the time i have for them to backstab me, id rather have time to prepare than just and all out attack with no notice.

Whats wrong with trading with yourself anyway?? If you are alone and being attacked on all sides, i believe that merchants mgiht extract the resources of your own area to make some money

[Quirinus]

I dont really think of trade rights strategically, or alliances either, i just hand them out and prepare in the time i have for them to backstab me, id rather have time to prepare than just and all out attack with no notice.

Hehe, agreed. Though I never (or very rarely) give out map information. I know it probably doesn't matter, but it just annoys me slightly to know that the enemy has my maps. I always request it of the other factions together with trade rights.

Question: if, say, as Dacia, you have already obtained map info from Thrace and Scythians, and you give your map info to the Germans, would the Germans have the map info of Thrace and Scythia?

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Question: if, say, as Dacia, you have already obtained map info from Thrace and Scythians, and you give your map info to the Germans, would the Germans have the map info of Thrace and Scythia?

I believe not. As far as I know the player does not gain the gained map information of factions they are exchanging map information with.

Having said that, the AI can do many things the player cannot, so I wouldn't rule it out as a total impossibility. This also could be attributed to them not having shared map info with others as well.

[RLucid]

Even if you give trade rights freely, your cities will trade within your Empire if it's the most profitable trade route. Obviously you can't benefit from another factions trading fleet, if you "embargo" them.

At the strategy map level, trade, wonders, population and advancement are the very things that make areas more or less desirable. As it's very hard to keep (or setup) friendly buffer states, for peaceful relations with neighbours via diplomacy, not considering trade as a strategic weapon seems rather short-sighted. OK, yes you can bludgeon your way across the map, punishing every transgression made against you, but then you are being led by the actions of the other factions, rather than following out you own optimum plan.