[Q]

While it may be very difficult to let the AI trade reasonably things like technologies, ships or planets, I believe the trade of resources could be improved without too much hard coded programming:
The AI should accept a resource trade only if he has enough (e.g. more than 80% of the maximum storage capacity) of the resources demanded and little (e.g. less than 50% of the maximum storage capacity) of the resources offered. On the other hand he should actively propose trades with resources that he needs in exchange to resources that he has in abundance.
If this could be realized the AI would certainly get stronger and trades would be more fun. Also in the long term you could modify the resource requirements for the special technology components, so that e.g. organic technology races would need more organic resources than minerals and therefore a need for trade would be established.


[This message has been edited by Q (edited 31 May 2001).]