Secrets to trading with AI?

[Saxon]

Some great ideas here, I especially like the ship stealing to keep up in the technology race. Doing the trade for old worthless ships for new ones does seem pretty cheap, but capturing them in battle seems fair.

However, if I want to be a peaceful trading race, making deals with everyone and coming out ahead of all of them, how do I do it? I can’t see what the other guy has unless we are fighting, so I don’t know what to deal for. On top of that, I never get to see what he is offering me, so I don’t know what I am agreeing to trade. I suspect I am missing something pretty basic, please don’t be shy to hit me over the head with it!

Thanks!