Secrets to trading with AI?

[Krakenup]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Saxon:
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!

---

Trading with the AI is simple except that you don't know what you'll get. When you set up the 'give' part, just click on everything except what you don't want to give him - such as anything you've actually researched. What you end up giving him is basically the starting techs, but you give him a lot of them. What you 'want' is his colony tech and a few others. It's always safe to ask for starting techs since if he hasn't made any progress he'll at least give you something. Also, the AI usually researches Construction, Intelligence, Chemistry and Industry fairly early. If he doesn't have something, he will reject the trade, but you can try again next time - with the same 'give' list, over and over. It's like 'Go Fish' - you just ask for what you need or what you think he has. Once you have established that he has something (e.g., starting techs), you can ask for that every time, and he'll give you any upgrades.