Getting the first couple of trade goods

from Stardock Forums
once I'm rolling I have no problems out teching the computer, but in the early going even playing as the technologists with +50 research +20 or 30 Soc prod (I can't recall which)
and properly watching my budget, a minor race will often build 1-3 trade goods just shortly after I've started building them (which I usually do the moment I get them)
Sometimes having only 1 or maybe 2 planets they've managed to build the first 2 trade commodities in the first 12 turns (months).. seems to me someone is cheating or putting themselves in a BIG whole.

[Message Edited]
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
It sounds like you need to update you game first. The latest versions don't allow minors to build trade goods. As for early ones, you sometimes need to spend at deficit to get them. I always grab the Diplomatic Translators, and I have to almost go into the red to do it. So yes, there is the going into a hole to do it, but it is worth it.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I never minded minors getting trade goods as they trade them to you cheaper then they cost. That is probably why they got rid of it. Also I remember reading they rarely or never traded them to anyone else.

I go for wonders over trade goods as there is only 1 of them and they cannot be traded for. My early rush is to the Galactic Stock Exchange wonder.
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
The other thing to remember is for trade goods... if the AI builds them and you trade for them; then you and the AI have the bonus. When the race that first built the trade good no longer exists this means that you are now the only one that has the bonus. So the only way to get the bonus for a trade good is to build or trade for it. You cannot gain a trade good by taking over an AI.

Wonders are a little different. Wonders add civ wide boni (just like trade goods), but they cannot be traded. If you take over a planet that has a wonder the builder of the wonder looses the civ wide bonus but the planet retains any planetary bonus from wonder.

Finally the in latest versions of GC/AP minors do not build wonders or trade goods.

Clear as mud?
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
One more thing: your metaverse score is directly impacted by the TGs you have build (unless you reach the 60K cap). But wonder has no direct influence on metaverse score.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
But wonder has no direct influence on metaverse score
End of quote


Are you sure? I have been rushing to get my wonders built lately and then building any trade goods I can along the way. For reasons I am unable to fathom my last 3 scores have broke the 40K mark. Not bad for Tiny/Rare/Tight/MASO if you ask me.

I was attributing my higher scores to getting the wonders which I usually miss out on because I was concentrating on trade goods.

I have change my style of play slightly so that I now get all the wonders and most of the trade goods. I usually miss out on 1 - 3 trade goods. This is usually because I only have 1 or 2 planets for the first half of the game.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
One other thing, my games usually take me way past the 2190 date. There is a chance that I am a little faster on my games but I would not attribe that to a higher score.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Are you sure?
End of quote

On gigantic maso yes.
The best way to see the DIRECT influence on score is to retire before finishing a TG/Wonder, note the score, reload the endsavegame, hit next turn, build the TG/wonder, retire and note the score.
If found that when retiring, I get 125 Mpts per TG, and when I win in January 2190, I get 250 Mpts per TG.
And you can alos see that on the score of the others AI:
the one who have greater score than others AI are the one who have build TG.

The way I understand this is that the one that build a wonder has already an advantage on others since nobody can have the same benefit. So there isn't any special need to give them more metaverse points.
But since you can gain the ability of a TG through exchange, a reward is needed for building it

my games usually take me way past the 2190 date
End of quote

It is necessary to avoid the 50% penalty for a faster game.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
And you can alos see that on the score of the others AI:the one who have greater score than others AI are the one who have build TG.
End of quote


Ok, I guess that I will have to concentrate on getting more of the trade goods and get the wonders only when it does not impact my trade goods.

During the last couple of games I have been really concentrating on keeping the AI fighting each other. Never used to do that before.

What I have found, is that it actually aids in my research and social building.

The AI spends its money on the battles and ship building while I research and social build.

That difference is significant to my playing style.