AI Trading Partners Question

from Stardock Forums
I just started a new game. I was looking at the debug.err file and noticed that the Altarians are trading with the Yor, Drengins, Arceans, and Scottlingas. I'm not sure how this is possible since the Altarians are in a corner, I am between them and everyone else, no Altarian ships have passed through my space, and I have just made contact with the Drengins (I ran into the Altarians very early in the game).

I guess my question is does the AI automatically get trade access to the other AIs (kind of like knowing where the good planets are) right off the bat or do they need to meet the other AIs first. Also, in makes no sense to me that the Altarians can be selling the Universal Translator to the Arceans for cash (how did they set up the deal without communicating)?
177 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I don't know that this is necessarily what they are doing. But one thing I do to establish long trade routes in the early game is to trade for the AI's freighters soon after they get Trade technology. The freighters should still be near their home planets, so you can just turn them around and establish a nice long trade route without having to deal with actually sending your freighter all the way across the galaxy. They might be doing the same.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm don't see how they can have contacted anyone other than me...
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
My guess is that the Altarian survey ship established the contact. If you have the beta, check the location of the survey ship.

The party with the Universal Translator can establish contact with one without. I've sold the UT to some AIs in the same way before.
[Message Edited]
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
The survey ship might have gone through a wormhole and skipped over your territory. Or you might have simply missed it.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Must have been a wormhole.