Problem with one-of-a-kind trade goods

If I had previous trade relationship with a race I am now at war with there is no way to stop trading the one-of-a-kind trade goods that may very well be helping them against me in the war effort.

A while back I proposed that instead of having a trade good vanish from the list of available items when a trade is in effect that the color change instead.

Then a subsequent select on the, let's call it "red", trade item would result in a dialogue box along the lines of: "Stop trading this item? Yes / No".

Doing this outside of a war should have a substantial negative impact on the diplomatic status between the two races but I think this would be of value to the game.
199 views 10 replies
Reply #1 Top
I would second this.

I would also like the ability to 'supply' a trade good for a permanent fixed monthly income. At the moment I have to set a duration. Infinite would be nice.

Paul.
Reply #2 Top
I had the impression that the minute you achieve a trade good you are trading that good in your freighters and increasing your revenue with that product. And so, in the diplomacy screen, you are giving (or trading) the ability to manufacture that product to the other race, so now they can sell it in their freighters and make more money. That could only be a one-time transaction.

-Robert
Reply #3 Top
That's not the impression I have. Some of the one-of-a-kind trade goods seem dependant on a specific planet.

For example: Love Mushrooms are discovered on a planet, you start trading them. The mere existence of Love Mushrooms in the trade channel doesn't mean that the other race can now grow them and start filling orders.

Another aspect of the one-of-a-kind trade items that points in the other direction is that the race you trade the item to can not then start trading the item but you can trade the item to any of the other races that you aren't presently trading the item with. That seems to lean to the single source supplier theory.
Reply #4 Top
can teh developers clarify one off trade goods i am also unclear and this threa ddoes not totally clear up my confusion - i seem to be able to trade love mushies and the like only once i must admit i cant quite work out who its best to trade them with or whether whom to trade with is relevent
Reply #5 Top
Interesting. Once I have built a trade item I have been able to trade it once to every major and every minor race in every game I have played since the trade goods definitions were first shipped with the game. Have you tried it in more than one game?
Reply #6 Top
None of the trade goods are unique to a planet. You are trading the knowledge on how to make or build a given trade good. Once it's done, it's done and they have it.

Trade goods are a lot like patents. You're licensing them the patent. But once licensed, they have the know how.
Reply #7 Top
Brad,
Your response then brings up two questions:

1. If I make a trade for, let's say, Love Mushrooms early in the game can I, now that I know how to make them, turn around and trade them to other races that haven't yet traded for them? The game doesn't seem to work this way at present.

2. Do trade goods give their benefit to the originating race? I haven't been able to tell.
Reply #8 Top
This is a *little* off-topic, but speaking of these one-of-a-kind trade goods...has anyone else noticed that the minor races are willing to pay a LOT of money for them? In my game last night, I was going to conquer a system held by one of the minor races, but decided to sell them Ultra Chocolate first (a one-time payment)...they shelled out over 3000 BC for it! Very helpful to my treasury. ;)
Reply #9 Top
The major races pay alot for them too. The majors just tend to have higher Diplomacy ratings through research, which alters the return for goods in the Diplomacy screen.
Reply #10 Top
The inventor (patent holder) holds exclusive rights on trading them. So while you can trade love mushrooms to everyone if you are the one who patented htem (build them) you cannot trade them to others if you simply got htem from another race.

I.e. there is no re-licensing. ;)