Managing your civilization in Civilization 7 can be a complex task with many strategies to consider. One crucial element for long-lasting prosperity is establishing trade routes with other leaders. Even if your ultimate goal is military conquest, tapping into the resources of neighboring civilizations before launching your attack is a smart strategy. While trade routes have been a staple of the series, their mechanics have evolved, relying less on diplomatic negotiations. Fortunately, we’re here to give you all the details you need to set up trade routes without any cost.
How to Create Trade Routes
To set up trade routes, you will need to connect your cities with those of another leader. This connection opens up access to the natural resources found in their territories, providing you with significant benefits that may otherwise be out of reach. Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Begin a new game and locate at least one other civilization on the map.
Step 2: While exploring, be sure to consult the Civic Tree and focus on researching the Code of Laws.
Step 3: After completing your research on the Code of Laws, you can either construct or purchase a Merchant unit.
Step 4: Click on your Merchant unit, and it will display all the potential trade routes, indicating which ones are feasible and the resources you could acquire from each.
Some trade routes may be inaccessible if the Merchant cannot physically reach the destination or if your relationship with the other leader is strained.
Step 5: Choose a viable trade route, and the map will direct you to that location.
Step 6: Guide your Merchant unit to travel to that city or town.
Step 7: Allow the Merchant the necessary number of turns to reach their destination.
Step 8: Upon arrival, click the icon representing two arrows pointing in opposite directions to finalize the trade route. This action will use up your Merchant unit.
