Trade Sanctions

[OberonDark]

Has anyone found a point to these? Usually if I or the enemy declares them, within 2 minutes it escalates into war. I mean, I absolutely love the idea, but it doesn't stick for more than a few minutes, if that.

[Resan]

How are your military strength compared to your enemy?

Haven't used it my self yet, but would think that the AI would be less inclined to go to war if your military was a lot bigger then his. It would then be a nice way to get rid of a small empire without the reputation/happiness hit of a war.

[ASHBERY76]

This is incorrect.I have had trade santions declared and then dropped various times by the A.I.

[Kamonrius]

The AI decides if its worth the fight or not. doing trade sanctions then war reduces the hit on THEIR rep rather than attacking you outright. they enlist trade sanctions which allow them to blockade, and then attack showing their motives. and that is dependant on the traits that race has as an aggressor your transgressions against them and how strong you are in comparison to what you have that they want/threat you could pose

[Gertjan]

Couple of questions:

- blockade is only possible with trade sanctions?
- what's the use for the Ai to declare trade sanctions, they lose a lot of income + access to luxury resources and dont get much in return imho? It seems only useful if you plan to go to war anyway.

[Gertjan]

Additional one:

- does all trade stop with the implementation of trade sanctions, or do you first need to blockade a planet before it loses access to trade with your empire?

[forsaken1111]

ORIGINAL: Gertjan

- blockade is only possible with trade sanctions?

No, you can blockade any time and you do so by selecting a fleet and placing the cursor at the edge of a planet. It should turn into a red/white roadblock icon. Then right click and your ships will blockade. I'm not actually sure what this does, as I've seen enemy civilian transports still docking with the planet. If you do a blockade without trade sanctions though, your rep will suffer.

- what's the use for the Ai to declare trade sanctions, they lose a lot of income + access to luxury resources and dont get much in return imho? It seems only useful if you plan to go to war anyway.

This is only true if you control the luxury resources and trade that they need. If they have a big military and don't need anything from you then trade sanctions are a great way to make YOU suffer from not having their luxury goods and resources for trade.

- does all trade stop with the implementation of trade sanctions, or do you first need to blockade a planet before it loses access to trade with your empire?

Trade Sanctions means that nothing will be bought or sold between your empire and the sanctioned empire from that point on. It happens immediately as far as I know.

[Gertjan]

RE 3Q: So blockades are useless if you impose trade sanctions, since trade is already sanctioned.

[forsaken1111]

ORIGINAL: Gertjan

RE 3Q: So blockades are useless if you impose trade sanctions, since trade is already sanctioned.

Doesnt a blockade stop ANYONE from trading with or using a colony? I thought the point was to stop luxury goods from coming into a colony to starve them out.

[Gertjan]

Good point! Interesting (and a bit cruel) and effective way of hurting your enemy. Doesnt this lead to a war very soon?

[freeboy]

well I see the TS as a yellow light! things are headed in the wrong directions, sometimes I care, the rivals, sometimes I do not, the empires with no assets ...
 

[Kamonrius]

^_^ [:D] Trade sanctions are not something you impose lightly infact all of the Diplomatic descisions are somewhat downplaying the severity of what they do. to the common eye these would seem like perks or gimmicks but they are much more sinister.
 
Trade sanctions as you know cease trade between you and an Empire this can hurt you and them, to see how much you would affect them (or they you) in a sanction. see the diplomatic screen if you have a free trade pact with them empires who say we share a large portion of trade with you will be floored by a trade sanction and more easily swayed buy threats if you threaten sanctions against them while empires that say small portion would not. sanctions remove leeches from your empire (and theirs) kicking funding in the teeth should they be very accostomed to your credits so over all trade sanctions effect an empire overall.
 
Blockades affect singular colonies, this can be effectively used against powerful well developed colonies, it stops your ships AND theirs AND anyone else from trading with that particular world (starving them) as opposed to trade sanctions that only effect you vs them unless you get more empires to impose sanctions (and keep them up)
 
 
A combination of blockades of strong worlds and trade sanctions enlisted by multiple empires can effectively bleed out an empire without firing a shot if done carefully but these acts will piss off an empire. [:D]

[taltamir]

the AI will sometimes pay you to impose sanctions on another... you can then back out of those easier then from a war, lifting them and even repairing the relationship with the person you sanctioned... and you still get the payment...

[Gertjan]

Kamonrius. Thanks for these strategic insights!