[geoschmo]

Originally posted by alarikf:
You can count me as one of those dips who didn't realize the value in taking the natural merchants trait. At least I know that all my spaceports will be useless to everyone when y'all capture them!

I don't think you are a dip. Given enough resources at start to build a space port and a couple mineral faciliites not taking natural merchants equates to about a five turn head start for everybody else. That is big, but not everyone will agree that it's worth 1000 points. It depends on your play style, and how long you expect to Last in the game how much of a difference that five turns will make.

On the other hand, with only 5K reasources to start, natural merchants would have been an absolute neccesity. Without it you would not have enough to build a space port and a couple mineral facs and your economy dies. The result would be everybody that didn't take it would be dead in the water. I just don't see this as very fun, even for those of use that took it. It's a crudy way to win if your opponent can't even get off their homeworld.