This came up during our epic 6 player game last Saturday: what can you trade and when can you trade it?

As an expedient band-aid we said, trade goods, action cards, deals of attacks/alliance/neutrality, and only on the action of the person being targeted for the trade(to reduce the chaos and so every deal is done in sight of all other players).

So I guess the question remains:

Can the following be traded?

Strategy cards?

Planets?

Technology?

Anything I've missed?

Thank you in advance TI3 community.

In general the only thing that can be traded between players are Trade Goods. They, however, can be traded at any time. In a fashion Trade Agreements and Promisory Notes also change hands, although not quite the same.

As with Twilight Imperium, though, there are plenty of expections; the Hacan, for instance, can trade Strategy Cards through the use of one of their racial technologies, but only at certain times and it is not so much a trade as an involuntary exchange (as the other player doesn't have a choice in the matter). Incidentally the Hacans are also the only ones able to trade Actions Cards, and there are a number of other effects that allow you to swap Strategy Cards or pick up Technology known by other players, but these are all exceptions to the rule that you cannot trade those things.

You can decide to house rule these restrictions away, but I would be very hesitant to do so, as you will severely upset the balance of a number of effects of a game heavily dependent on an asymmetric design of races, powers, etc.

In general the only thing that can be traded between players are Trade Goods. They, however, can be traded at any time. In a fashion Trade Agreements and Promisory Notes also change hands, although not quite the same.

As with Twilight Imperium, though, there are plenty of expections; the Hacan, for instance, can trade Strategy Cards through the use of one of their racial technologies, but only at certain times and it is not so much a trade as an involuntary exchange (as the other player doesn't have a choice in the matter). Incidentally the Hacans are also the only ones able to trade Actions Cards, and there are a number of other effects that allow you to swap Strategy Cards or pick up Technology known by other players, but these are all exceptions to the rule that you cannot trade those things.

You can decide to house rule these restrictions away, but I would be very hesitant to do so, as you will severely upset the balance of a number of effects of a game heavily dependent on an asymmetric design of races, powers, etc.

Wow. Good thing we didnt have a Hacan player. We were totally selling action cards to each other all game long. People talked about selling planets, but we decided to do that you would have to remove your troop, abandon the planet, and the system then let the other person come in and take it. No one was brave enough to think that the deal would not be instantly betrayed.

I have looked through the rules and I can't believe the only reference is in political votes and technology. You can bribe to convince people to vote your way, and in big bold letters it says you cannot give tech to another player.

Other than that deals between players are not mentioned. I hope I'm not missing something.

I think it is generally safe to assume that anything not explicitly listed as allowed in the rules, can be assumed not to be, such as exhanging stuff between players. That aside, you can of course still do all sorts of bargainings, promising each other planets, but you will have to 'exchange' them through the existing rules for moving in and conqueroring them and so on.

I have to add that I love Twilight Imperium to bits. I have played it since it (3rd edition) hit the stores and I have introduced countless people to the game, including teaching more than thirty people the game after relocating to a different country (heck, some of those people even use me as a hotline for rules questions calling me when they have a game going without me). But all that love for the game aside, it really is very difficult to pick up as new players. Lots of interacting rules, a huge FAQ that doesn't even cover enough, and a rulebook that highlights the leaps that FFG has taken in making rule books since then. As much as I would be incredibly worried should a 4th edition finally be announced - both for my wallet as well as for my nostalgic adoration of the game - I have build up so much confidence in the FFG overhaul of other classics, that it could not be anything short of awesome. And, more importantly, the rulebook(s) would hopefully be of their more recent excellent design of a 'Learn to Play' and Rules Reference Guide as separate booklets, reducing the massive threshold for new players..

As far as physically trading tokens and whatnot, you can trade Trade Good tokens with players at any time for any reason. You can also trade Promissory Note cards with other players during the Political or Assembly phase for any reason. You can also trade captured Leader Tokens at any time for any reason.

You can't trade planets by simply trading the cards though... to do that you would have to move your forces off the planet so that the person you're "giving" the planet too can land his forces there without having to fight for it, then he can claim your planet card.

Generally, Technology cards cannot be traded, unless something like an Action or Political cards make it possible (not sure if such a cards exists though).

I think there is a Political card that allow players to "trade" (by addding the card from their own tech deck) one tech with another player. All involved players gain one tech that another player has researched but no player actually loses their copy. So it's more of an intergalactic show-and-tell than a traditional trade.

You can also trade Promissory Note cards with other players during the Political or Assembly phase for any reason.

Not true. You can only trade Promissory Notes for a player to vote a particular way. That is the only way you can offer them. You can try for whatever non-binding terms you want to pad it out, but the offer of the note is just for the offered player to vote a specific way (and you can't give one to a player without this occurring).

A lot of the people who complain about Support of the Throne being unbalanced are usually playing this wrong and allow players to swap the notes for other notes. or things other than just votes.