Weird there's no option to trade with primitives.

[Dementor4]

Now that "trade" is a thing, it's odd there's no option for observation posts to set up trade with the primitives.

What would trade with primitives be good for?

1. Add trade value to the system, obviously. Keep in mind random asteroids and things can randomly add trade value to systems, so the idea that a primitive world couldn't produce something of value is silly. The trade value of a primitive world would probably rise with the tech level of that world, from maybe +1 for stone age and +0.5 for every tech level up. Just throwing numbers out there.
2. They would tech up faster. Not as fast as if you're enlightening them on purpose, obviously, but opening a primitive people to outside trade will invariably increase the rate their technology advances.
3. Xenophile ethics boost. Those who embrace the alien products which trickle into their society would have a huge advantage over those that don't, and social darwinism would help those values propagate.
   
4. When they develop space travel, they are highly likely to emerge as a megacorporation.

 

[fall back]

Isn’t that just enlightening them if an alien spaceship came to trade tomorrow the first response would be holy s*** aliens second would be what can we learn from them

 

[Dementor4]

Isn’t that just enlightening them if an alien spaceship came to trade tomorrow the first response would be holy s*** aliens second would be what can we learn from them

To some degree, yes, hence point number 2. There's a difference between "Let me show you how to combine tin and copper to make bronze" and "We'll give you magic spears if you fill our sky-chariot with those glowing rocks". Sure, the exposure to "magic" weapons (ie, "steel") might get them started on metallurgy faster than they ordinarily might have, but it's not the same as actively teaching them how to make it.

And yes, the implications are different depending on the civilization in question. A spiritualist civilization might just accept the gifts from the "gods" without question, while a materialist civilization would be more inclined to reverse-engineer it. And of course the more advanced the civilization is, the more effective their attempts to reverse engineer the alien technology would be.

But they key difference is that you would be getting something out of it, a boost to that system's trade value.

 

[Walle Ras]

What would you get from them that you couldn't seize through invading.

 

[SadNova]

Interesting idea. I actually agree that trading is a very reasonable logic to deal with the primitives, other than observation and infiltration. It's also easy to achieve, just one more button in the observation station.

 

[Arnovitz]

Yes, yes, I'm sure such similar diplomacy options will be coming in the new Stellaris DLC: First Contact.

 

[Cawtacles]

What would you get from them that you couldn't seize through invading.

1) Not every empire can invade primitives
2) If you invade them, you have another planet to deal with, adding to the admin cap. Not much, but it's also an inefficient planet due to the Culture Shock modifier.
3) Additional roleplay/storytelling potential
4) A better reputation with empires that care about this kind of thing. Which isn't much of a deal, but nice to have

 

[Bouchart]

I don't think trade with primitives makes much sense unless they are at at least in the Industrial Age, and at that point they're much easier to enlighten and infiltrate anyway. A Stone Age or Bronze Age society doesn't have much to offer a spacefaring civilization.

 

[Adantigus]

They don't have any commodities especially worth trading; at least, not on the scale needed by a spacefaring civ. A few measly tons of ores produced each year? Pathetically low quality goods? Even their food, which is probably all gross and disease-ridden since they have no proper medicine or food inspectors, is likely to be inadequate. Primitive civilizations (including present-day Earth) are lucky if they can feed the entire planetary population.

I suppose their quaint art and other intellectual property might be worth something to xenophile populations. But xenophiles are also the ones likely to be upset by taking that art away from where it belongs, right?

 

[wingren013]

I've never really thought about it, bht roleplaying the Morrigi would be fun.

 

[Dementor4]

They don't have any commodities especially worth trading; at least, not on the scale needed by a spacefaring civ. A few measly tons of ores produced each year? Pathetically low quality goods? Even their food, which is probably all gross and disease-ridden since they have no proper medicine or food inspectors, is likely to be inadequate. Primitive civilizations (including present-day Earth) are lucky if they can feed the entire planetary population.

I suppose their quaint art and other intellectual property might be worth something to xenophile populations. But xenophiles are also the ones likely to be upset by taking that art away from where it belongs, right?

I have to disagree here.

"Trade" is kept deliberately ambiguous, and you can use your settings to decide if you're getting "ideas" or "goods" or "just money". But they assign trade value to random asteroids and barren planets, and you don't have to set up mines there to collect anything, you just get it as long as you own the system and have a trade hub nearby. So what's really happening? How does that asteroid result in more furniture for your pops? How does it power your starships? It's not being mined for energy (that's already represented by... well, mining things for energy) so what's going on? And the only conclusion is "it's up to you".

So yeah, maybe the natives make damn good salsa. Maybe none of you can figure out how to make it, but your people want it, and they want it bad. Or maybe the trees on that world make particularly attractive furniture.

What would you get from them that you couldn't seize through invading.

Wow, you're right, peace is just dumb. Why would you set up a commerce treaty with a weaker space-faring nation, for that matter? When you could just invade them and take over their trade routes directly?

 

[Adantigus]

maybe the natives make damn good salsa.?

I do like salsa. I guess my main point is that the xenophiles are the only ones likely to think primitive ideas, art, or food are worth anything at all. But in Stellaris, that's also the same faction that, Star Trek-style, opposes interfering in primitive cultures. So the ones that want that sweet alien salsa are also the ones that would clutch their pearls in horror at the idea of messing up the primitives by trading for it.

 

[Highlordelliot]

What would you get from them that you couldn't seize through invading.

A more indirect uplift that’s less of a burden on you and also adds RP potential.
Maybe you can recruit a species for your armies.

 

[Masoz]

Nah.

For one, xenophilic nations are meant to be restricted to passive study only with zero native interference. Space-gods asking for their shiny rocks is a pretty big interference.

Second, I'm never going to opt for a small amount of trade value over research.

Third, the opportunity to steal and/or covertly "trade" for something could easily be handled by adding new outpost events.