The update to Trade Routs (32.0282) that allows a player to exchange trade cards for treasury may have an unintended consequence.

Since a trade card can be traded for treasure at any time, a player could 'upgrade' trade cards. For example, during the aquire trade card phase, the player collects the initial trade cards for each city. The player then trades in a level 3 or 4 card to buy an 'upgraded' level 6 card with Rhetoric. The same goes with mining and cartography. Is this intended?

It seems to greatly reduce the difficult managment required in balancing tokens between the board, treasury, and stock.

Craig

I was seeing that - all of the calamities that can be offset by treasury, purchasing gold (or whatever)... etc.

Of course, to purchase with Rhetoric takes 7 tokens, which means 1 four-card, or 2 two-cards, etc.. would need to be turned in. That's not a small thing. Purchasing gold is worse. Turn in a 9 card to buy a 9 card.

I don't know if reducing 1 or more trade stock (i.e. cards that someone else might want to you can trade with them) to get an extra draw is going to be always practical.

1:2 may be too much. 1:1 may be too little. At 1:1 it is less likely to be abusable, yet still *might* be useful.

I'd like to see the mechanic as-is playtested first too

==> An alternative mechanic, would allow you to discard cards at face value to pay instead of treasury (and surplus is lost - i.e. you don't get change back.) I.e. it combines with treasury like purchasing civ cards - you can't overpay to decrease physical treasury chits.

Currently if you have both Trade Routes and Mining you could trade in a 3 AND 4 card for 7T and then buy one (and only one) level 6 card (since it now costs 7T).

I think that's fair and don't have a problem with it.