I've just been coming to that conclusion, myself, vmxa1.
I got lucky in this game from Lit to Education in that
all the civs were trading amongst themselves
rabidly.
Then again, I got unlucky for the same reason in that it severely shortened the timespan between Lit and Edu, messing up my normal phase of (relatively) peaceful and (normally) almost complete improvement buildout in most of my cities.
As soon as this game is a forgone conclusion, either as a win or a loss, I think I'll go back to Regent PTW and play Random civs until I have a stronger grasp on the what, how, and why of various things in the game - what does the AI like to do(trade, research, war, build, etc), how do I make the most of my own strengths (no matter what Civ I play or who my neighbors are) and why certain things work and others don't.
I'm really enjoying wearing the mantle of a more war-loving leader in drawing the Chinese this time around and I think I'd like to give war a chance on a level that I don't have to struggle and scrabble for every bit of progress, at least until I get better at managing both the War Department and the Public Works Department of my empire.
But for now, I'll forge on.
I really must get that FP Built, but Aztec just beat me to Leo's by
2 bloody turns so I'm taking a loss on all but 2 shields worth of work.
I can't get anyone to sell me Banking+WhateverTechHas Adam Smith's, so I am just going to lose all those dang shields.
Anyway, that pissed me off, so I think as soon as my Peace Treaty from my latest Aztec conquest is up I'm taking Leo's away from him, but I gotta wait for Cavalry, since everyone has Gunpower....unless.... maybe I actually took Monte's only Saltpeter.....
Eeeexxxxcellent....
Muwaahahahahahahahahaha!