1. Cities trading in commodities which have some relationship with their terrain or infrastructure.

2. If there are goody huts, a random scatter.

Ok, about your suggestions:

1. For more ideas on city specific trade ideas, look at the post 'Trade Model Ideas', which is written on this page by Cannes.

2. Yes, why not scatter the goody huts more randomly? And also the seeds for the special resource squares...

3. I don't quite understand this point...Is it a SMAC feature?

Trade seems to crop up in quite a few games and there are more or less complex systems. It was far and away the best part of Colonization.

I rather like the very simple trading arrangements in Civ2. They work well with the equally simple research, city developement and warfare arrangements. Each aspect of the game requires a similar amount of time and attention.

So I hope that Civ 3 doesn't go in for a disproportionately complex trading set up.

Prospecting is a (limited) Civ2 feature. I expect you are aware of the pattern to the way specials are distributed. Sometimes you see a complete pattern with all four specials in view and neatly arranged around the central square. But more often only three specials are in view. If the fourth square is a land square (and particularly if it is a plains or grassland square) and you set a settler/engineer to mine it, the missing special will appear. I seem usually to get silk (one of my favourites) although, once the special has been exposed you can tranform it in the usual way if you like.

I believe that you may also be able to expose a special on such a square (hills perhaps) by terraforming as well - altho' I am usually too impatient to bother with terraforming so that is hearsay not experience.