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Terms & logic of tech deals
If you buy tech straight from the normal system in CN, the price goes up the more tech you own. Therefore it becomes very expensive when you have a large amount of it.
A tech deal is a construction in which a larger nation sends money to a smaller nation (through the aid system), this smaller nation buys the tech, and then sends the tech back to the larger nation through the aid system. The benefit for the larger nation is to get tech for prices that are a lot below the "system" price, the benefit for the smaller nation is a profit which is the difference in the price the tech costs them, and what the larger nation pays for it.
In a tech deal the larger nation that is after the tech is called a "Buyer".
The nation that receives the money and provides the tech is called the "Seller".
There are a number of limitations to the aid system:
+ Only 1 active aid transaction between 2 nations every 10 days
+ Maximum amount of money that can be send is $3M
+ Maximum amount of tech that can be send is 50 levels
Because of these limitations there are a number of different ways in which a tech deal can be conducted, which are documented below.
Type 1 - "1-on-1"
This is the simplest form of tech deal since it involves only a buyer and a seller.
The simplest form of this type is a standard priced 1.5M for 50 tech:
Day1: Buyer sends 1.5M to Seller
Day11: Seller sends 50 tech to Buyer
This type can of course easily be adapted for different prices, or for larger quantities. A very common version of this deal is the "3M-50-50" which goes:
Day1: Buyer sends 3M to Seller
Day11: Seller sends 50 tech to Buyer
Day21: Seller sends 50 tech to Buyer
This is a very popular deal since it fully utilises the maximum slot usage in each transaction.
Type 2 - "Middleman deal"
This is also a deal with only 1 seller and 1 buyer, but it adds a 3rd person, "the middleman" to route the tech back to the buyer more quickly:
The first example will be a simmilar "1.5M for 50 tech" as above:
Day1: Buyer sends 1.5M to Seller
Day1: Seller sends 50tech + the middleman fee to the Middleman
Day1: Middleman sends 50tech to the Buyer (and keeps the fee).
The middleman fee should be arranged in advance, and is usually anywhere from 100K up to half of the Seller's profit.
Type 3 - "2x2"
In this type of deal there are 2 sellers (SellerA and SellerB) and 2 buyers (BuyerA and BuyerB) who combine their actions:
The example shall use a price of 3M for 50tech, as so:
Day1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Day1: BuyerB sends 3M to SellerB
Day1: SellerA sends 50tech to BuyerB
Day1: SellerB sends 50tech to BuyerA
Note that 2x2 tech deals are rare because the buyers pay more for the same tech.
Because all aid transactions are between different nations all of these can be done on the same day, meaning that the complete techdeal can be done immediately.
Type 4 - "3x3"
This is simmilar to type-3, but with 3 sellers and 3 buyers. It almost always uses the "3M for 100tech" format:
All actions can happen on the same day, but some coordination is needed:
Step1.1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Step1.2: SellerA buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step1.3: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step1.4: SellerA buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step1.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step2.1: BuyerB sends 3M to SellerB
Step2.2: SellerB buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step2.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step2.4: SellerB buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step2.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step3.1: BuyerC sends 3M to SellerC
Step3.2: SellerC buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step3.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step3.4: SellerC buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step3.5: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Generally steps 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1 (the sending of the money) can all happen first, and then each of the branches can follow their own pace, step by step to point 5.
alternative
There is a slightly more complex alternative to steps x.2 - x.5 which speeds up things a bit if all players pay attention.
This example will only show 1.1 to 1.5, but the same can be done for 2.1-2.5 and 3.1-3.5:
Step1.1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Step1.2: SellerA buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB AND BuyerC
Step1.3: Whichever of Buyer B or C is online first accepts the 50 tech
Step1.4: SellerA buys another 50 tech (no need to offer aid again, the existing offer is still open).
Step1.5: The remaining buyer (B or C) accepts the 50 tech
The important thing here is that Buyer B and C should not accept the aid of 50tech blindly. They should first check to see if SellerA indeed has the 50tech "in-stock". If the tech is there they can accept the offer, if not they need to wait for SellerA to re-buy (step 1.4), and then accept after that (step 1.5).
Type 5 - "4x4"
This type of deal works the same as a 3x3, but with an additional Seller and a additional Buyer.
This means the price becomes 3M for 150tech.
This is a great matrix for Sellers, since they get more tech for less money. Generally this is not used in "inter-alliance" matrices because larger nations usually don't feel the need to squeeze out as much tech as possible from their younger alliance partners. 4x4 deals tend to only be used in Intra-alliance trading where a alliance wants to be known for their low prices. The steps are virtually identical to a 3x3:
Step1.1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Step1.2: SellerA buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step1.3: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step1.4: SellerA buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step1.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step1.6: SellerA buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerD
Step1.7: BuyerD accepts the 50 tech
Step2.1: BuyerB sends 3M to SellerB
Step2.2: SellerB buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step2.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step2.4: SellerB buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step2.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step2.6: SellerB buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerD
Step2.7: BuyerD accepts the 50 tech
Step3.1: BuyerC sends 3M to SellerC
Step3.2: SellerC buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step3.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step3.4: SellerC buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step3.5: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step3.6: SellerC buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerD
Step3.7: BuyerD accepts the 50 tech
Step4.1: BuyerD sends 3M to SellerD
Step4.2: SellerD buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step4.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step4.4: SellerD buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step4.5: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step4.6: SellerD buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step4.7: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Again the alternative method of offering all "tech aid" at the same time as mentioned under the 3x3 matrix can be used here as well.
If you buy tech straight from the normal system in CN, the price goes up the more tech you own. Therefore it becomes very expensive when you have a large amount of it.
A tech deal is a construction in which a larger nation sends money to a smaller nation (through the aid system), this smaller nation buys the tech, and then sends the tech back to the larger nation through the aid system. The benefit for the larger nation is to get tech for prices that are a lot below the "system" price, the benefit for the smaller nation is a profit which is the difference in the price the tech costs them, and what the larger nation pays for it.
In a tech deal the larger nation that is after the tech is called a "Buyer".
The nation that receives the money and provides the tech is called the "Seller".
There are a number of limitations to the aid system:
+ Only 1 active aid transaction between 2 nations every 10 days
+ Maximum amount of money that can be send is $3M
+ Maximum amount of tech that can be send is 50 levels
Because of these limitations there are a number of different ways in which a tech deal can be conducted, which are documented below.
Type 1 - "1-on-1"
This is the simplest form of tech deal since it involves only a buyer and a seller.
The simplest form of this type is a standard priced 1.5M for 50 tech:
Day1: Buyer sends 1.5M to Seller
Day11: Seller sends 50 tech to Buyer
This type can of course easily be adapted for different prices, or for larger quantities. A very common version of this deal is the "3M-50-50" which goes:
Day1: Buyer sends 3M to Seller
Day11: Seller sends 50 tech to Buyer
Day21: Seller sends 50 tech to Buyer
This is a very popular deal since it fully utilises the maximum slot usage in each transaction.
Type 2 - "Middleman deal"
This is also a deal with only 1 seller and 1 buyer, but it adds a 3rd person, "the middleman" to route the tech back to the buyer more quickly:
The first example will be a simmilar "1.5M for 50 tech" as above:
Day1: Buyer sends 1.5M to Seller
Day1: Seller sends 50tech + the middleman fee to the Middleman
Day1: Middleman sends 50tech to the Buyer (and keeps the fee).
The middleman fee should be arranged in advance, and is usually anywhere from 100K up to half of the Seller's profit.
Type 3 - "2x2"
In this type of deal there are 2 sellers (SellerA and SellerB) and 2 buyers (BuyerA and BuyerB) who combine their actions:
The example shall use a price of 3M for 50tech, as so:
Day1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Day1: BuyerB sends 3M to SellerB
Day1: SellerA sends 50tech to BuyerB
Day1: SellerB sends 50tech to BuyerA
Note that 2x2 tech deals are rare because the buyers pay more for the same tech.
Because all aid transactions are between different nations all of these can be done on the same day, meaning that the complete techdeal can be done immediately.
Type 4 - "3x3"
This is simmilar to type-3, but with 3 sellers and 3 buyers. It almost always uses the "3M for 100tech" format:
All actions can happen on the same day, but some coordination is needed:
Step1.1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Step1.2: SellerA buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step1.3: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step1.4: SellerA buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step1.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step2.1: BuyerB sends 3M to SellerB
Step2.2: SellerB buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step2.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step2.4: SellerB buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step2.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step3.1: BuyerC sends 3M to SellerC
Step3.2: SellerC buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step3.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step3.4: SellerC buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step3.5: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Generally steps 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1 (the sending of the money) can all happen first, and then each of the branches can follow their own pace, step by step to point 5.
alternative
There is a slightly more complex alternative to steps x.2 - x.5 which speeds up things a bit if all players pay attention.
This example will only show 1.1 to 1.5, but the same can be done for 2.1-2.5 and 3.1-3.5:
Step1.1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Step1.2: SellerA buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB AND BuyerC
Step1.3: Whichever of Buyer B or C is online first accepts the 50 tech
Step1.4: SellerA buys another 50 tech (no need to offer aid again, the existing offer is still open).
Step1.5: The remaining buyer (B or C) accepts the 50 tech
The important thing here is that Buyer B and C should not accept the aid of 50tech blindly. They should first check to see if SellerA indeed has the 50tech "in-stock". If the tech is there they can accept the offer, if not they need to wait for SellerA to re-buy (step 1.4), and then accept after that (step 1.5).
Type 5 - "4x4"
This type of deal works the same as a 3x3, but with an additional Seller and a additional Buyer.
This means the price becomes 3M for 150tech.
This is a great matrix for Sellers, since they get more tech for less money. Generally this is not used in "inter-alliance" matrices because larger nations usually don't feel the need to squeeze out as much tech as possible from their younger alliance partners. 4x4 deals tend to only be used in Intra-alliance trading where a alliance wants to be known for their low prices. The steps are virtually identical to a 3x3:
Step1.1: BuyerA sends 3M to SellerA
Step1.2: SellerA buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step1.3: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step1.4: SellerA buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step1.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step1.6: SellerA buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerD
Step1.7: BuyerD accepts the 50 tech
Step2.1: BuyerB sends 3M to SellerB
Step2.2: SellerB buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step2.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step2.4: SellerB buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step2.5: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Step2.6: SellerB buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerD
Step2.7: BuyerD accepts the 50 tech
Step3.1: BuyerC sends 3M to SellerC
Step3.2: SellerC buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step3.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step3.4: SellerC buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step3.5: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step3.6: SellerC buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerD
Step3.7: BuyerD accepts the 50 tech
Step4.1: BuyerD sends 3M to SellerD
Step4.2: SellerD buys 50 tech and offers this to BuyerA
Step4.3: BuyerA accepts the 50 tech
Step4.4: SellerD buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerB
Step4.5: BuyerB accepts the 50 tech
Step4.6: SellerD buys another 50 tech and offers this to BuyerC
Step4.7: BuyerC accepts the 50 tech
Again the alternative method of offering all "tech aid" at the same time as mentioned under the 3x3 matrix can be used here as well.
