Acceptance of an offer needs to be binding

[Mathew5000]

When someone makes an offer and I click accept, the original offeror sees a new dialog box that I "matched" the offer; the original offeror can then "Accept" or "Cancel". But that system is prone to abuse.

For example, I could pose an attractive offer (with no intention to follow through on the deal) just to flesh out who has a particular resource, before I play a knight or monopoly card.

In general, an offer followed by acceptance should be considered a binding contract, but in this implementation of Catan, that is not the case.

[Stroom]

This is actually a valid strategy. You can do this in real life too.

The one who proposes the deal should be able to choose who he trades with. And he should be allowed not to trade with someone who he sees would benefit more than him. Definitely he should not be forced to trade with the first one to accept.

Also people do change their minds. A trade should happen only if both sides acknowledge each other as the partner for that specific trade.

[Mathew5000]

In real life, you can address an offerr to a particular player. You could say, "Alice, I'll give you a brick for a grain." Then if a different player (other than Alice) pipes up and says, "I'll make that trade" it's entirely valid to say, "no, I don't want to trade with you".

But if you make an offer generally, e.g. saying "Would anyone like to give me a grain for a brick", and one opponent says, "Yes, I will." That's binding. If you then refuse to carry out the trade, you've welched on the deal.

[sorryimlikethis]

In real life, you can address an offerr to a particular player. You could say, "Alice, I'll give you a brick for a grain." Then if a different player (other than Alice) pipes up and says, "I'll make that trade" it's entirely valid to say, "no, I don't want to trade with you".

But if you make an offer generally, e.g. saying "Would anyone like to give me a grain for a brick", and one opponent says, "Yes, I will." That's binding. If you then refuse to carry out the trade, you've welched on the deal.

I guess it will vary from person to person. I would not consider what you said to be binding. Asking in general is easier than asking each player individually. If you're in a 6 player game you may be fine doing the trade with anyone except the leader, I think it's unreasonable to have to ask each of the other 4 players individually if they want to do the trade. Sure you can say "anyone except the leader" but it's kind of rude imo.

I'm not a fan of the way trading is done currently on BGA but I would rather lean towards more confirmation than less.

[Stroom]

In real life, you can address an offerr to a particular player. You could say, "Alice, I'll give you a brick for a grain." Then if a different player (other than Alice) pipes up and says, "I'll make that trade" it's entirely valid to say, "no, I don't want to trade with you".

But if you make an offer generally, e.g. saying "Would anyone like to give me a grain for a brick", and one opponent says, "Yes, I will." That's binding. If you then refuse to carry out the trade, you've welched on the deal.

This is completely wrong. Trading is not binding in the talking phase at all. Only when you are actually handing out cards to each other to exchange them.

You are never in a binding contract when making general trade offers and someone accepts. Even when making an individual offer, you can change your mind when they accept. You can basically keep offering and taking back the offers. It's annoying but then the other players just won't trade with you at all...

[RobertBr]

For example, I could pose an attractive offer (with no intention to follow through on the deal) just to flesh out who has a particular resource, before I play a knight or monopoly card.

You should already know that, it is trackable not hidden information. And its probably a lot less effort to track it than to use half a dozen trade requests to establish it.

[Wicksweff]

Would anyone give me an ore for a brick and a wheat?
All of you?
Ok, Monopoly on ore!

[suprisefish]

Would anyone give me an ore for a brick and a wheat?
All of you?
Ok, Monopoly on ore!

Yes this is an excellent strategy. But then if you are tracking you will already know that there is lots of ore on the board.