Jeff: Did you play on beta? Your name seems familiar..
Also, to answer the gold trading parts:
1) Not like I can't restart or work a deal to build the city to colonization enabled at least and move out and then let the other alliance take the city. However, anyone who wants my city will find it to be the WORST set up possible with things researched that many wouldn't want ever researched and low point count. So if you REALLY want my city, then have fun spending a good amount of time "fixing" it to fighting standards and wasting your CPs...
2) Depends on the world. I've seen gold trading go on for well past 5 months before. Regardless, I'm not here to primarily gold trade. That's just a secondary and added bonus. I'm here to do the Milestones. As the world progresses the 2K for 50 will be "Worthless".. So, if you're nice to me, I may be nice to you back
Side Note: YES! Please bring back the newspapers! We both can make it a commentary thing similar to Oracle only add our own spins to it and trash talk everyone and just goof around (well, at least I could since I could care less about doing any fighting or whatever, just milestones).
Edit: Just added two more Milestones to be awarded to a player and an alliance at the end of the world. I'm SUPER excited to bring these back and to reveal the new ones to everyone. It's time to make Grepolis a War game again!!