Oh yes, *mechanically* its probably more desirable
Mechanically it's a trait like Cosmopolitan Acceptance - Powerful benefits, but produces undesirable neighbor relationships.
Remember Cosmopolitan Acceptance is sending out prey signals to Martial states and threatens centralized powers.
Moloch Calls sends out Public Enemy signals to Just states and threatens neighbors since they are motivated to coerce slave provision.
It proves that different values produce different evolutions and that not all of those are desirable for us. We're the only ones likely to get values we don't want, because we're the only ones to draw values from other civs.
Edit: Unless that's a potential downside of being a conqueror...
We've seen a few other cases of trait migration. Cosmopolitan Acceptance vastly accelerates the process, but cultures naturally mix, the HKs got some traits off us, and the Hathatyn are clearly packing a Pioneering Spirit descendant.
-Speculation here: They seem more focused on mining and are very much not as good at farming as we are so I figure their Econ "value" is lower than ours, 1 point of our Econ is greater than 1 point of theirs.
I will point you to the Economy returns of copper and iron mines. Metalworking civilizations have high Econ value.
Anyway for trait possibilities of Center of Trade:
-Straight Evolution: Center of Trade -> Trade Junction
Center of Trade is the more primitive version, where your dominance of trade power derives from production of desired trade goods. The evolution of this is to leverage connectivity, as there is no difference trade wise whether you produce the goods, or whether the only producers of the goods have to go through you to get their goods there.
Mechanically it probably means we can leverage trade connections to count towards Trade Dominance in a good if the manufacturer has to go through us to get anywhere.
I don't think we are capable of evolving a CA trait unless we lose another trait however.
To clarify the below, Fusion In means Center of Trade is consumed to enhance our trait. Fusion Out means our trait is consumed by Center of Trade.
-Fusion In: Center of Trade + Divine Stewards -> Something to focus on growing/extracting natural luxury resources? Likely drops the bonus stat from trade dominance element, in exchange for a bonus to the output of Mines, Vineyards, and Snail Towers.
Unlikely fusion I think, unless we create a flurry of trade goods that we grow. Maybe if we looted poppy we could start the opium trade.
-Fusion In: Center of Trade + Cosmopolitan Acceptance -> Something to boost diplomatic annexation through directed trade and charity. Maximum vampire.
Potential fusion if we do more of the same assimilation we did to Northshore and Stonepen before.
-Fusion Out: Center of Trade + Symphony -> Something to coordinate and leverage trade power more effectively across allies, vassals and periphery states
Very unlikely since Symphony is a major core trait that's constantly invoked. It's more likely that this happens outside if someone imports Symphony.
-Fusion Out: Center of Trade + Quality of It's Own -> Something for flooding the market with raw production?
Somewhat unlikely since our trade dominance is based on regional resources, but if we picked up dominance in a manufactured good like pottery or art, then this might be a thing.
-Fusion In: Center of Trade + Honor of Elites -> Excellence does not just lie in martial and physical endeavors. Quality too is a form of excellence. Probably consumes Center of Trade to enhance innovation rolls in Arete.
Somewhat unlikely since our trade dominance is based on regional resources, but if we picked up dominance in a manufactured good like pottery or art, then this might be a thing.
-Fusion Out: Center of Trade + Honor of Elites -> Quantity of goods is one thing, but superior quality goods is another. Allows us to functionally create premium trade goods rather than compete in volume. Fine Pottery -> Fine Ymaryn Pottery for instance.
Somewhat unlikely since our trade dominance is based on regional resources, but if we picked up dominance in a manufactured good like pottery or art, then this might be a thing.
