What does Age mean when you first start.

[Immortal7777]

I have been playing this game for a few years but never understood what this does. When you first start the game before you pick your civ you choose how you want the world to be and then it askes you about the age.

3 billion
4 billion
5 billion

and if you click on it it shows a zoomed in cater (I think)

 

[Cyc]

The older the planet, the more refined the surface is. Ilike 5 Billion, as there are less mountains and growth is easier. A lot of people like 4 Billion, I guess for the shields.

 

[bigFRANK]

Controls how flat the playing surface is, 5 being the flattest, 3 being the lumpiest.

 

[Gath_Stormer]

Basically just erosion. You would expect more erosion to happen over 5 billion years than 3 billion years therefore mountains are less at 5 billion years and greater at 3 billion and in the middle at 4 billion.