Do ages actually do anything?

[Kester]

Just wondering if there's any effect at all of reaching a certain age? As far as I can tell it's a purely cosmetic thing, am I right in thinking this? Only I've seen a few people say something like "Beelining for tech x will get you to the y age quicker" and now I'm starting to wonder.....

 

[Palantir30]

it changes the music you're listening to, and how fortresses and workers appear. That's about all I've noticed.

 

[oagersnap]

Yes, it doesn't really do anything, but it's funny when you can bypass the classical age and go directly to the middle ages by researching theology early.

 

[deo]

Yea, eras have been removed and it's better so.

 

[Zekrazey1]

In multiplayer on navy-friendly maps I use the graphics change to detect when someone's getting close to Astronomy .

 

[Ipggi]

Also if you are in the city screen, the amibent noise changes. Ie in modern times its horns, car engines, etc while in medieval times its horses etc..

And the tile improvements also change over the periods .. a modern farm, mine, etc look different to their ancient equivalents.

 

[Big Bottom]

Yes, it's purely cosmetic.

 

[Sirian]

Just wondering if there's any effect at all of reaching a certain age?

Different graphics, different background music.

Ages also serve as "entry points" in to the tech tree. (You don't have to start in the Ancient Age! You can start at the beginning of any of the seven ages, including the Future.)


- Sirian

 

[Frostyboy]

Could someone please tell me exactly which techs trigger the onset
of the different ages

Classical
Medieval
Reinessance
Modern

 

[Bushface]

Frostyboy - look on the poster tech tree. The first tech you get which is shown in a different colour pushes you into a new age.
As to the effects of reaching a certain age, there are, alas, some which are inevitable. Have a peek at the "What is your age ?" thread and you may be able to guess what I am referring to, which is in no way related to Civ4.

 

[Olleus]

Actualy i think that ages determine how much damage siege weapons do. I've noticed that when my cannons bombard a medieval age city they take away more of the city's defences then when they bombard an industrial age city. Might be wrong though.

 

[SPQR300]

Some wonders cannot be buildt in later eras. For example you cannot build the forbidden palace after the middle ages, and you cannot build Versailles after the industrial age. ( I think there is nothing else effected by ages tough ^^)

 

[Artanis]

Actualy i think that ages determine how much damage siege weapons do. I've noticed that when my cannons bombard a medieval age city they take away more of the city's defences then when they bombard an industrial age city. Might be wrong though.

Siege weapons take away a certain fraction of the city's defense. That means the higher the base defense, the more percentage points the siege weapons will take away, and the later you are in the game, the higher city defenses are liable to be. Thus, the later the age, the more percentage points your Cannons are likely to be removing.

Example:
Cannons will take away 20% of a city's base defense. Thus:
1 Cannon firing against 20% base defense: -4% per shot
1 Cannon firing against 50% base defense: -10% per shot
1 Cannon firing against 100% base defense: -20% per shot
etc.



Edit: SPQR300

Some Wonders are limited by what Age you start in. Like Sirian said, the Ages serve as "entry points", meaning you can start a game that begins with everybody already in that Age, potentially disallowing those restricted Wonders. For example, you can choose to start with everybody already in the Industrial Age, but Stonehenge is only available on "Medieval and earlier" starts, so nobody could build Stonehenge in that game.

AFAIK, you also can't build a Wonder that is obsolete, i.e. Stonehenge after you get Calendar. However, this would only be tied to the Age indirectly via where the obsoleting tech is in the tech tree, with the Age itself not being the determining factor.

 

[LoopyLewis]

Some wonders cannot be buildt in later eras. For example you cannot build the forbidden palace after the middle ages, and you cannot build Versailles after the industrial age. ( I think there is nothing else effected by ages tough ^^)

I was wondering why I haven't build that Forbidden Palace in my recent game I must be tech researching too fast or somethin