Exploration Age help!

[sav]

I've seen a lot of comments around about how the game is basically won in the Exploration Age. Unfortunately for me, that's the age I really struggle in.

Been playing at Deity, and it's a good challenge, but every single game almost completely falls apart for me in the Exploration Age, and requires a big massive war in the Modern Age to compensate. I don't want to always go to war though!

Often it's because one of the AIs gets some absurd yields, driving forward the age counter.

So, what might I be doing wrong? What strategies do you guys employ to really get ahead in the Exploration Age?

 

[vorlon_mi]

Although I have not yet tried a game at Deity, I have some things I have done at Sovreign that may be helpful.

• Consider relations with neighbors. If someone starts the Exploration Age hating me, it's probably because I am encroaching on their territory or have taken settlements from them. I often do my warmongering early in Exploration, before the AI-to-AI alliances have a chance to reestablish themselves after Antiquity.
• Be diligent about overbuilding. In pursuing the Enlightenment (Science) legacy path, keeping buildings from Antiquity will not cut it, in most cases. (Yes, a golden age academy or UQ would be exceptions). The Exploration buildings will give better yields, allowing you to keep pace with many AI.
• Use hostile independent powers (IPs) to train up your newbie army commanders or fleet commander. Finding your way to them is a good way to map out Distant Lands.
• In my first few games, Treasure Resources seemed easy to find. In my last few games, it's been harder. I start training a settler in an inland city early in Exploration, even before I finish the civic/tech to let the settler traverse deep ocean. Getting an island town or two will lengthen trade routes and set up my economy better.
• Yes, I have also seen the AI having crazy yields in Exploration. It's often one of the Napoleons. I rarely get "Future Techs" in Exploration, unless my leader is strong and I picked a science-heavy civ.
• If the diplomatic situation is stable in the Homelands, seek out friencly IPs to befriend. The snowball effect of suz'ing city states can be very strong. Any CS that you befriended in Antiquity will have successors in Exploration that start out friendly.

 

[uppi]

How does it fall apart? What is going wrong for you?

 

[Siptah]

I‘d be glad to help, but I would need a bit more info.

As for yields: city state bonuses can make a huge difference.

In general: having good traditions at start helps a lot to get started.

And I always rush for the DL and buy one or two cogs in the first turns to have better scouting. If you play without age reset, you could also hard build these before the transition. Cogs can also explore goody huts on land. You can also get settlers across oceans quite early if you are careful with not chaining too many deep ocean tiles in their path.

Buy stuff in newly founded DL settlements to get one or two cities up there (where the terrain is good, not necessarily on the islands), and then expand from there.

Golden ages can be traps. If you don‘t have many legacy points, they are often better spend on attributes or the other legacy options than golden age ones.

Religion is relatively easy if you can get Rila and/or House of Wisdom. I like the belief that grants relics from converting your own cities. Otherwise, the capital one is also good.

Military legacy path is easy if you just expand in the DL and then convert all of it in an orchestrated effort.

For science, unlocking „+ yields on building“ techs and policy cards that increase adjacencies are great. And of course, you need some specialists and increase the limit. This legacy path can be very easy, depending on your civ and traditions. With others, it might be difficult, because it is hard without at least some late game techs. If you can build Machu Picchu, you probably have this legacy path covered.

Treasure fleets depend a bit on map generation and on other players, but a few early towns on the island can work wonders here. Even if they just give 1 or 2 resources, having the counter start early, and having only a short distance to close makes your life much easier.