Golden Age - do we really need/want it?

[Longasc]

The Golden Age is usually described as the Timeframe where a Civilization is at it's peak.

In Civ3, you get a boost during your Golden Age, the GA itself is triggered by building a Wonder according to the trait or the victory of the UU of your Civ.

Now there are several Civs that have LATE UU's -> America's F-15, Germanies Panzer e.g.

It is very clever to PLAN your Golden Age - not too early, not too late... this is difficult for America e.g.


But, well, does the AI get a Golden Age, too? Do we really need it?

Is it not too bad that Enkidu Warriors may trigger you GA so early?

Should GA not be started by meeting various requirements, not only one Victory of an UU perhaps?

Indeed I had games were my GA was so early that it had little affect, my TRUE Golden Age is the time where I am win the hegemony on a continent or so, or the time where I catch up to the leading nation or the time where I am the supreme power of the world.


So my question is:

Do we like the Golden Age "as it is"
OR
Do you want no Golden Age at all
OR
A Golden Age based on something more sophisticated than an UU victory / wonder build?

 

[Siegmund]

I would prefer to have more control over when my golden age happened.

And I wouldn't mind if we didn't have them at all ... I've won games in the industrial ages playing as Germany and never had one, so they aren't really necessary .... just another bell to put among the whistles.

 

[Tech Step]

I would prefer to have more control over when my golden age happened.

I think this statement is incorrect. You currently have plenty of control over when you want to start your golden age. You simply have to choose a CIV that has a UU fin an era that you need your GA.

 

[Longasc]

Tech Step, well... do you really think that this choice can be really called "plenty of control"?

I pretty much agree with Siegmund; sometimes I even forget that I am currently in my GA.


BTW: The first time the sun icon appeared, I did not know what it is... I thought: Wow, probably a golden age... hehe

 

[AIL]

In my Mod there's no GA... But the reason for this is a bit far fetched:

I modded all Land artillery-units out and then noticed that the Koreans would not have an UU...

So instead of inventing a new UU for them I made it so that nobodys UU can trigger a GA...

And since Wonders were already modded out aswell...

Well, one wonder is still in, the UN for the Diplomatic Victory... I changed it so, that it would trigger a GA for whoever builds it. But this means only one Nation can have a GA in my Mod.

 

[Gengis Khan]

Wow!! No wonders, no GA, and no UUs?!! Where can I pick up that mod?

You already have alot of control over your GA, civ's with a late UU can pick & choose their Wonders to give them a GA when they want it. Even Civ's with early UUs can use them for MPs, scouting & barb repelant until they want to trigger it. I can't count all the games I with Persia where I had a stack of Immortals just waiting for me to finish researching Monarchy.

No, we don't need it. But it's a really cool feature to have, and works great the way its already implamented.

 

[Turner]

At the right time and place, a GA can be a gamewinner or a gamebreaker. It's part of the reason I stay away from Early UUs, cuz I often get a GA from them when I don't want it.

I'd like to see it remain much the same, but I'd also like to see other ways to initiate one. Not sure how, but if it was reasonable it would be cool. It's kind of ludicrous that the Americans and Koreans have to rely on Wonders, or of their UU being modded, to kick of a GA.

 

[AIL]

Originally posted by Gengis Khan
Wow!! No wonders, no GA, and no UUs?!! Where can I pick up that mod?

The UUs are still in! They just don't trigger any GA any more!
Fact is: Wonders cripple the AIs ability to defend themselfes in early wars!

The Mod greatly decreases the advantages of the human over the AI by changing a lot of the things the AI was bad at. So some other things that aren't in are corrution or factory-like buildings...

You may pick it up here: http://civ2-forum.gamigo.de//attachment.php?s=&postid=259813

 

[Shirastro]

I dont really care about GA. If they come then i say " how nice" if they dont then i dont even notice it.

 

[sealman]

Originally posted by AIL
In my Mod there's no GA... But the reason for this is a bit far fetched:

I modded all Land artillery-units out and then noticed that the Koreans would not have an UU...

So instead of inventing a new UU for them I made it so that nobodys UU can trigger a GA...

And since Wonders were already modded out aswell...

Well, one wonder is still in, the UN for the Diplomatic Victory... I changed it so, that it would trigger a GA for whoever builds it. But this means only one Nation can have a GA in my Mod.

I also modded my games so that UU cannot start a GA.

 

[Yumbo]

To answer the initial post in this thread, yes, the AI gets Golden Ages. And I think that modding them out except under very specific circumstances could (not always, but sometimes) be a tremendous advantage to the human player over the AI, since the AI cannot anticipate a certain wonder in order to trigger a GA (and the AI doesn't use cheats such as the Palace Prebuild).

 

[sealman]

Originally posted by Yumbo
To answer the initial post in this thread, yes, the AI gets Golden Ages. And I think that modding them out except under very specific circumstances could (not always, but sometimes) be a tremendous advantage to the human player over the AI, since the AI cannot anticipate a certain wonder in order to trigger a GA (and the AI doesn't use cheats such as the Palace Prebuild).

I play with a house rule that will not let me use the palace prebuild exploit.

 

[ProPain]

I like the GA, although I wouldnt mind if there wouldnt be a GA at all.

I do think it's very well planable though in single player games. Although it might be a bit difficult with early UU, I've played quite a few games where I would avoid attacking with jags and only attacked a wounded longbowmen with one when I was ready for my GA. There also is an advantage to early UU, because you can build them as long as you didnt have your GA even if they;re obsolete. This allows for building cheap units (shield wise) and upgrading them with cash without disconnecting resources or withholding a tech.

Wonder if this also works if you use the no-ga mods. Imagine you can build Jags and upgrade them to guerilla or war chariots that upgrade to cav. I can't imagine the AI handling that very well as it can't really handle the current mass upgrades as is.