Golden Age Questions (Long)

[Paul_Hoplite]

As you can tell from my user name, I frequently play the Greek civilization. I like the combination of commercial and scientific traits. I've been reading in other threads about the ranking of wonders and triggering golden ages (or trying to delay golden ages) and thats raised the following questions I have.

My style of play is huge map with large continents. I often get the combination Colossus and Great library since at the higher levels these are the only early wonders that I have a chance to obtain. (I currently play regent and have jumped to diety on occasion to test myself). At the start, I set the tech meter at the minimun and work on writing while building up gold)

The problem is for the Greeks, obtaining Colossus and the Great Library triggers a golden age in the middle of ancient times when I don't want it. Also, I frequently have Rome as a neigbor who typicslly starts early wars when I don't submit to demands. While I have no problem fending them off and gainly cities my UU is the hoplite. IWhen I defend a city I it also triggers an early golden age.

Rather than change civilization or forgo these wonders, I'm trying to determine how to take advantage of a golden age at this time. My questions are as follows:

1. In general, how do you take advantage of a golden age regardless of its timing. (My preference is the middle or just before the middle of the middle ages when a lot of wonders become available, e.g., Leonardos, Sistine)

2. When a golden age is uavoidable triggered, how do you trasnsition to maximize it's use.

3. What are everyone's experoiences with a golden age in the middle of ancient times.

 

[billindenver]

I'm probably not the best one to respond, but what the heck.

The only GA that is really useless (IMO) are the ones that occur when you only have 1-4 cities. The cities are so small at that point that the extra shields don't really amount to much.

Once I have 6-8 cities, I'm ready for my GA anytime. Early middle ages is best, but late ancient is fine with me too. I can really build out my cities infrastructure. Temples, Libraries, Aqueducts, Marketplaces, Colloseums. You may have to buy the techs to build them, but after 20 turns you'll have 6-8 pretty good cities going.

If you don't have the techs to build those cities, WTH, build military and go to war. Rome would be a tough nut, but you could send a Hoplite or two and destroy their iron source to cut them down to size.

 

[Astares]

There are a few ways to utilize a GA to maximum potential, one is use it to mass produce military units for a war and the GA has usually come about because you are at war and your UU has triggered it.

The second one is to use it to build city improvements, hopefully you will have six or more cities at size 6 or more, so you can use the GA and the extra shields to fast track city improvements. You should be able to get about 3 or so buildings done before the GA ends. Thing to remember is not to overbuild a city, as in putting in more improvements then that city can financially support during normal times. Ideally you don't want to be at war when going this route as you'll have to focus solely on building city improvements to get the optimum use out of the GA, intermingling building of units will cost you an improvement or two.

The third choice is to pick a few cities that have the potential to build a wonder within 20 turns (or very close to 20), and set them a wonder each to build. Set the remaining cities to either unit or city improvements depending on the game environment. Don't have all your cities producing all possible wonders, unless you know that you will have a new wonder available soon and can prebuild for it. Main reason is that the AI will usually get at least one of the wonders built and if your building all of them then one cities going to waste alot of shields. If you are only building say 4 out of 5 available wonders then you can switch the city over to another wonder. If the AI beats you to several wonders, then switch to Palace or Forbidden Palace (being sure not to actually build them unless you want to) and hope you have access to another wonder soon. Beg, Borrow or Steal Techs from the AI if they have any that allow a Wonder to be built, I know in late Middle Ages I will only research the needed techs to progress the age but the AI will nearly always research the optional ones that usually have all the wonders in them.

Another choice is to use the GA to mass produce cash via repositioning workers in the city to rivers, ocean etc that gives the most trade and building trade increasing city improvements. For example if you get a late Ancient Age GA from the Great Library and can build Horsemen, then mass build horsemen, prebuild Leonardo's Workshop, max out your commerce where possible and come the end of your GA you'll have a ton of gold, a Stack of Doom of Horsemen, hopefully researched Invention and near or built LW, then you research/trade/get Chivilary and whammo. You have a knight army that will crush any foe and conquer any land you need. Alternately you can replace Warriors for Horsemen and have a somewhat slower and non upgradeable army of Swordsmen, upside is the need for less techs and less money upgrading.

 

[dragon.jade]

Hello,

Here's another thing that can be done about GA: Change Governement before triggering it!!!!! If you're still in Despotism, the Despotism Penalty (any square producing more than 2 items, be them shields, foods or trades, are reduced by one!!!!) If you stay in Despotism, you can lose then the whole point of having +1 shield and +1 trade in all your worked squares for 20 turns!

Well, my typical reaction when building a wonder that will trigger my GA and I'm still tyranizing my population: Get a revolution 1 turn before completion of that Wonder (since production is halted, you'll get your full GA under the new republic or monarchy )!

That's just my thought...

 

[metalhead]

I would recommend having at least 2 of the following 3 when triggering an ancient GA: Monarchy, Iron hooked up, and Horseback Riding with horses hooked up. The best way to set yourself up for a successful game is to grad as much land as possible. While a later GA may best be spent building wonders and improvements, an early GA should always be spent on military.

With proper planning, you can make the most of an ancient GA. Since you know the GL will trigger your GA if you already have the Colossus, make sure to have barracks in place in most of your cities, and preferably be a Monarchy as well. You can further plan by avoiding a war and triggering one with your hoplites. When the GA hits, you will have a terrific opportunity to stock up on horsemen/swordsmen and take them to your nearest neighbor. Remember, the earlier you take land from the neighbors, the longer you will have it and benefit from it, and in the ancient age, you will be outproducing your competition during your GA, even on Emperor. The best thing about the Greeks is that even if your GA doesn't give you enough troops, any AI civ other than Persia will find it impossible to take any of your cities, so even a failed war will not lose you anything, other than the shields you spent building units.

As for later GAs, I almost always spend them on military. I don't view any of the wonders as much more than nice to have, with the possible exceptions of Sun Tzu's, ToE, and Hoover Dam, which I will make sure to build during a GA. Other than that, my GA strategy is pretty blunt - amass the best available units and introduce them to the nearest enemy. Whether the GA is expected or not, this is pretty much my strategy, although I'll snag one of the above 3 wonders if they happen to be available at the time.

 

[Matt P]

Definately get out of Despotism that's for sure. It's a waste of a GA if you're stuck in that government during it and you don't want to have to change goverments either during your GA.

Use your GA to go to war and conquer or cut down a neighbour or use it to build more cities and improve infrastructure.

Another thing, if you're always up against Rome, then just switch off the option of culturally linked starting positions and you shouldn't get the Romans as a neighbour. You might get the Zulus or Aztecs instead .....

 

[Paul_Hoplite]

Also, I've noticed when I switch governments during a GA , the customary 5-6 turns of anarchy (for greeks) is reduced to 1 turn. If I have Republic or Monarchy, I switch goverments on the next turn. (Republic if at peace, Monarchy if at war)

 

[JMK]

GA during Despotism is definitly not the best!
But if it does happen then I will use the GA building military units and expend myself through my neighbor(s).
Take cities with at least 2 Pop, so, you can keep your own cities growing, if neighbor city have only 1 Pop, wait a few turns before taking it, go for another one.