Golden Age...too easy?

[cephyn]

Is getting a GA too easy for most people? I always get a GA in the ancient or early medieval age, no matter what civ i play. Forget triggering by UU, I always get it with a wonder. It's far less fun to play Germany and get that GA by building the Great Wall or Hanging Gardens. I'm so glad my 8 cities got that GA, now they can make warriors twice as fast and make 17 gp/turn instead of 8. (or whatever)

Point is, I always get them too early. I'm actually relieved when I can hold off getting it until I have a knight army or something. I just find them worthless in the early game period, where 20 turns goes by in the blink of an eye and half the time (archipeligo maps) I have only met one or two opponents, if that.

Thoughts?

 

[lwchen]

On higher difficulty levels this doesn't happen much as the Ancient Wonders are very difficult to build due to the computer production bonus. In fact, I've gone through entire Deity games without triggering a Golden Age.

In the long run though it doesn't matter much. Twenty turns is only a small portion of the overall game. Ideally you would want a Golden Age after all your cities are planted, but it most likely won't make the difference between winning and losing.

 

[dojoboy]

I used to think they were too early. However, in my current game as the Germans, I didn't get m GA until the mid-1700s.

 

[cephyn]

Well I play mostly on Regent and Monarch...fyi

 

[Magnus]

The last game I played as the Indians (Monarch) I got the GA on the verge of Industrial Era upon completion of the Trading Post Wonder - it was my latest GA to date - all I can say is WOW! It gave me several other wonders with the increased shields and gave me a tech lead I never relinquished with the extra trade (I was in Republic).

 

[Lt. 'Killer' M.]

I`m just playing Rome, and it was fun to fight all my early war since noone had iron - except the egyptians but those idiots wanted to build warriors and upgrade later - well guess what by then their iron was blocked by my spearmmen army... so I didn`t get my customary (too) early GA. I got it somewhen in the late Middle Ages - and that was sooooo fine.... I`d like to have several GAs possible but never two by the same method, never two in one age.... That would mean that Firaxis would have to introduce a new way of getting GAs, perhaps by reaching a certain cultural level or some such.....

 

[Snaproll]

To me, it seems where this is the greatest problem is with a civ like the Aztecs or Zulus, who will get their GA extremely early to almost no benefit. In fact, the Jaguar Warrior in particular is bad for this - it is a great unit for EXTREMELY early ancient conquest, and the Aztec strategy all but requires you use it for this, but you end up using up your entire GA in despotism with only a few cities.

I really think the GA is a huge help later in life - in my current game I used a GA to fight a major war but still keep up in tech (playing as the Germans). I personally find it hard to play the Aztecs because it's so painful to see your golden age squandered!
:suicide:

 

[brody]

yeah, I played as Persians and forgot about the UU thing. Went to take Russia (the only civ I had contact with at the time) and got my golden age with about 5 size 6 cities... better than Aztecs, but still sucked.

 

[SvenSlayer]

It's difficult to vote yes or no. It all depends on what civ you're playing for and on what difficulty level you're playing.

 

[simwiz2]

maybe if there was an option to not have a golden age when one is triggered, then you can have one later if it is triggered again. Not very realistic, but better for gameplay IMO.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

Wow, the poll's all tied up right now. I for one am a definite no vote. I don't even pay attention to which wonders will give my civ a golden age, I just let it happen. I like the randomness.

 

[smallstepforman]

I try to postpone the Golden Age to the late Industrial/Early Modern age. My strategy changes based on the UU I have in order to avoid an early Golden Age. Like lwchen, on higher levels I sometimes go by without a GA - which is more annoying than having an early GA.

There is nothing sweeter than starting a space race, and triggering a GA. Victory is assured.