Golden Age ?

[scubagtr]

Well, in my first GOTM, I have seen many posts referring to when they entered the Golden Age, sometimes they were happy about it other not, like when they were in Depotism.

I would like to know, what exactly is the Golden Age, what usually triggers it, what are it's advantages/disadvantages, and what's the best strategy in using it.

 

[Zcylen]

GA is a very useful if you know how and when to trigger it. there are several things that can trigger a GA for you civilization.
the most common is when you build you UU.
if your UU wins a battle it can trigger a GA, during the GA curruption is very low, ever tile produces an extra shield and you city defenses are stronger.
in my last game I was Germany and I had about 40 panzers, then when I was ready I declare war and sent a panzer to an easy target, after the enemy was defeated it started my GA, now every panzer takes only 3 or 4 turns to be build, while in normal way it took 6 or 8 turns.

 

[Bloog]

The Golden Age is a once-per-civ period of 20 turns during what every tile producing commerce produces one more commerce and the same for production.

To activate your golden age you eighter
-win a combat vs non-barbarian player using the unique unit
-build grand wonders that cover the special abilities of your civ. Remember civs having 2 special abilities. Grand Wonders have 0, 1 or 2 aspects that may match your civ. When you complete a wonder and both your civ special abilities become matched, the golden age will break loose.
You even can trigger the GA using a wonder not associated to any ability, like Shakespear, if you have conquered the appropriate wonder(s) in the past.

GA is very neat to constuct more wonders and to do so you best trigger it while not in despotism/anarchy as these govs are not very productive.

 

[scubagtr]

Thanks guys for your help. Now I just need to figure out at what point of the game is the best to trigger this event. I guess it would be different each game.

 

[Speaker]

It definitely does depend on the game, although I think many people would agree that a Golden Age during the early Medieval Age, a little while after you have switched to Republic, is best.

 

[Mitch Paige]

I always try to PLan my golden age, and research waht wonders and/or actions would trigger it. That way, I can have it happen right when I want it, as in just before i star a war

 

[Chieftess]

There's a whole bunch of threads on that. It depends on what civ you are, and what goals you want. GOTM is more of an ultra-builder competition, where you get the highest score. The middle ages (right when you get cathedrals) is the best for that IMHO. Markets, cathedrals, colleseums, etc.

In the Tournament (fastest finish), It might be best to trigger it when your UU is availible. In Tournament 3-1, I had India, and doubled my size once I got War Elephants. Half the cities produced cathedrals, while the other half produced War Elephants.

 

[Shillen]

I always screw up my GA with wonders. I've never learned which ones follow which traits. In my current game I built pyramids with 1 turn to go on republic and it triggered my GA. So I had to spend the GA in despotism, even though I learned republic on the first turn.

 

[Arutha]

So I had to spend the GA in despotism, even though I learned republic on the first turn.

Well, better to waste 5-6 turns of your GA in anarchy than the whole of it under despotism imo.

 

[Shillen]

I'm not so sure. I think either way it's just as bad. I did end up switching on like turn 14 and I came out of anarchy the same time the GA ended. Oh well. I don't think the despotic rule where any food/shields/commerce above 2 gets reduced by 1 should apply to Golden Age. Then your GA would be good no matter what government you were in. Either that or a government switch during your GA should take half as long. Then people might even try to get a glory age just for a faster revolution.

 

[Uncle Dynamite]

The beginning of the Middle Ages is a great time for a Golden Age, although I like them at the beginning of the Industrial Age as well. You get to rush industrialization with factories and critical wonders, giving yourself quite an edge. Russia and the Ottomans are nice civs for that, with their unique units debuting right at the end of the Middle Ages.