is going into the last era in a dark age a really bad idea? and if so how could i have avoided it

[madeirabhoy]

new to GS, hadnt long added R&F and struggling a bit with the era scores.

playing on Europe in prince, with vanilla civ vi I used to win relatively easily but im finding it much harder now.

playing a game as japan, I have probably been a bit too peaceful, took one capital but also finding war seems to take so much longer now, but at least im just ahead (by about 2 techs and 20% more military) in most things so im probably looking at a science win or a points win. but im going to try and take a few capitals and see how I get on-

but ive gone into a dark age, and its the last era. is this a distaster in terms of loyalty? does it pretty much rule out the chances of me wiping out the French and English beside me. im the only nation in a dark era.


and going back to an earlier save, how far do I have to go back? basically I feel my era stage was pre ordaned hundreds of years ago when I hit a dark era before. from that dark era it was so easy to land in a heroic era, which meant it was virtually impossible to hit anything other than a dark era next. I had to get a score of 154 I think and I hit the era on 140. going back and deliberately playing for era points by creating the first of units I don't even need, trade routes to city states that don't make sense, I don't know what else I can do.

so basically did it go wrong when I failed to hit the normal era hundreds of years ago, was that the point I was preordained to rise to high and fall to the ground like Icarus.

what things am I missing that increase era score?

 

[kb27787]

Artifacts, national parks, completed all buildings in entertainment, water parks and aerodrome districts, fully promoted spy, governor, first tier government, science victory milestones, convincing hostile CS to stand down using envoys, etc.

There are plenty...

 

[Midgardsormr]

I find Archaeologists to be the easiest and most reliable source of peaceful era score in the late game. The trick is to realize that the Archaeologist only disappears when the museum is full. And if you trade away the artifacts, it never fills up. So as long as the AI has built museums, you can trade away everything you dig up for Era score + buckets of gold. Careful not to trade with someone in danger of getting a cultural victory, though. Or if you do, try to get Great Works in exchange to at least maintain the status quo.

While at war, killing corps and armies with smaller formations is a reliable means of earning score. If you have sufficient Faith output, converting cities while at war is also a good way to get some.

An end game Dark Age isn't necessarily a problem, even if you still have some conquering to do, if you can attack fast and hit multiple cities within a couple turns of one another. The key is to quickly reduce population pressure on the cities you want to capture. It's more difficult, yes, but by that point in the game you should have the tools you need to blitz through AI territory fairly quickly. Also, don't overlook policy cards that can boost loyalty—you have quite a few options in the late game.

 

[seanos08]

Thanks for the tip about trading away artifacts. I find dig sites really annoying when I want to put an improvement or a district on that tile so I wind up making 3-4 museums to clear them. Now I only need 1.

 

[Casualty of war]

Exceptional Neighborhoods and Military Academies are Era score that sometimes goes missed. Sometimes you just have to build that goofy Wonder that the rest of the world chose not to.

And a Dark Age is great for a Domination Victory. Slot the card that gives you bonus strength but makes it so you can't heal outside your territory. You can still pillage and promote your units back to health. And while the unit can't heal itself, anything that heals the unit like the Great Scientist or Apostles with the right promotion still works.

 

[Midgardsormr]

while the unit can't heal itself, anything that heals the unit like the Great Scientist or Apostles with the right promotion still works.

Really? Does that apply to Medics/Convoys as well? It never occurred to me to check.

 

[Casualty of war]

Really? Does that apply to Medics/Convoys as well? It never occurred to me to check.

I honestly can't say. I've never built or upgraded intentionally into either. Often my Tanks travel with a Battering Ram!

 

[Jerovich]

Exceptional Neighborhoods and Military Academies are Era score that sometimes goes missed.

Wasn't the neightbourhood one triggered off by building the first of your own for +2 - or world's first for +3 - regardless of the appeal?

However, if you manage to get that appeal on it'll grant you like 600 Culture Points for Conservation - no joke. 3 envoys, National Parks and the possibility to grow some nice and productive trees on those stinky isolated grassland tiles in the middle of nowhere!

I recognize you must've invested hard on culture to happen early enough to really impact your game.

 

[madeirabhoy]

as it happened, I found going back to not long before the first dark age and replaying whilst making sure I did lots of 'firsts' meant I went to golden age and stayed in that all the time, put me in a great position to start invading everyone beside me starting with the weakest, knowing that the strongest nation was the furthest away, all going well battering everyone then....game over..whilst I was taking over the world they won with a cultural victory!

 

[cain3456]

I got an info era dork age and it's been no big deal at all. Probably helps that most of the world is in one (5/7).

 

[Victoria]

regardless of the appeal?

It is now breathtaking, Not 100% that is was before

For the OP. Having both England and France next to you when you go dark is a disaster. A last age dark is often to too many goldens and too larger empire and you really have to push points. GP getting, GG/GA victories can help as can Taj Mahal but if you have loads of cities and lots of golden times you have burnt out your empire.