My fear: that there are screens with text "xxx years later" between ages"

[Binkov]

I am trying to wrap my head around ages and especially what happens between two ages. But no one was shown start of the second age. Firaxis isnt discussing other ages much.
Given some of the things said about rubber banding , independent ages that are designed to be self contained games, i fear there is a chance we will literally have a certain period of time when control over our civ will be taken away from us, the player, at the end of an age, and then we will start the next age with a screen "500 years later, after a period known as the dark ages...." For the first transition.
And possibly "50 years later, after the instability of the revolutionary period..." For the second transition.
Or something to that extent, obviously.
Such blanks in the game will then be used to justify the rubber banding of the players in game. "See, its not strange that player A is not so much stronger than player B anymore at the start of next age. Many years have passed since and who knows what happened. It was a period of turmoil and few historical records were kept during that datk period."

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

Your fear is my hope.

(OK, that's putting it strongly, but I rather like the idea that between each Age you'll be rebuilding anew from the ashes of bygone empires)

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Such blanks in the game will then be used to justify the rubber banding of the players in game

I share your concern.

 

[BuchiTaton]

Seems like for Ancient>Exploration transition they would go with an outdated and forced "global dark age" but I wonder what would be the justification for Exploration>Modern era, I guess we should imagine a Aztec>Mexico situation when we England>UK

 

[wallacer]

My worry is that if you get a civilizational collapse at the end of an age then does playing well (or badly) actually matter that much? It will be interesting to see how much of your achievements, buildings etc. carry over to the next age.
Looking forward to hearing more about this.

 

[Krikkit1]

I am trying to wrap my head around ages and especially what happens between two ages. But no one was shown start of the second age. Firaxis isnt discussing other ages much.
Given some of the things said about rubber banding , independent ages that are designed to be self contained games, i fear there is a chance we will literally have a certain period of time when control over our civ will be taken away from us, the player, at the end of an age, and then we will start the next age with a screen "500 years later, after a period known as the dark ages...." For the first transition.
And possibly "50 years later, after the instability of the revolutionary period..." For the second transition.
Or something to that extent, obviously.
Such blanks in the game will then be used to justify the rubber banding of the players in game. "See, its not strange that player A is not so much stronger than player B anymore at the start of next age. Many years have passed since and who knows what happened. It was a period of turmoil and few historical records were kept during that datk period."

Hopefully they have rubber banding WITH player control. It does appear that you Play each Crisis. And I imagine the Plagues/Barbarians/Rvolutions, etc. will hit the strongest players hardest.

 

[Arent11]

Seems like for Ancient>Exploration transition they would go with an outdated and forced "global dark age" but I wonder what would be the justification for Exploration>Modern era, I guess we should imagine a Aztec>Mexico situation when we England>UK

The most absurd thing is that mechanically, the dark age is caused by *technological advancement*

And it happens for everyone at the same time?

 

[Arent11]

Just imagine getting a dark age/civilization collapse at the end of the middle ages/gunpowder, right when Renaissance & industrialization hit

 

[Krikkit1]

The most absurd thing is that mechanically, the dark age is caused by *technological advancement*

And it happens for everyone at the same time?

It’s mostly “caused” by the passage of time. Technology/Wonders only speed it up a small amount. (Happening at the same time for everyone is game balance)

 

[Arent11]

It’s mostly “caused” by the passage of time. Technology/Wonders only speed it up a small amount. (Happening at the same time for everyone is game balance)

Are you sure that you can't thrash (not kill) the AI enemies & stall your own tech development & in this way stall everyone reaching the end of the tech tree?

The point is that the middle ages were considered the dark ages & Renaissance & industrialization was always considered entering "Enlightenment".

I don't know of any widespread civilizational collapse in Europe during Renaissance/industrialization. To the contrary, the tech advances spurned an unprecedented rule of these civs.

 

[Siptah]

Are you sure that you can't thrash (not kill) the AI enemies & stall your own tech development & in this way stall everyone reaching the end of the tech tree?

The point is that the middle ages were considered the dark ages & Renaissance & industrialization was always considered entering "Enlightenment".

Crises aren’t triggered with tech. It‘s expansion (amount of cities), codices (probably has something to do with science but not tech), resources, and wonders built. So, it doesn‘t seem that you can really stop it.

For the other point, oof. I‘m not engaging with that but maybe you want to check out some sources from the last decades instead? The division between Middle Ages and Early Modern is still made, but the view changed a lot since Huizinga and his contemporaries.

 

[Gedemon]

I think something worth noting for the crisis is that it's not "everyone in the world", but "everyone in your area of the map"

 

[jdevo]

I'm worried about a lot of these new mechanics. The event system and the scripted crises at the end of each age seem to be ways to force guardrails on the player. I'm not a fan. Let the player direct the gameplay. It seems like too much handholding. I prefer to play the game instead of the game playing me.

 

[Professor Phobo]

Technology causing a civilization shock isn't that bonkers, TBH. Agriculture, oceangoing ships, the printing press, social media, and the higgs boson flavored dorito all disrupted/changed existing power structures.

 

[Krikkit1]

Are you sure that you can't thrash (not kill) the AI enemies & stall your own tech development & in this way stall everyone reaching the end of the tech tree?

The point is that the middle ages were considered the dark ages & Renaissance & industrialization was always considered entering "Enlightenment".

I don't know of any widespread civilizational collapse in Europe during Renaissance/industrialization. To the contrary, the tech advances spurned an unprecedented rule of these civs.

Every time you click end turn you get 1 more point. 200 points=Crisis/End of the Age (other things can add some points, but nothing removes them)

 

[lt22677]

So at least up to now this is the information

Eras​

There are three Eras in the Game Antiquity, Exploration & Modern and at the start of each era you pick a new Civilization to play as.

Eras are progressed by Age Progress Points which are triggered by achieving Legacy Points in the Victory Track,

Crisis

In-between each era there will be a crisis, causing you to add negative policies to your Civilizaiton.

Crisis Polices

Banditry: – Gold for each Imported Resource
Barbarian Mercenaries: Extra Gold Maintenance on Military Units
Decentralisation: – Gold and Food in Towns with a Specialisation
Inferior Tactics: – Combat Strength against Independent Powers.
Prognosis: + Science on Science Buildings in Infected Settlements; – Gold on Science Buildings
Rebellious Commanders: – Happiness in all cities for each Commander Rank
Recruitment Shortfalls: + Food in Towns; – Healing on all Units
Tribute: – Gold for Each City State you are Suzerain of

Practically in the age of crisis you get a penalty (obviously we need to see if there is more because if that's the case objectively it's ridiculous because in an age of crisis I expect barbaric invasions, revolts, cities declaring independence etc... )

 

[Arent11]

Crises aren’t triggered with tech. It‘s expansion (amount of cities), codices (probably has something to do with science but not tech), resources, and wonders built. So, it doesn‘t seem that you can really stop it.

For the other point, oof. I‘m not engaging with that but maybe you want to check out some sources from the last decades instead? The division between Middle Ages and Early Modern is still made, but the view changed a lot since Huizinga and his contemporaries.

So the crisis can trigger before you reach the end of the antiquity tech tree? And then you research the remaining techs in the middle ages?

 

[Siptah]

So the crisis can trigger before you reach the end of the antiquity tech tree? And then you research the remaining techs in the middle ages?

No. You start the next age with all techs.

 

[GeneralZIft]

I hate it in principle, because in general I never wanted this, but since it's here, it's better to have "X years later" rather than "immediate instant Civ change".

I can mildly stomach the idea of "50 years later... You're now the French" (you were the Frank's before for example)

 

[Arent11]

So at least up to now this is the information

Eras​

There are three Eras in the Game Antiquity, Exploration & Modern and at the start of each era you pick a new Civilization to play as.

Eras are progressed by Age Progress Points which are triggered by achieving Legacy Points in the Victory Track,

Crisis

In-between each era there will be a crisis, causing you to add negative policies to your Civilizaiton.

Crisis Polices

Banditry: – Gold for each Imported Resource
Barbarian Mercenaries: Extra Gold Maintenance on Military Units
Decentralisation: – Gold and Food in Towns with a Specialisation
Inferior Tactics: – Combat Strength against Independent Powers.
Prognosis: + Science on Science Buildings in Infected Settlements; – Gold on Science Buildings
Rebellious Commanders: – Happiness in all cities for each Commander Rank
Recruitment Shortfalls: + Food in Towns; – Healing on all Units
Tribute: – Gold for Each City State you are Suzerain of

Practically in the age of crisis you get a penalty (obviously we need to see if there is more because if that's the case objectively it's ridiculous because in an age of crisis I expect barbaric invasions, revolts, cities declaring independence etc... )

Ahh, so we have "Age progression points" that are tied to victory conditions, not turns.