New Continuity option.

[CliffCo]

I believe having units not being shuffled around should be permenant and not bundled in with the units being carried over between eras.

Right now at the end of the antiquity age you can have multiple units like the quadrireme that only take 2 turns each to produce in some cities turn to Cogs after age transition, which could result in having a massive navy at the start of the era, same with many army units.that are cheap to produce or buy.

I don't like the way you can build up units towards the end of an era and them be carried over, but currently don't have the option without my units being shuffled all over the place.

 

[King Flevance]

I think the units should all be carried over as age 1 units (Ballistas, Quadriremes, etc.) and you are required to research and pay to upgrade them at the start of the next era. I like them being carried over, but to upgrade them on top of it feels ham fisted.

 

[UWHabs]

I think the units should all be carried over as age 1 units (Ballistas, Quadriremes, etc.) and you are required to research and pay to upgrade them at the start of the next era. I like them being carried over, but to upgrade them on top of it feels ham fisted.

Yeah, I would agree there. Even if they upgrade to the T3 unit of the earlier era automatically, and you still have to pay a price to push them to the new units. Then even if you have a bunch of quads around, if they were set up so that quads could not explore ocean, you'd still have to pay to upgrade.

 

[Pfeffersack]

+1. Conserved unit positions, more unit types eligible for takeover and no more numerical limit on the amount of units are enough of a bonus. Getting a free ride with auto-upgrade to the basic unit of the new age feels too much - it makes spamming units in last turns too much of a no-brainer: You can only keep 3000 (or 3500?) Gold and there is a natural limit of buildings you can build (based on number of cities and maybe unfinished research)...but an unlimited number of units allowed already extends you economical "transition capacity" as much as you want...so there is no need to get the free-update bonus on top. While in the Regroup setting the auto-upgrade fits at least losely thematically (civs "regroup" in the ranking as well by tech differences vanishing with era change), I don't think its needed in Contigency. Also doubt that in this mode the argument of helping the AI performance is still valid (already debatable under Regroup rules, but here I don't see the AI exploting the formentioned possibilities as effective as the human player). Technically, it would be needed to have the old units (maybe only the tier3 variants to which an upgrade could happen?) in the new era...not sure how much of a hassle that would be for implementation and actual running of the game.

 

[Siptah]

Yeah, the free upgrade should be dropped – regardless of setting. Maybe tie a few free upgrades to future techs or so.
I'm actually a fan of resets, maybe because I am used to it from board games. Carrying settlers and ships over seems too much for me, so I will likely stick with regroup for the future (even though I don't like the units reshuffle). But that Age end timer, that's an incredibly useful!

 

[stealth_nsk]

Yeah, the free upgrade should be dropped – regardless of setting. Maybe tie a few free upgrades to future techs or so.
I'm actually a fan of resets, maybe because I am used to it from board games. Carrying settlers and ships over seems too much for me, so I will likely stick with regroup for the future (even though I don't like the units reshuffle). But that Age end timer, that's an incredibly useful!

I found settlers and ships carried over to be not that big issue. Your settlers are waiting till they sail to the distant lands anyway, so it's not that big deal - usually you could just buy them. Ships and explorers waiting on both sides of homelands are big help in exploring the territory, but I've heard many complains that ships don't have enough moves to explore the distant lands before, so this looks like an improvement. And pretty harmless - by the time you may need fleet for war, those carryovers don't matter anymore.

Catapults availability surely changes the game, since medieval walls are still delayed, but I don't think it break the game, just changes.

 

[Canadian Bluebeer]

I like the unit carryover. As for upgrading the units, it's fine. I mean the AI gets to catch up on science/culture on transition anyway.

Next is to have them carry over all the gold/influence. Not just the measly one turn.

(and they bloody well better if they add a 4th age. Was getting over 7k gold per turn in modern. heh.
4 alliances. was suprised.)

 

[CliffCo]

I found settlers and ships carried over to be not that big issue. Your settlers are waiting till they sail to the distant lands anyway, so it's not that big deal - usually you could just buy them. Ships and explorers waiting on both sides of homelands are big help in exploring the territory, but I've heard many complains that ships don't have enough moves to explore the distant lands before, so this looks like an improvement. And pretty harmless - by the time you may need fleet for war, those carryovers don't matter anymore.

Catapults availability surely changes the game, since medieval walls are still delayed, but I don't think it break the game, just changes.

Other than the military units beieng carried over i also don't like that merchants and Settlers carry over, as now you can build up several of each towards the end of an era and send them out as soon as the age transitions. I wanted unit shuffling removed but i didn't want all these other abilities lumped in with it.

 

[ggalindo001]

I like the unit carryover. As for upgrading the units, it's fine. I mean the AI gets to catch up on science/culture on transition anyway.

Next is to have them carry over all the gold/influence. Not just the measly one turn.

(and they bloody well better if they add a 4th age. Was getting over 7k gold per turn in modern. heh.
4 alliances. was suprised.)

This is yet another unintended (i'm sure unintended) consequence to this age transition approach and Firaxis trying to "put the toothpaste back in the tube" on this very broken mechanic.

At first we can rationalize and say -- but the AI also gets to catch up as well.

However, the AI isn't likely gamifying for the next age like a human player would. So in this case, knowing everything carries over and is upgraded, buy cheap at the end of an era, and poof, strong at the beginning of the next.

When there was limitations on what carried over, but gold did -- you would farm gold.

Which gets to the core issue IMO with the transition -- not the fact you change civilizations, but the fact that you gamify for the latter half of the first 2 ages for the next age, instead of a continuous growth approach.

What I would not be adverse to is the following:

1 -- Continued progression through the ages for any human player -- so, you have to finish the tech/civics trees before the new ones open up, no auto upgrades to units, etc.

2 -- AI players get "boosts" at the age transition to launch into the next age (so auto upgrades to units, techs, civics etc. to the next age start)

3 -- Age transition still results in changes to Civ -- however, legacy units for human players do not automatically convert to Civ specific units without going through an upgrade

4 -- Age transition also has the ability to 'reset' relationships except those at war. So wars continue, but alliances do not.

This would force a more balanced approach through the later stages of an age, including fighting through whatever crisis mechanic is operating.

 

[Leucarum]

I think I'd like to see more granular options with contunuity mode... I have always been ok with units being "regrouped"... I'd like to be able to fine tune what combinations are continuous.

 

[ehecatzin]

Other than the military units beieng carried over i also don't like that merchants and Settlers carry over, as now you can build up several of each towards the end of an era and send them out as soon as the age transitions. I wanted unit shuffling removed but i didn't want all these other abilities lumped in with it.

I mean that's also what we do in normal gameplay do we not? prebuild some settlers and get them in position for the moment you've got enough city cap. I don't see an issue with it.

I think the units should all be carried over as age 1 units (Ballistas, Quadriremes, etc.) and you are required to research and pay to upgrade them at the start of the next era. I like them being carried over, but to upgrade them on top of it feels ham fisted.

This. It would also allow for late era units, like the Phalanx to have more playtime, instead of it just being insta upgraded starting exploration. If the objective is to smooth out the era transition, this is one area that would absolutely help.

 

[Leucarum]

This. It would also allow for late era units, like the Phalanx to have more playtime, instead of it just being insta upgraded starting exploration. If the objective is to smooth out the era transition, this is one area that would absolutely help.

If each era is a separate mod... Do those outdated units even exist in the files/database for exploration?

 

[ehecatzin]

If each era is a separate mod... Do those outdated units even exist in the files/database for exploration?

Probably not, lol.

 

[Krikkit1]

If each era is a separate mod... Do those outdated units even exist in the files/database for exploration?

They should probably make Tier 0 units that can’t be built and cost full purchase price to upgrade to Tier 1

 

[Calcifer]

I also don't like the idea of being able to carry over an unlimited amount of units which are automatically upgraded during age transition. I wonder if we will ever see some kind of "garrison limit" that acts similar to the settlement limit: a soft/hard cap to how many units you can build and mantain in your empire.

 

[Krikkit1]

I also don't like the idea of being able to carry over an unlimited amount of units which are automatically upgraded during age transition. I wonder if we will ever see some kind of "garrison limit" that acts similar to the settlement limit: a soft/hard cap to how many units you can build and mantain in your empire.

They have that…it’s called Maintenance and the cost is far too low (should probably be doubled-tripled in Exploration and Tripled-5x in Modern)
as well as increasing for units in enemy/neutral territory

Maintenance adjustment abilities could be scaled per age.

 

[Calcifer]

They have that…it’s called Maintenance and the cost is far too low (should probably be doubled-tripled in Exploration and Tripled-5x in Modern)
as well as increasing for units in enemy/neutral territory

Maintenance adjustment abilities could be scaled per age.

I mean another number, let's say you can build max 15 units (growing with techs/buildings/commander promotions/whatever), then you start getting maluses (can't build more unit / units cost more production / increased maintenance costs / unhappiness / whatever). Maintenance growing linearly with the number of units will never be enough I'm afraid.

 

[Krikkit1]

I mean another number, let's say you can build max 15 units (growing with techs/buildings/commander promotions/whatever), then you start getting maluses (can't build more unit / units cost more production / increased maintenance costs / unhappiness / whatever). Maintenance growing linearly with the number of units will never be enough I'm afraid.

You could just add +5% to total maintenance costs per unit.

 

[Atlas627]

Actually I liked the old version and now I don't even have that, as all units are preserved now even if I pick the old version in settings.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Actually I liked the old version and now I don't even have that, as all units are preserved now even if I pick the old version in settings.

Really? The changelog fairly clearly states that all of the changes (including new types of units or an increased number) are intended to only apply for the Contigency setting:

New Continuity Option – You can now pick the type of Age Transition impact you want, with the new default option called Continuity, and the existing option called Regroup. Here's what you can expect from Continuity:

• Your Units will stay where they were in the previous Age, but are upgraded to their new version for that Age.
• Units in other players' borders will be expelled in the same manner as if you lost open borders, but will remain nearby.
• In addition to what was carried over before, you now can transition with Ships and Siege Units from Antiquity to Exploration, as well as Settlers, Migrants, Scouts, and Merchants in all Ages.
• You will no longer get Advisor Warnings for large armies.

It may be worth to report any change to Regroup as bug, IMO.