What to do as an age is ending?

[wesplaysciv]

The discontinuity around the age transitions makes for different incentives, I guess. As an age gets closer to conclusion, how should you reposition your empire?

1. Production - ageless buildings or commanders or wonders only (if they can be completed in time), or units if you think you are under the cap. No point doing science, culture projects, civilian units, or non-ageless buildings. Is there any point repairing or do things automatically get repaired? If cities had gold projects, that could make sense to do.
2. Science - doesn't really matter? Not clear if any tech researched, masteries or not, has any impact in the next age. settlement limit carries over - maybe?
3. Culture - make sure your own civ's tree is complete as the traditions do carry over (although - do they need to be researched in the age, or do they carry over automatically?) diplomatic action capabilities (some cultural masteries) carry over
4. Influence - spend to improve/reduce relationships as desired? Can't take more than 350 or so with you, some of the relationship carries over. Maybe spend to incorporate a city state but make sure you have enough time to complete it.
5. Gold - save up to 3K. If you are above that, does spending money to make a city in this age reduce the cost of it becoming a city in the next age? Also a nobrainer if you are planning to take the economic golden age where your cities remain as cities.
6. War - you can feel better razing marginal cities as you won't have to live with the penalties for that long.

In general, it's good to assess where you are on the legacy paths to see if you can hit another milestone, but otherwise there's no incremental benefit to progressing them.

In a recent game I had the plague crisis, built / bought a few physicians, used them, plague was still there? And all it did was damage some buildings. Could have saved that gold for the next age.

 

[fantsu]

This is a kind of a list that should pop up ten turns before transition imho.
And easy to add in the game.
No reason to hinder the player for playing your game.

 

[Angua]

I think it still makes sense to build non-ageless buildings. They end up being something like +3 science, -3 gold. Or +3 production -3 gold. Basically pretty even between gold cost and other yield benefit. And most yields are more valuable than gold. I am happy to trade gold for science, culture, production to get a head start at the beginning of the new era which is the most important moment. I felt the same way as you on my first game but completely changed my mind after that, I try and rush down as many as I can once other priorities have been satisfied.

There is also the secondary benefit that you can get the policy that gives production boost for overbuilding.

For gold, upgrading a town to a city in one age does make it cheaper in the next age.

 

[Piranga]

I think it still makes sense to build non-ageless buildings. They end up being something like +3 science, -3 gold. Or +3 production -3 gold. Basically pretty even between gold cost and other yield benefit. And most yields are more valuable than gold. I am happy to trade gold for science, culture, production to get a head start at the beginning of the new era which is the most important moment. I felt the same way as you on my first game but completely changed my mind after that, I try and rush down as many as I can once other priorities have been satisfied.

There is also the secondary benefit that you can get the policy that gives production boost for overbuilding.

For gold, upgrading a town to a city in one age does make it cheaper in the next age.

Most of the buildings are -2 happiness with the gold.

 

[sixty4half]

But once you hit Modern those buildings start costing 4 gold and 4 happiness and they lose their adjacency bonus.... ugh

 

[Angua]

But once you hit Modern those buildings start costing 4 gold and 4 happiness and they lose their adjacency bonus.... ugh

I think 4 gold and 4 happiness for 4 science or 4 production or 4 culture at the start of the age is still worth it unless you are struggling for happiness. You are accelerating the speed at which you to get the the juicy new buildings that you will be building over them.


Let me give some examples:

I have monuments in modern age. +3 culture +3 influence for -2 gold -2 happiness. Amazing!

Villa: +3 happiness +3 influence -2 gold

In general the +influence buildings are fantastic to take in to the next age.



Menagerie +3 happiness -3 gold
Bazaar +3 gold -3 happiness

These ones are a wash. Dead weight.


Shipyard: +3 prod -3 gold -3 happiness
Pavilion +3 culture -3 gold -3 happiness

I'm happy with the exchange for the early parts of the age, it kick-starts the city's early development next era. But it might depend on your circumstances.


I haven't been able to check this extensively, but it is looking like ancient era buildings in the modern age in general have +3 and -2 yields, which is nice.

 

[Tanel]

I think it still makes sense to build non-ageless buildings. They end up being something like +3 science, -3 gold. Or +3 production -3 gold. Basically pretty even between gold cost and other yield benefit. And most yields are more valuable than gold. I am happy to trade gold for science, culture, production to get a head start at the beginning of the new era which is the most important moment. I felt the same way as you on my first game but completely changed my mind after that, I try and rush down as many as I can once other priorities have been satisfied.

There is also the secondary benefit that you can get the policy that gives production boost for overbuilding.

For gold, upgrading a town to a city in one age does make it cheaper in the next age.

It's definitely worth building and keeping some buildings especially the double yield ones with influence which is the rarest resource in the game. Science, production and culture buildings are also worth it somewhat because those yields have higher values so they are worth their upkeep cost. Happiness and Gold buildings essentially trade one for another so not worth it. Food is the worst as it's really low value.

 

[UWHabs]

It's definitely worth building and keeping some buildings especially the double yield ones with influence which is the rarest resource in the game. Science, production and culture buildings are also worth it somewhat because those yields have higher values so they are worth their upkeep cost. Happiness and Gold buildings essentially trade one for another so not worth it. Food is the worst as it's really low value.

I do think if you put too many buildings down, you do start running the risk at hitting your happiness caps early, especially if you have over-extended settlements. But I also try to make sure that I try to get buildings for whatever my weakest resources are. So like if I felt I was struggling a little in science, getting a few extra academies or observatories down can definitely help get you going in the next age. But I still haven't fully grasped the true maintenance cost of buildings yet, or really fully figured out how much to build before you run out of space (although that will vary a lot more depending on your terrain - if you crammed cities in, or have a lot of coast, or what.

The biggest priorities IMO are:
-Get your UB/UI down - obviously can't build them later, and they usually have a strong yield
-Finish those wonders up
-Try to time getting to any last legacy objectives on the last turn. So don't cash in those treasure fleets in the last 10 turns, otherwise you kick the counter and you end up with only 5 turns left.

 

[Evolena]

Also, if you build Universities in the Exploration age, then you don't need to build Museum in the Modern age to research Artifacts locations.

 

[Sagax]

Also, if you build Universities in the Exploration age, then you don't need to build Museum in the Modern age to research Artifacts locations.

On that point, currently there is a UI bug: if you pick Golden Age Universities at the start of Modern, they no longer show up to explorers as valid research spots - but they actually are. Just move your explorers to those tiles and do research, even though there is no research icon on the map/lens.

 

[rocksinmypath]

I build walls at the end of Antiquity in case my neighbours decide to turn on me at the beginning of Exploration. I also tend to leave great people recruiting until the end of the age because, honestly, great people don't seem like they're worth the investment especially given how I have no control over who I get next.

 

[Navelgazer]

The thing I've run into a couple of times now is picking the Treasure Fleets Golden Age (which lets you keep all of your cities, as well as giving you +2 pop in distant lands settlements) and getting absolutely hosed on Gold and/or Happiness as a result. Interestingly, this doesn't happen to me every time, even though I tend to have 7-10 cities and 2-4 towns at the end of Exploration. I'm trying to figure out what to do to prevent this, but thinking maybe my best best is to just go for the Cultural or Scientific Golden Age instead (if I've got it secured) and spend my excess gold in the final turns buying up Academies everywhere I can (if Science) or else spamming missionaries everywhere (if Culture, since I tend to go for Tithe.)

But if there's a reliable way to prepare for an Economic Golden Age in Modern such that you retain a workable amount of Gold and Happiness, please let me know!

 

[vorlon_mi]

I think it still makes sense to build non-ageless buildings. They end up being something like +3 science, -3 gold. Or +3 production -3 gold. Basically pretty even between gold cost and other yield benefit. And most yields are more valuable than gold. I am happy to trade gold for science, culture, production to get a head start at the beginning of the new era which is the most important moment. I felt the same way as you on my first game but completely changed my mind after that, I try and rush down as many as I can once other priorities have been satisfied.

There is also the secondary benefit that you can get the policy that gives production boost for overbuilding.

For gold, upgrading a town to a city in one age does make it cheaper in the next age.

My initial thoughts are that ageless buildings can never be overbuilt. That has hampered me if I chose an Exploration or Modern civ that has a unique quarter. I've lost potentially good sites for later UBs. Building some decent age-specific buildings, even at the end of an age, may give me an urban district that I can build over.

The counter-arguments would include:
1) A town site that may never make sense to promote to a city. Give it an ageless warehouse building or two, call it good.
2) I'm planning to play a series, say ,Han/Ming/Qing, where I can make plans for what buildings and quarters will be important in future ages.
3) Fill in the city center quarter with an ageless building. The city hall can never be overbuilt; any specialists assigned to the city center don't (currently) count toward Exploration yield goals. Might as well put an ageless building alongside another ageless building, if you haven't done so earlier in the age.

 

[wesplaysciv]

My initial thoughts are that ageless buildings can never be overbuilt. That has hampered me if I chose an Exploration or Modern civ that has a unique quarter. I've lost potentially good sites for later UBs. Building some decent age-specific buildings, even at the end of an age, may give me an urban district that I can build over.

The counter-arguments would include:
1) A town site that may never make sense to promote to a city. Give it an ageless warehouse building or two, call it good.
2) I'm planning to play a series, say ,Han/Ming/Qing, where I can make plans for what buildings and quarters will be important in future ages.
3) Fill in the city center quarter with an ageless building. The city hall can never be overbuilt; any specialists assigned to the city center don't (currently) count toward Exploration yield goals. Might as well put an ageless building alongside another ageless building, if you haven't done so earlier in the age.

I hope they add a ui that lets you select which building to overbuild, and giving you the option to overbuild ageless ones.

 

[Krikkit1]

I hope they add a ui that lets you select which building to overbuild, and giving you the option to overbuild ageless ones.

You should definitely get the ability to Overbuild the Warehouses... because you can Rebuild them if you want to... maybe have the priority for a tile

Overbuild over lowest output non-Ageless
Overbuild over Warehouses
...... no more

 

[sixty4half]

They doubled the amount of building slots per tile (one of the biggest reasons 6 is my least favorites). Adding some buildings that require a little bit of forethought and planning isn't a bad thing.

 

[Silverdawn]

You can preposition one or more settlers to fill in areas and have them build the town on the last turn. That way the happiness hit doesn’t hurt. The next age increases the settlement cap resolving the happiness issue.

 

[Apathmia]

On that point, currently there is a UI bug: if you pick Golden Age Universities at the start of Modern, they no longer show up to explorers as valid research spots - but they actually are. Just move your explorers to those tiles and do research, even though there is no research icon on the map/lens.

I just dealt with that only I didn’t realize it still worked. I was like well screw me for getting a golden age I guess.

 

[Pfeffersack]

This is a kind of a list that should pop up ten turns before transition imho.
And easy to add in the game.
No reason to hinder the player for playing your game.

While I agree that this would be consequent and helpful both for new players and ones trying to min-max, it probably will not happen as it would kind of promote the problematic aspects of those rules and the overall reset mechanic (aside from breaking immersion by reminding everyone flat out "you play a game only and not mighty ruler X", it would highlight the nearing age change gradually a part of the possible gameplay becomes meaningless). Those negative effects of such a notification will not be there for everyone, but I'm pretty sure that the fear that some are affected that way will lead to this not happening. At best we could hope for a dedicated civilopedia page listing the exact fact about what is kept and what not (I'm aware that there is already one, but it seems far from being complete and covering everything in depth)

 

[Fluffball]

The discontinuity around the age transitions makes for different incentives, I guess. As an age gets closer to conclusion, how should you reposition your empire?

1. Production - ageless buildings or commanders or wonders only (if they can be completed in time), or units if you think you are under the cap. No point doing science, culture projects, civilian units, or non-ageless buildings. Is there any point repairing or do things automatically get repaired? If cities had gold projects, that could make sense to do.
2. Science - doesn't really matter? Not clear if any tech researched, masteries or not, has any impact in the next age.
3. Culture - make sure your own civ's tree is complete as the traditions do carry over (although - do they need to be researched in the age, or do they carry over automatically?)
4. Influence - spend to improve/reduce relationships as desired? Can't take more than 350 or so with you, some of the relationship carries over. Maybe spend to incorporate a city state but make sure you have enough time to complete it.
5. Gold - save up to 3K. If you are above that, does spending money to make a city in this age reduce the cost of it becoming a city in the next age? Also a nobrainer if you are planning to take the economic golden age where your cities remain as cities.
6. War - you can feel better razing marginal cities as you won't have to live with the penalties for that long.

In general, it's good to assess where you are on the legacy paths to see if you can hit another milestone, but otherwise there's no incremental benefit to progressing them.

In a recent game I had the plague crisis, built / bought a few physicians, used them, plague was still there? And all it did was damage some buildings. Could have saved that gold for the next age.

1.While none ageless buildings have their yields drastically reduced in the next era they can still give you a good jump start to get going in the next era. I would rather have the extra starting resources than not have them. I do tend to bulk my military though, buying making 1 commander for every 4 units so you can take them with you.
If your close to poping a future tech/civic doing projects can be useful as they give wildcards to allow you to get better atributes in the next age.

2.Settlement cap carries over. Everything else seems to get wiped. So i make sure i get any masteries with settlement cap.

3.From past games i don't think you get the diplomatic actions in the next era (pink/purple icons, usually in masteries) unless you research them so you should make sure you get those before the era ends.

4.Relationships tend to zero on age transition but it doesn't seem like a huge jump. I guess it depends on if you really want a current enemy to be a friend in the future or if you like them as an enemy. It is pretty easy to make friends with neutral civs just by running endevours. If i am dumping influence my current go to is to buy units from CS's (see point 1). I did try incorporating in earlier games but now i focus on befriending IP's into CS's as they bonuses are really nice so i like to keep CS's around unless there is a really good reason to incorporate them.

5.I have only ever used the economic golden age as none of the others really seemed that spectacular and i often upgrade a city and buy a load of buildings to get it running for the next era (see point 1). Buildings which give influence and unique building/quarter/improvement/commander are my priroity as influence yields are the rarest and seem to carry over 1 to 1 while unique stuff won't be available after the era changes. If optimising initial costs at start of next era happiness/gold buildings are the best none ageless buildings as gold building don't cost gold maintenance and the same for happiness, although if your struggling with gold or happiness there is usually a deeper problem going on.

6.With the way eras transition wars are very interesting in general at the end of an era and a good way to farm xp for commanders and weaken the other civs.


I like to game the legacy system a bit to drag out eras (not doing things that count toward legacies until i am ready to finish an era or on the last turn) to make sure i am set up as best as possible for the next era. After a few play thoughs i turned off crisis as it just seems to be a way to make you rush to end an era rather than provide any actual interesting gameplay (devs actually gave a button to turn it off so obviously thought it wasn't that great or critical either). You can still do this with the crisis as they aren't actually difficult or challenging to deal with, just simply annoying micro mostly.

I have realised/learned that merchants can be very useful for connecting cities as the default connections are just wierd if not broken. One of my first priorities is usually pumping merchants when i have nothing better to do and making sure all my settlements are as connected as possible. In my last game i had a prime city spot which was only connected to one town so it didn't actually seem that great but then i spammed some merchants and got it connected to 6 towns...became a super fast growing powerhouse city.