[R&F] When is the best time for a planned dark age?

[liv]

So when do you guys like to get your dark age in so you can both use its bonuses and get to a heroic age.

I was "lucky" enough to start in a corner in my last game and nothing of value was there so I delayed getting uu and ui till the next age just to get to that dark age. It was very good.

Playing astecs now and they start with a jaguar warrior so harder for a dark age with them right off the bat and now I wonder if I have to skip an early dark age

Thoughts? Experiences?

 

[RealHuhn]

I think the heroic medieval age is insanely good, especially on Deity because it often starts very early, turn 90ish where it still matters a lot.
Boosted eurekas and civics, science from commercial hubs and harbors, +1 culture per district and faith buying workers, settlers and traders.

So yeah, I voted classical.

 

[Arilian]

It is very hard to plan a dark age if you want to win, except in the first age, where most points are coming from killing barbs.
But I still prefer a constant golden age over a dark to heroic age combo.

 

[Jackanape]

I try to avoid Dark ages. I'd rather play a full game at normal than have to worry about hitting a dark and THEN making sure I hit that Golden thershold...not worth it.

Love the system conceptually, but it needs some tweaking.

 

[Victoria]

Dark + heroic < 2 * golden IMO also
For a long game with many cities it may not always be sustainable but it does not really matter after 3 golds in a row.
But to answer the question, it’s unquestionably medi for me
You have your holy sites in place and your science should be churning out, before then meh, after meh... it’s the only decent dark card.

 

[WillowBrook]

I've only managed one dark age in four R&F complete games. I think it was renaissance? Everything else has been golden ages. But I'm not playing diety. I'm aiming get a classical dark age with medieval heroic sometime soon, but I'm going to have to plan better than i have so far.

I have no opinion on the merits of dark-heroic v golden-golden, but it potentially makes things more interesting.

I also find it interesting that getting a heroic age is the most achieved R&F achievement at almost 5.9%, while only 3.2% have gotten three golden ages in a row. It doesn't seem that most players are finding era points as easy get as I am.

 

[RealHuhn]

Dark + heroic < 2 * golden IMO also
For a long game with many cities it may not always be sustainable but it does not really matter after 3 golds in a row.
But to answer the question, it’s unquestionably medi for me
You have your holy sites in place and your science should be churning out, before then meh, after meh... it’s the only decent dark card.

Oh yeah I haven't thought about the dark age cards. I don't even know most of them because it's so hard to actually get a dark age xD
Do you talk about the one with double science in cities with a holy site?

 

[Victoria]

Do you talk about the one with double science in cities with a holy site?

Yup.
Getting a dark classic is quite easy on deity when you get stuck defending, which is fairly common when you play a bad civ, never got a double, it’s hard because the government comes medieval and more explorative bits unless very reclusive. If you capture holy sites a dark age can be worth it otherwise not. So choosing to go for one early is not the best, much better to push golden but on deity it’s a risk, even a scout first adds risk but as long as you use your warrior and scout well initially it limits or warns you adequately. Paranoia as the deity catch word this patch level.

Anyone really put weight in other dark cards?

 

[WillowBrook]

Anyone really put weight in other dark cards?

In my one dark age, I was nearing a science victory, and the card that augments domestic trade routes helped. I wasn't doing any more settling, so the negative didn't matter.

 

[kb27787]

Twilight valor on your horses/knights in classical is quite nice in domination runs... (it will not stop heals from pillaging or from Alex's ability so it has little downside) However due to dark age it will be more difficult to keep the cities you conquer (still doable if you conquer quickly and use governers)

 

[Esperr]

If I get goddess of the harvest then def not early. If I dont then classical dark seems the most strong.

 

[Mojo85]

I have to almost try to avoid a golden age to the point where a normal age almost counts as a dark age for me. Dark ages are unheard of in the 7-8 complete games I’ve played, had it once. The threshold needs to be redone

 

[TheBlueKing]

Deity is too easy. You can play in golden age whole game. If you survive first 50-75 turns at Marathon speed then everything else after that is easy. I always play at Marathon speed, maybe that is the problem, maybe Marathon is broken?

 

[liv]

Yes the era points are not adjusted to the ages so the same points are out there. If you play marathon you will so much longer to collect all your points. And as follows if you play on line speed you will have very short time..

 

[Chocolate Pi]

Robber Barons is pretty solid as an Atomic or Info endgame capstone multiplier.

Twice I've had golden the entire game, only to exhaust all the easy points and fall Dark in Atomic. Oh no, I have +50% gold and +25% production in most of my important cities! A tragedy.

But the important thing is getting the Spy golden age dedication, whatever the era. Heroic Info merely lets you combine that with whatever is more directly applicable to your victory condition.

 

[LobstaBoy]

Struggling this week but normally I try to go dark during ancient then slingshot to heroic for Medival conquest .
I've had a run of bad luck with my scout finding 3 ( yes 3) wonders in one ancient era.
To be fair that was my fault as the first 2 had me in a normal anyway with the meeting of other civs+ goodie huts.
Next try was barb rush. Restart. Very next game I stalled out conquering Scythia.
How come this NEVER happens to youtubers

 

[Jackanape]

I must be doing something wrong. I find that Golden ages are relatively difficult to achieve, until you begin running away with the game, but not in the beginning. To clarify, however, I don't count the points andemorize how best to achieve the threshold...I'm sure it would increase my golden ages, but would decrease my enjoyment.

That said, I'm still amazed at people saying they get nothing BUT golden ages?

 

[Esperr]

I must be doing something wrong. I find that Golden ages are relatively difficult to achieve, until you begin running away with the game, but not in the beginning. To clarify, however, I don't count the points andemorize how best to achieve the threshold...I'm sure it would increase my golden ages, but would decrease my enjoyment.

That said, I'm still amazed at people saying they get nothing BUT golden ages?

Its harder if you try to play peaceful. But especially if you sack somebody in the ancient era it just snow balls. Slower game speeds make it easier to, faster makes it more difficult. Online speed you miss quite a bit unless your just way ahead.

 

[Victoria]

That said, I'm still amazed at people saying they get nothing BUT golden ages?

When you take a civ out you get +5 era points. That’s a big extra chunk peaceful people do not get.
Also getting high science early is a standard attack plan and can lead to a lot more discoveries faster,especially firsts.
The ancient era, especiallybwhen slowed by barbs or civ attacks can get you a normal or even a dark but after that, sticking to the formula you just start racing.

 

[kaspergm]

It also matters a lot which civ you pick. A civ with an early UU and/or UI will have an easy +4 era score, which can really help you get a very early golden age. I do feel from medieval and onwards, between wonders, district placement and artifacts, I can almost always hit a golden age with a bit of planning.