Worker Maintenance

[mattavich]

I'm on a standard map, about 700 turns gone and I acquired Napoleon's empire of around 7 cities, over 200 turns ago.

For some time i've struggled with happiness/economy staying in the green.

I have my happiness under control but I just can't get my economy under control.

So I did some more investigating and realized that I had 16 workers. Upon disbanding one worker my GPT increased by 10.

So I checked the Economic Overview and it states that the cost for maintaining each unit is 9.08 gold. Which increases with the total number and over time.

The part i'm confused about is the "over time" part.

Does it mean that if I keep these same 16 works for another turn they will each be slightly more expensive?

This doesn't make sense to me, why would the age of a unit determine how much it costs? If I disband one of these workers and create a new one, is it cheaper?

Just slightly confused here.

 

[ClarenceSeedorf]

It's not about the age of the unit, but about the era in which the unit is being used.

 

[mattavich]

I see.

Does this mean that if you own units from previous eras, then they will cost more to maintain?
I've been checking my economic overview eveyturn and I notice the maint increases very slightly, even though i'm not building units.

 

[mattavich]

My GPt is fluctuating so much I can't commit to building anything. I don't know what changes so much each turn to make up to around 70GPT disappear.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Units in general cost more to maintain later in the game than earlier in the game. It doesn't matter the type of unit or how long you've had them. For example (I'm making up numbers here), if, on turn 100 each unit costs 1 gold per turn on turn 200, they might cost 2 gold per turn and so on.

 

[Ahriman]

It's not about the age of the unit, but about the era in which the unit is being used.

Nope. Its not about era, its about turn-count.
Getting techs faster doesn't hurt you.

As the turns go up, maintenance per unit goes up, and workers and great people count the same as military units.
Late game it might be 5-7 gold per unit.

 

[Jaybe]

...
Late game it might be 5-7 gold per unit.

Or between 9 and 10 gold per unit (at least at epic speed, VERY late game, turns 700-750).

 

[biohazard72]

This thread proves why it's important to get 6-8 workers going ASAP. The quicker you start improvements with a full workforce, the quicker you'll finish, to avoid paying astronomical costs late game (compared to cheaper early-game maintenance).

Usually I'm in a position to disband my workforce after they're done Railroads (which they are set to start on as soon as I get the tech), or soon after. Try to do the same. Then disband your Workers.

 

[mattavich]

Am I right in thinking Great persons cost maint too? That would suck

 

[EasyGoin]

Am I right in thinking Great persons cost maint too? That would suck

They sure do cost maintenance. So use those GMs and GGs for GAs as soon as you get them