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- The four ages
The four ages
From founding a settlement to a high medieval civilization, c. 700 to 1350.
On this page
From village to civilization#
Each age raises the scale of what you rule, from a village to a territory, a state and finally a civilization.
| Age | Period | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Founding | c. 700–850 | Small wooden settlements, basic infantry, scouts, palisades; you decide where to live |
| Territorial | c. 850–1000 | Organized domains, mounted warfare, markets and roads, early stone defenses; raiding and expansion begin |
| Kingdom | c. 1000–1175 | Castles, organized heavy infantry and cavalry, serious siege, trade networks, advanced formations |
| High Medieval | c. 1175–1350 | Stone cities, sophisticated siege, mature formations, extensive roads and trade; Great Works become available |
Architecture changes with each age, following each culture group's own history. Some culture groups show their own names for the ages; the technology is the same for everyone.
Advancing#
You advance by paid research at a Town Hall. Each new age also offers a doctrine choice; see Doctrines.
The development build has all four ages under these names; see Advancing your age. There, the Eastern Realms, Sultanate Realms and Steppe Confederacies call the third age the Principality, Sultanate and Khanate Age; these names still await approval. The doctrine choices are not in the build yet. Saves and replays from builds before the renaming keep the names they were recorded with, and this build refuses them.
There are no firearms. Bows, crossbows, cavalry, infantry and mechanical siege engines such as trebuchets remain the weapons of every age.