The balance between settlements and cities is critical in the Ancient Age, and determining which settlements to upgrade to city level can be challenging. Settlements convert their Production into Gold, which strengthens the empire’s economy and can influence the success of any leader, especially when choosing the Economic Legacy Path. The game’s tutorial mode suggests a basic ratio of one city to one settlement.

In practice, however, some leaders perform better with a larger number of cities, while others favor a predominance of settlements. For example, Augustus’ Imperium Maius ability grants a Production bonus in the capital and allows settlements to purchase Culture buildings at a discount, making settlement development more profitable. At the same time, Confucius may prefer more cities, as his Keju ability accelerates population growth in cities and increases Science production.

Relationships with other civilizations can develop in different ways, and their foundation is laid when leaders first meet in the Ancient Age. This is a critical moment for forming strong alliances or starting rivalries with civilizations of this period. Many civilizations will remain hidden from the player until the Age of Exploration, so at the start of the game, only the starting civilizations and nearby Independent Powers will be available for trade, war, and diplomacy.

The player can begin a battle with hostile civilizations, establish neutral relations, or build friendly ties. Alliances and conflicts can be beneficial depending on the goals and abilities of specific leaders. For example, maintaining positive relations with Lafayette increases the number of slots for Social Policies, while Napoleon’s Continental System sanction reduces the number of trade routes for opponents and grants a Gold bonus in Hostile or Unfriendly relations.

Independent Powers function the same way throughout all eras, but their importance is especially high in the Ancient Age, as it’s important to secure the territory of your civilization and lay the foundation for the future. Independent Powers can either be incorporated into your civilization or destroyed and completely wiped off the map. Some leaders and civilizations accumulate Influence faster, such as Machiavelli or Greece, making it easier to incorporate city-states into their empire.

However, it’s important to remember that other civilizations can also annex Independent Powers to themselves, so the player needs to act quickly. If Independent Powers are left unattended, there is a risk that rivals will conquer them first. They also play a key role in the Military Legacy Path in the Ancient Age.

Explorations and discoveries in the Ancient Age are extremely important, as they can provide valuable resources for development. Although explorations occur throughout the game, obtaining certain resources in the early stages can prove much more significant than in later periods, when the civilization is already sufficiently developed.

Explorations are completely random, but they can improve relations with nearby Independent Powers or even trigger quests that reward unique rewards upon completion. “Gift Huts” should be a priority target for every player in the Ancient Age, because if they are not collected in time, rivals will do so. Ignoring them is literally giving away free resources to other civilizations.

Since the Legacy Path Wonders of the Ancient World requires the construction of seven Wonders, the demand for Wonders in the Ancient Age is higher than in other eras. This may not matter for players who have chosen other Legacy Paths, but even so, certain Wonders can provide significant advantages.


If a player intends to progress along the Cultural Path, they will face stiff competition for many Wonders, especially the early ones like the Hanging Gardens. The production invested in building a Wonder does not go to waste if another state completes it first, but losing a desired Wonder can be a serious disappointment. When aiming for a Cultural victory, it is important to identify key Wonders in advance and pay attention to constructing the unique Wonder of your civilization (for example, the Pyramids for Egypt).