waiting for the right unit upgrade?

[PGM]

Regarding unit upgrade costs:

(1) - upgrading a unit every time you can
(spearman-pikeman-musketman-rifleman-infantry-mech.inf.)

or

(2) - less often upgrades
(spearman-rifleman-mech.inf.)

Anyone noticed if they cost the same or is (1) more expensive?

[Grumbold]

I certainly got the impression that there is a basic cost to upgrade plus an extra cost for each step up you want to take. If you can afford to ignore a unit for a whole era, try it out.

[Skanky Burns]

I thought it would cost more to upgrade a unit twice compared to a single upgrade, but according to my (admittedly small) testing, they cost the same.

I had hoplites in all my cities (Greek UU). I upgraded some to musketmen for 80 gold. I wasnt concentrating too well, and missed upgrading other hoplites.
The very next turn i finished the medieval tech tree, got nationalism for free, and could build riflemen. Upgrading from the musketmen cost 40 gold. I then upgraded my remaining hoplites directly to riflemen, and they cost 120 gold.

Hoplite -> Musketman - 80 gold
Musketman -> Rifleman - 40 gold
total 120 gold

Hoplite -> Rifleman - 120 gold

I am a bit suspect of these results as they were only tested on 2 upgrades, and both were from a UU which could change results compared to normal units. But thats my testing so far.

[Libertarian]

Maybe answers to questions like this would have made good fodder for a limited edition. Or for a good strategy guide. Or even for at least the appearance of caring about their end users, Firaxis could answer them here.

[Skanky Burns]

Im sure of it now.

Hoplite -> Musketman - 80 gold
Musketman -> Rifleman - 40 gold
Rifleman -> Infantry - 20 gold
total 140 gold

Hoplite -> Infantry - 140 gold

[HomeAir]

If you look in the editor at the rules for the units, you will see the cost to build (which is some amount of shields that are required to build a unit). In regards to upgrading, it costs 20 gold for each value increase to upgrade. e.g. spearman build cost: 2, pikeman build cost: 3. So it would cost 20 gp to upgrade. So it will cost the same to upgrade as you go as it would to upgrade all at once, but if you do it as you go, you won't need as much gp for the upgrade and you will have better units.

[PGM]

ok thanks guys. So you can't save money by waiting... but maybe that would be interesting, to decide wether to wait for the right upgrade (potential military risk) or to upgrade step by step (safer but pricey).

[Skanky Burns]

I guess the decision is whether you upgrade for better defence/offence, or keep elite older units, in the hope of getting a leader...

[ancient]

i prefer smaller armys, so having and advanced military is important, i depend on it to survive.