How do you control Golden Age?

[MyOlde]

How do you know what triggers a Civ's Golden Age? And how do you hold them off until YOU want it to happen?

Similarly, is the appearance of Great Leaders random? Or does it happen in certain kinds of battle?

Thanks in advance.

[hetairoi22]

"How do you know what triggers a Civ's Golden Age? And how do you hold them off until YOU want it to happen? "

A Golden age occurs when your unique units wins a battle. There is also a chance (random?) of triggering a golden age when you build a wonder that has one or both of your civilization traits (industrious, militaristics etc.).

"Similarly, is the appearance of Great Leaders random? Or does it happen in certain kinds of battle? "

When an elite unit wins a battle there is a 1/16 chance of a leader appearance. If you are a militaristic civ there is a 1/12 chance of a great leader appearing.

Hope I'm right.

[Spiffor]

A peaceful golden age is achieved when both of your traits are met by your wonders, there is no randomness. For example, if you're the industrious/religious Egyptians, building the industrious/religious Pyramds will trigger a golden age. But if you're the industrious/commercial French, building the Pyramids will not be enough, you'll have also to build the commercial Smith Trading Company to trigger your golden age (or any other commercial wonder).
AFAIK, there is no way to control your golden age. You might try to attack with your unique unit at best moment.

[hetairoi22]

Sorry...

Thanks Spiffor! I didn't know that!

[Solver]

Spiffor - 100% right.

[Brundlefly]

Does anyone know whether a We Love the King day during a Golden Age increases commerce & production? Or does it have no additional effect. It's hard to tell because I can never see any indication in the screen that a WLTKD is working -- with or without a Golden Age...

[Ironikinit]

WLKD doesn't take effect until the turn after it begins: the first full turn it's in effect. If you want to see its effects you have to note down your production and commerce and compare.

I don't know any reason why it wouldn't work during a golden age.

[Arrian]

I usually trigger my golden age through wonder building, but I will also often hold my UU for just the right moment and pick a fight.

I have held Egyptian war chariots for use in the Middle Ages, and it worked like a charm. The AI doesn't upgrade very well (although I think the 1.17 patch has improved this) and will have weak, outdated units running around. Finding one of these and whacking it with your similarly outmoded UU isn't too hard.

-Arrian

p.s. Beware the Colossus as the Iroquois - I didn't check the attributes and blew my golden age very early by building this once.