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Dark Age: Economy

Editorial guideAuthor Pilsen

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Introduction

One of the common mistakes beginner players make is learning a Build Order and following it without questioning or fully understanding it. While having a Build Order to optimize resource gathering is useful, it is essential to understand the underlying economic dynamics in AoE4.

Gathering Rates

The first step to understanding the economy in Age of Empires 4 is knowing the resource gathering rates per

Villager. The speed at which a

Villager collects resources varies depending on the resource type: food is collected more slowly from berries and faster from hunting. These rates can change as we progress through the game and research economic upgrades.

Each resource is gathered at a different rate: food is slowest from berries and fastest from hunting.

Maintaining Villager Production

It is crucial to maintain

Villager production at a Town Center. If a

Villager costs 50 food and is produced every 20 seconds, in one minute you will need 150 food. So if a

Villager collects 45 food per minute, you need at least 4

Villagers constantly gathering Sheep to sustain Town Center production.

food per Villager

cost

20s

production time

one per Town Center

150

food per minute

needed for non-stop production

Villagers on Sheep

to sustain it

The most important thing is not to master the calculations, but to know and apply practical rules like this one. For example, on maps with fishing areas it is crucial to assign six

Villagers to wood gathering to ensure constant fishing boat production.

Keep at least 4 Villagers on food: the Town Center burns roughly 150 food per minute producing Villagers.

Ratios per Military Unit

Knowing these numbers allows you to adapt your economy to your strategy:

ArchersArchery Range

3 food, 7 wood — wood-heavy production.

HorsemenStable

8 food, 2 wood — food-heavy production.

SpearmenBarracks

7 food, 3 wood — mostly food.

Examples by Strategy

Horsemen and ArchersFood + Wood

Focus on food and wood. Remember to always keep at least 4

Villagers on food for continuous Town Center production.

Fast advance to Castle AgeFood + Gold

You need a lot of food and gold, so most

Villagers should go to those two resources. Maybe a few on wood for minor constructions, none on stone.

Second Town CenterExpand

At least 4

Villagers on food; the rest distributed between wood and stone.

Watch video

Food Sources

Not all food is equal. Pick your source by what's available and how exposed it leaves your

Villagers:

SheepFirst choice

Collect Sheep before establishing Farms, as they require no wood.

BerriesAlternative

A good alternative to Sheep, but collected more slowly.

DeerFast but far

Provide food quickly, but are usually far away and can expose

Villagers to attacks.

BoarDangerous

Offers many resources but is dangerous: it attacks

Villagers and is usually far away.

FarmsLast resort

Expensive in terms of wood; they should be the last option for obtaining food.

If going for Deer or Boar, build Towers to protect

Villagers.

Additional Resource Tips

◆Renew Lumber Camps and research economic technologies when you have a certain number of Villagers on a resource.
◆The "Wheelbarrow" technology at the Mill is essential for improving efficiency and is usually one of the first to be researched.
◆Avoid spending wood on Farms or large Palisades prematurely; it is better to use it on military units and other structures.

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Content by Pilsen — Academia AoE