After playing the game extensively now and replaying galciv2 I now know for fact tech ages are inhibiting my game speed and fun level substantially.
In a galciv2 game I am playing my tech research patterns are diverse and strategic choices that go deep into some branches and shallow into other as the situation calls for or by player preference.
However in a galciv3 game no such strategic depth or excitement exist in comparison to its predecessor. For it is impossible to exercise much less entertain the idea of a fully developed and tailored strategy like galciv2.
To remind people who have not recently played galciv2 and say there is little difference between the two, let me tell you something about my last game. I was MADE to research about 10 techs I didn't want or need while my empire desperately needed better improvements like banks, farms, and most importantly -the now regulated- logistics. All the while if diplomacy was in the game right now I would assure you that each and every civilization would have nearly the same techs at the first era and end up technologically identical possibly into the second era.
In galciv2 I just worked my way to a position I personally liked and choose. I wanted to get diplomacy3 so I strategized and made a empire that could research that tech in a feasible time. I nor anyone else did not need tech ages to regulate the way and pace of research for it was a matter having the tech points or not and making choices. Even with planetary invasion being rushed the consequences then and most definitely now will never be worth while compared to a balanced empire.
Honestly.
DARCA 