Town Center

Lore & Background

In Age of Empires IV, the Town Center represents the administrative heart of a kingdom, yet its role in progression varies wildly across cultures. For most of the 23 civilizations available, including those introduced in expansions like The Sultans Ascend or Dynasties of the East, the Town Center is merely the starting anchor. To advance from the Dark Age to the Feudal Age, players must choose and construct one of two unique Landmarks. This design forces a strategic divergence early in every match, shaping the civilization's path through history. However, the lore takes a sharp turn with the Knights Templar. This variant civilization, added in the Knights of Cross and Rose expansion, breaks tradition entirely; they possess only a single landmark, their starting Town Center. For them, advancement is not about building new structures but researching upgrades directly within this original hall, making it the sole vehicle for their historical progression.

In Their Own Story

Unlike his neighbors who scrambled to construct towering Landmarks to signal their evolution into the Castle Age, he watched as his engineers prepared a research queue inside the very hall where he had trained his first villagers. But Alexander's path was singular. He did not build a new hall; he refined the old one. This unique mechanic, reserved only for the Knights Templar in the game's rules, meant that while others expanded outward with new architecture, the Templars deepened their roots, proving that sometimes the path forward lies not in building anew, but in perfecting what already stands.

Reader's Guide

In Age of Empires IV, the Town Center is your primary tool for training Villagers and managing population limits. However, you cannot simply click to advance ages here unless you are playing as the Knights Templar. For all other civilizations, including the base game factions and those added in expansions like The Sultans Ascend (Byzantines, Japanese) or Dynasties of the East (Golden Horde), you must construct a Landmark. Upon reaching the Dark Age limit, you choose between two options to unlock the Feudal Age. These landmarks are special buildings that define your civ's bonuses for the next stage. The Town Center itself remains essential for training workers and storing food. If playing as the Abbasid Dynasty, Ayyubids, or Golden Horde, note a different rule: they build a single landmark (House of Wisdom or Golden Tent) where advancement is researched through that specific building rather than constructing multiple options. Always protect your Town Center; it is the only place to train villagers for most factions, and losing it cripples your economy.

Did You Know?

• The Town Center is the only building where the Knights Templar can advance to the next age by researching upgrades, rather than constructing a new Landmark.
• Most civilizations in Age of Empires IV must construct one of two selectable Landmarks at the Town Center's location (or nearby) to advance through the Dark, Feudal, Castle, and Imperial Ages.
• The game features four ages identical to Age of Empires II: Dark Age, Feudal Age, Castle Age, and Imperial Age, but progression is driven by Landmark construction for most factions.
• The Abbasid Dynasty, Ayyubids, and Golden Horde are unique in that they build a single landmark (House of Wisdom or Golden Tent) through which age advancement is researched.
• The Chinese civilization can construct both of their landmarks simultaneously to enable a specific Dynasty mechanic.