I agree with the title of this post, but for very different reasons.
I would recommend getting a level 10 Zeus, COA, and CDM and you should be able to beat most all of the battles in game. Then make sure to look at what units you will be fighting and use your units that have boosts against them.
My grief (and consideration of quitting) is caused by the following:
1. In the higher levels, each tech becomes like a GB minus the BP (huge amounts of good required)
2. The goods are hard to get because you often only have the right boosts on 1 of the 5 goods. So you have to trade for much of what you need where early on, you had 2 of the 5 and no need to have the low level materials to make more.
3. Once you get to arctic future, you need tons of goods for promethium extraction. and sending off mission to collect it. The ages above it, same issue just different item that you send missions to collect.
4. The neighborhood you get put in often sucks. There are people in my neighborhood that are more than 10x my size. And when you are the little guy, you will likely get plundered daily (even if you try really hard to always collect on time). This past week alone, my top goods were plundered like 4 of the 7 days... No goods = no collecting missions.
5. Inno added GB that encourage the ruthless plundering (plunder bonuses). Now we have players who don't build any goods buildings, and just ruthlessly plunder everyone in their neighborhood. They attack, and then check back every 1/2 hour for the best things to plunder until they steal your highest level goods. I guess it a viable strategy if you don't care about everyone in the game hating you. But I think it is bad for the game as it only causes many players to quit playing.
Other reasons, but I think those are the main reasons I am losing interest in the game.
I would suggest posting a picture of your city and get ready for feedback. Although, collecting on time sounds like it is an issue, so even that may not help.
I aged into Contemporary in April. I have between 3500 and 4500 of each CE good. I negotiate 4 levels of GE every week (lots of goods) and I've given a couple of sets of Inno goods away. I have exactly 0 CE goods buildings. I had over 1000 of each good after the first week, but at that point, I did have some goods buildings and I had been saving supplies to repeat the Unbirthday Quest for an immediate flow of goods.
So, how do I have so many goods without any goods buildings?
- Cheateau- Level 22- gives me 16 goods for quests. I complete dozens of Collect Coins and Spend FP quests per day, plus the Unbirthday quests.
- Special Buildings/sets- Tholos of Idols, Pillar of Heros, Palace Set, Cherry Blossom Set, etc... I have several Tribal Squares, too, but they are being removed as I have things to replace them with. But for you, a good solution- population, unplunderable, refined goods. If you have houses, use these instead.
I *could* switch my Terrace Farms over to goods. I'd have a whole lot more then. I think I have 11 down in my city at the moment. 30 per day per TF x 11 = 330 refined goods per day. Add in Cider Mills, Bazaars, etc... Over 400 per day. But I don't need them.