Noble asked me about this too. Specifically he was interested in whether it was cheaper to get to currency with this or without it. Doing some estimations we concluded that if you get currency pretty early in the classical era, it's a little bit faster with these changes. My general claim is that tech costs become the same in the classical era, while total tech costs probably equalize in the medieval era, on a standard (i.e. large pbemish) map. If you look at the difference in costs, the entire ancient era costs 249 on standard/prince, while the entire classical era costs a total of 352 more. But you generally skip quite a few classical techs before advancing to the medieval era - I don't think you typically get to the point where your total beakers spent are higher before you do so. Even after you reach the point where the total spent on techs is greater, it's not bigger by much for a while. The total percentage increase in the costs of the ancient/classical/medieval eras is just about 10% of the total cost of those techs.
On a large or huge map, the point of equal cost is pushed further up the tech tree. For example, on prince/huge, the ancient era is 478 cheaper, and the classical era is just 42 more expensive. You have to research several medieval techs before the total costs are the same.
Throughout all this, keep in mind that the cheaper earlier techs give a small but snowballing advantage which can help you get to the later ones faster. And also, that the intent is to allow the more size-appropriate Small to be used for some PBEMs where it otherwise wouldn't be used.
Ultimately, a major goal here is to make the final techs of the game about 50% more expensive, and have a smooth transition from the ancient era up to that point. So of course there will be a point pretty early on when techs start getting more expensive. I don't believe in keeping early eras exempt from tech cost increases because peoples' tech rates are too low then. Having a (relatively) low tech rate in the classical and medieval eras is a choice.
On a large or huge map, the point of equal cost is pushed further up the tech tree. For example, on prince/huge, the ancient era is 478 cheaper, and the classical era is just 42 more expensive. You have to research several medieval techs before the total costs are the same.
Throughout all this, keep in mind that the cheaper earlier techs give a small but snowballing advantage which can help you get to the later ones faster. And also, that the intent is to allow the more size-appropriate Small to be used for some PBEMs where it otherwise wouldn't be used.
Ultimately, a major goal here is to make the final techs of the game about 50% more expensive, and have a smooth transition from the ancient era up to that point. So of course there will be a point pretty early on when techs start getting more expensive. I don't believe in keeping early eras exempt from tech cost increases because peoples' tech rates are too low then. Having a (relatively) low tech rate in the classical and medieval eras is a choice.