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A frame is an internally used time unit to denominate many time-based things like construction and research speed, gather rates, unit movement, and so on. It is the basic unit of time at which the state of the game is updated.

At normal game speed, 1 frame is 1/15 of a second and 1 second is 15 frames. The time displayed by the game is based on this rate (every 15 frames, it will increase by 1 second) regardless of the actual play speed of the game. Because of this, many rates on this wiki assume normal game speed. At fast game speed, 1 frame is 1/20 of a second and 1 second is 20 frames. At slow game speed, 1 frame is 1/8 of a second and 1 second is 8 frames. At very slow game speed, 1 frame is 1/5 of a second and 1 second is 5 frames. At this speed, it is easy to see each individual frame.

A few times/rates are actually shown in the game, while most of them (like building and research times) are not, making them kind of obscure. However, they can be acquired from the game's XML files.

Examples[]

  • The base time for gathering basic resources is 450 frames or 30 seconds. A Farm for example has a gather rate of 10, meaning, it produces 10 units of food per 30 seconds. The base time is also shown in the tool tip, when hovering the mouse cursor over the Commerce Limit section in the top left corner.
  • If constructed by a single citizen, the base time to complete a Farm, Woodcutter's Camp or Mine is 150 frames or 10 seconds. The Pyramids and the Colossus each would take 4000 frames to complete, which translates to 266.67 seconds or roughly 4 minutes and 27 seconds. However, building times can be decreased by sending additional citizens and/or The President Patriot to the construction site.
  • The base healing rate for garrisoned units is 20 frames or 1.33 seconds, meaning, 1 hit point is healed per 1.33 seconds. The healing rate can be increased by researching technologies at the Granary.
  • Attrition has a base rate of 1 hit point every 48 frames, or 1 hit point every 3.2 seconds. This can be increased by upgrading at the Tower, building certain wonders, being at a higher age, or choosing the Russians.
  • A Hoplites unit has a recharge of 32 frames, given in unitrules.xml. This means that it will attack every 2.13 seconds. If playing on very slow speed, it will attack every 6.4 seconds of real time, but every 2.13 seconds of game time, since game time moves at the normal game speed of 1 second is 15 frames.

Note[]

  • The 'frame' as described above is not to be confused with the 'frame' in frame rate: The frame rate describes the frequency at which the graphics card of a computer produces updated images (frames) of a currently running game. In Rise of Nations, this frame rate can be displayed on-screen by enabling Show Frame Rates in the options.
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