The Town Center, which later becomes the City Center is the player's 'main building' of the game. It stores a few resources and it's the only way to advance Ages.
Invading enemies will gain one star and win if the City Center is destroyed. The City Center has certain defensive capabilities if the Chinese or Japanese are chosen.
Note that if you have the Forbidden City wonder constructed, invading enemies will not gain a star from destroying the City Center unless the Forbidden City is destroyed as well.
A loading screen tip: "...the level of Town Center defenders is based off your highest level Garrison."
In World War, the City Center will also spawn the donated troops.
If the City Center is destroyed before troops are released, troops will die and never be released.
Japanese Town/City Center can shoot invading enemies.
The size of this building is 6x6.
Defensive Strategies[]
The Town Center is one of the most important buildings in the game due to providing different functions. A destroyed Town Center can equal one star and if destroyed in less than a minute; will give another star. The Town Center's function varies in these types of bases below.
Medal-Pushing[]
A Medal-Pushing base's goal is to focus on winning defenses to get more medals to push to a higher league. In a Medal-Pushing base, the Town Center is typically in the center of the base to prevent its destruction. Markets, Oil Refineries, and Mills are suggested to be outside the base since resources aren't the highest priority.
Hybrid[]
A hybrid base's goal is to win defenses while defending both the Town Center and the resources. In a hybrid base, the Town Center is often in in the center of the base to prevent its destruction. The resources are also necessary so Markets, Oil Refineries, and Mills are required to be inside the base. These bases are half as efficient as a Medal-Pushing Base and a Farming Base due to the fact that the base must defend two things at once in order to be successful.
Farming[]
A farming base's only priority is to defend your resources. In a farming base, the Town Center is typically outside of the base to make opponents focus on it for medals and not your resources. However, the Town Center must still connect to a Road if the Road is to keep making Gold. Markets, Oil Refineries, and Mills should be inside the base since a farming base's priority is to defend them. Farming bases are sometimes used as medal-pushing bases because a 2-star loss for losing the Town Center doesn't cost a lot of medals.
The Roadways technology researched in the library provides a 20% increase to the Town Center hitpoint bonus provided by Roads (chapter 4).
The Ramparts technology researched in the library provides a 15% boost to the Town Center hitpoints (chapter 4).
The Partisans technology researched in the library causes the Town Center to release Infantry when invading troops are detected. +4 per chapter (chapter 2 & 4).
The Town Center of the Japanese nation acts as an archer tower, firing arrows at invading troops. The range is slightly higher than that of a standard tower, while having a decreased rate of fire.
The Town Center of the Chinese nation deploys infantry when invading troops are detected. The number of infantry released is dependent on the age the defender is in.
Trivia[]
It's reasonable that the the name 'Town Center' came from the building of the same name from the RTS game Age of Empires. Before, Big Huge Games collaborated with Ensemble Studios (creator of Age of Empires) to help create the expansion pack Age of Empires III: Asian Dynasties.