Design your own dreamed AoE4 !

[BuchiTaton]

Well now that AoE4 was announced we can suppose basic design decisions like gameplay mechanics, art style, and time period are already decided. So this thread is not to influence MS about what we want for AoE4, it is just to see what the community would have prefered ( and compare it with what MS decided release when the moment comes).

Note: From the few hints we have about AoE4 a WW1-WW2 (and sometime before and after) setting is the more likely, but everybody can elaborate other time range if you want.

To start, my own AoE4:

>> Setting:
- 1500-1900 CE
- Ages:
I- Renaissance age (16th century)
II- Absolutist age (17th century)
III- Enlightenment age (18th century)
IV- Industrial age (19th century)
- Civs:
* British
* French
* Dutch
* German
* Scandinavian (Kalmar Union)
* Russian
* Portuguese
* Spanish
* Italian
- Minor civs (a la AoE3, but from all around the world)
- Example of the basic infantry line:
Age I (Archebusier) > Age II (Musketeer) > Age III (Fusiler) > Age IV ("Napoleonic" Infantry) > (Rifleman)

>> Gamplay mechanics:
- Basically AoE2 with few aditional elements like "minor civs" and capturable cities like in Rise of Nations, (I would like if possible a way to capture civilian units and buildings without micro wololo too much).
- Many commun elements between all the civs, with just some unique features for each one.

>> Art:
- Realistic but simple.
- NOT REAL 3D!!! just HD sprites

[Matthew]

Well good news, the msc is being removed in the next patch :)

But that is exactly what I mean by as much impact. Compare AoE3 to Warcraft 3, for example. In W3 items and heroes played a huge role to the point where games were often won or lost by a single hero or item. If your orc blademaster dies mid game, there is a good chance you lost.

Where as the "hero" unit in AoE3 is mostly a glorified scout. Yeah there are treasure camps and yeah maybe you can shave off a few seconds going to a fast fortress by getting an extra 40 gold or whatever, but by and large the hero doesn't have much more impact than an AoE2 scout had.

As I said, it isn't that the criticisms of AoE3 are completely unjustified, but we should at least try to be objective about it. If AoE3 were "fixed" to fit the AoE2 formula (whatever that is supposed to be), it would mostly be minor tweaks here and there as opposed to large, sweeping changes to core mechanics. Because the differences are mostly that, minor tweaks.

But yeah graphics or tech, that is another angle of the topic. And part of the reason why, in one of these threads, I had made the comment along the lines of "if you are expecting AoE4 to be like AoE2 prepare to be disappointed". Because the chances of AoE4 using 2d sprites is probably close to zero.

[Soully]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Cats. Just Cats.:

I doubt that the Age of Empires formula can at all be translated into the Industrial Age.

People, think about it:

- We have villagers gathering food... but in an industrial society, that's not how it works any more. The whole Town Center + Villagers concept doesn't work any more.

Sure, you can go for fantasy worker units as in "Starcraft", but Starcraft is a fictional setting. AoE is supposed to be about the real world. I just don't think that the game concept can be married with the Industrial Age. That's why AoE3 had to end in 1860, before the Americans started their Industrialization.


The problem with the violence has already been mentioned. The idea to to run around and kill enemy villagers is not how battles are fought any more. The game concept falls apart, the closer we approach the present time.


Honestly, I wouldn't mind a remake of AoE3 in the style of AoE2. Because I never played AoE3; I didn't like the game dynamics. Stick to the AoE2 formula and cover 1500 - 1900. But I think that Tawm is right and the naming implies that AoE4 takes place after AoE3... which is a problem.

Honestly, I don't expect much from AoE4, because the only good timeframe I can think of - 1500-1900 - is already occupied by AoE3 and it's unlikely that we'll get the game I would prefer.

it could easily be done. Villagers still "Gather resources" in the modern day. Sawmills, Mining Shafts, Farms.. they're still around. where do you think Raw materials come from, anyways? And Town Centers still work as a concept, because towns.. well, still have centers!

It's simple, just add in a factory unit. AOE 2 did that excellently with the Feitoria, and I actually think AOE 3's factories were alright (if a little sloppy and game-rush-y).

And the violence argument is, unfortunately, being overcooked. It's a shame that in this society, we have to tread so lightly. No, I want to win against the US as Vietnam. I want to play as the Nazis. I want to send suicide bombers into populated cities. THAT'S History. Unfortunately, with an IRL sheen, it becomes so much more.. hated.

Maybe everyone just needs to wake up to the smell of a large, large cup of coffee.

[gg_The_Gothic_Legion]

A lot of people here seem not to realize how your modern age setting changes Age of Empires feeling completely. Not just its atmosphere, but the whole gameplay.
The reason why AoE2 stands out is that it uses lot of melee units, unlike other RTS games that are ranged dominant.

I, for once, would like to see AoE4 to be set in Ancient/Medieval era, reworked this time. Definite versions were a nice touch for the old fans, but it's hardly ever going to attract new players or improve on the game.

There's so much a good developing studio can do with Medieval Ages. Imagine a game where Castles and walls play much bigger role, if you could build more-or-less customized fortifications/castles (something like we have in Stronghold), units can man those walls and you're defending against prolonged sieges and so on.
- A game where fortification really matters.

I'm afraid that if we had this modern era you all promote, it would be just another shoot-shoot-bang RTS, with two figures shooting each other with pixelated rifles from distance.

Another good thing about AoE2 (and not AoE1/AoE3/AoM) was that one has a lot of artistic freedom when it comes to building your own city or a village. In those other games it was just about utility of that building, not a city-building.
- Allow me to build bridges, roads, statues and other silly things and I'll be happy.

- Allow me to board enemy ships with my own units, that would be cool.
- Add formations that influence the outcome of the battle (phalanx, schiltron, shieldwall)
- Little bit more historical accuracy (Let Scots be Scots and not Celts, English be English and not Britons, etc. Kievan Rus be Kievan Rus and not "Slavs".) And if you have to, let us make some specializations, like we had in AoM. And with Slavs you could either choose Polish Tree or Bulgarian or Kievan Tree, etc.
- And make all those civs really unique

I'd like to play some saxons and jutes invading Britain in the Dark Ages, or later Norsemen doing the same, Franks and Byzantines defending against barbarian invaders, Normans conquering Saxons and Italians with their amazing kite shields, let me play First to Fourth Crusade.

So all the civs that I can think of: English, Franks(and Normans), Norse, Germans(Saxons, Lombards, Dutch, Goths, later Teutonic Order), Italians(Romans), Byzantines, Slavs(Bohemians, Polish, Kievans, Bulgarians), Magyars, Mongols, Ottomans, Saracens, etc.

[Soully]

Oprindeligt skrevet af gg King Tryhard:

A lot of people here seem not to realize how your modern age setting changes Age of Empires feeling completely. Not just its atmosphere, but the whole gameplay.
The reason why AoE2 stands out is that it uses lot of melee units, unlike other RTS games that are ranged dominant.

I, for once, would like to see AoE4 to be set in Ancient/Medieval era, reworked this time. Definite versions were a nice touch for the old fans, but it's hardly ever going to attract new players or improve on the game.

There's so much a good developing studio can do with Medieval Ages. Imagine a game where Castles and walls play much bigger role, if you could build more-or-less customized fortifications/castles (something like we have in Stronghold), units can man those walls and you're defending against prolonged sieges and so on.
- A game where fortification really matters.

I'm afraid that if we had this modern era you all promote, it would be just another shoot-shoot-bang RTS, with two figures shooting each other with pixelated rifles from distance.

Another good thing about AoE2 (and not AoE1/AoE3/AoM) was that one has a lot of artistic freedom when it comes to building your own city or a village. In those other games it was just about utility of that building, not a city-building.
- Allow me to build bridges, roads, statues and other silly things and I'll be happy.

- Allow me to board enemy ships with my own units, that would be cool.
- Add formations that influence the outcome of the battle (phalanx, schiltron, shieldwall)
- Little bit more historical accuracy (Let Scots be Scots and not Celts, English be English and not Britons, etc. Kievan Rus be Kievan Rus and not "Slavs".) And if you have to, let us make some specializations, like we had in AoM. And with Slavs you could either choose Polish Tree or Bulgarian or Kievan Tree, etc.
- And make all those civs really unique

I'd like to play some saxons and jutes invading Britain in the Dark Ages, or later Norsemen doing the same, Franks and Byzantines defending against barbarian invaders, Normans conquering Saxons and Italians with their amazing kite shields, let me play First to Fourth Crusade.

So all the civs that I can think of: English, Franks(and Normans), Norse, Germans(Saxons, Lombards, Dutch, Goths, later Teutonic Order), Italians(Romans), Byzantines, Slavs(Bohemians, Polish, Kievans, Bulgarians), Magyars, Mongols, Ottomans, Saracens, etc.

The thing that makesw AOE TRULY special is its counter system and its reliance on "Hollywood History", or rather, short innacuracies to give you a constructed image.

It wouldn't be men with Rifles, it would be fast SMG-soldiers, and slow MGs, and medium-speed Riflemen, and long-range snipers, and then hundreds of other unqiue units. Contrasts and counters, and thne new additions!

[Creeping Death (VvvvV)]

So most of you are saying AoE 4 should be Empire Earth?

[NIKFS]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Chalana:

So most of you are saying AoE 4 should be Empire Earth? :DarkOphelia:

well i did like empire earth for its idea, i didnt like the way the ai played but playing it against my little brother was always fun for us

[Peking Duckman]

Oprindeligt skrevet af <i><font face="Impact">DARKO:

Oprindeligt skrevet af TerminatorIV:

The devs have told that they gonna listen community input on reddit. You might wanna leave your thoughts there: https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe4

After they ignore almost half users base by forcing win10 bullsh*t? Who will belive them?

I smell a troll. There's nothing wrong with Windows 10, and you might as well complain that it's not available on Window XP either. I take DX12 support over your paranoia anyday.

[NIKFS]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Peking Duckman:

Oprindeligt skrevet af <i><font face="Impact">DARKO:

After they ignore almost half users base by forcing win10 bullsh*t? Who will belive them?

I smell a troll. There's nothing wrong with Windows 10, and you might as well complain that it's not available on Window XP either. I take DX12 support over your paranoia anyday.

well win10 did cause a lot of issues at the start and windows store overall... caused issues as well on this forum alone i saw a few other guys having had issues with it and it bricked my pc... twice... not going there again

gfwl, windows store... nothing works when MS tries to go that road....