what is the point?

[Sensei]

cash grab?

[Trevor Reznik]

Originally posted by Marcus Aurelius:

For those who don't have Windows 10 (botnet OS)

You serious?

[Combat Philosopher]

Originally posted by GepardenK:

This is actually a pretty great deal (MS has been good on pricing lately). For 20$, or 15$ if you have HD, you get AoE2 + all expansions; in addition to another new expansion (4 new civs, 3 new campaigns) AND the new gfx.

For new players there is literally no better way to start with AoE2, you're up to date from the get go and do not need to worry about getting extra packs. For old players the price and content is identical to buying another HD expansion, except you now also get a graphical upgrade.

Well good for the new players. However, this is a 20 year old game and a great deal of the people still playing AoE2 are old players. I bought HD and all of the expansions for HD, why do I now need to pay 15$ MORE for what is nothing more than a graphics overhaul? This is essentially a paid mod which has no real reason to exist. "B-b-but HD has bad netcode..." I agree. Maybe they should fix the crappy version that broke multiplayer, the netcode, the AI, and the pathfinding instead of re-re-releasing this game and demanding still more money for it.

The fact that the unit graphics look muddy and this paid mod is locked behind Windows 10, the second worst OS Microsoft has released to date, is just the cherry on top or this turd sunday.

[Trevor Reznik]

Originally posted by Combat Philosopher:

for what is nothing more than a graphics overhaul?

That's just not true, the music got a rework, the gameplay got updated with gameplay improvements and basic stuff like zooming in and out like we expect from games nowadays.

[Combat Philosopher]

Originally posted by Trevor Reznik:

That's just not true, the music got a rework, the gameplay got updated with gameplay improvements and basic stuff like zooming in and out like we expect from games nowadays.

A music remix and Zoom? Wow. It's like whole new game. If there was one thing this game absolutely needed to make it feel modern it's zoom and music. Such gameplay changing features will surely push boundaries in the RTS genre.

Nah but seriously, I usually play on mute and listen to whatever else, and zoom doesn't add anything of note. Of all the things I "expect" from "modern games" zoom is hardly high on the list. This is what I mean by this being a glorified graphics mod. If anything, these features sound like things that should have been in the HD version to make it not crap.

In another thread I compared this version to what happened recently with Dark Souls. The Prepare to Die edition was garbage and was saved by the playerbase moddding the heck out of it. From Software then came in, released a Definitive Edition that was nothing more than what PtD should have been years ago, killed PtD by pulling it from Steam and shutting down the servers, only to release a Definitive Edition that was inferior to the player-created modded PtD. The player base was then split with an artificial and nonsensical cash wall between two groups and resulted in a dead and severely disappointed player base. I would go further and say that what Microsoft is doing here is likely even worse as they are not only gatekeeping the game behind a cash wall, but also (again, arbitrarily) behind an OS.

They've already screwed-up with this franchise three times. AoE3 was a bit of a flop, that mobile thing they tried to do with Age of Empires was absolute sheer unsupported garbage, and the HD version actually made the game worse in many respects. Heck, even the re-release of AoE1 has taken almost a year to get somewhat decent. Why are we all trusting that Microsoft has suddenly learned a lesson that they have failed to learn in the past 20 years? Why are we all assuming they have suddenly become both pro-consumer and competent developers?

I am cautiously optimistic that AoE2:DE won't suck, I just have every reason to believe that it will.

[ExTiNcT_SaNitY]

Imo it's a half cash grab, sure they are trying hard with new animation, new textures, new civs but the core of the game is better pathing ..we need MUCH better pathing, HD is appalling bad!!!!!!!

[Rain]

Originally posted by Combat Philosopher:

Originally posted by Trevor Reznik:

That's just not true, the music got a rework, the gameplay got updated with gameplay improvements and basic stuff like zooming in and out like we expect from games nowadays.

A music remix and Zoom? Wow. It's like whole new game. If there was one thing this game absolutely needed to make it feel modern it's zoom and music. Such gameplay changing features will surely push boundaries in the RTS genre.

Nah but seriously, I usually play on mute and listen to whatever else, and zoom doesn't add anything of note. Of all the things I "expect" from "modern games" zoom is hardly high on the list. This is what I mean by this being a glorified graphics mod. If anything, these features sound like things that should have been in the HD version to make it not crap.

In another thread I compared this version to what happened recently with Dark Souls. The Prepare to Die edition was garbage and was saved by the playerbase moddding the heck out of it. From Software then came in, released a Definitive Edition that was nothing more than what PtD should have been years ago, killed PtD by pulling it from Steam and shutting down the servers, only to release a Definitive Edition that was inferior to the player-created modded PtD. The player base was then split with an artificial and nonsensical cash wall between two groups and resulted in a dead and severely disappointed player base. I would go further and say that what Microsoft is doing here is likely even worse as they are not only gatekeeping the game behind a cash wall, but also (again, arbitrarily) behind an OS.

They've already screwed-up with this franchise three times. AoE3 was a bit of a flop, that mobile thing they tried to do with Age of Empires was absolute sheer unsupported garbage, and the HD version actually made the game worse in many respects. Heck, even the re-release of AoE1 has taken almost a year to get somewhat decent. Why are we all trusting that Microsoft has suddenly learned a lesson that they have failed to learn in the past 20 years? Why are we all assuming they have suddenly become both pro-consumer and competent developers?

I am cautiously optimistic that AoE2:DE won't suck, I just have every reason to believe that it will.

You believe .
We don't believe it .
Aoe 2 DE will be awesome !

[Rain]

Originally posted by Combat Philosopher:

Originally posted by GepardenK:

This is actually a pretty great deal (MS has been good on pricing lately). For 20$, or 15$ if you have HD, you get AoE2 + all expansions; in addition to another new expansion (4 new civs, 3 new campaigns) AND the new gfx.

For new players there is literally no better way to start with AoE2, you're up to date from the get go and do not need to worry about getting extra packs. For old players the price and content is identical to buying another HD expansion, except you now also get a graphical upgrade.

Well good for the new players. However, this is a 20 year old game and a great deal of the people still playing AoE2 are old players. I bought HD and all of the expansions for HD, why do I now need to pay 15$ MORE for what is nothing more than a graphics overhaul? This is essentially a paid mod which has no real reason to exist. "B-b-but HD has bad netcode..." I agree. Maybe they should fix the crappy version that broke multiplayer, the netcode, the AI, and the pathfinding instead of re-re-releasing this game and demanding still more money for it.

The fact that the unit graphics look muddy and this paid mod is locked behind Windows 10, the second worst OS Microsoft has released to date, is just the cherry on top or this turd sunday.

Windows 10 is awesome
Aoe 2 DE will be awesome too
Keep hating

[GepardenK]

Originally posted by Combat Philosopher:

Originally posted by GepardenK:

This is actually a pretty great deal (MS has been good on pricing lately). For 20$, or 15$ if you have HD, you get AoE2 + all expansions; in addition to another new expansion (4 new civs, 3 new campaigns) AND the new gfx.

For new players there is literally no better way to start with AoE2, you're up to date from the get go and do not need to worry about getting extra packs. For old players the price and content is identical to buying another HD expansion, except you now also get a graphical upgrade.

Well good for the new players. However, this is a 20 year old game and a great deal of the people still playing AoE2 are old players. I bought HD and all of the expansions for HD, why do I now need to pay 15$ MORE for what is nothing more than a graphics overhaul? This is essentially a paid mod which has no real reason to exist. "B-b-but HD has bad netcode..." I agree. Maybe they should fix the crappy version that broke multiplayer, the netcode, the AI, and the pathfinding instead of re-re-releasing this game and demanding still more money for it.

The fact that the unit graphics look muddy and this paid mod is locked behind Windows 10, the second worst OS Microsoft has released to date, is just the cherry on top or this turd sunday.

Dude, this is a new expansion as well. You get 4 new civs and 3 new campaigns in addition to all the previous ones. That's not even mentioning the streaming integration, the challenge maps, the new AI difficulty, and all that jazz. If you have a problem with the expansion we're getting now, why did you buy the HD expansions?

[_nuke_them]

Whats the point of this stupid thread???

Close plz!

[Sensei]

Originally posted by _nuke_them:

Whats the point of this stupid thread???

Close plz!

The point is they clearly milking the game which they can spend the time on making a New game. Nothing really game changer. but still lets keep selling this game from years ago. This is becoming Skyrim.

[Trevor Reznik]

But I want this game. I'd rather play Definitive Edition over HD or Vanilla Age 2.

And clearly HD earned them enough money to put a lot of effort into this new version.

Plus they are making a new game anyway, so your point is mute.

[Rens Agatha ⁧【レンス】]

i make experiment letting the map fulled by army and i think about 500 more the game laggy so much and i hope this version can handle it and remove that lag. Pretty sad thou comparing with game like stronghold crusader that game can handle more 1000 unit in one map and didnt get lag too much.

[Leaf_It]

Originally posted by Combat Philosopher:

A music remix and Zoom? Wow. It's like whole new game. If there was one thing this game absolutely needed to make it feel modern it's zoom and music. Such gameplay changing features will surely push boundaries in the RTS genre.

I am cautiously optimistic that AoE2:DE won't suck, I just have every reason to believe that it will.

I mean, it's basically the next expansion, because it comes with 4 new civs.

I'm sure the devs know, but there is a mod for HD, that made it compatible with Voobly, so you could legally buy everything and play it without many of the bugs that plagued HD. And there was a mod for User Patch that let you play with all the HD expansions with or without owning the HD edition.

I have no doubt that with in 3 months, a mod for User Patch AoEII will give you all the new civs, terrain textures, and anything else they add gameplay wise. And it will all run on windows 7, and probably even XP, since as far as I know, User Patch and Voobly still support XP.

I'm on Win7, and as much as I love AoEII, I'm not moving to win 10 just for this game. Even Halo the Master Chief Collection is getting win7 compatibility, there's no good reason for lock it to win10. My plan is to buy it, but play the unofficial version on Voobly unless they add win7 support.

[Sensei]

Originally posted by Trevor Reznik:

But I want this game. I'd rather play Definitive Edition over HD or Vanilla Age 2.

And clearly HD earned them enough money to put a lot of effort into this new version.

Plus they are making a new game anyway, so your point is mute.

How can u say u prefer to play a game that havent even came out. Your point is usless lol

[Dayve]

Why is it a cash grab to make a modern version of a beloved classic game? There are so many gamers around the ages of 30-50 who want modern, updated versions of the games they loved as kids or when they were younger, and younger audiences can be introduced to old classics in their updated modern form (if they can drag themselves away from Fortnite for 5 minutes).

I mean... the remake of Resident Evil 1 wasn't a cash grab. They remade they game because the old version, while a classic that has its place in the history of survival horror games, looks and sounds like a hot mess. The remake is still one of the best entries in the Resident Evil franchise. It's awesome.

Furthermore, the argument that "they could spend this time making new games" is invalid for two reasons:

1. They have more than one team. These teams work on many games. They're not just making one game at one time.

2. For the most part, all the best games have already been made and people are looking backward, not forward. That's why there's a huge rush for remakes of classic games right now. The gaming industry is a greedy bloated mess. People be longing for the good old days to return.