difficulty jump to Hard is absurd

[hefewe1zen]

I mean, Moderate difficulty is like dummy AI, they are hardly throwing a few units into battle

Hard difficulty I'm wiped out by an unrealistically large army early into the game

I haven't experience such imbalance in another AoE games

[James3157]

From story mode (campaigns), historical battles, skirmishes, or all of them? There are custom scenarios as well on AoE III: DE, but there levels of difficulty vary depending on how you set it up.

[hefewe1zen]

Skirmishes, AI is getting a 300 score lead seconds into the game

I googled and found that this has been pointed out before. The only way is to get super defensive and somehow survive the early rushes. Tbf this is game breaking to me so I'm glad I didn't buy all extensions

[Eric The Red]

If hard is too hard for you and moderate isn't hard enough give moderate difficulty AI a handicap and adjust it until it is just right for you or give yourself a handicap on hard difficulty.

[James3157]

Originally posted by BasilFawlty:

Skirmishes, AI is getting a 300 score lead seconds into the game

I googled and found that this has been pointed out before. The only way is to get super defensive and somehow survive the early rushes. Tbf this is game breaking to me so I'm glad I didn't buy all extensions

Well, the good news is that if you can win at least one battle from 1v1 hard difficulty skirmish without cheating (especially if it requires defeating your opponent instead of monopoly victory because monopoly victory is actually easier than conquering your enemy) you might be better prepared for multiplayer as well. Also, for an easier victory maybe try 2v1 on hard difficulty instead of 1v1. With enough practice on 2v1 perhaps you will eventually be ready for 1v1 on hard difficulty as well.

[Catalytic]

Originally posted by BasilFawlty:

Skirmishes, AI is getting a 300 score lead seconds into the game

I googled and found that this has been pointed out before. The only way is to get super defensive and somehow survive the early rushes. Tbf this is game breaking to me so I'm glad I didn't buy all extensions

The AI does not cheat on Hard. That's the "standard" difficulty. Harder gives a +20% resource handicap and Elite/Extreme (whatever they call it) gives +40% extra resources to the AI. You either rush it or die on those levels, but Hard is very playable for an average player.

How do you get there?

1) Recognize that the game is an old game. You're new to it, but the game has a lot of mechanics that have been added over time (like any game) and that complexity just takes time to learn. So don't tell yourself that if you can't beat Hard, you should just quit. If you enjoy the game, turn down the difficulty so it better matches where you're at.

2) Learn the basics. The Von Clauswitz tutorials are very helpful here. They teach you how the economy works. They teach you how to manage the various unit types, and how the rock-paper-scissors counter system work. Hard assumes you know these concepts cold. If you don't know them perfectly yet, practice on lower difficulty or in the tutorial modes until you can get the gold.

3) Learn general patterns for what you should be doing. The AI is pretty linear. Age 1, explore, and build nothing but villagers. Build 1 house only. You want constant villager production til you hit 800 food, then go to Age 2. Do not use the berries. You want to hunt animals for the best rate of food income. During the transition, build a market, build a second house, bank enough wood to immediately build a barracks (200w). Age 2, get a military up ASAP and never let villager production stop. That should position you well for the AI's initial rush whenever it comes. Remember if they're not attacking, they're making a bigger army, so balance how much military you make accordingly.

4) Build a solid core of Age 1 and 2 cards. Villager cards if available. At least one unit shipment in Age 2 to help with that initial rush. Other guides get more specific, test out options and see what helps you win.

5) Stick with 1-2 civs initially while you learn until you get really comfortable with them. Try other civs after you've got a feel for what you need to be doing in general to win. Some of them play so dramatically different, they can be difficult to learn on their own but it's a lot easier once you have the basics down.

That should give you a good start. I hesitate to try and fill in more than that because those are important strategic decisions you sort of learn as you go. Strategy games shouldn't be reduced to a formula of build orders and cheese unit comps, so I try to avoid them. Others will tell you that if you want to get into multiplayer.

Again, play so you have fun! Best of luck!

[James3157]

Originally posted by Catalytic:

The AI does not cheat on Hard. That's the "standard" difficulty. Harder gives a +20% resource handicap and Elite/Extreme (whatever they call it) gives +40% extra resources to the AI. You either rush it or die on those levels, but Hard is very playable for an average player.

How do you get there?

1) Recognize that the game is an old game. You're new to it, but the game has a lot of mechanics that have been added over time (like any game) and that complexity just takes time to learn. So don't tell yourself that if you can't beat Hard, you should just quit. If you enjoy the game, turn down the difficulty so it better matches where you're at.

2) Learn the basics. The Von Clauswitz tutorials are very helpful here. They teach you how the economy works. They teach you how to manage the various unit types, and how the rock-paper-scissors counter system work. Hard assumes you know these concepts cold. If you don't know them perfectly yet, practice on lower difficulty or in the tutorial modes until you can get the gold.

3) Learn general patterns for what you should be doing. The AI is pretty linear. Age 1, explore, and build nothing but villagers. Build 1 house only. You want constant villager production til you hit 800 food, then go to Age 2. Do not use the berries. You want to hunt animals for the best rate of food income. During the transition, build a market, build a second house, bank enough wood to immediately build a barracks (200w). Age 2, get a military up ASAP and never let villager production stop. That should position you well for the AI's initial rush whenever it comes. Remember if they're not attacking, they're making a bigger army, so balance how much military you make accordingly.

4) Build a solid core of Age 1 and 2 cards. Villager cards if available. At least one unit shipment in Age 2 to help with that initial rush. Other guides get more specific, test out options and see what helps you win.

5) Stick with 1-2 civs initially while you learn until you get really comfortable with them. Try other civs after you've got a feel for what you need to be doing in general to win. Some of them play so dramatically different, they can be difficult to learn on their own but it's a lot easier once you have the basics down.

That should give you a good start. I hesitate to try and fill in more than that because those are important strategic decisions you sort of learn as you go. Strategy games shouldn't be reduced to a formula of build orders and cheese unit comps, so I try to avoid them. Others will tell you that if you want to get into multiplayer.

Again, play so you have fun! Best of luck!

I would also like to add as well that AI difficulty may depend on which type of map is being used as well at least for skirmishes (as opposed to custom scenarios where difficulty level is mainly determined by the player instead of what map is being used from a random skirmish). Practicing more with moderate difficulty or 2v1 on hard difficulty first instead of 1v1 (but also includes 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 as well on hard difficulty due to the fact that allies may not be very reliable in helping you) I think could be the best ways to learn how to do better on hard difficulty skirmishes as well besides everything else you mentioned earlier. Another approach worth trying out eventually on hard difficulty skirmish is 2v2v2v2 or 2v2v2, because that also seems (at least from my personal experience on moderate difficulty) to be easier than 1v1, 2v2, and etc...

[ayomilano73]

I agree I feel like the jump from moderate to hard is a little silly. I played the original game on hard and put handicaps on the AI (because i could not handle expert lul) and this time around feels rougher on hard. I just put handicaps on the moderate AI to where I can't slack, but I'm not getting overwhelmed while my useless partner AI sits there mining my mines

[Catalytic]

The AI allies are useless regardless of difficulty. Only a handful of them are capable of being aggressive on your side. It's definitely a toss-up whether they actually will be. I have no idea how to get them to attack. They don't respond to pings. Regardless of the response, the army doesn't actually move til it feels like it. I can't seem to predict what will trigger it to attack so I can coordinate with it.

This is just one of several frustrations with the AI in this game. They've worked on it, and no AI in any game is really perfect. It's just sort of something you have to accept. It's a computer program playing against you and not a human.

[James3157]

Originally posted by Catalytic:

The AI allies are useless regardless of difficulty. Only a handful of them are capable of being aggressive on your side. It's definitely a toss-up whether they actually will be. I have no idea how to get them to attack. They don't respond to pings. Regardless of the response, the army doesn't actually move til it feels like it. I can't seem to predict what will trigger it to attack so I can coordinate with it.

This is just one of several frustrations with the AI in this game. They've worked on it, and no AI in any game is really perfect. It's just sort of something you have to accept. It's a computer program playing against you and not a human.

I think it largely depends on what leader is being used and why 2v1 hard difficulty is easier than hard difficulty with 1v1, 2v2, and etc...

[Catalytic]

Originally posted by James3157:

I think it largely depends on what leader is being used and why 2v1 hard difficulty is easier than hard difficulty with 1v1, 2v2, and etc...

It definitely does depend on the AI. Each has its own strategy that it tries to execute. Aztec and Chinese will rush you hard in Age 2. Dutch and England will tech up rapidly and spam endless cannons at you with a monster economy. As a general rule, the Euro civs will put a little pressure on you early but prefer to tech up rapidly and max out their economies then send very expensive armies at you full of artillery. The Native American civs tend to push you hard early because their late-game economies honestly suck.

If you know what you're up against, it can help pick strategies that'll be effective.

[Bijiooo]

I remember this exact feeling. I was getting used to ACING Standard, every single time, then I got cocky and decided to bring my hilarious artillery-only game to Hard and was soundly wrecked by reams of Cav. I remember the hailstorm feeling of wave after wave that I just wasn't used to. I then had to dig deeper and learn what units countered what, etc. the feeling of finally beating Hard in Age of Empires III DE is just one of those gaming memories I hope I'll always have. then I started beating Hard on the regular, then I started dunking on them. then I moved up. etc. and etc.

here's my advice for anyone wanting to get better at Age III DE: learn unit counters (pikemen for cav, cav for artillery, artillery for massed units, massed units for everything. laff). and definitely learn the CARDS. the card shipment system is what for me takes the game from "Great" to "Phenomenal" imo (and "phenomenal" to "broken", in some wacky cases, lol). get a deck you can rely on, especially units for sudden situations. unit upgrades can be absurd.

and maybe most important, don't be afraid to play this new impossible difficulty with HANDICAP. (they certainly don't mind using it on you!) start at maybe +50% handicap. see that this new impossible difficulty really isn't impossible at all. get comfortable with what to use where. then work your way down. soon enough, if you really want to, you'll be nailing it without handicap.

it's a *very stressful game*, especially when you're not familiar with it. but it's my favorite game. there's no game I've played more, and I don't really know why. there's just something about it Age of Empires III, and they did it justice with Definitive Edition. (less said about DLC cancellations, the better).

you WILL git gud if you wanna git gud. but it takes failure after failure. sometimes you'll know you've got them and suddenly some unknown shipment of weirdos spawns outside their town center and your entire force is wiped. and the map goes black. it can be excruciating. (HINT: definitely abuse Save Scumming if you need to - it'll save time and precious patience! and watch your REPLAYS - it's in the Load menu from the frontpage! the feeling of final victory is worth the effort! but that's my opinion! peace! be well!)

[Scud]

Dealing with AI ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ amount of units rush in higher difficults can be a problem early on, but as you become faster with your actions it gets really easy to always survive them. A few things I suggest are:
- Be fast and optimal, don't waste vills seconds and keep your TC producing them, same deal with your explorer get treasure after treasure. Regarding decks, while singleplayer gives you some freedom in terms of deck, try to follow at least some of the meta early options for your civ, which is usually sending vills and trickles. So avoid doing stupid things like building mills early on or sending 300 resource crates unless some specific strategy involve them.
- Start producing units as fast as you reach Age II, make sure to have at least two units that compliment each other like musketeer and hand cavalry.
- While you can't relay on your TC as in AoE II do make use of it when the initial raid comes around, be sure the AI is figthing your army under TC fire and micro both your units and your TC which you want to use to specially kill infantry early on as most Age II cavalry AI would send would have resistance against range attacks. Just don't make your total amount of vills sit inside, because above 10 they won't do anything at all inside the TC. So try no move them no another place while the rest and your army are figthing.
- Getting at least one TP is a must against the AI, it would usually prioritice it above anything else, giving you both time and information about its army composition, so don't be afraid if it gets destroyed.
- Heal as much as you wish/can. AI don't focus fire on healer or units like real human players, so healing is a great way to save resources or get stronger armies using units with promotions mechanics. Shipping surgeons to get field hospitals is even better, specially if you're playing against multiple AI enemies.