You’re trying to troyan horse pointless causes alongside legitimate issues, as usual.
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In what way? The extra stats, or the visuals that tend to come with it?
I they release Independence mode to everyone not just owners of the DLC theres a REALLY HIGH chance they game could explode in popularity surpassing aoe4, it would be basically how people expected aoe3 to be, without the experience and crates etc. It would be pretty good.
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There really should have been an “Independence” mode from the very beginning—ever since AoE III launched in 2005—but since there wasn’t, I highly doubt the developers will add this new mode to the base game. Furthermore, we don’t know exactly what new features this mode brings to skirmish or multiplayer matches. There is a reason why this mode is exclusive to the Baltic DLC, and—more importantly—why the developers haven’t released any news about it. It is possible that Independence mode and Regicide mode will end up being the main draw and the primary reason this new DLC sells.
I doubt it’ll be the reason the DLC sells.
Indy mode should just be in the base game with the update that comes along with the DLC - you ain’t gonna have a solid game mode if it’s just locked out for all users (well of course any single player modes) who don’t have DLC access - doesn’t make sense. Locked civs - fine.
Main draw = Polish and Danish Civs obviously
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I don’t think the civilizations are the main draw, as this DLC is lacking in content compared to the Knights of the Mediterranean DLC—specifically regarding minor factions. Remember, Knights of the Mediterranean included quite a few Royal Houses, as well as various European and historical maps. In contrast, the Baltic DLC only adds three native factions and twenty Arctic maps; many forum users have noted that most of these maps are poorly represented—some don’t even feature natives—and the Danish civilization lacks a revolution option, which will undoubtedly make it less playable than the Polish civilization over time. The only truly interesting aspect of this new DLC is the Polish civilization, which boasts extensive mechanics and excellent revolution options. Otherwise, the Baltic DLC falls short of the Mediterranean one—at least when looking at native factions and the two main civilizations. However, if we consider game modes, the Baltic DLC comes out on top, as it offers more game modes and several challenge maps. That is why I reiterate: from that perspective, the real appeal of this new DLC lies in the new game modes, challenge modes, and, of course, some of the maps.
Yes, or at least you could play Independence mode with people who have the DLC even if you don’t have it…
Yes, exactly, they want to sell this DLC with that game mode no matter what, just like the Tycoon mode with KotM…
Yes, at most you have what’s on the wiki:
| Start cut-off from your Home City, unable to receive shipments, relying solely on local troops and resources. | ” |
|---|---|
| —In-game description |
| “ | Abandon the safety net of your Home City in Independence Mode and prove that you can win games purely through strategy and real skill. Rediscover your favorite civilizations in a new way with adjusted civilization bonuses. | ” |
|---|---|---|
| —The Baltic Powers announcement description |
Independence is a game mode in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The Baltic Powers. In this game mode, the Home Cities function, and thus XP and shipments, has been removed from the game. Traditional XP sources are either silenced or repurposed to provide a mix of all resources, like Trade Routes. To compensate for the lack of shipments, starting resources are instant and villagers gather slightly faster. In general, this game mode makes the gameplay similar to the other games of the Age of Empires series by removing the entire Home City mechanic.
Every civilization has an updated set of unique bonuses. For example, the Spanish research all technologies faster and the Lakota can break up camp to relocate their buildings. Units and buildings with access restrictions like Forts, Factories, and Sipahi are no longer locked behind shipments, but can be accessed in regular gameplay.
Civilization bonuses
All
- Trade Routes do not yield XP.
- Players’ resource gathering bonus +10%.
- Sets building builder limit to 255.
- Disables Mercantilism, New Year Festival, and Blockade technologies.
- Ironclad train limit +1.
Compendium
| “ | Independence Mode removes the Home City and Experience (XP) systems. To compensate for the lack of shipments, all Villagers gather resources faster and an unlimited number of workers can construct buildings together. Traditional XP sources now yield resources; for example, Level 1 Trade Routes provide a mix of Food, Wood, and Coin. Cultural Adjustments: • African Civilizations: Units trained in the War Camp generate Influence. African Cattle can now construct and slowly gather from Fields. • Asian Civilizations: All Wonders can be reconstructed during the final Age. • European Civilizations: Can build up to two Forts in Age 3 and two Factories in Age 4. All advanced Church technologies are available. • Federal Americans: Generals can build Town Centers and Factories in Age 4 and Quaker Guns at Artillery Foundries. All advanced Church technologies are available. • Indigenous Americans: All ceremonies are available. Native Scouts receive an automatic upgrade in Age 2. |
|
|---|---|---|
| Win by killing all enemy Regents without losing your own. | ” |
|---|---|
| —In-game description |
| “ | Eliminate the enemy Regents for an instant win! In Regicide, with no option to hide in buildings, the Regent must either face their enemy head-on or find a way to evade their pursuers. | ” |
|---|---|---|
| —The Baltic Powers announcement description |
Regicide is a game mode in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The Baltic Powers. Prior to this, Honshu - Regicide, which uses the “classic” Regicide ruleset, was the only map that could be played this game mode.
| “ | In The Baltic Powers we decided to switch things up: The Regent is no longer a feeble, insanely fast unit that hides in a tower all game. Instead, they now have a presence on the battlefield with a lot of hitpoints and no option to hide. This requires players to pay more attention to the objective of the mode: Kill the enemy Regents and don’t get killed while trying! |
|---|---|
Compendium
| “ | 
Regicide is a game type in which every player begins with a regent, or leader. In order to win the game you must defeat an enemy’s regent. | ” |
|----|----|----|
| —In-game compendium | | |
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Without a doubt, Independence Mode is—and will remain—the major highlight of this new DLC. I imagine its inclusion in the DLC rather than the base game stems from the developers’ desire to maximize sales for the Baltic DLC—something that likely wouldn’t happen if Independence Mode were added to the base game instead. I hope this helps many users understand why Independence Mode isn’t coming to the base game. Furthermore, many here pledged to support the game once development support resumed; well, support is back and new content is arriving again. Now, we all need to do our part: making the effort to purchase the new Baltic DLC to support the developers as they continue working on the game.
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pour mon cas, j’ai déjà précommandé, après même si c’est le dernier DLC avant une maintenance active, j’estimerais qu’ils auront fait ce qu’il fallait
Bon par contre s’ils continuent la mise à jour et la sortie d’autres DLC je ne cracherais pas dessus
For those who argued that just three native factions were enough to round out the new Baltic powers DLC, I’d like to offer some ideas that could shift that perspective toward a more logical and coherent approach. I’ve looked more closely at the new Arctic and Canadian maps and discovered that there is still room to add new native groups in those areas; we don’t necessarily have to populate every map with the same Inuit tribes scattered across the entire region. Below, I’ve listed some native groups from northern Canada that could have been included on the new American maps from the start, as well as some European royal houses that are still missing from certain European maps. Frankly, I still wonder why these royal houses haven’t been added to the game yet, given their historical significance to those parts of Europe.
Natives:
Innu People: The Innu are an Indigenous people of Algonquian origin inhabiting primarily eastern Canada—in a region they call Nitassinan (“our land”)—which spans northeastern Quebec and eastern Labrador. Since the maps of Quebec and Labrador are included in the new Baltic DLC, there should be no issue with adding this native faction to the trading posts on those maps.
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Traditional Subsistence: Historically, they relied on seasonal hunting—particularly of caribou and moose—as well as fishing and gathering.
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Organization: They used portable tents and birch-bark shelters to adapt to their long journeys across the forests and tundra.
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Weaponry: Although the Innu people never possessed a warrior or military culture as such, for the sake of survival they did employ certain weapons to defend themselves against enemy tribes or European expansionism. Their arsenal included bows and arrows, spears and javelins, and wooden clubs and maces; however, with the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century and the subsequent establishment of trade, they adopted new weapons such as muskets and metal axes.
Abenaki People: The Abenaki are an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people native to the forested region of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada (Quebec and Hudson Bay). Their name means “those who live where the sun rises”. They are part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. They did not have a fixed central government, which helped them move and protect themselves more effectively during conflicts.
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Traditional Subsistence: They lived primarily by hunting and fishing. Maize was cultivated along the coast. unlike the Iroquois. Hunting was carried out using snares, traps, and bows and arrows.
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Organization: They lived in wigwams—dome-shaped cedar-bark huts with an opening at the top—occupied by several patrilineal families.
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Warrior Culture: Wars were decided by a General Council composed of all the men and women belonging to the tribe. A Grand Council of Chieftains and representatives from each family also decided other matters of importance to the group. Among the weapons they used were bows and arrows (Tôbi), war maces and clubs (Pakamagan), and spears and harpoons.
Royal Houses:
House of Orange-Nassau: The dynasty was formed in 1515 through the union of two titles—the German County of Nassau and the French Principality of Orange—following the marriage of Henry III of Nassau-Breda and Claudia of Châlon. Their son, René of Châlon, inherited the principality and was the first to use the combined name.
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William I (the Silent): René’s nephew and successor, he led the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule in the 16th century, initiating the independence of the United Provinces.
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Stadtholders: During the era of the republic, various members of the family governed as “stadtholders” (military and political governors).
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Monarchy: In 1815, following the end of the republican period, the Netherlands became a kingdom, and the family formally assumed the crown.
House of Medici: The Medici were a powerful family from the Italian city of Florence, influential in the politics and government of Tuscany from the Renaissance through the 18th century. Notable members included four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leo XI), two queens of France (Catherine de’ Medici and Marie de’ Medici), and numerous Florentine leaders and members of the royal houses of France and England. They distinguished themselves as patrons of the arts and sciences, supporting the artists and scientists of their time. The dynasty that shaped the destiny of Florence for over three centuries—despite suffering exile on two occasions—came to an end in 1737 with the death, without an heir, of Gian Gastone de’ Medici, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany.
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The Medici Bank: Founded in 1397 by Cosimo de’ Medici (Cosimo the Elder), it became the wealthiest and most respected bank in Europe.
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Innovation: They pioneered the use of modern accounting systems, such as double-entry bookkeeping.
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Mecenazgo: They funded great geniuses such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Donatello, and Galileo Galilei.
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Renaissance Florence: Their financial support transformed Florence into the continent’s cultural and artistic hub.
House of Braganza: The Most Sereníssima Casa de Bragança—also known as the Bragantine dynasty—is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin that reigned in Europe and the Americas. The house was founded by Afonso I, first Duke of Braganza the illegitimate son of King John I of Portugal (of the House of Aviz) and eventually became one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble houses in Iberia during the Renaissance. The Braganzas came to rule the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves after successfully deposing the Philippine dynasty during the Restoration War, a conflict that resulted in the Duke of Braganza becoming King John IV of Portugal in 1640. The Braganzas ruled Portugal and the Portuguese Empire from 1640; following the creation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves in 1815 and the subsequent independence of the Empire of Brazil in 1822, the Braganzas went on to rule as monarchs of Brazil.
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Restoration War: The House of Braganza led the uprising to oust the Habsburg dynasty (representing Spanish rule under Philip II and his successors), which had controlled Portugal since 1580.
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Power: Over time, it became one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble houses on the Iberian Peninsula.
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Independence of Brazil: In 1822, following Brazil’s separation from the Portuguese kingdom, the dynasty’s American branch was established, giving rise to the Empire of Brazil under the leadership of Pedro I.
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End of the Empire: This Brazilian imperial branch remained in power until the abolition of the monarchy and the proclamation of the republic in 1889.
House of Osman: The Ottoman dynasty, also known as the House of Osman, was the ruling family of the Ottoman Empire from its founding in 1299 until its dissolution in 1922. According to Ottoman tradition, the family originated from the Kayı tribe—a branch of the Oghuz Turks—under Osman I in the Söğüt district of Bilecik, northwestern Anatolia.
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Founder: Osman I declared the independence of the Anatolian principality in 1299, giving his name to both the family and the empire.
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The title of Sultan: The official title of “Sultan” came into use under Murad I, starting in 1383.
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Early Conquests (1299–1453): Under Osman I and his son Orhan, the Ottomans expanded from a small Anatolian beylik to cross into Europe (capturing Gallipoli in 1354).
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Fall of Constantinople (1453): Mehmed II conquered the Byzantine capital, transforming the state into a global empire.
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Sieges of Vienna (1529 and 1683): Suleiman the Magnificent’s first attempt failed, and the second attempt in 1683 marked the beginning of the Ottoman retreat in Europe in the face of the Holy League and the Habsburgs.
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Wars with the Safavids (16th–18th centuries): Constant conflicts with the Persian Empire over control of Eastern Anatolia and Mesopotamia.
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End of the Empire and Exile: The sultanate ended in 1922 and the caliphate in 1924, the year the imperial family was exiled from Turkey.
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That’s AI. It’s very clearly AI.
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I fear AI is the only thing this guy knows.
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Thanks, I’ve fixed it. I downloaded several images but only two were meant for each tribe, and because I was rushing—and focusing too much on the royal houses—I uploaded the wrong photo.
I have more photos, but I don’t want to clutter the comment with too much information.
Sorry, my friend—I’m racing against the clock. I have to head out today and am in a rush to upload all this information before I leave. I have plenty of photos on my computer related to the topics I post, but sometimes I simply run out of time to properly vet the AI-generated content. However, I usually review the information once I get home to correct any errors. It’s never my intention to post AI-generated junk; I just don’t have the time to focus on the finer details right away, so I review and make corrections later.
Yes, I was planning to buy the DLC for Christmas (although I thought it would be a bit difficult), but someone from the forum already gifted it to me, so I’ll be able to try it out completely and do a full review (civs, maps, and the game mode itself) when the DLC comes out on Thursday…
Yes, if we consider that the DLC wasn’t originally going to include minor citizens… the fact that it brought two native minor civs (Sami and Inuit) and a new royal house (Stuart) is fantastic… and that’s assuming they don’t add two more in the future after the DLC’s release…
Yes, those are good options for them to release after the DLC launch, along with some new maps…
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House of Medici and House of Braganza would have been very appropriate to add for the KoTM DLC.
Update 13.27885 in 2022 was the patch that included the Ottoman overhaul. House of Osman would have been a good inclusion at the time.
House of Orange-Nassau could have worked fine enough as a royal house added in the Baltic DLC.
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Yes, perhaps they can’t find native units and technologies for those royal houses…
I hope the developers eventually decide to add some of these real-world houses to the European maps; with their inclusion, I think Europe would be fully covered, allowing the developers to focus on working on new regions of the world, such as Asia, Africa, or South America.
Although I would like more flora and fauna. Many things from North America are recycled for use in Europe.
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Let me try and give the developers some ideas for these Royal Houses… I’ll do Braganza first.
House of Braganza
Their 2 main native units will be based on the Legion of Alorna also known as the Light Legion or Legion of Light Troops, a military regiment in the Portuguese Army.
The 3rd is a special native unit based on the Loyal Lusitanian Legion that fought in the Peninsular Wars. These troops were made up of Portuguese exiles that initially fled to England, but they were loyal to the House of Braganza and returned to fight for their homeland.
Alorna Musketeer - Well-rounded Portuguese Musketeer with good range that has higher speed than most musketeers. Benefits from combat promotions (HP and Attack +%)
Alorna Hussar - Fast Portuguese hand cavalry that is effective against infantry (x2 vs infantry). Benefits from combat promotions (Speed +%)
*New Technologies*
Royal Military Academy of Artillery and Drawing - Artillery units train 15% faster. Delivers 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1.
Curse of the Braganzas - Age up and Wonder cost -50% but Age up research time +250%
Sebastianism - Gives a trickle of 1 XP; All standard church technologies (Town Watch, Gas Lighting, Standing Army, Mass Cavalry, Medical Science, and Mission Fervor) are free.
Manueline Architecture - Buildings get +30% hit points. Villagers build buildings 30% faster.
*Royal House ability*
Loyal Lusitanian Legion - Spawns Lusitanian Legionaries, powerful light infantry units that are stronger in groups and have high hit points. Spawns more Lusitanian Legionaries the longer the player waits (up to 20 maximum).
I like how this one turned out. I’ll probably do House of Medici next, once I get some ideas for native units.
Before I forget, I would also add this HHC to the Portuguese Deck. The card would also be appropriate for a future Brazil civilization, if it ever gets approved.
Most Serene House - Delivers 1 Royal Embassy Wagon; enables Royal Embassy to be built. The House of Braganza grants access to its royal units (Alorna Musketeers, Alorna Hussars, and Lusitanian Legionaries), unit upgrades, and two technologies (Sebastianism, Manueline Architecture) in the Royal Embassy; Braganza units now cost population slots when acquired from the Royal Embassy or the Home City.
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