The problem with aoeo is that it was lacking way to much around launch:
-Fair pvp. Gearless pvp wasn’t introduced until a few months after the launch. It was probably to late.
-No recorded games.
-No post game statistics.
-No observermode.
-No scenario/map editor (ok i understand it was online…)
Other problems where:
-Main focus on PvE (yes stupid idea isn’t it?)
-The game launched with only 3 civs. For every new civ you had to pay extra money.
-They went free to play, which screwed a large amount of players who bought a very expensive season pass for $80.
They didn’t take Esports seriously. One main point of getting people to play your game is esports video’s on youtube and streaming on twitch. How does somebody start playing tennis? Very often by watching federer vs Nadal play it on tv. Not always but you get the point i guess.
I don’t feel like that was the biggest issue with AOE: O. Personally, I never got into it because the art style just flat out didn’t appeal to me. I was also not a fan of how everything about its design (UI, game systems, etc) just seemed like the kind of stuff you’d run into in a Facebook game or Farmville and stuff. The whole package just made me run the other way, as it simply wasn’t what I was looking for.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; I really hope AOE 4 does not over focus on E-sports. It’s not a thing I’ve personally ever cared for, and my favorite games are generally titles that do not bend over backwards trying to be esports titles, but instead cater to people looking for fun RTS games that deliver on a fantasy. This isn’t to say that I don’t understand the call for it, but just that I hope they find a balance, and remember that the original AOE base is not the same group as Starcraft pros.