An on topic topic generally categorizable as a discussion of aoe2 and it's historical context, and more specifically how patently obvious certain communications were erroneous and what this might behold for the future of the game

Age of Empires II: DE II - Discussion
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a few months back Cysion, the lead developer of the lead studio that develops for aoe2, was speaking on an aoe2 podcast, to an audience of aoe2 players and enthusiasts. During this discussion of aoe2 and the upcoming aoe2 dlc, it was asked why five aoe2 civilizations would be added to aoe2 in this aoe2 dlc. In part the response was “we needed five civs to tell the stories we wanted to tell”. We now understand these historical stories to be the 3 kingdoms period, a historical period aoe2 now, due to the addition of this dlc, there is campaign content for. however in these aoe2 campaigns, the aoe2 civilizations of jurchens and khitans are nowhere to be found. I find it curious how the lead developer for aoe2, weeks before an aoe2 dlc is to be released, would mis-characterize Jurchens and Khitans in context of their historical importance to three kingdoms period as portrayed in aoe2, considering these historical civilzations, for which now there are aoe2 civilizations to represent them in aoe2, are separated by nearly a thousand years of history, could make such an erroneous statement.

This statement about aoe2 civlizations, paired with the other statements made in regards to the upcoming aoe2 dlc, seem so numerous as to defy any rational explanation.

Some might attribute Hanlans razor, and humorously liken the incident to Monty Pythons Holy Hand grenade of antioch scene, where king arthur cannot accurately count to 3.

Regardless, I find it disturbing such statements about aoe2, dlcs for aoe2, the aoe2 civilizations to be added in the upcoming aoe2 dlc, and their historical justification giving the covered historical stories in the aoe2 campaing content, when paired with the other statements about aoe2 could be made.

If one can liken the communication of aoe2, and the enumeration of historically relevant aoe2 civilizations to a comedy sketch, it might give rise to re-evaluate how, the developers of aoe2 and aoe2’s dlcs communicate with us, the players and enthusiasts of aoe2, about upcoming aoe2 dlcs for aoe2.

So I ask you fellow aoe2 forum readers, are you concerned about the communication the aoe2 developers have been giving us, aoe2 players, about aoe2? Do you agree or disagree with the comparison to the aforementioned comedy sketch? Do you just find it funny, or does it similarly, give you an aoe2 player, pause for the future of aoe2 communication, and more generally the future of aoe2?

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How many months it has been? Have they acknowledged the mistake called Three Kingdoms anywhere at all?

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Approximately 3. Announcement was april 10th

They invited players to tell them what we hate. It acknowledges the possibility that there might be something about the game at least one fan might exist.

Which is probably about as good as we’ll get from MS but I shant relent to exercise the invitation they gave all of us.

Tho be careful of FB. they’re blocking people that do exactly that, express that which they hate, from their page. Probably just another mistake or mis-communication no doubt.

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To paraphrase Shakespeare:

World’s Edge is not but a walking shadow, a bad publisher
That struts and frets it’s hour upon the market,
And then is heard no more. It is a studio
Run by idiots, full of sound and fury,
Capable of nothing.

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Funny thing is, I was developing civ concepts longer than Cysion ever was. While he only coded a mere 5 for the forgotten I had like 30 concepts in planning stage.

Its almost a slap in the face that fate decided to give the guy who made less all because of a smidge of coding knowledge

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I am interested to know what stories they intended to tell that they had to include Jurchens and Khitanguts in the DLC but couldn’t tell as they don’t feature in the campaigns. Why did they need those extra 2 civs..

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Simple. They needed a Trojan Horse to attract the fans.

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They dare not to move 3K to chronicles I guess…

https://steamdb.info/app/3080080/charts/

But the positive review percentage has almost dropped below 50%.

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We are one away from equilibrium.

But if these trends show anything…the only way is down.

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The only good thing I’ll say is that at least, the bad communication is consistent since 2023 I guess. From the weird way they write announcements, like they’re talking to 5 year olds, and all the “miscommunication” prior to V&V where they used terms everyone knew what they meant, and twisted them to the extreme to justify a subpar product. 3K isn’t too far fetched, they have to make changes or we can’t take anything they say at face value.

Not to mention the “slippery slope” of each DLC being more and more innacurate, not for the sake of gameplay, but because of incompetence. First, it was the Thirisadai. One unit is inaccurate, made up, even. Then, the Armenian’s design. An entire civ is inaccurate, or “fantastical”. Now an entire DLC based off of fiction, “historical” fiction, but it’s still ficticious. Anyway, the inaccuracies are getting bigger and bigger, and it’s not a matter of sacrificing things for gameplay, it’s design decisions that could have been changed early in development, to be more accurate, and nothing would have changed.

What’s next? Maybe Camelot, or Gondor, they’re medieval, right? If they announce a Slav split, I can reasonably expect Kislev.

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Camelot as represented in Monty Python and the search for the holy grail. That’d also give in game justification why FE can’t count to three.

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They seem rather allergic to the number “three”

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I think it is more generally accurate to say they are allergic to the truth.

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Not possible due to copyright issues.Camalot is pretty much celts or britons.

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If the Tolkien estate greenlit atrocities like the Rings of Power and the Gollum game, an aoe2 DLC sounds like a genius idea in comparison :moai:

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But they will put Camelot, Avalon and Cornwall alongside Celts and Britons because they were highly medieval

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Each one with their own hero and unrelated civ boni.

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Camelot with a late-medieval-looking UU and the Winchester Castle as the wonder
Cornwall with the Cornish Rebellion UT
Avalon with the Lady of the Lake hero with 5 active abilities

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They will remain in planning stage only if you don’t learn coding.

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