AOE 4 ideas

Age of Empires IV IV - Discussion
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They talked about how aging up in AOE 4 would be different from the past AOEs. I think a good idea would be to require a certain amount of combat and technology before you can advance to the next age

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I would like to have 4 ressources or more. It gives some gameplay strategie.

Sometimes a rush food and wood is enought to win, sometimes it’s better to secure the late game 


I like in AOE 3 the card gameplay but it shouldn’t be blocked by the city level
 i allows rush or peel for the late game. It permits to compensate or renforce your civilisation skills.

Something i find boring in AOE2 it’s the wall strat, i mean lot of people cover the map with walls
 and in early it’s pretty hard to break them all. If civilisation designed for early rush could have some abilities or card to improove their demolition skills it could be great


Also, you gavf me an idea. If a civilisation change without any combat they win an advantage in science (+1500 food and 1 research free) otherwise in war (units have 15 hp and attacks with +5dmg) or religious bonus (for christian +25% against musulman and -25% against christian during crusade). I also liked the bonus for new age in aoe 3 (more wood or units )
So for each type of victory you should have to choose the way to play.

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I forgot something


I would like to begin the game in early médiéval and finished it in the late colonial age.

Someone told that some civilisation could have mobile town center and i think that’s great. Imagine you bearly survive at 1 attack you just have to moove on the map to win time

And why not a gestion of amunition ? Covering archers on wall 


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The paragraph one, is a repetition of a my post:
1)DEVELOPMENT:
a great AI, and not based as in the last Age of Empires only on speed. (but this, in my opinion, is due to inadequate tactical/diplomacy aspect).

Possibility of choosing the depth level of the game mechanics:
beginner: basically something like an old AOE, with the same gameplay: military: rock,scissors,paper; and an elementary development of the civilization. This in order to be user-friendly for the neophytes.
Intermediate: where the formations of the battalions (land, naval, and aeronautics if present) are taken into account in terms of plus, and malus. For those who already know RTS, but who don’t want to try their hand at too complex mechanics.

Advanced: aspects like the field, meteorological aspects, the influence of altitude on charges, and range of archers are also taken into account. For those more experienced, who want to try challenges that take into account many aspects, and also to overcome the old and repetitive game mechanics.
Custom: where you can choose which advanced options to activate and which not: for example influence of the terrain, influence of meteorological agents, simple or complex economic, etc.
Military tactics and mechanics:
Possibility to put troops in formation, maybe if assigned to a general, and then get bonuses. The types of battalions have special properties (tortoise formation, exchange of lines and command that passes from centurion to decurion to reserve guy for the Roman legions; phalanges for others etc).
More realistic naval battles and not just throwing a harpoon (maybe boarding and rammed), with lots of possibilities for the application of naval tactics depending on the wind, shoal possibilities, etc.
The field and weather conditions that influence the units, as well as the altitudes on the range of the arrows
The possibility of troops to stay above the walls
Special units such as the Praetorians (if you put them), or immortals or royal guards who have a limit number (maybe a % of the population limit).
More diversified fortifications
The battalions cannot destroy the walls, they need siege weapons. In this case increase the cost of the walls (as well as construction time, greater diversification, such as large or small walls with different resistances or on which, perhaps, on the great walls the more basic siege weapons do not work).
Greater diversification of siege weapons, obviously also in relation to the characteristics of civilization and of the epoch (the slaves that pull the siege weapon should be visibles)
Boiling oil from fortresses and gates
Combining walls attached to others, the walls widen (instead of having columns as in aoe2) allowing the passage of siege weapons over them.
Depending on the map and the epoch, the presence (obviously if the game is set in the Middle Ages, late Middle Ages) of mercenaries or Templars on the map who fight only for the Christian religion, or mercenaries (and who are not controlled by any civilization, this like in imperium). Could also be added other orders like the hospitallers, or other military orders, or type of mercenaries.
The explorers, don’t have the only purpose of exploring the map as in the previous AOE, but also to be used for tactical purposes in order to understand ahead if they are going to attack.
Possibility to create towers on the walls
The possibility of huge maps, where you can see even more the difference between cavalry and infantry at the level of army mobility.
Historical realism and the possibility of learning history from the game.
A lot of campaigns
In random maps the button “realism” mode in order to choose between only civilizations of the same era or civilization of the same geographical area.
Differentiation between the units, technologies, and buildings of the various civilizations
Restore the info button by clicking on the unit or building icon (this section possibly, made with extensive use of illustrations). As in Age of Mithology
Improvements on the stone and its recollection, it isn’t reasonable to make a barrage of castles, (funny, but not reasonable) so I would increase the costs, as well as the resistance.
Economy, demography and logistics:
Possibility to build roads; which there is a speed bonus (obviously with a cost that doesn’t give you the possibility to make all the map a huge highway :D)
Possibility of building bridges (different bridges, depending on the flow, from the floating bridge to stone bridges; to steel bridgeif after the 1800.)
Possibilities like in caesar and pharaoh that by putting the houses together they become larger (it’s just beautiful for graphics, but not so necessary)
Gameplay:
Difficulty levels at least 6.
Not necessarily incredible graphics. (the game as in the past should focus on the gameplay in order to capture the old fans, but also to attract new ones with a graphic not exceptional, but still acceptable).
Higher costs to change epoch.
Maps, real and random, in order to increase the replayability.
For advanced mechanics:
More smiths, based on the number of locksmiths you have a certain number of armor available (or weapons, armor that these can create), Withdrawal of another resource: iron, introduce the tax system: possibility of rebellions according to this (of the type that appear enemy units in the city center, or in houses)
As one goes on with age, the variety of secondary structures increases , for example structures that don’t directly affect the economy but indirectly, for example, similar to “aoe2 commercial laboratory” but for silk labs, craft labs, labs etc. .that go to increase the income from commerce (on this it would be nice to have a greater complexity), or armors, or other matters.
University: more technologies, taking into account historical realism, of course, merlons technology for the walls: (for example, property of giving units to be hit twice by 3 by enemy darts instead of 3 out of 3).
Introduce moral into the troops, which influences the ability of training
Monks who instead of re-establishing the health bar re-establish vigor.

    • Discretize the map, with “small areas”. Each area characterized attributes, that gives bonus or malus to the units.
      For example “quote” (bonus malus range, given by the difference of quote between attacker, and defender”
      Streets, bonus “speed movement”, mud “malus “speed movement” and attack (malus charge of cavalry

Dynamic maps: with meteorological effects (possibility mug appears in some zones of the map)
Scout and explorers necessaries to see these malus related to the terrain.

Realism option

After 20 years, it’s expected a lot of new features:
Not a clear boundary between one epoch and another, but once you get several technological developments (which may differ from civilization to civilization), you gradually enter a new era from which you get new bonuses.
For some technologies that do not have prerequisites behind them, a greater cost can be attributed if it is ahead of time. (it would be a bit like in paradox games but adapted to a rts).
This is because it is ok, rewrite history in the video game, but we would also like to “live it” as it was.

Game soundtracks: I think everyone knows it: the repeatability of the game and the number of hours before getting tired of it, as well as the ability to immerse ourselves in the game depend enormously on the soundtracks and / or orchestras.

Please not only food, wood, gold, rock, at least introduces the resource “metal”.

In random maps, the possibility of creating very different maps of the same type (as in AOE2, for example the same black forest, can differ greatly from one game to another).

Possibility to have larger maps (at least to highlight the strategic importance of the speed of the units.

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I’ll drop here few ideas and I’ll try too keep it up to date:

Generic

  1. Much larger maps ( we have good PC nowadays and we can manage maps)
  2. More resources and respownable (This is an extreme example)
    a. Raw: Wood - Processed: Plank - It might be used for normal and siege units/buildings/normal, siege and buildings research/normal, siege and buildings upgrades.
    b. Raw: Stone - Processed: Bricks - It might be used for siege units/buildings/siege and buildings research/siege and buildings upgrades.
    c. Raw: Crystal - Processed: Gems - It might be used for late game buildings/research/upgrades.
    d. Raw: Ore - Processed: Metal - It might be used for hevy/plate armor units/ buldings/ hevy/plate armor units and buildings research/ hevy/plate armor units and buildings upgrades.
    e. Raw: Hide - Processed: Leather - It might be used for medium armor units/ medium armor units research/ medium armor units upgrades.
    f. Raw: Fiber - Processed: Cloth - It might be used for light armor units/light armor units research/light armor units upgrades.
    g. Raw: Food
    h. Raw: Oil/Tar - Processed: Resin - It might be used for incendiary units/structure/siege and their research/upgrades.
    i. Resources should respown randomly on the map after a random timer. Tree, bushes and fruit trees should grow again, fishes and wild animals should born , ore veins and stones should pop out from the ground,
  3. More than 200 controllable units
  4. Unique units for each civilizations
  5. Unique traits for each civilizations
  6. Unique structures for each civilizations
  7. Siege-weapons that are not robots/auto-pilot but must be used by units:
    a. Add units who can controll, pull/tow, assemble, load stones and stuff on those kind of units. Specific units to controll and use siege-w. Killable units to make siege-w harmless. Siege-w should be usuable by all rather the player who has built them. If the siege-w is unitless it can be controlled by the first who sent units there. Everyone should be allowed to create units who are can take controll of the siege-w.
    b. Horses/bulls pulling wagons and carriages.
  8. Day/Night cycles
    a. Day = 100% vision/sight
    b. Night = 50% vision/sight
    c. Torches/lights around structures/buildings = 75% vision during the night.
    d. Portable (killable) torches/lights to put on the ground, outside the villages too, to grant 75% vision during the night.
  9. Seasons cycles - Bringing advantages and disadvantages to gameplay.
    a. Spring - 100% contruction, production, research, recruitment
    b. Summer - 75% contruction, 125% production, 100% research, recruitment
    c. Autumn - 100% contruction, production, research, recruitment
    d. Winter - 75% contruction, production, 125% research, recruitment
  10. Weather cycles - Bringing advantages and disadvantages to gameplay.
    a. Sultry day - 90% move speed - 100% uptime during Summer.
    b. Sunny day - 100% move speed - RNG uptime during Spring/Autumn.
    c. Cloudy day - 100% move speed - RNG uptime during Spring/Autumn.
    d. Windy day - 90% move speed - RNG uptime during Spring/Autumn.
    e. Rainy day - 85% move speed - RNG uptime during Spring/Autumn.
    f. Snow day - 75% move speed - 100% uptime Winter.
  11. Ditches - an ability to create water filled ditches in front of the walls. (buildable like walls)
  12. Traps

Multiplayer

  1. More PvP modes:
    a. Unranked Match 1v1,2v2,3v3
 and so on
    b. Ranked Match 1v1,2v2,3v3
 and so on (Leaderboard) - Games with match making and MMR values.
    c. Unranked Draft 1v1,2v2,3v3
 and so on - A draft phase before get in to the game where people can ban 1-2 civilization before start. Everyone can vote one civ and the one or the 2 that get’s higer votes gets banned.
    d. Ranked Draft 1v1,2v2,3v3
 and so on (Leaderboard) - A draft phase before get in to the game where people can ban 1-2 civilization before start. Everyone can vote one civ and the one or the 2 that get’s higer votes gets banned. Games with match making and MMR values.
  2. Open World PvP Campaign (with a seasonal expiration date) - Age of Empires: Castle Siege kind. An unique server without a limit players and no winning conditions except expiration date (fe. 6months), players are allowed to make alliances, siege togheter and so on. Villages can be destroyed and plundered. Destroyed villages can be repaired. Succesfully defending or attacking provides points (crowns). Attacking weaker alliances/players will cause you to lose points/crowns. A leaderbord showing the Alliances/Players owning the campaign based on points/crowns.
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  • Day and Night Cycle (as mentioned before)
  • Seasonal Cycle (as mentioned before)
  • Trampled Paths becoming a road (with increased mobility). Within city walls they organically become paved roads.
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Mine is more based on game breaking stuff and features of other games

  1. Auto explore of Empire Earth with safe mode(only on scouting units it will give vision to any area it can go on safe mode if found anything enemy related it will stay at vision limit and if the map is explored it will circle around an enemy base)

  2. Marching option(lacked in every game) you force your troops to move faster but for X.2 the time the unit stayed on forced march the unit will be weakened(damage, armor and move speed reduced as an example) infantry and cavalry have different limits to forced march

  3. More formation options(since AOE 2 archers were completely broken against 99% of the infantry and even more even longer ranged cof cof English Bowmen cof cof) so shield wall formation that raises missile armor but loses speed very weak against siege weapons since your troops will glue on each other, Archer Barrage each line fires in sequence instead of at the same time, Spear Bracing instead of just massive damage against cavalry they can’t move but stop cavalry charge, Cavalry charge the just trample over light infantry and archers but tires the units


  4. Archers need to restock ammo just bring them back inside the walls or something(archers cost minimal wood to make but each restock of arrow costs wood)

  5. A way to heal troops

  6. A way to renovate or some way to have infinite resources like grow trees, farms a bank or something else

  7. Troops above the walls(we already saw on the game play reveal) but being able to construct siege weapons above the wall

  8. More types and level of wall

  9. Temporary buff and debuff on units

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god please not cards again
its not a card/deck building game

also

Archers need to restock ammo just bring them back inside the walls or something(archers cost minimal wood to make but each restock of arrow costs wood)

im with you on a lot of the other stuff but lets not with this
 going to be really annoying when someone attacks your base or you’re attacking someone elses and you have to keep back tracking to restock. I can just imagine having a major battle with someone and winning but unable to push into their base cause half your army needs to restock. So you pull your units back and then with the time they’re able to replenish their forces.

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They said in the “Gamestar Age of Empires 4 preview” interview there will be not the card system (luckily).

I hope to not see an ammo system too it might be more realistic but this is not a medieval Simulator so there’s no point to goo too deep in realism. Ammo thingy would slow down the game too much something we do not need.

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1- You’ll need a very powerful computer to run a normal map. Connect lighting level, textures and polygons.

2- This idea is bad in practice with sagas like these, Empire Earth 2 was a failure and managing so many resources makes this kind of games tedious.

Unless you use it as in Rise of Nations.

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That was an example and not necessarily need to be exactly that. it was just a suggestion to make bigger maps and to be honest an i5+16GB ram can manage bigger maps compared to those of AoE2.

Stronghold used more than 4 resources. I think it had a good gameplay. Having leatherworkers up to craft medium armor for certain kind of units or having a tar resources to built towers dropping tar or to have incendiary weapons. It might be tricky, for sure more complex than managing 4 resources.

To be honest I have Rise of Nations and the 1st expa but I do not remember how the resources were managed

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In an interview they said they want to make the game as historical as possible or something like that. Then one thing I don’t want to see is fire arrows, it’s a Hollywood invention

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It’s not.

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Those are not “fire arrows” from Hollywood, the Chinese fire arrow is a explosive projectile with gunpowder and the greek fire
 it’s not an arrow

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Lit torches (burning sticks) were likely the earliest form of incendiary device. They were followed by incendiary arrows, which were used throughout the ancient and medieval periods. The simplest flaming arrows had oil- or resin-soaked tows tied just below the arrowhead and were effective against wooden structures.

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Flaming arrows required the shooter to get quite close to their desired target and most will have extinguished themselves before reaching the target

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That does not means that’s an Hollywood invention. I’m pretty sure they used those too as wall defense - like burning oil to stomp melee troops and flaming arrows to burn siege weapons, Incendiary siege projectile to burn buildings too.

Do not forget that AoE is not a sim but an arcade.I’m also quite sure that Shannon Loftis said “after all we have wololo units that convert enemy troops” or something like that.

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well supply wagons could be added and they are slower like siege weapons and a good target could be made like a 300 to a 1000 wood each i am not against a lot of things but when a few number of archers keep kiting it is insanely annoying

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well supply wagons could be added and they are slower like siege weapons and a good target could be made like a 300 to a 1000 wood each i am not against a lot of things but when a few number of archers keep kiting it is insanely annoying

300 arrows to 1000 wood? that doesn’t seem fair. group of archers are going to be a pain. Also why just archers? If archers are going to run out of arrows why aren’t horses needing to be replaced or swords repaired etc etc. all this doesn’t really have a place in age and is just going to slow the game down considerably. make archer counters if you’re being hounded by archers.

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Not saying it really need to be 1000 wood but some good quantity let’s say each archer has 40 arrows and each reload 10 of wood as a counter offer each archer cost 5~10 wood to make

Archer counter is only cavalry and nothing against archer cavalry only other archers/buildings

Total war works fine archer with arrow limit