AOE2 Ultimate: how this game can be last this time?

AOE2 and the Shatter Galaxy are the best RTS games I have played in my life so far, I really hope this game can last longer as it deserves. AOE2 is a really really really good game. I really hope there will be another “remake” to improve this “ultimate” version.

Comparing to the original AOE2, yes, there are lots of things are improved, especially the game graphics and mechanism, I don’t really have too much to complain about the in game stuffs.
However, as an “ultimate” version, it’s obviously not good enough comparing to the current multiplayer games. I really dont mind to pay the money again for another “ultimate” version that can make this game last longer.

  1. Game balance
    This is the most important thing of any multiplayer games. New civs, fine, but please keep fine tuning and balancing it. Before you want any new players in, you need to ensure you don’t have many players leave in short, inbalance defintely one of the main reason of every game’s players drop.

  2. Ranking system
    so many problems I have heard from this forum about ranking but none of these get resolved: Alt-F4 of map chosing, smurfs, elo inflation, solo vs duo players. TG is commonly agreed of its problems and unfairness, Those highest elo players doesnt participate in it this at all.
    I am not sure if this is a game design that cannot be fixed, if it is the case, remake your interface and the mechanism and sell us again…This is really not an expected “ultimate” version it should be in 2021.

A) Punishment on Alf-F4 player, best is make them into a punishment queue for playing the game
B) Stop the smurfs
C) cancel 2v2 and 3v3, I dont see why you keep this. Like League of legend, in elo games, it’s a fixed 5v5. I dont see the point of keeping this.
D) sperate the solo queue and duo queue to create a better competitive environment. (yes, make different elo system for both solo and duo of TG)
E) delete the deathmatch ranking, it’s really useless
F) Instead of giving them the ban map, provide them the option to players like: open map, closed map, random (can possibly separate these elos too), this can avoid the players playing the map they dont like.

  1. Interface
    as i have mentioned, seems this ultimate version only focused on the in-game improvement, the interface and many things can be improved.
    for example, about the players profile. The profile games played stat isn’t really working at all. Beside the wrong figures, it’s really too simple which make me thinking I am playing a 2010s game. How come other webpage can display the player stat more comprehensively than the game itself?
    Also, as I have said above, make it more modern and comprehensive.
    For the elo, you can have different kind of elos: 1v1, opened map, closed map, random, solo queue, duo queue, this kinds of stuffs should be expected in 2021, rather then just single elo to calculate a meaningless figure on TG.

and More importantly, the marketing or strategy they are going here on aren’t on the right track.

  1. Stop investing your money to remake other AOE games.
    you have the biggest pool in AOE2, look at AOE1 and AOE3 players stat, I doubt the players they add up are even the 10% of AOE2, please focuz the resources to make this game much perfect so it’s really an “ultimate” version. Again, I dont mind, and I dont think people mind to pay money again for this game if it really get another improvment.

  2. Player base
    Sides game around the theme of AOE2. Travian was a quite succeed RTS game before. Don’t you think AOE2 is pretty fit of this type of game? Actually personally, if AOE2 can include a game mode of relaxing of building the own empire like this, I would love to play and keep spending money in it.
    I am not a fan or RPG of stuff, i dont know if this apply to other type, but defintely, side game might be succeed and this can get the interest from players to play AOE2 also. It might be a win win. And I am pretty sure it’s better than wasting money on making any AOE5, AOE7, it’s just really kind of weird to me.

  3. Sides way to have profit
    Actually, not sure if due to initial design of the game, if it is the case, remake it so you can have enough profit to operate the game…
    Profile logo, Player colors, building styles, mods, these are something you can sell in a very small amount and not affecting the game balance.
    Even you can have a type of feature that people need to earn enough “game money” to buy some of the civs, or pay for it, just like the hero in LOL.

If anyone has read all of this, I would like to say a thank you, as a AOE lover, it’s really cruel if I have to see this game dies again. I played this game everyday for almost a year and I has stopped playing it around a month and a half already. Feeling there are something isn’t goes wrong. I saw people keep complaining on different things here but most of them are not heard, instead, making new civs. I really want to point out the noise from here, and giving suggestions to the developers a right track. This games, as I have said, deserve to live long long time and more attention.

AOE4 is meant to be AOE@ ultimate, but based on the graphics i dont instantly get the right vibe for this. So i hope the devs will surprise me in this.

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agreed, making the game so Fency isnt always a good point, I am playing with my gaming laptop and I actually turn down everything to avoid any possibly laggy issue. I watched the trailer of AOE4 too, not sure if the fight can be as smooth and as competitive as AOE2…kind of doubt that.

This is a horrible idea. No one wants micro transactions

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They are. IMHO the balance is incredible as it is, and as long as it keeps evolving with updates that’s great.

That’s almost impossible. Fighting it can possible make it worse.

You want to remove 2v2 and 3v3? I would bet these are played more than 4v4 (I prefer 3v3, I wouldn’t play ranked 4v4).

People play DM, don’t be like that. DM is different enough that it needs a separate queue.

If you fragment the RM ladder you will just end up with multiple ladders similar to DM. And you don’t seem to like that one.

IMHO you are wrong about this. It is an exercise in futility to attempt to incorporate all the fancy statistics into the game itself. A much better solution would be a very bare-bones game (drop the GUI as well) that exposes a public API. The developers can focus on the game mechanics while the leave all the peripheral software to the community. This community has more than proven itself to be productive, creative and capable. It would create some amazing software - UIs, stats analysis, incorporation with other platforms, …