For AoM, I don’t want same as original. I want the doors knocked off the graphics to take it into 2024. Same with AoE4. Since the insistence is on sticking with 3D engine, I want really good graphics and animations. AoM animations are a little mediocre at times, and graphics for both are nothing to write home about
What about the multiplayer UI, the communication between players and friend list?? Anyone has a screenshot of AoMR in this regard?
Realistically this is a rather small number.
Most games have higher player numbers in the first few months, this is completely natural. Some do only play for the campaign and then may come back to the game at some later point.
I can’t speak for all the community, but in my case I found playing more Age3 than AOM. I only play SP, and Retold AI is predictable and less challenging than AGE3DE’s so after some games it becames boring. I’m waiting for the arena of the gods (and the DLC)
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You have to compare the right values.
Steam DB allows you to align the graphs by release.
https://steamdb.info/charts/?compare=933110,1934680&release
You can see that AoMR is clearly above AoE3DE relative to release.
The lowest point of AoE3DE was a bit over a year after release (February 2022) though that could be related to the end of Corona lockdowns more then to what actually happened with the game.
Since AoE3DE become Free to play the daily player number has been consistently twice as high as before too.
https://steamdb.info/charts/?compare=933110,1934680&week
AoMR might go below AoE3DE in daily players before the first DLC releases, after that it’s all up to how good the new content will be.
In current player numbers it already goes below AoE3DE at certain times of day because of regional differences in player base.
If Immortal Pillars proves to be popular with the target audience (Asian players) we will see that in the shift in player distribution over the different time zones.
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Finally, a good chart with direct comparison! Hopefully it’s ok if I nitpick a couple things you said about it:
- The average daily numbers pre/post free to play are more like 30% higher, not 2x. At least how I read it, it goes from ~5k to ~6500k
- None of the DLC’s in 3DE had a major lasting impact on player numbers. At least to my eyes, maybe KotM improved average numbers by a hundred or so, but it looks more like frequent sales bumping those numbers. Maybe immortal pillars has a different kind of impact on AoM but I’d be nervous making that kind of prediction seeing how little impact the DLC’s had on 3DE’s lasting player count.
- To your point about the shifting time zone, that’s an interesting one. The peak player count could remain the same, but the average player count could increase as other areas grow. It’ll certainly be interesting to see.
For AoE2DE and AoE4 the DLC clearly helped to raise the player number.
AoE2DE is the only game in the series that basically had no peak on release at all.
AoE4 had the biggest uplift. The player count is now almost twice as high as half a year after release and it has been a year since the last DLC.
https://steamdb.info/charts/?compare=813780,933110,1466860,1934680&week
The regional differences between the titles is interesting.
AoE4 and AoE3DE peak around 14:00 UTC while AoMR and AoE2DE around 20:00 UTC, that kinda aligns with Asians and Europeans playing after work/school.
AoE2DE also has a peak at 14:00 UTC so it’s probably popular in both regions.
You can also generally see a clear peak at 3:00 UTC when North Americans are playing, but it’s generally lower.
With AoMR being the only game that doesn’t have any Asian nor American civilisation it’s not really a surprise it basically only has a European hours peak.
People really seem to care about being represented in the game, that’s why it’s probably often not the best idea to add the civilisations the current players want but instead add ones that could attract new players.
Fair enough, I do see it in AoE4 very clearly.
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Unfortunately I find it boring to play the AoM campaigns without XP upgrading cities HC Cards System. AoE3 It motivated me to go through all the maps completely. What I don’t feel in AoM, boring. I will not agree with players haters about “HC Cards is not needed…”. The key word here is motivation to hunting for XP, as much as possible XP. Thanks for understanding, and I didn’t mean to offend anyone.
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Yes, I hope one day they make a campaign-only DLC for AoE 3…for the Swedes and the Italians and then an official mod to change the Knights of St. John to the Maltese and the United States from the campaign to those from multiplayer…
Yes, AoM came out just months after WC3, which is why it was somewhat overlooked at the time, except for fans of the series… I played AoM in an internet cafe in 2006…
Yes, it is a valid opinion… I read many people complaining that AoM and AoE 3 were not made in Genie Engine, but I explained to them that the saga had to evolve and that the Genie Engine had fallen short for 2001…
Yes, I think that if they make AoM 2 it will be in AoE 4’s Essence Engine…
Yes, the Chinese in Immortal Pillars in December and another pantheon in 2025 (probably mid to late 2025)
I hope so… I think that with the DLC AoMR can hit the boom again up to 15k players…
Yes, I say the same thing… but the whole XP thing is better for AoE 3, AoEO and AoE 4 (if they implemented it better, like get 15k XP in a mission and unlock a portrait or a skin for your TC or Scout)…
I agree. The progression systems are a lot of fun in the campaign. You feel like you’re progressing, and you don’t feel like you’re starting from scratch in every mission.
I’m not familiar with AoE3 campaigns, but it’s nice to hear advancement is tangibly rewarding and there is a feeling of continuity with it! Is something that’s lacking in AoE2 SP content, imo. (Though, admittedly, haven’t played too many AoE2 campaigns still.)
I’m not a fan of AoE3’s card system, but feel there are other ways than cards that would work well for me to feel the reward more in AoM or AoE2 campaigns and SP content (random skirmishes). Sounds like AoE2 could draw some inspiration from AoE3 in these respects, though
Yes, you don’t need to know much… AoE 3 campaigns are played with modified civs from the base game and expansions: Knights of St. John (which are Spanish, although there are requests in the AoE 3 forum to change them to the Maltese from multiplayer), John Black’s Mercenaries (which are Germans but with Western European architecture) (then you have the Circle of Ossus, which is the other way around, they are British but with Central European architecture instead) and the United States of the campaign (which are British without Longbowmen -for obvious reasons-, but with Skirmishers and Heavy Cannons, although there are requests in the AoE 3 forum to change them to the United States of multiplayer, as happens in historical battles)…then in TWC you have Black Estate/Falcon Company (which are a mix between Hauds, Lakotas and Revolutionary United States) and in TAD they are the multiplayer civs (Japanese, Chinese and Indians)…
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XP is now quite represented in both AoE IV civs Jeane D’Arc leveling (Journey of a Hero) and Ottoman’s Imperial Council System (Vizier Points)
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Yes and No.
Rather than imitating is more than adapting those concepts and applying them nicely in terms of unique civ mechanics design!