AoE5 if it was chronological

[Josh1Axel]

@TheSquidEmpire

It ended up going pretty off topic but I had some more ideas and thought it might be fun to start a new thread here to discuss…

I really like this concept, and the truth for veteran AoE players is that there are two fundamental truths:

1. Discussing AoE 3 always leads to trying to establish its final year.
2. Many of us have always thought (and even dreamed) of AoE 4 as the chronological successor to AoE 3, delving deeper into World Wars.

I don’t despise the current AoE 4, but it is impossible to deny that going back to the middle ages was a disappointment for many fans.

Next I will present some opinions regarding this concept, for this I will take the best of the RTS that I liked the most:

1. AoE (especially 2 and 3).
2. Starcraft (1 & 2)
3. Warcraft (2 & 3)
4. Empire Earth (1 & 2)
5. Star Wars: Empire at war.
6. Rise of Nations
7. American Conquest (Saga)

@TheSquidEmpire

Setting:

The game picks off where AoE3 roughly ends → the late 1800s. It cover the next 100 and a bit years - the zenith of the power of the colonial empires, up to the start of the modern era.

In all Age of Empires games, the player starts as a small fledgling faction that builds up their might and becomes a powerful force by late game. In the first two games you start as a single village and end as a large nation or empire. In this game we would take the concept from AoE3 instead and have the player’s base be abstracted as some sort of new settlement from an existing world power, that grows into a powerful city or nation in its own right.

I had thought of an RTS that is a hybrid between Empire Earth 1 and Starcraft:

• I know that at first they don’t seem to have anything in common but what I liked about Empire Earth 1 is that you had “several games in 1”, you could play with Roman legionnaires , French grenadiers, German Tanks or Robots that fired laser beams; on the other hand Starcraft offered different ways to play: you could go with a quick rush with marines to try to make a quick game or go with a fleet of battlecruisers in games that had already lasted a long time. These elements gave a lot of replayability to all games on a random map.
• I had to recognize the possible plot and technical flaws that a game set in the years 1870-1950 could have: 1) that due to the great technological advances during these years it was going to be difficult to develop a historical game that covers these periods of time; 2) You would have to justify the first age and “start your village on a random map” (AoE 1 justified its first age with the Stone Age where humanity was just learning to civilize, AoE 2 justified its first age as “a village that had survived the collapse of Rome and therefore would have to rebuild civilization” and AoE 3 that it was a new colony in the new world); So I thought about how to use this weakness as a strength and came to the conclusion that every age in this hypothetical AoE game each of the ages could be played independently (like in Empire Earth).

I explain it with basic examples: Age 1 could be located in the second industrial revolution (1870-1914), in this age it is possible to create barracks, stables and factories (which could produce siege weapons), these units would be simple but effective as which could generate an early rush that could have a quick end of the game, it could also be played in a decent way even if the maximum age is age I.
At higher ages you would have access to more technology (tanks, planes, etc.) and each of these ages could slightly change the gameplay of the game but would still be consistent with the previous age; For example: Let’s imagine WWI is the second age, a tank from this era still vulnerable to age I infantry, but a WWII tank would no longer be as vulnerable to infantry and more advanced weaponry would be required to destroy it.

In summary: each age could mean a single game, and if these 4 or 5 ages can be organized and staggered (which in practice could be different games) it would be a masterpiece and a challenge for programming

@TheSquidEmpire

Ages

The idea of “ages” from AoE 1 is being stretched pretty far here but it’s part of the series lol

1. Frontier Age ~1870-1890 - Franco-Prussian War, Wild West. Exploration and early econ
2. Competition Age ~1890-1910 - Great Game, Scramble for Africa. Early combat
3. War Age ~1910-1920 - World War I. Core combat age. Fortifications become common.
4. Golden Age ~1920-1930 - Roaring Twenties, Interwar Period. Peak economic age.
5. Modern Age ~1930-1940 - World War II (early). Final “Imperial Age” with super (near-future) upgrades for units and economy

I keep my previous idea, although age 4 can be divided to get 5 ages.

@Josh1Axel

• Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914): This era would address major geopolitical movements in Europe, the partition of Africa, Europe’s “influence” in Asia, and more.
• World War I (1914-1929): I know the First World War officially ended in 1918, but it would be interesting to cover a portion of the interwar period, including the Russian Revolution, the rise of totalitarianism, the Great Depression, and more.
• World War II (1930-1942): Many consider World War II to be the continuation of the Great War. Significant innovations took place from the 1930s onwards (even one of Italy’s biggest mistakes was “modernizing too early,” as their weaponry became obsolete for much of the conflict). This period could cover topics such as the Spanish Civil War and the Axis powers’ advances worldwide (the Second Sino-Japanese War, Operation Barbarossa, the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, the Greek Campaign, etc.).
• Cold War (1943-1961?): While World War II officially ended in 1945, there were significant technological advancements during this period, warranting a division into two ages. This period would encompass the Allied counteroffensive (Battle of Stalingrad, U.S. entry into the war, the Chinese counteroffensive, etc.). Diplomatic tensions among the Allied powers existed even before the end of World War II. Winston Churchill, for political reasons, intervened to delay direct U.S. involvement in the war for several years. Additionally, plans for a massive assault against the USSR were prepared for July 1, 1945 (although it was not executed). This period would lay the foundations for the “current Western society” with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, marking the beginning of conflicts worldwide due to the Cold War and the decolonization of Africa (which would compensate for the earlier partition of Africa). I suggest ending this period in 1961, the year the Berlin Wall was constructed. It was also during this period that the first assault rifles such as the StG 44, AK-47, and M14 emerged. I also considered 1969 as a possible end year, as it marks the establishment of the first computer connection (the internet).

@TheSquidEmpire

Resources and Economy

I agree to this section (resources, buildings, etc.)

@TheSquidEmpire

Garrison units

Scout → Reconnaissance unit. Horse-mounted recon unit with fast movement speed and long LoS but low attack. Costs only Food . Obsolete by Age III.
Age II - Light Horse. Adds a strong attack and retains the speed and LoS but gains no extra HP.

I’m glad you placed a horseman with a rifle, during the Franco-Prussian War and World Wars horsemen were used as mounted infantry, scouts, and saboteurs. I know that in popular thought they consider the cavalry non-existent for the Second World War but the truth is that the powers still used cavalry corps during this conflict.

@TheSquidEmpire

Rifleman → Core infantry unit. Cheap, generally slow, and powerful, but with low HP. Unlocks in Age II. Costs Food and a little Coin . Each age their range and power increases. These units automatically entrench themselves if left alone for a bit, increasing their range and defence.
Age III - Frontline Rifleman
Age IV - Elite Rifleman
Age V - Automatic Rifleman

I imagined something like this:

Age I (single shot rifle)

Age II (mauser)

Age III (semi-auto)

Age IV (assault rifle)

Age V (Assault rifle + special ability depending on civilization?)

Hehe, I’m going to sleep now. Maybe I’ll come back later with more ideas