Captains/Unit veterancy?

Age of Empires IV IV - Discussion
1

The Age 4 reveal said at one point that there would be a more personal focus to the units. At one point in the trailer you can see a Britons soldier with heavier armor giving orders to a large group of soldiers.

I’m wondering if that means there will be a “captain” unit who would provide buffs and formations to his battalion, or if this means that units who have seen more combat will gain veterancy like in Supreme commander or Civilization.

2

Oh boi and there dies the perfect rts for me.
Other topic discussed this (kinda):

You can see some people are agains’t this system, and there are some arguments, aswell.
As for me, I don’t want it. The max I can go with is the daymio aura effect of AOE3, but that’s it.

1 Like
3

what if they were to change it so radically that one leader unit actually stood for his batallion and you gave the orders to him instead of all of the units? It would make the battles seem bigger and make controlling large armies simpler, but i doubt they would do that.

4

You mean like in CoH - 4 or 6 soldiers groups - or in Ancerstor’s Legacy (i think) where you have groups of units instead of individuals.
Could also compare with Total War units, ranging from 60 - 200 men. But Total War is meant to be like that, economy is only a filler. Battles are bloodier and more attractive, but there’s little space for micro in the game.
For me, groups sounds like a bad idea due to the way aoe plays around. Maybe the option to put in or remove from groups could please everyone, but i stick to the independent soldier way.

5

I think ’leveling’ as a system has been explored in other games with limited approval. Typically the stat boosts are insane.

I wouldnt want seeing Aoe4 get turned into ’Footman Frenzy’ or alike (where it is kill or get killed.
I am thinking a petit bonus, so, if the armies (directly or through explorer) could grant a +1x% bonus to army Attack & Hitpoint stats
per { 100•2^x } pop units your nation or your explorer has been in range to witness die (ally and foe), I’d think it could be a potential bonus that in Free-for-all, can affect the outcome, between a veteran-battler-player and the hider-player.

I think if experience to armies are to be explored;

  1. Small and simple passives is the way to go.
  2. Or One Simple, easy-dected change to a specific unit, as if locally costumised for this specific matchup, Ex HP, Movement, Resistence, Attack, Attack Rate, Netting, Formation Option; Once to only one unit, and you’ll stick with it during that game.
    Limited by some requirement to be gained access to in Mid and/or Late-game
6

A captain with an optional choice for their strategy skill set, such as an icon featuring the leadership from Age of Empires III; if you controlled the English then your captain could apply the strategies of the Queen of England.