Since i got mail, i adjusted this post to be in line with the CoC, so we can still discuss the rest.
You all know what this topic is about. We dont discuss moderator actions here.
How difficult can it be for a game company to have proper communication to its fanbase?
We have so many cases of terrible communication on all levels here:
… anouncing a DLC with zero information
… lack of PR
… last minute apeasement with patches
… patchnotes that promise something (QoL) and dont deliver at all
… etc
… etc
I fully understand when people are getting angered by this neglect. And i think the tone in this forum/community would be a lot softer and less tense, if we would get the bare minimum of communication.
So what (practical) changes do we want for the near future?
Personally i’d like to have atleast the information they should have provided, when they announced the DLC: names of the new civs (not just 2 flag pngs),
basic design ideas behind those civs,
what will the DLC give us aside of them (maps? mercs? natives? historic battles? Revolutions?)
and ofc a proper date.
Would also be great to know what QoL they are talking about
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I don’t care how this comes off but the fact of the matter is it is not our job as players to cultivate a rapport with WE but WE’s job to cultivate one with us.
We’ve extended ourselves over and over for years with no results. Do they not think this breeds distrust and resentment? and then are surprised when they’re met with hostility?
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In general I think the communication policy of the AoE series is terrible. I am not sure why the think not saying anything is good.
Although, to be honest, I can get why when I see how they do it the few times the communicate something, i.e. by talking to us like teenagers or toddlers (take a look at the release year of these games, for Christ’s sake, your audience is 30+ years old).
But noy only that, for AoE3 is even worse, since WE clearly is not proud of this game (is it necessary to repeat why? Excluded from RedBull Wololo, “Cannon galleons”, the dismal announcement of the DLC, and the list goes on).
At this point I think the development of AoE3 will be stopped after the next DLC (and I wouldn`t even be surprised if this last DLC is actually cancelled). But that is not the worst thing. The worst thing is that I suspect they will not even tell us (see aoe1, RoR, etc.)
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I hope that at least in January 2025 the developers make an official announcement about the future of AOE III and its DLCs, enough of not receiving any communication about our favorite game, as consumers and community we deserve to be told the truth about what Will it come for the AOE III series or if they definitely no longer want to support the game anymore, let them say it once and for all, the game is currently in a half-finished state and it feels as if several things are still missing and not to mention about the balance of the game that still needs to be polished, I only hope that after launching the AOM Retold DLC they will once again give the love it deserves to AOE III DE
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Meanwhile the new Battle for Greece DLC gets a daily play-by-play of some new feature, unit, or civilization. It’s annoying and tiring.
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To be honest I like the new Chronicles DLC, it’s just that it’s in the wrong game. They should make a new Classic Antiquity game if they see that AOE-1 DE didn’t work.
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It’s not even whether it’s the right game, the right DLC, or anything like that for me. It’s that the marketing campaign is so invested towards this particular product in stark contrast to AoE3. I feel like I’m constantly being shown the DLC at this point. Literally every day is a new feature for it.
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I strongly suspect they’re showing it (Chronicles) off because they have something to show. You don’t show if you’re not ready. Given the delay announcement and the realities that AoM:R is still getting its opening salvo of updates and balance patches, they’ve got two expansions actively in development… my guess is that they’ve done precisely nothing on this DLC. They had some rough ideas kicking around, but got pulled to work on the more urgent project (AoM) and are now trying to figure out if their old plan for this Polish/Danish DLC is what they still want it to be. They basically benched AoE3, forgot about it, and now have to refocus whatever pittance of a team they still have working on it back to this project. They have precisely nothing that’s finalized yet and certainly nothing they could hand to the marketing team to show off, and that’s why we’re seeing nothing from them. I also think this is exactly why they did the announcement a year ago the way they did. They had NOTHING ready to show, but felt they needed to say something - so we got flags.
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Indeed!
In fact they should have bring RoR content plus Quality of Life changes like wall doors, caravans, town bell to AoE I DE in the first place
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They should learn from other studies (such as paradox) that they do communicate with the community and let them know that they are heard and taken into account.
"Next Week
Next week is going to be a little bit different.
We’ll be looking at the internal vision statement of Stellaris and compare it to how the game has developed over the years, and I’d like to begin a conversation about how we’ll continue to evolve over the next few years.
The Custodian team has been up to something, and I want you to help guide them."
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You’re talking about Paradox, they communicate all the time. This game is mismanaged by Microsoft, look at their gaming division and Xbox, mismanagement in it’s pure form, even if they manage to land a hit they follow up by screwing it up. The last time Xbox was doing great was in the 360 era. I wouldn’t be surprised if they manage to kill Aoe2 as well at some point, just like they kill anything successful they had in the past. For now the RTS section still works fine, but you never know with Microsoft.
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Microsoft is a publisher. All they do is grease the wheels to get the game out to the public and sold. Steam is your platform if you don’t get it from M$. If you want to complain about the company doing the programming and the press releases (or lack thereof), that World’s Edge. I do love the good ole corporate shell game where no one actually knows who’s doing what, who owns what, who’s making what decisions.
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Sorry, but remasters of the AoE series - are is one of betters in game industry! Just look at lazy Ubisoft!
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They are indeed top notch. However, that’s because of the devs.
The communication problem (and possibly other major problems as well) is caused from the upper management, whether it is World’s Edge, Microsoft or whoever is in charge of this.
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