Dark age is fine. Some ppl even think its too fast.
It’s a very important part of the game as this is where you set up what direction you want to go into the match and scout what your oponent could be up to.
It’s boring to watch yep, I definitely skip age1 when watching games, but playing it is a totally different story.
It’s even nice to enjoy the peace before the madness starts.
Age of Empires is a different game. SC2 has static map, so you know where everything is. With only 2 resources, swapping strategies / units on the fly is faster, too.
AoE2 received a new game mode called Empire Wars, where you start with 27 villagers and in Feudal Age… Its mostly stomps because there isnt enough time to scout your own base, scout your opponent, prepare and strategize. In most cases you simply send your scout forward, drop two military buildings down and try to win the initial battle… Your first army composition is decided upon blindly, without knowing if its a good choice for your map or for what your opponent is doing. Doesnt feel very AoE-esque.
It recieved mod exactly because generic game was too slow in Dark Age. Exactly same story here. Same 5 minute of real time, and no u need not 5 minute to reveal map, u need only 2-3 min to scout entire map.
Repeat same build order every game… boring.
For now the novelty and 8 slightly different opening saves
But better earlier accept problem than repeat aoe2 way with Empire Wars.
I think its okay/too short but the main thing with dark age is that you cant do much to your enemy and its just preparing your econ/perfecting build orders.
Personally i would like bring able to mess with my opponent at dark age too.
Huh? I honestly think they should focus more on dark age, instead of having it be a “skill check” to see how fast you can reach feudal. I find it odd that archers and cavalry are restricted in it. Like, you mean to tell me that archers didn’t exist in the year 900?
Additionally, if for instance the Norse (or Swedes, more likely) will be added, they’ll have a huge play in dark age. And depending on how they do that, it might be about 2-3 mins of “I’m a viking” before christianity comes along and it’s feudal age.
As someone else said, any shorter and why not just start in feudal.
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I agree, if anything, there should be more to do.
It generally serves the same purpose as in AOE2: Scout the map, set up your game plan, do a bit of base building, perform some eco skill checks. But the latter are reduced to gathering some extra sheep and maybe pushing the odd deer (from pushing deer, hunting boar, microing sheep/deer/boar decay, scouting with sheep).
Building positioning is also much less important since it won’t count into any walling efforts in feudal. Water is just a no-brainer since it either has to be taken anyway for later map control (islands/mediterranean) or is the only viable option since it is so strong for food (ponds like in black forest).
It’s much more build-order focused now. Maybe that makes it feel less involved (especially as a viewer).
The currently broken map generation actually helps fleshing out that phase a bit: The maps can be so badly balanced that it’s even more important to gather information (like having forward hunts in awkward places, clearly lob-sided access to sacred sites and neutral markets, paths closed off by wood lines and cliffs, etc.)
Imagine how trivial scouting will become once the maps are better balanced. I actually like the broken map generation spicing things up 
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I haven’t felt when playing “Man, I’ve been in the dark age for… ages.” If I am in the dark age for too long, its because im got rushed-- or I messed up or something.
Great post. You essentially explained it in full.
The map generation being “broken” is actually why I like AoE2 over SC2. In SC2, it’s always the same. In AoE2 you have to adapt. It’s not optimal for competetive play but it’s much more enjoyable to watch. I really hope this won’t go into the SC direction where you see the same builds and tactics over and over.
But yeah. In the end. Extend dark age. Make it a more complete experience and not just a race for feudal.
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Im loving my dark age rushes
Dark Age is one of the best improvements in this game. Maybe you’re all playing civs who can do nothing in Dark Age but for the Mongols with early horsemen Dark Age is a lot of fun.
However, if you just can’t stand following roughly the same build order very early each game then perhaps AOE is not for you. This is an exaggeration though as there are different openings you can do with your first villagers depending on your civ and plan.
It should have a lot more of that. Mongols is a great example of a dark age civ. Dark age should be a whole game of its own. Every game doesn’t have to reach castle, or even feudal.
And the next part. Well said. I agree. In AoE you can have a plan. But you can never know how it’ll work on your map. You have to adapt.
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Dark age is too short. Dark age should be longer. I would like the game to be around 10 minutes per age.
I feel like AOE4 has done a great job of making dark age and feudal age viable.
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I also love that about the AGE series. I’m sure they will at some point reduce the randomness though. Especially when playing with fixed points of interests like markets/relics/holy sites. I understand them having to be symmetrical for competitive play to be a thing.
I hope they keep asymmetry for environmental stuff like forests, cliffs, mountains, etc. You can see how bland map generation gets when over-adjusting those elements (cough AOE2 new arabia cough).