This is from the Enhanced Graphics Pack DLC’s Steam page https://store.steampowered.com/app/1039811/Enhanced_Graphics_Pack/
We can see lots of decaying corpses on that battlefield, so this makes me wonder, if they were in the game, why were they removed and replaced with the less immersive slowly disappearing bodies/sinking into the ground?
Will we have this back already?
I would really like to see this back in the game.
I made an account just to say I’d be really keen to see this back in, as well as the option for permanent corpses.
Absolutely agree, doesn’t make any sense to remove a feature that contributes to game immersion, and has always been there.
I would love decaying corpses and please make them decay for a loooong time 
Be careful on what you wish for. AoE DE has that loooooong decay time, so long that the corpses blend in with units, making players a hard time microing in battle.
I would say that 30 seconds decay time is long enough, maybe 20 seconds is better.
I would like 2 minutes (1 minute 20 seconds in real time at 1.5 speed) decay time.
It would be very good, if decay time would be customizable, so that everyone could have his preferred time.
Why does this post have so few likes? Pls do this, devs, bodies getting swallowed up by the ground is just a bit lame.
They could desaturate and darken (or lighten?) the colors a bit (or take on the hues of the ground a bit, more and more, with grass growing through, etc.) so they don’t conflict so much with live units. 20-30 secs seems too short to me; I prefer longer times – especially and particularly if they can make them blend into the ground nicely
Win/win would be just making it optional, those who play for a more competitive/optimised experience can just turn it off, and those who play for a more immersive/cinematic experience, can just turn it on. Good point though.
The single worst aspect of the DE graphics. Needs changes.
It does seem odd that a “Definitive Edition”… almost like a “Director’s Cut” or otherwise self-titled ‘ultimate edition’ would eliminate this sort of thing that has been with the franchise forever. When first playing AoE long ago, this was one of the intricate, detailed touches that wow’ed me about the game. To have that removed seems… odd, at best.
In the Steam store, I just checked that AoE games are rated “T” (Teen) by the ESRB, with Violence/Blood being indicated. I was thinking maybe DE was targeted for and got a different rating (like “E” for Everyone), but, thankfully, nope. So, that can’t be the reason for the decaying corpses removal.
Units dying don’t leave a skeleton behind. This has always been iconic in AOE games… why aren’t there any more skelentons? you have updated the graphics so as to be able to place them in the editor… why not when a unit dies? Please add them.
A screenshot would not help, just kill a unit and watch it fade harmlessly into the ground…
I think it was intentionally. Don’t think they forgot it, because it was exactly the same in AoE DE and I guess is because this super sensitive era. It doesn’t feel complete if you don’t have these classic things in the game.
Well, I believe devs definitely should have added them… it’s too bad and unrealistic.
I still hope this is still a bug
It appears, that it was official decision to not include skeletons in game. I would have liked to hear their reasoning for it.
I personally like visible corpses more than skeletons (more impactful gory graphics) but of course skeletons should have been in game like many people prefer.
I’ve asked this question during the beta on steam community forum, and the answer of the developer called “licydy” was:
“AOE2:DE is still in beta. All gameplay footage that has been officially released is subject to change as we continue to move closer to the release of the product.”
For me, it suggested it will change in official release - yet I haven’t seen the feature added in any gameplay - but I have seen countless complains about it without the answer from the devs. So i ask you - do you consider adding it? Absence of corpse decay was one of the reasons I’ve never bought AoE 1 DE, and it’s primary reason why I’m abstaining from buying AoE 2 DE - what other features could be missing, if such a crucial element of immersion was bypassed?
Is it a good place to ask? I didn’t know where should I look for answer. If not, then I’m sorry.
What’s up with all those necromancers sneaking up to this forum???
If they deleted fire from houses would you laugh at people missing features from original game pyromancers? Or if they removed dying sounds would you call them sadists? I’d like to have a full product, just like AoE 2 HD was.