Player retention - is done with with 2 major hooks - graphic(textures and animation) and sound(immersive effects) The first 2 hooks are the immediate impact, the most important phase.
Those 2 major hooks helps the binding to the gameplay which the third hook but, is way dependent on the first 2 hooks if those are executed well only.
Do you really see the first 2 hooks in AoE4? cause it looks like they couldn’t care less.
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If you think “gameplay” isn’t also a major hook, I don’t know what to tell you.
You prioritise graphics and sound. Not everyone does. The game should cater to everyone in this respect (as best as it can), and not just one group or the other.
The problem is when these groups have conflicting interests. A lot of the time, folks don’t. It’s perfectly possible to make the game look better, and keep it readable. But at times, intentional choices are made that may be ahistorical or have an impact on visuals for the sake of readability. It’s just not as common as people think it is.
Most of the time it’s just time needed for polish. The game keeps on getting it, and I’m sure the game will keep on getting it.
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These “hooks” have little to do with player retention or are a small part at best they mainly make for a good first impression, plenty of games keep a good playerbase despite bad graphics.
And even if we consider your “hooks” the graphics and more importantly the animations may not be the “best” you could dream of but are still rather good, the sound idk are you deaf ? You would struggle to find such a good soundscape in most other base buidling rts.
Gameplay through an interesting gameplay loop, an appropriate challenge, a good UI that is easy to interact with, new content and many others such as the ability for players to mod the game.
These are some factors to consider for player retention you can see AOE4 doing well in some part but being worse in others like the rather bland water gameplay or the modding tools.
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If anything we need better more unique water gameplay, and better modding tools.
Some things I find annoying like the bland ui, and icons aren’t gamebreaking so i mostly just ignore it. AoE 4 graphics and art are a lot better than previous games. unit art being unique for every single civ. Even all the western European civs have unique unit and building art I think they could have gotten away with making the art shared across these civs.
First of all you don’t priorities anything, specially a “hook”, your brain does, that is why Video and Audio gets you first, and influence your judgment (human psychology) - if you’ll continue or not to sit in front of that game.
Gameplay - It is a major hook but, comes later and can be addictive and is not part of the first phase.
The first phase is of an immediate immersion and that is done with Video and Audio(that’s why are those the major hooks) - simply human psychology.
Let me put it very simply : Can you have a boiled egg without immersion in the water? Nope. What is the egg, water and where is the gameplay here - is your little puzzle to discover.
Gameplay also involves a learning curve, which can take time. The question is: how you gonna buy that time without proper immersion? How you gonna glue the individual in front of the game to make him get addicted to the gameplay?
Difficult right? Not to say, now days is even more difficult without a good immersion phase since attention deficit disorders are so well spread specially in those countries where the gamers can afford to buy games.
2 years now, I didn’t see any polishing in animation or textures of walls or buildings, 2 years is very long time in game industry to postpone fixes of more than a half of the backbone of any game Video and Audio.
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Because back in time was not so much choice in games and mostly a lot of people couldn’t afford good hardware they just get use to, with fat pixels.
Example: Horseman get shot in the back by Culverin ball, he falls on his back, of his horse, literarily on his back- I just laughed . Physics just doesn’t apply in this game or if they are is just a very distorted reality.
When a piece of metal flying with 100m/s hits you in the back IRL kind rip off your torso or fly away with half of your ribs but certainly will push you forward over the horse head and you really not gonna fall on your back like in AoE4.
The whimpering of the Elefants sounds like buckling trapped under a crumbled wall but, since I’m “deaf” I should focus more on Visual and animation the latter being cursed from the start.
Graphics is not that big of a deal anymore when it comes to big games and interest. It can be interesting, but is rarely a major selling point. Gone are the days where you upgrade to the next gen console to get more “realistic” graphics. Nowadays popular games frequently have mediocre or even poor graphics like LOL, DOTA, indie games with basically 16bit graphics etc.
Fortnite, WOW and LOL etc didn’t become some of the most popular games because they looked good
You might have games that have unique aesthetics like Hades (but people stay for the gameplay).
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The amount of 2D, pixel-based and otherwise “retro” style games that are popular these days disagree with your thesis.
We’re complex creatures, we like different things. Our brains respond to different stimuli in a bunch of different ways.
And? Are walls and buildings the whole game?
I get these are things you want improvements to, but that’s not the point. The game, generally, keeps getting more polished. I have faith this will continue.
Do I know if the devs are going to make the changes that you personally want? Not at all. I have no idea. You’re not wrong for wanting the things you want. I want the devs to focus on other things (like the modding tools). If it helps, it doesn’t seem like they’re focusing on what I want them to either 
But they do keep on improving the game, and that reassures me.
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It depends on the game and theme, fornite is for kids (even if some weird adults play it) also Fortnite is requires good system, for a medieval game like age of empires IV I was expecting something more serious.
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Don’t need to talk down, is not my thesis I was just trying to explain, is basic knowledge in Psychology. Stimuli you talking about overrides one another, the stronger/more immersive wins.
If changes in animation was already done, and improved than for me is not reassuring.
Wasn’t talking down. I’m saying your theory doesn’t have the data to support it, is all.
I didn’t say the devs had done anything about animations, either.
I don’t think any pros are talking about those balances much, aside from beasty who is a nerd and are very vocal, arrogant
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