allow villagers to have an automatic repair stance, where they will go around repairing nearby structures and siege engines and be removed from idle villager pool. Warcraft 3/ Starcraft 2 have a similar feature.
17 Likes
This. Micromanaging villagers during a siege to repair every single wall segment, tower etc. is just not fun. Implement an Auto-repair stance so you can just idle some villagers next to walls. It makes it a strategic choice since the idle villagers won’t be contributing to economy
7 Likes
Very good suggestion. Hopefully the developers will implement an automatic repair stance.
1 Like
This suggestion is in the forums for AOE2. Many people who responded were against it. I feel that and other discussions may be a big reason, why it is not in AOE4. Let me be the first to say. I support this idea. As a player since AOE, the first. I love this idea.
I am only through the first campaign in AOE4. I am playing on hard mode. I spend, easily 40 to 60% of my time during certain scenarios manually checking and repairing sections of walls… I do not find it fun. I do not like it. I do consider this upgrade just as important a regular function as a training queue for military buildings or the town center.
I have played many games with and without this function. Let us therefore target some of the likely future and past arguments against it from previous forums…
-
Is it too much automation?
I do not believe so. Not in any game did I feel diminished in play because I didn’t have to repair things manually. I want to pay attention to the battle, my military units, strategy and counter attack. When it is over I want to be back on my economy and building up my power base, not wasting most of my time moving around the camera trying to select individual wall segments with units in the way. Too much micromanagement is just as much of a concern for rts as over automation. -
Is it too cheap?
This has its own dangers, villagers can be killed rather easily. As long as trebuchets and other such siege equipment exist, this does not break the game. You can build an entire second wall during the battle faster than repairing 2 wall segments that are severely damaged. Balance can be handled to make sure this function is applicable. I would in fact absolutely support more behavior functions such automatic villager distance fallback from military units during repairs, or garrison bell functions on towers, castles, town center, etc for villagers. -
I don’t want it in multiplayer!
I do not believe it would break multiplayer here more than it would in the many other rts games where it exists. However, it can always be turned off in multiplayer, so this does not even count as a proper argument for not having it in single player. However, I believe it should be applicable to both. -
This could be another thing that makes AOE games lose fans like the issues with AOE3.
Ummmm… No. AOE3 did not gain too much automation as it did end up being completely different in many ways than AOE1 and AOE2. While it has been awhile, the reasons I did not like AOE3 had more to do with the change too far to modern ages. Less or no walls and too many guns. Some of it was a change to a faster paced rts, which did not fit for previous fans like myself, but I do enjoy plenty of games that have such a pace. An auto repair function is sorely needed in AOE4 and despite arguments, would likely have worked just fine in AOE2 as well.
Other points of consideration:
(Building Unit Queue Limit)
Automation… Because of AOE3, I feel AOE4 did not incorporate as many of the changes in rts games for fear of a repeat in over changing. This is a concern, but has led to more than just leaving out auto repair.
The limit for queue is 15 per building. At least for the barracks… In other rts games and this one we realize that queue is rarely abused and does not need low limit anymore. Because it is far more effective for advanced players to have 2 or 4 or 6 of certain unit production buildings constantly building to increase efficiency. For rts games and this one that is another point where the limit is still ok, but not usually necessary.
(Resource Use of Auto Repair)–(Off as Default)
There is less need to worry about running out of resources and having a problem because of auto repair. AOE4 uses wood to repair, even for stone walls. Even if it didn’t, I would still want to function. Running out can happen, but that is another part of economy management. It is not a good argument against having such a function, since it can be turned off. This can be an argument to have it set to “Off as Default”, however. Something which other games sometimes choose for creating repair specialists from builders.
Anyway, I love to hear everyone’s opinions and such. Obviously I have already read some dissenting ones from AOE2 forums. But let me say again. As someone who plays many rts games of many types including all the previous AOE games. AOE4, the next line siege walls rts, auto repair should absolutely be added as soon as possible. Before too many new and old fans start playing.
Too much automation is a concern for rts at times, but so is micromanagement. While I made sure my addition to this discussion was polite, positive and filled with proper arguments… I assure you. My disappointment at the indecision that led to leaving out this feature due to fear from AOE3 or any dissenting opinions of previous fans in the series was high. This is definitely a high annoyance point of contest due to how already accepted this function is as a must have for most modern rts games of this type.
That said I love a good discussion. I am happy to hear everyone’s opinions and desires for one of my favorite rts series’s latest releases.
2 Likes
if they will change it, they need to slowdown repairing rates. A LOT. Really ALOT.
Need to slowdown rebuilding time of walls, etc
they did auto–farms, auto-arrows, auto-everything, but forgot about auto-repairing.
They should do game in one style, like they did so with UI.
Why some features is AUTO, but other is so anoying.
It’s a brillant idea.
And never mind those sporadic objections, in my impression, certain people may oppose any reasonable change.