How should Civilizations be designed by AoE4?

Age of Empires IV IV - Discussion
412

I actually would prefer an arsonist unit with torches, specifically designed to fight buildings.

Battle axes are specifically designed for combat.
Axes were often cheaper than swords and considerably more available.

So historically they would rather make sense for cheap infantry, while swords ones would be more expensive.

Like they could be trash version of the Swordsman, besides we had already Axeman in AoE1 for 50 food.

I see it as a problem for a sequel if such basic unit is one elite only.
Also that alliance merely offers one 1 more.

It makes very little sense why Archery Range does also have Cavalry.
Ranged Cavalry should have own building. with
Cavalry Archers / Cavalry Crossbowmen / Cavalry Skirmisher / Cavalry Dragoons
sounds like a reasonable rooster

You should have more units as elites and team bonus should give way more bonuses and units.

Longbowman makes not much sense by Britain as only elite unit. As it is simply weapon description.
https://wiki.totalwar.com/w/Units_in_Medieval_II:_Total_War.html#England

I would like to see as elites also Sherwood Archers /Yeoman Archers / Highlanders “two-handed sword”/ Ireland Javelinmen / Wales Skirmishers/ units with own look and bonuses. while they still would have normal Skirmishers/Archers and Swordsman

old games like C&C had for example
Grizzly tank / Robot Tank / IFV /Tank Destroyer / Prism Tank / Mirage Tank /Battle Fortress
that are basically 7 units that do same role.
modern game would merely make 1 tank and complain nobody is buying it.
game industry really needs to snap out of it.

RTS games do require several unit you can choose.

Summary

Somehow modern game tend to lack content. A short look at tech trees is really painful if you have in mind how much it used to be. here example

It used to be in their games like 26, if we take red alert 2

Summary

https://cnc.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Red_Alert_2_Allied_Arsenal

here just 14 in grey goo

Summary

Category:Units | Grey Goo Wiki | Fandom

are just 11 units. in 8 bit armies

Summary

8-Bit Armies on Steam

In forged battalion you had just 5. where 4 units could have different attack animation. LOL.

And we see modern day dev. teams frequently assuming handful of units will pass.

2 Likes
414

General question:
So far I do like how they are made in AoE4,
but how should the “less advanced” factions be represented in AoE4?

Well in middle age we have “High tech” Factions from Europe and Asia with Gunpowder, Castles, Siege Weapons, Horses and Heavy metal armour. And Factions who have less, or don’t have that stuff at all.

AoE2 simply did give them access to tech, they did not have.
AoE3 had this idea with native camps. Or made full ones with bonuses.

American conquest/Cossacks allowed to capture enemy citizens to get their tech.
C&C allowed to capture enemy buildings to get enemy tech.

415

I fully support making units and kingdoms/civilizations as complex and unique as possible, more variables would make the game much more exciting to play and watch, seeing players pull some random strategy nobody thought of before is what I think gives the game high replay value.
I love China right now because of the options and love to see the cool things the mongos have come up with.
I witnessed a player use nothing but land schnekts and monks raze landmarks and wipe out large armies with a back base drop over water.
Unique strategies are fun.
APM and BOs are boring and Grindy if that’s all the game consists of imo. They have a place in every RTS but should be able to be countered by intuition and creative thinking.

  • scouting of course
1 Like
416

Hell yeah, even for European Civs there can be “more-varied-than-varied” military and economic mechanics for every of them.

417

I would like more unique units per civ. I like the approach of unique gameplay per civ.