…Having the side gamemode getting much more care and love than the main game.
The new units, building sets, acting and mechanics all are impressive, but why not do that for new base game campaigns as well
19 Likes
I’m mostly sad because they wasted a great opportunity to tell much better stories for the Chinese civs. Imagine campaigns for the Khitans, Tanguts, Jurchens, and current Chinese. So much fun, so many interesting possibilities that suit the AoE2 timeframe and menu aesthetic.
23 Likes
To me it almost feels like they’re tired of the formula (basically only the mountain royals did that in 3/4 years and it felt scrapped) and desperately want to do something different which it’s understandable but at the same time you should stop getting money from the game to be coherent. If you’re not interested in telling medieval history with classic slides/aesthetics anymore just drop it to someone else who is and pursue your own interests somewhere else instead of using a big name for that. But we all know why that isn’t the case, it would be inconvenient.
11 Likes
Since the OP didn’t list timestamps, the comments on this topic are at ~32:29 - 34:17 in the video.
I had to say this DLC blew my mind. Absolute cinema. It’s the best campaign experience I’ve had since playing AoC as a child.
The level of dedication is night and day difference between CaptureAge and Forgotten Empires. I tend to believe the base game won’t be a mess like it is now, if CA were the team in charge. If only they get enough recognition and resources.
9 Likes
Yeah I just finished his video and…..wow. I’ve watched aoe2 videos for years but I’ve never watched one that hit me so hard.
It’s so frustrating because chronicles is absolutely a labor of love and I want my favorite game to be getting that kind of attention and dedication. But it seems to be at the expense of the main game.
10 Likes
I have to mention 1 detail:
I was a fan of the stories of Alexander, but it’s not until this campaign that I learned about the fact that Alexander constructed 2 siege towers during the siege of Tyre. I was deeply touched in that moment. This was the biggest meaning to me of this game since my childhood: you are reviving history.
Worth mentioning that no one yet seems to have brought bridge building into the game, before this DLC. And CA cared enough to create this immersive experience.
Credit to Admiral Wololo’s video:
3 Likes
It would be interesting to see a crusade oriented grand campaign but will people buy a campaign only dlc again?
4 Likes
I would certainly buy a campaign only DLC, but I’m a bit tired of crusades and Mongols….
7 Likes
I kinda disagree with Ornlu. Partially because I prefer the setting of Chronicles.
This year the base game of AoE2 got Elite Unique Unit skins, Monk skins and unique Castle skins. Also 3 Kingdoms was a failed attempt to make a grand campaign for AoE2.
Now imagine how the 3 Kingdoms DLC with a setting that you like. Would be petty awesome. 5 new civilisations and a big campaign where you see the same conflict from 3 different sides.
3 Likes
Yes, but I think Ornlu didn’t mean that the Chronicles series is bad or anything similar. He wanted to explain that the spin-off is straying far away from the vibe the main game has, yet is moving in a direction to assimilate into the main game, even though the civ mechanics honestly represent a much more distinct design pattern than the classic civs. It would either have to undergo drastic adaptations or stay isolated. He also mentioned that far more assets, work, and attention have been given to the spin-off over the last two years than to the main game, which is again valid.
2 Likes
I disagree tbh. He’s kinda saying why base game doesn’t have Chronicles style grand campaign but somehow Chronicles got it and they(CA team) should change their focus for base game is something I didnt like it.
Firstly it was CA and R@W team who came up with the concept and its not their fault if base game devs decided to play safe and keep releasing lackluster DLCs in past few years.
Also they done AOE1 dirty. They basically released AOE1 civs with no real changes at all. Return To Rome port added 3 campaign and once again no real improvements to AOE1 gameplay because they catered to Vietnamese multiplyer scene. Even they didnt made a proper distinction and not even a proper engine upgrade to AOE1DE to AOE2DE engine. If we had something like totally separate launcher if not a way where you can buy AOE1 only but not AOE2 and ofcourse easy marketing advertisement then I would’ve made argument. Now ppl will buy AOE1 only to realize it no longer receiving updates and actual updates are happening in AOE2. Even then they gave up on AOE1. So no way to get any Antiquity/Pre-Antiquity era contents.
Now Chronicles is the only way to receive antiquity era contents. They didnt stopped at just loosely connected 3 civs and then just 3 slideshow focused campaigns. They made it animated, narrative focused, interesting character and spiced up with unique gameplays in scenario.
If official devs cant make something similar rather making bad civ designs, 3K nonsense and so on then the blame of the failure lies to official devs. Not some other dev team.
Even then I actually welcome if official devs do something like Chronicles style grand campaign with fine narrative focused scenario, new scenario editor only units, customized campaign specific only civ as in campaign only DLC which original devs failed to do with V&V then I welcome it. Only time we had something close to it was with Grand Dukes Lithuania, Poles and Bohemians. Make something that way and community will welcome it.
9 Likes
I dont know why he is saying this. Only thing that differs Chronicles from Base game is UT selection in Castle and the navy. Otherwise everything in the game is same. You’ll still do same build order. Even UT selection isnt as radical as ppl makes out to be. It still is 1 tech you’ll go with for the rest of the game. So overall gameplay will be same.
6 Likes
I wouldnt say that way. R@W team and evolution of base game development is where it led us today. Even then I still wish if FE team atleast makes campaign only contents with dedication similar to Chronicles in future would be welcoming. But I dont trust them for singleplayer with disasters after disasters.
Also complain of being grind-fest feels more self inflicted. Ornlu literally played on Legendary difficulty. Meaning hardest challenge you would face. Just play on moderate or lower difficulty. BfG had issue of difficulty hardly mattered across the level. This time atleast it works as intended.
4 Likes
I played it, and I don’t feel that it matches the base game that well. I welcome the spin-off, but as its own separate thing, and I would love to see one standard expansion and one Chronicles expansion per year. I admire and respect the work and effort the other team has put into it, but I can’t help but think that it has received more attention than the main game for two years straight. The frustrations players feel are valid, and I understand them. I know that the units are basically just reskins and that the core is still the same, but the unique technologies and the narrative timeframe, as well as the aesthetics, stray away from the concept the original game had and was meant to be. It is a nice refreshment and addition overall, but it’s already amazing, perfect, as its own separate thing, something that could ultimately be what Age of Empires I: DE should have been.
6 Likes
If you try typical build orders then it’ll play out exactly same. Aint as assymetric as it seems. Re-skins is why it feels different and its actually a good way to address time period differences. I would still say its evolution of developments we had over years. We still talk about AOM campaign all these years later due to narrative alone. Ppl will talk about Chronicles in the same fashion which is good.
If base game wants then they can do it same way. It’ll take years to start now tho and late as well. Even then I would prefer that style of Singleplayer only campaign even if it doesnt add new civs or totally campaign specific custom civ. May not be as sold to multiplayer community but it can atleast get close enough to Chronicles.
Also aside that they arent even doing good historically accurate enough designs. Like Dravidians ship UU based on false wikipedia articles. Mountain Royals still didnt do proper architecture rework and so on.
2 Likes
Yeah, I really have a problem with them trying to force a different aesthetic onto a beloved game ( base game ) whose setting is already set in stone. The game has an identity and a formula that basically makes it immortal. The other team successfully translated the core design into the Late Antiquity period really well, but it’s still Late Antiquity, a period Age of Empires I covered, and the second installment left in the past. It’s great that they’re trying to revive that feel, and it’s flawless. I again welcome it dearly, but it should stay as a separate thing. It can only be better that way.
The base game is beloved, the standard campaign menu, the map layout, the icons, the five-to-six-scenario formula, the historical figure narrative that spans across a limited number of levels, it’s already perfect. We shouldn’t tamper with the core aesthetic, narrative, and time-period setting the game was, and still is, famous for. It’s alive for a reason after all these years, and it can stay healthy if it continues the legacy the original team strived for.
3 Likes
These have the best story material tho.Something like the italian wars would be cool but less people would know about it.
3 Likes
If you tell me it was getting pretty stale tho. Moreso now that I played Chronicles 11.
Chronicles overall follows AOM style formula with new addition being animated cutscene and carrying decisions. Even then I would prefer them follow new format. Old format had serious issue of being small and cut contents. Like entire Mongol China campaign was skimmed into one scenario. Even Chronicles skips content which is why I couldnt rate BfG beyond 8/10. They literally skipped Battle Of Platea like bruh. Alexander skipped one small Siege Of Gaza(for good reason) where he dragged defender’s body on charriot to Egypt to mimic Achilles victory thing.
That’s why I think they should go Chronicles style campaign design that is to cover important parts of history. Cutting it very short isnt that good for narrative. Also have people engaged in the story as well. Voice acting got improved where post AOC voice acting felt very robotic.
2 Likes
And I do get you. The last two base game DLCs were atrocities. The FE team and World’s Edge lost their direction and went down a rather destructive path, partially ruining the game’s legacy.
But hey, here we are as a community, to show them what’s wrong and what’s not doing good to the game overall. I really hope, and mostly want, the Three Kingdoms mess to be fixed as soon as possible. That’s the biggest mistake the devs have made in my opinion.
10 Likes
I still doubt they gonna go back from that route. They gonna keep 3K as it is for “what about our chinese playerbase? Its super pop culture thing and we have to stay that way for…. reasons”. Its been months and they did nothing for it and doubt they’d do. They didnt even resolved architectures of civs. Badly historical civ designs and so on. Mountain Royals DLC had pricing + bad civ design issue. Seems like they gonna keep doing this and just keep the game alive enough for esports. Also western players are bigger priority as they are the esports consumer.
3 Likes