RTS games may not be as popular nowadays, but there are fundamental changes that could help AOMR grow into the game it deserves to be.
Barrier to entry: It’s no secret that RTS games are generally harder for new players compared to genres like shooters or MOBAs. However, the larger barrier for AOMR is its price. If you look at the most played games today, they’re often free to play, with a large part of the player base consisting of younger players teenagers or even kids.
While some might be thinking, “Obviously,” we must agree that for AOMR to not only survive but thrive, it needs to attract younger players. They have more time to dedicate to improving, watching content creators, and engaging with the community. Without this younger audience, AOMR risks the same fate as AOM EE, where an older player base (averaging around 30 years old) simply doesn’t have the time to sustain the community.
Take SC2 as an example, it used to cost €40-60 and only later became free to play, likely too late. Imagine a teenager or kid convincing their friends to spend €60 on a game like SC2 it’s a tough sell. The same applies to AOMR. Being an RTS, which isn’t “trendy,” makes it even harder for younger players to take the leap.
Here are a few ideas for a solution:
Offer frequent discounts on Steam.
Organize large giveaways through streamers and YouTubers.
The most challenging but potentially most impactful: make the game free to play and monetize through DLCs or other means.
This is a broad topic, but it’s crucial we address it as a community. I’d love to hear your thoughts and encourage you to share this post.
I disagree.
It is perfectly normal for such a game like AoMR to be fairly priced, and currently it is.
As for the sales, there are some upcoming Steam sales likely for Cyber Monday, Black Friday or Holiday sale.
I would not like to see AoMR be free to play as that would lose its value in a way.
When it comes to giveaways, that is completely okay and normal, so I support that idea. Maybe they should hold a monthly competition of some sort (one month it’s artwork of Kronos, another something else).
AoMR is not a shooter nor a Moba though.
AoMR is a game with a single player experience.
How many free to play games even have singe player? If they do then they are designed around loot boxes. Spin the wheel to unlock some PNGs.
AoE3DE has a Free to Play model but that is essentially just a Demo.
For me AoM should have an anti-cheat and then be free to play except for casual content like Starcraft 2 style. That is if they want to favor more competitive enviroment for younger players.
Never
RTS like Age of Mythology will not “spread” more because most people don’t like to think or be under pressure
I gave to a friend of mine the game as a gift (the premium edition btw) and he is not playing
he did the campaign, played very few times against the AI
and EVERY single time he complains about getting destroyed by me or by the AI
calls himself a casual as excuse and for many weeks didn’t touch the game anymore
for my other friends, they all say the style and genre don’t appeal them, so they are not buying or don’t even want the game as a gift
now, if you take into count not MY friends, but the people in general
this game had decent propaganda, Microsoft is rich, game went to GAMEPASS and nothing changed
making it for free and getting money over DLC will not change a thing
because RTS already are niche as it is
it’s about keeping the playerbase alive and gather as much new players as possible
and stick with it for as long as possible
the guy that wrote this topic deserves my respect for caring for the game, but he simply has no idea about how this genre works
My reply in Magic’s discord from someone (maybe even you) that posted there in chat
Personally, I am hoping we get to control a chosen god and fight the enemy god.
For example if I choose Sobek, I will command him and behind him are a ton of Petsobeks.
You said it yourself, they have to attract new people and how do you do that?
The current SC2 model is the best possible for an RTS from my point of view.
While it’s true that you have to keep betting on adding QoL and content, I think charging for casual content and leaving free rankeds is a good way to expand the niche (not get out of it because we know it’s not going to happen).
I dont know dude. RTS is very niche and will not have a lot of players anyway, so the best bet is charging for every player the game have, because if the game get players but the studio get zero money for it… The game is still a flop.
And you need to remember that making a game free is a big invite for a massive amount of cheaters everywhere.
Free to play is a trap. Games that free to play worked are the exception. Starcraft 2 you cited is a game I know very well and play up to this day, and I can assure you it’s downfall in popularity was sped up after they announced free to play. It did absolutely nothing to grow the community. And with free to play came in more trolls, more cheating, more smurfs, more immature audience.
I agree with your other suggestions except that one about free to play. I rather have a niche but active and supporting community than a legion of imbeciles chiming in.
Free to play would make me lose interest in this franchise after 20 years, it would destroy it. I think the RTS community has already been growing looking at player counts of all AOE games. I think Youtubers and things like Red Bull tournaments are very important to get players interested in the game. People are just less interested these days in RTS because it’s quite complicated, takes time to learn and sometimes daring to play online, you can also play Call of Duty which makes your dopamine fire on full cilinders with their baked in free to play system.
I also think that if people are interested in these kinds of RTS/mythilogical games they will find it on their own and are willing to pay for it. The Age of series is already one of the most known RTS franchices in the world. I’ll happily buy any DLC they put out unless it’s a blatant cash grab which I haven’t seen in this franchise yet
