Impossible to replace player slots with AIs in multiplayer scenarios

Age of Mythology: Retold Report a Bug
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  • Game Version: v. 100.18.28714.0 (553002R)

  • Build Number: 18579198

  • Platform: Steam

  • Operating System: Windows 11

Issue:

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When you create a multiplayer game with a scenario, you have to fill all the player slots with players.
If there are fewer players, you simply can’t play. The game won’t let you continue.

It should be possible to fill the remaining slots with inactive AIs, as in Age of Empires 2 and 3.

The current way of working is annoying for scenario creators. If you want to make a special map, for example, for 12 players, you have to generate the scenario 12 times with the right number of players (a version for 1 player, another version for two players, another for three players etc.).
A hell of a thing to manage. Especially when you have to make a modification to the map after publication (you have to recreate this scenario 12 more time). In addition to increasing the size of the mod unnecessarily).

A screen with a scenario featuring four player slots. If I want to play alone or with just one friend, I can’t, the game prevents me from continuing or putting an AI in the empty player slots:

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1934680_20250609211208_11920×1080 194 KB

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@Stark22e Thank you very much for your input on this feature and its usability. This is now tracked!

1 Like
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As mentioned, when selecting a custom map in the multiplayer lobby:

  • If players beyond Player 1 are set to ‘AI’ in the editor’s player settings, those slots are permanently locked to AI control in the lobby—you cannot remove them to invite human players.
  • Conversely, if set to ‘Human’ in the editor, those slots can only be filled by invited players—AI cannot be added.

In the Extended Edition, any slot except Player 1 could flexibly accommodate either human players or AI. Compared to this, Retold’s design is mind-bogglingly illogical—it fundamentally misunderstands gameplay needs.

A player even created a mod to resolve this, allowing custom maps to freely assign slots to humans or AI. But guess what happens?

  • If a slot was originally set to ‘AI’ in the editor:
    → Even if you use the mod to replace it with a human player, the slot remains AI-controlled after loading the game.
  • If set to ‘Human’:
    → Adding AI via mod fails because the game ignores AI commands for ‘human’ slots.

This mod’s functionality is completely nullified by the asinine design logic of the developers.