I am exited to try out the new civs/maps! They seem like they have a lot of cool features. A lot of things seem reasonably balanced but with any large update there are some things that concern me. Of course it is hard to know how something will be without playing with/against it though.
The Crabat’s description says “performs well against all units” which does not seems like it would fit too well in the counter system. It does have the heavy calvary and the light cav tag so it will get countered by goons/skirms but it seems strong in age 2. At 4 pop they will become 2 pop with the outlaw reduction card. They do have 8 range so muskets/xbow will get the first shot but with 30% rr they are pretty tanky. They only need 4 Crabats (560 coin) to one shot a musket while you need 14 muskets (1050 food, 250 coin) to one shot them. It’s almost like every civ that can train map dependent outlaws have been given the ability to train USA cowboys that greatly fall off in age 3. I really hope this unit gets changed a bit before release. It is hard to know how bad the 8 range is without testing though.
The commandry seems scary. I don’t know how you are supposed to siege it down when at any moment 50 dopplesoldiers + a shipment + a cav batch could be popping out from it. If you try falcs 2 culvs could be popping out as well. Once again hard to know how it is without playing against it.
Italy’s age 2 lancer shipment probably will be very rough for civs with bad age 2 anticav.
Personally I don’t like units with gimmicky rof whether that be 3.5 rof abus, 2.5 rof carolean, or 1.2 rof shotel warriors. Basically rof that is not 3 or 1.5. I hate having to get a calculator out just to know what kind of dps a unit is doing I just like clicking on the unit to know its dps. It seems like half of the new natives have some gimmicky rof either by default or with the promotion mechanic. I think one even has something like 2.7 rof. Why is it so close to 3 without being 3
I also think it’s strange that every new civ that’s been released gets a speedy ranged infantry unit.
It’s about time that the Italians finally become a playable civ in AoE3. I’m excited for that and hopefully, that Lil Bombard unit that’s currently a mercenary unit becomes a unique unit for the Italians that replaces the heavy cannon just like the rocket and great bombard both replace the heavy cannon for the British and Ottomans respectively. Yes, the Lil Bombard should definitely be a factory unit.
The question then is, as you said, did the studio initially planned 1 civ (Italy) and ended up with extra budget & time so decided to draw the Maltese (from the campaign’s material), thus gifting us a nice side-meal (Malta)?
Or did the studio had in mind purposely 2 civs and intentionally decided to draw the Maltese knowing it wouldn’t require much work, and therefore willfully refused to work on a more ambitious civ?
That second idea could then be a sign the attention towards AoE3, so far wonderful, is winding: the devs may have chosen to cover Malta as a symbolic farewell or transition (Malta, through the campaign, can be considered as AoE3’s icon), from where they will gradually lower the efforts put on the game.
I believe the future only can answer this paradigm: but if eventually AoE3 stops being cared of and is left as it is, I’ll be sad to see the Maltese did get their shot, and not more pertinent Nations
Either way but it is the same conclusion on how much time/budget is typically planned for a new DLC.
And it is not the developers who decide how much time or budget they have. They decide what to do based on how much time and budget is granted to them.
Not to mention the amount of contents coming with this DLC besides new civs is huge.
Or maybe they decided to add Malta as a fun nostalgic civ that has a history with the game itself being from the original campaign with familiar units and buildings.
Man again, this is a game that was ignored for 10 years. Back in 2019 I would be grateful for something as basic as a new patch.
Now people are seriously worrying if the current tremendous amount of support would not last longer.
I absolutely agree with you, there must be some of this AoE3 legacy echo behind this Maltese choice. Malta and Morgan Black can be considered as the faces of AoE3
Besides, I just remembered, many times several people requested this Order of Saint-John/Knights Hospitaller civ from the campaign to be playable
This whole doom and gloom thing you’re perpetuating just sounds like you’re coping because a particular civ you wanted to see didn’t make the cut this time. Where are you getting this idea that the development team is winding down…if anything they’ve been increasing added content with intermediate single civ dlc and monthly patches and challenges that reward you with neat cosmetic skins with one big expansion to round out the year.
I fully agree with you mate, I’m as delighted as you AoE3 is so far well-looked after. Even today, at times I still cannot believe AoE3 has reborn!
But now we’re here, AoE3 had its Definitive Edition and we’re cherished with regular updates and additions. Therefore, why not wisely channel these efforts towards ambitious horizons?
Moreover, I take nothing for granted, especially since AoE4 has been released: one would logically expect the newest (or the most popular, AoE2) game shall receive the most care, and ultimately fully replace AoE3
I’m doing quite well @RhythmicBoar55, but I’ll do even better if you stopped fantasizing stuff about me
Now if you’d like to read thought out arguments on potential civs, I wrote this
Some states Malta is a side-civ we got based upon the work planned for Italy. I’m thrilled by this idea, but what are the proofs of this? I’ve only suggested this might not be granted and things could be seen in another way
Would be beneficial if they release a roadmap into the further future of course.
See microsoft, this is the kind of insecurities you cause when you suddenly drop a game and pretend it does not exist for 10 years, even if you pick it up later. Don’t do it again. Only PrinceGalvatron would enjoy such treatment.
I’m actually more hyped for malta than italy. Italy is obviously the main civ for the dlc with malta being more of a nice bonus but it’s well designed and has great synergy for defensive play with it’s units and buildings.
Lack of a second factory seems very questionable though, italy get the lombard which is probably worth a lot of vills later on and with more built but malta get nothing to make up for the loss of a factory.
