Knights of St John/Knights Hospitaller should be playable

Age of Empires IV IV - Discussion
1

Playing as the Knights Hospitaller themselves (the Knights of St. John) should be a thing.
Some people do enjoy the knights templar a lot, but when I play them I am always more drawn to the Knights Hospitaller theme rather than the Knights Templar themselves.

I feel commanderies should be repeatable → SO for example:

Age 2 u can age up with knights hospitaller (representing the early Hospitallers that were around the early crusades, with Saladdin and Richard the Lionheart.

Age 3 u should be able to age up via knights hospitallers AGAIN representing where they had to resettle after Jerusalem fell to the muslims

Age 4 u should be bale to age up via knights hospitallers ONCE AGAIN representing Rhodes and Malta. unlocking gunpowder, sentinel units, and a stockier defensive playstyle.

So, the Knights Templar should be rebraned to “Holy Order” or “Crusader Order” civ.

Let’s say for example you want to be Knights Templar → Ok, so you go Knights templar age 2, knights templar age 3, and knights templar age 4 doubling down on the idea of heavy cav, and never unlocking gunpowder and such.

Same for Teutonic, u should be able to go Teutonic Order age 2, representing early teutonic knights, then age up 3 via Teutonic Order again, representing when they were stationed in Hungary, and also be able to age up via Teutonic Order AGAIN representing when they were expelled from Hungary and established in the Baltics.

You see? So give the “Crusader” civ flexibility as to how we want to play it. becausue as of rn it accounts for ALL famous crusader orders (KT, Hospitaller/ST John, and Teutonic) but we’re forced to play it as Knights Templars themselves). It’s a bit conflicting because when I’m facing Ottomen as KT, I feel im still KT in the 12th c stuck facing Ottomen from 1500s. And I’d like to by age 4, feel im the Knights of Malta/St John/Hospitallers and defending against the Ottomen. This would make more sense.

instead of giving the Crusader civ only 3 options to age up from, give it 3-4-5 if need be. should be a super flexible civ.

Long story short: It’d be nice if we were able to flavour it out more to Knights of Malta/St John and have that flexibility rather than being stuck forever in the 1200s.

1 Like
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They will arrive as a variant at some point, just like the Teutonic Order… it happens that in the Crusades the Templars were more iconic than the Hospitallers; in AoE 3 the Hospitallers are playable in AoE 3, but they are more focused on the Siege of Malta, both in the campaign (like St. John Knights) and in multiplayer (like the Maltese)…

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Considering architecture and demonyms:

  • Teutonic Order - This should be a variant of the HRE. They were almost all German, their architecture was German, and most of their Landmarks could be the forts they had in Estonia and Lithuania, in the medieval Teutonic Order.

  • Hospitaller Knight - This could be a variant of Italy (Italian League), to share arquitecture. While its first members were Italian lombards, they settled on Greek islands, such as Rhodes, and eventually in Malta, where they spoke a Sicilian dialect. They could have a Commandery system like the Templars, but with other unique units and bonuses. Considering that the Hospitallers lasted longer than the Templars, they actually lasted until “Now” (2025 AD). They would also have Gunpowder, and in the 4th Age, the famous “Hoop Thrower.”

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Sure, sure… I would see the Teutonic Order using the HRE but instead of the Landsknecht and Black Rider, they would instead have the Teutonic units of TSA campaign and add to that the Lithuanian Leitis from AoE 2

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Yes, and I think they could be like the Maltese from AoE 3 but including landmarks (barracks are hospitals that heal, stables are commanderies, gunpowder depots that explode and boost nearby gunpowder units, the sentinel is a handcannoner that is created in 4th age along with the hoop/fire thrower and outposts can be improved in 4th age with fixed cannons on the sides but can be destroyed by siege units like battering rams, bombards and cannons)…

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They would have 4 UU (and the rest are unique upgrades to their base units, like the (Order) galley and the Fire (demolition) ship)…

  • Grand Master: The hero of your civilization since Dark Age. Explores, fights, builds Fortifications like Outpots. Cannot die. If he falls unconscious, he can be rescued for 100 gold from the TC.
  • Hospitaller: A Knight of Malta armed with a great sword created in Feudal Age. Absorbs some of the damage inflicted to nearby allies. Faster near Buildings. (It’s like their UU MAA)
  • Sentinel: Castle Age Defensive Halberdier (can be upgraded to Handcannoner in Imperial Age) that may construct Outposts. Stronger near Buildings, especially Fortifications.
  • Fire Thrower: Imperial Age Light Infantry that attacks with incendiary weapons like hoops (can be upgraded to flamethrowers and a rocket attack ability) which inflict burning damage. Counters Heavy Infantry and Light Cavalry like Horse Archers and Horseman.

Unique buildings

  • Hospital: Trains Maltese infantry. Heals idle units.
  • Commandery: Defensive Stable. Units that can be garrisoned may be deployed from ANY other Commandery. Trains powerful foreign allies from around Europe who pledge their allegiance to the Knights of St John.
  • Depot: Depot filled to the brim with gunpowder. Boosts attack speed of nearby Gunpowder Units, Artillery and Buildings. Will EXPLODE if destroyed, damaging ALL units.
  • Fixed Gun: Powerful stationary artillery.