It would be nice if the developers would port over some of the AoE2DE units to AoE3DE so they can be used in custom scenarios.
It’s not something that can easily be done in a mod because we only have the 2D sprites. The developers have access to the original 3D models that were used to make those 2D sprites.
The Imperial Age AoE2 units wouldn’t be so out of place in AoE3 either considering that we already have units like Crossbow and Pikeman.
Some units would probably have very different roles compared to AoE2 though.
The Heavy Cavalry Archer would be anti cavalry in AoE3 and the Elite Skirmisher would be a Musket Infantry completely inverting it’s role.
The list of units would not be that long:
Campion
Halberdier
Arbalseter
Elite Skirmisher
Heavy Cavalry Archer
Hand Cannoneer
Hussar
Paladin
Potentially also:
Cavalier (since not many civilisations have the Paladin)
Heavy Camel Rider
Elite Battle Elephant
Not sure if they could be combined with a small new event game mode or appear in the Unknown map somehow.
Would be funny if they were added as 3 new Minor Civilisations being an AoE2 Barracks, Archery Range and Stable.
The costs can be taken 1 to 1 from AoE2 (Gold → Coin) but the stats obviously have to be changed.
Now that they are adding AoE1DE to AoE2DE it would be nice to continue the chain by adding some AoE2DE units to AoE3DE.
Some event skins could be nice to like replacing some unit models with their AoE2DE equivalents like there is an event mod for AoE2DE that replaces the Hand Cannon with an AoE3DE Musketeer.
Because the AoE2 units mostly exist in AoE3.They have slightly different names. (For example, you could think of Cuirassiers and Spahi as counterparts of the paladin).
Even if the AoE2 units are based on 3D models, I don’t think those models are stylized nor have the proper polygon count to easily transport them into Age of Empires 2 without looking extremely off.
That looks nice but it’s still noticeable different to the AoE2 Paladin that doesn’t even have a lance.
Both.
Adding some AoE2DE units to the Scenario Editor and some new event game mode.
But also using those 3D models as unlockable skins.
I think the reverse should also be done. Adding iconic AoE3 units to the AoE2DE editor and not just as event skins.
They could appear in come campaigns or Historical Missions too.
Could be a cool crossover event. Make the same campaign in both games and add some AoE2 units to AoE3 and some AoE3 units to AoE2.
Something nice to get fans of one game interested in to other one.
That be some of the units that could get those skins as an even unlock.
I know. But it would be much easier for them to get them into AoE3DE then it would be for modders to model them based on the 3D sprites.
Teutonic Knights upgrade change Hospitaller appearance to that of Teutonic Knight from AoE 2, also change Order Hussar appearance to that of Crusader Knight from AoE 2
Honestly, I think it’s just about as difficult. The AoE2 models are so low poly they’d probably just be unusable, it’d be better to make the models again from scratch, not that it’d be a good use of the developers’ time.
AoE2DE models not AOE2 original.
They should be relatively high detail. Considering that they were made to generate sprites of they might be too hight detail since no optimisation is needed.
I thought about AoE2DE units in AoE3DE again.
AoE3 is kinda missing Commerce Age mercenaries.
We have:
Cannoneer
Irish Brigadier
And that’s it.
Both added in the latest 2 DLC.
I also forgot about some unit roles that might be more fitting for AoE2 units, that way they can keep their role without inventing a new role.
AoE2 units as mercenaries
Barracks
Champion as Hand Skirmisher (like Urumi)
Halberdier as Heavy Infantry
Elite Eagle Warrior as Shock Infantry
Archery Range
Arbalester as Light Infantry
Elite Skirmisher as Counter Skirmisher
Cavalry Archer as Ranged Heavy Cavalry (Like Mounted Infantry)
Hand Cannoneer as Abus gun like unit
Elite Elephant Archer as Ranged Heavy Cavalry (Like Mounted Infantry)
Stable
Hussar as Heavy Cavalry (low HP but good range resist)
Paladin as Heavy Cavalry (High HP)
Heavy Camel Rider as Melee Light Cavalry (Like Berber Camel Rider)
Elite Battle Elephant as Heavy Cavalry (Slow but very high HP)
Elite Steppe Lancer as Heavy Cavalry with 1 melee range
This way all the AoE2 units should behave very similar to their AoE2 roles.
AoE2 Champions counter AoE3 Pikeman but not AoE3 cavalry.
AoE2 Elite Skirmishers counter AoE3 archers.
AoE2 Heavy Cavalry Archer and Elite Elephant Archers counter AoE3 Infantry but not AoE3 cavalry.
AoE2 Heavy Camel Riders counter AoE3 cavalry but not AoE3 Infantry.
This is a relatively long list of units but we could start with one from each building:
Champion
Arbalester
Paladin
They would all be Commerce Age mercenaries, so they would not be much stronger then unupgraded units.
Mostly becoming irrelevant in Fortress Age.
Which would fit the theme of them being medieval units.
AoE2 units as event skins
There are a lot of units that already exist in both games.
I’m going to focus on unique units here.
Maltese: Hospitaller → Serjeant (couldn’t find a better match)
Adding all of them in one event would be a little much for sure.
AoE2 should get AoE3 skins in return so the event would be in both games at the same time.
Anyway the main goal of it would be to make AoE2 and AoE3 feel more connected, as part of the same series.
Luckily the developers have already started to add small hints to each others games into their games over time.
For example the Eagle Runner Knight has the AoE2 Aztec crest on it’s shield or many technologies for the African civilisations use icons from AoE1DE.
But tbh. I kinda just want to see AoE2 units fight in 3D. 3D just looks better then 2D, sorry.
I know but it’s more of an Easter Egg in AoE2 and was added after the same unit already existed in AoE3.
That is the case for the Organ Gun too though, but at last that’s a unit you can actually train ingame.
2D ages better for sure (in most cases) but AoE3DE looks really nice for a current game.
Doppelsöldner were Landsknechts that got double the salary because they did more risky jobs, like charging with a large sword in the front line.
In AoE3 the Landsknecht is ironically the more expansive mercenary unit.
The name Two Handed Swordsman is super generic, a bunch of AoE3 units would technically fall under that name.
But it doesn’t really matter.
My idea was to keep the unit role that it has in AoE2 even if the equivalent unit has a different role in AoE3 (Cavalry Archer for example).
I haven’t thought about porting over the buildings.
That would be a little more complicated because of scaling and size differences.
Also Exploration Age looks like a new colony while Imperial Age form AoE2 looks closer to Fortress or even Industrial Age in AoE3.
So the Commerce Age buildings would also not really fit in line.
Generally harder to fit them in.
But it would be cool to have them as scenario editor assets.
So basically an “AoE2 Barracks” etc. building.
That would be so convenient.
Some units are tied to some less generic buildings like “Indian Barracks”, “Japanese Barracks” or “War Hut”.
The campaign version of the Colonial Militia can only be trained in the War Hut which is kinda strange.
Also the location of the technologies too of course so you can also upgrade those units.
There are generally some things that would be nice if you could change them.
Like you can’t give a unit less then 1 population cost if it already has some population cost.
So you can’t make a unit function like a Minor civilisation unit with a build limit instead of population cost.
Which unit do you mean with Robber Knights?
Isn’t that the Home City card that sends a second Factory for some civilisations?
Yes, I agree…both skins and units in the exploration age with imperial units from AoE 2 in the exploration age in AoE 3…it has connection and meaning after all…
A little bit offtopic but Napoleonic Era mod added some AoE II units like Teutonic Knights for Prussians (similar concept like the Maltese Knight) and Mandugais.
Also there was a mod project to bring medieval units to AoE III called Knights and Barbarians.
Doing an AoE II mod to AoE III DE should be easier now that custom animations are allowed. But now there is a lot of UU.
I’ve started something some time ago, but between work, school, new additions to aoe III and another projects, I have not worked on it. I have a clear path to work, but just in units to do.
