I decided to do this theme because I think the game needs more life and beauty in its maps and in other aspects. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but I made a similar topic on the AOE-4 beta private forums.
When I first started the game, although overall I think it’s pretty and doesn’t look cartoony (as many people say), I found the game to have a lack of randomness in the landscapes. Apparently the only thing they didn’t forget to polish was the land and meadows, but what else is there to see?
Below I will present some examples so that you understand what I am trying to tell you. A picture is worth more than a thousand words.
AOE-1 DE
AOE-2 DE
Can AOE-1 and 2 from 90s have cataracts, but not AOE-4 from 2020?
AOE-3 DE
(Other games):
0 A.D
AOE-Online
(Could someone help me post more about this game, because although I have it in the library, I haven’t had time to download and play it)
SC
Stellaris
AOM
Also the user interface is very boring in my opinion. More specifically the icons. Look at other older games.
UI icons = Traffic Signs?
I don’t know what other people are looking for in a video game, but I am interested in many more things than simply beating the opponent. Personally this is what I most expected from a new AOE game. An adventure where you don’t just explore to see where my enemy is, i am also interested in knowing the background of the maps, being immersed and entering into context. AOE-4 has a great soundtrack, accompany it with a visual improvement of the game and I will be very happy.
5 Likes
had to look twice to clarify it wasn’t taken irl
(based on really quick observation)
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Yes, it’s easy to get confused.
Is that from 3DE? It looks amazing.
3 Likes
Would like aoe4 to have this much detail too. But depends how much resources microsoft want to put into the game.
Relics priorities are mainly coh3 and microfts are the other aoe and aom games.
2 Likes
Sad truth is that it would not take much development effort at all to add a couple of gaia models, update water and add some new biomes and colour temperature & lighting. Hell, get rid of this placeholder looking UI and actually invest into making the user experience better and more immersive. I don’t say that willy nilly as if it would cost 15 bucks and some dust.
But in terms of game development, absolutely pocket change for a ridiculous amount of pay off. A needed amount of pay off. I figure that reality is likely that higher ups are satisfied with the state of the game and won’t be funding any of this.
AOE4 can still be visually salvaged. The question is whether there is any higher up who cares.
2 Likes
If this image is not said to be from AOE-3 DE, hardly anyone would know where this image came from. They might think it’s from an open world game or any other game.
It’s been over 2 years now and not much has been done about it. Although I admit that the game has improved visually, I don’t think it’s enough.
2 Likes
By the way, I would like to see various types of water. In AOE-3 the water changes appearance depending on the terrain and lighting.
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That is because water is part of biomes, and appear differently. AoE4 really messed up water, and many people fail to see why the environments seem so uncanny. Like drawing water the same colour regardless of environment, that is just not how it works.
And it is painful to see how they’ve nailed it in AoE3 and even revisited it for the Definitive Edition, yet no one at Relic thought it useful to copy. I mean, the entirety of AoE4 environment design, in terms of gaia and foliage and just nature design looks a b y s m a l. Truly done by interns at most, cannot fathom how it could possibly ever get the greenlight.
4 Likes
yes yes yes, we DO need more gaia , more animals and more fauna
100% agree on this one (i miss the birds)
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the water in aoe4 changes colour based on biome
I played recently and I think the differences are not very noticeable. Lakes and oceans are basically the same, and so are rivers (which I think are pretty cool by the way)
Actually I think they are good, but I mean more the variety. In AOE-3 there is even a variety of fish and cetaceans depending on the map or region.
I would like it if all resources had variations depending on the biome. Different animals and berry bushes for food, of course, but also gold, more than just from gold mines.
2 Likes
The picture of AOE3 is indeed more beautiful, but when you are in the actual game and busy to win the game, you will hardly have leisure time to appreciate these complex graphics; the complex background of AOE3 makes me feel the extra load and Anxiety, AOE4 is currently relatively good at this point, of course it may be able to increase a little bit of ecological complexity, but please don’t be too fancy like AOE3; this is where you can only look down from the top and be busy almost all the time An RTS game that focuses on operating units, not SimCity or SimZoo.
