Normal age up time for Aztecs is 10 seconds shorter than every other civilization in the game. A bug or an intentional balance decision?

Age of Empires III: DE III - Report a Bug
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:arrow_forward: GAME INFORMATION

  • GAME BUILD #: V. 100. 14.7908.0
  • GAME PLATFORM: Steam
  • OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 10

:arrow_forward: ISSUE EXPERIENCED

The time it normally takes to advance to the Commerce Age from the Exploration Age is exactly 90 seconds for every civilization in the game with the sole exception of Aztecs.

If you select any of the Commerce Age council members EXCEPT The Messenger, the age up time for Aztecs is exactly 80 seconds instead of the standard 90 seconds. I have checked that this only applies to Aztecs and no other civilization (including the other Warchief factions like Haudenosaunee and Lakota) have this random 10 seconds faster age up time difference. This difference with the other civilizations also applies only to the Exploration Age to Commerce Age advancement. For every other age up, Aztecs seem to be in line with the other civilizations in the game.

“The Messenger” is specifically designed to make the age up faster so it is not relevant to this topic.

There is also the Age 1 homecity shipment, “Calmecac”, which cuts the age up time by half. If you make use of this shipment as well, then the 80 seconds age up time for Aztecs is cut off to 40 seconds. If Aztecs took the standard 90 seconds to age up to Commerce age, then Calmecac should cut short this age up time to 45 seconds instead.

Is this special 10 seconds difference a random oversight or is it a careful balance change?

:arrow_forward: FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

  • 100% of the time / matches I play (ALWAYS)

:arrow_forward: REPRODUCTION STEPS

Here’s the steps to reproduce the issue:

  1. Open Skrimish mode, pick Aztecs.
  2. Advance to the Commerce age with any council member except “The Messenger”
  3. Note the time it takes to advance to the Commerce age.
  4. You should get a 80 seconds time for advancement instead of the standard 90 seconds advancement time for every other 21 civilizations in the game.

:arrow_forward: EXPECTED RESULT

It should take 90 seconds for Aztecs to advance from Exploration age to Commerce age using a council member that’s not “The Messenger” so that they are in line with the other 21 civilizations in the game unless this is an intentional balance change.

:arrow_forward: GAME FILES (SAVE / RECORDING)

This issue should be easily reproducible in a few minutes using the skirmish mode with cheats enabled.

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It is intended, Devs became other age ups faster to incentivize their use over the messenger as everyone choose him for aztec rush.

I dont know if other natives should be the same

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I’m curious to know if this was before or after the introduction of “Calmecac” card. I often see players using this card along with The Elder age up to rush these days. But if it’s intentional, then this issue can be closed. Thank you for responding :slight_smile: