Since the devs have been getting really creative with new cosmetics lately, it got me thinking ‘what else could be done as a cool cosmetic?’ and I got an idea: New Leaders.
The AOE3 AI trash talk is lowkey is one of the funniest features in the game, but can get repetitive after a while. New leaders could be used to add new voice lines, flags, flavour and AI strategies.
Let’s use France as an example: It currently uses the Kingdom of France flag with Napoleon as its leader.
What if instead we had the Kingdom of France flag with Louis XIV as leader and as an alternative the Empire of France flag with Napoleon as its leader. We could even have different AI behaviours based on their historical personalities. Napoleon could be likely to use aggressive strategies and clever maneuvers, while Louis could be more defensive and economy focused.
Now I know that getting new voice actors and programming a new AI is not as simple as just making a new skin, but I think it’s worth a thought…
Other alternate leaders I can think of right now:
Queen Victoria or George III for Britain, Joseph II or Maria Theresa for Germany, Peter the Great or Catherine for Russia, Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln for the USA, Emperor Meiji for Japan.