Or Expansion that actually adds to the current content. Something like Broodwar to original SC, or Titans to AoM instead of creating new basic civs.
If the game is supposed to go different path than previous games, it doesn’t need constant waves of DLCs with slightly modified, barebones civs. The game can easily focus on fewer, but more refined content like AoM.
Which on the other hand would require more creativity, since the setting doesn’t allow magic or air units.
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111111111111111111111111111111111
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I love how this thread discussion has continued for almost a month but none of the issues addressed on this thread were not mentioned, let alone even considered 
I’d even like that generic statement “we are looking at all feedback critically” lol coz this thread has it all
From the closed beta, to the open beta and coming to the final launch. The game has relatively felt the same despite all the previews of the devs stating “we are working on so much behind the scenes”. I hope it will all be displayed at launch on what the “devs” have been working on while the closed and open beta have been going on.
People complain that AOE2 doesn’t have more asymmetry than AOE IV.
Why? Because you are comparing a generic Asian civ with a generic Islamic Civ?
AOE 2 Chinese is far different compared to the Britons and the Persians.
Their Castles are not copy and paste base models with minor edits.
Their walls are not copy and paste base models either.
Their unique units are far different from each other, let alone their own units. A Janissary for the Turks looks nothing like the hand cannoneer.
A British Longbowman looks nothing like an archer.
Knights, light cavalry look nothing like each other.
There’s asymmetry within units too.
A knight looks nothing like a cavalier who looks nothing like a Paladin.
The Persian Elephant, the Burmese Elephant and the Indian Elephant Archer are miles different from each other.
The Saracen Camel and the Heavy Camel can easily be distinguished in one glance.
You absolutely cannot say that about AOE IV. And yet people laugh when you say AOE II is more asymmetric? Please, actually play the AOE games.
AOE IV just has 8 civs.
3 out of those 8 civs peactically look like replicas (French, HRE and British). Dehli Sultunate and Abbasid look almost exactly the same (WHEN THEY SHOULDNT. IT IS HISTORICALLY INACCURATE TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE).
It’s so super generic but the fact it’s only 8 civs is enough to fool so many people
Comparing Abbasid, Chinese and British civ and calling that asymmetric is like comparing Burmese, Chinese, Aztec and Persia in AOE 2 and calling that asymmetric.
In that regard, AOE II wins hands down. Especially in their castle and wonder design department.
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Wow nice conclusion, I did not notice AoE 4 civs designs were so mediocre that AoE 2 is more assymetrical …
its true and I am so upset now.
eh, id argue they are all fairly similar.
i dont think any AOE 2 faction can claim diversity when they share the same base units and models.
the fact every faction has knights both in AOE 2 and 4 is a massive issue, they should be restricted to European civs.
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Oh yes, comparing this
To this
I laugh at people who claim AOE 2 has less asymmetry than AOE 4
Atleast their unique units don’t just look like replica base units, or worse, villagers (British longbowmen)
British longbowmen vs archer
Zhuge nu vs crossbowman
Royal knight vs knight
It’s all the same lol
But you can’t say that for AOE 2.
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This franchise marginalizes every game but AoE2 at its own peril. I’m not going to compare AoE4 to AoE2 to determine quality. Many of us left AoE2 the moment ensemble advanced the franchise with Age of Mythology back in October of 2002.
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you know the chinese castle here is actually reused from japan.
personally i think gameplay matters more than looks of the buildings esp when so many of the units are generic uniforms.
china etc. shouldn’t have knights at all, it should be exclusive to europe.
You know that AOE IV has not even released Japan yet to make that comparison.
Yet the French, British and HRE almost look exactly identical.
Infact the French and HRE have the exact same walls.
And the China civ looks like a generic Asian civ.
I cannot believe that after they release Japan, it will look asymmetrical.
You can see what they did to Abassid and Dehli when those two civs aren’t even remotely alike.
lol, because they followed the same general trends.
if someone told me that was in Scandinavia id believe them but it is actually in Nuremburg, sure there are changes but they certainly aren’t as big as you imagine, they operated with the same conflicts and drew the same conclusions.
unlike china who hardly even have something you could consider castles and those they had certainly didnt look like the japanese ones.
i care more about japan not having a giant cross on his stomach and halberd. i care more about china and japan not having european knights. all factions in AOE 2 are extremely alike.
I think most people are referring to the playstyle of the civs when they refer to asymmetrical factions - the different unique techs, units, influence system, design factors, etc. that make the experience of playing them different. Most of the civs in AOE2 are copy pasted with a unique unit and a couple civ specific perks.
In terms of architecture and appearance, it looks like you’ve cherry picked a few European keeps here? Compared to AOE2 European and Asian buildings? Visually, there’s a lot more symmetry between English, HRE and French, kind of as you’d expect. Chinese, Abbasid and Mongol architecture designs look quite a bit different, again, as you’d expect.
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Cities within the factions were quite similar.
English Medieval Coties
German Medieval city
French Medieval city
Wow, could have created a tonne of asymmetry right there
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Wow… they’ve literally made a Base Mesh for a generic castle and just built around it.
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Lol if you think Abbasid, HRE, Britain and China are all European civs, sure 
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and they took 4 years to do that lol
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Relic are just hired guns.
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And they made Empires Apart sequel by mistake.
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As a AoEIII diehard since release I feel this comment in my bones, and this is coming from someone who started off as a AoEII fanatic.
The fact AoEIII was and continues to be completely glossed over is criminal, all because it wasn’t AoEII 2.0.
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I wont force you to, but Id appreciate it 
sounds interesting
You realize that Age 2 architucture was based around large general areas right? You have western european, eastern european, asian, eastern, and meso (I may have the names wrong) and civs were placed in those categories and shared all of their building designs with each other with the exception of castles and wonders.