So I saw the new Trailer and the Feature this Version of AoE Comes with, like 4k etc. Seeing some gameplay and the new effects, it would be really cool if they would have added physics for building destruction.
I guess most of you have seen the gif, if not, here it is:
Of course this is just rendered and not calculated in real time. But it would be nice to have something pre-rendered like this for the buildings in AoE DE. It would be a combination of classic nastalgia with some present good looking effects. The destruction doesnt even Need to be dynamic as well, it could be like it is in AoE1 already, 3 stages before destroyed (simulated through the size and amount of fire). Just that with each state the buildings collapses a Little bit. Of course it would be more work than just putting a fire Animation over the building, but that would be something where you say, "wow graphics wise they did more than “just” upscale the res to 4k and added some 3d models. Also if the buildings already exist in 3d, i guess with the right plugin for 3ds max or Maya, it could be pre-rendered pretty quickly.
Another Question/Suggestion:
Will the game still have the decay of corpses? And will it have blood effects for fallen Units? I think in AoE (I hope I dont confuse it with AoE2) some fallen enemies had a small blood puddle for a short time (until it decayed).
I don’t know anything about developing a game, but I feel like it would be hard to make the physics since it would look bad for specific units attacking it. If they made it like in the gif then what would they do for when trebuchets and ground units attacked at the same time, or what about with just ground units. Wouldn’t they have to make animations for individual units? 3 stages is probably what they’re going to do, but like I said I have no idea how this works I’m just guesssing.
Making physics isn’t that complex. Making GOOD physics is a bit harder. Also, if they are sticking to the originality of the game, it just wouldn’t make sense. For example:
-Swordsmen attack a stone building and it starts collapsing
-Archers attack a building with regular arrows and it starts getting demolished
It just wouldn’t look and feel good.
P.S.: I really liked how you could light the buildings on fire with a sword. 
P.S 2.0.:They could make different kind of physics associated with the different units attacking it, but they would have to change a lot in order to do that.(and this is just a remake, so let’s not go to far with this one).
This may be a good idea. As a kid, I imagined the soldiers tossing torches or fire pots into the buildings instead of the buildings just bursting into flames, but now the imagination is less effective 
Would be nice to have some stages in damage. Slightly damaged (a broken pillar and a misplaced shingle), half health (like the previous but more), severely (on fire), and destroyed ( a pile of rubble).
Also, regarding physics, the old aoe2 movement of units felt a bit clumsy. Ever had your units stuck on a chokepoint only to get picked off by onagers or scorpions? Viewing the trailer it seems somewhat improved but still a bit awkward. Of course we will have to get hands on the game to be sure but I’d still like a much cleaner version.
Dont think too complicated guys. Also we had similar destruction in AoE3. But in this case we pre-render the stages of destruction and could be added as Animation to the game.
For example:
- a building has 100 life, everything is fine.
- Building is down to 75% Health, some minor damage, Little bit of smoke coming out of the window
- Building is down to 50% Health, a wall has collapsed, small fires, smoke etc
- Building is down to 25% Health, Roof broke down, walls are critical damaged, medium - large fires
Animation of “breaking” will be played at every beginning of a stage.
For None developer exerpienced People. One way it could be done is Setting a Scene up with a builind and through help of a plugin real time physics is simulated within that 3d program, you then just Need to capture every Frame and make an Animation from it. = Pre-rendered Destruction. Needs a powerful pc for developers but for Players, it will just Play an Animation, no effort there. And since we dont run around with a 1GHz Single Core cpu such animations shouldnt have an Impact at all.
So to summerize it, I would love to have pre-calculated Destruction for Buildings, that would look really nice and doesnt “destroy” the classic of the game.
Too much work , too much work to paid, they will say , not.
Two things: They are redoing the game reusing the old engine, so I do not know if it would be possible to add physics in the game because of this, and from what I have read so far about the game no 3D elements have been added in , they are still 2d units Only with a new level of technique and detailing.
@fokrian said:
Making physics isn’t that complex. Making GOOD physics is a bit harder. Also, if they are sticking to the originality of the game, it just wouldn’t make sense. For example:
-Swordsmen attack a stone building and it starts collapsing
-Archers attack a building with regular arrows and it starts getting demolished
It just wouldn’t look and feel good.
P.S.: I really liked how you could light the buildings on fire with a sword.
Yeah cause attacking a building with a sword makes it go on fire makes sense. Its just a game, its not trying to be realistic. If it were, it would be something close to Stronghold Crusader.
Still, Ppl call battlefield “realistic”, but tbh it isnt and realism in games is not fun.
Make buildings get destroyed in a more fashion way.
@“Noble Yonas” said:
This may be a good idea. As a kid, I imagined the soldiers tossing torches or fire pots into the buildings instead of the buildings just bursting into flames, but now the imagination is less effective Would be nice to have some stages in damage. Slightly damaged (a broken pillar and a misplaced shingle), half health (like the previous but more), severely (on fire), and destroyed ( a pile of rubble).
Not sure if you are referring to the way units destroyed buildings in Age 3 but I like the idea.
@“Memes B Dreams” said:
@“Noble Yonas” said:
This may be a good idea. As a kid, I imagined the soldiers tossing torches or fire pots into the buildings instead of the buildings just bursting into flames, but now the imagination is less effective Would be nice to have some stages in damage. Slightly damaged (a broken pillar and a misplaced shingle), half health (like the previous but more), severely (on fire), and destroyed ( a pile of rubble).
Not sure if you are referring to the way units destroyed buildings in Age 3 but I like the idea.
That’s one thing to consider, but I just meant that in my mind I imagined the buildings were ransacked rather than repeatedly struck by a sword (which very obviously would be ineffective). If it meant adding new animations for attacking buildings I wouldn’t mind, but they wouldn’t do that. So I believe that there should be stages of destruction in buildings.
The gamevdontbtry represent any realism. All is subjective and abstract.
I have always considered the attack animations an abstraction. All it shows is that the unit is attacking the building. Not necessarily by hitting it with a sword, but by something like setting it on fire or by digging under the foundations.
But I would like to have the buildings get destroyed a bit more realistically. There’s no need for physics like in AoE3. Just having slightly different sprites for damaged buildings would be fine.
@qweytr24 said:
I have always considered the attack animations an abstraction. All it shows is that the unit is attacking the building. Not necessarily by hitting it with a sword, but by something like setting it on fire or by digging under the foundations.
But I would like to have the buildings get destroyed a bit more realistically. There’s no need for physics like in AoE3. Just having slightly different sprites for damaged buildings would be fine.
As in the AOE3 units throw torches on buildings to apply damage
well just played a mp match yesterday and nice to see the physic destruction Animation on buildings. Makes it satisfying to tear buildings down now
Also nice to see the comeback for blood puddles 
I guess skeletons on corpses after a while wont come back like in the original?