Then why should that mod be single player only or SP+MP as the OP asked?
He was stating that the developers will no longer add new civs in the future before suggesting a civilization builder mod. Can the devs confirm such statement of OP?
Yeah, what’s the point even? You can actually make civilizations from scratch. It’s offering much more flexible civilization builder compared to Empire Earth.
Did you meant the one who wrote the post?
You asked how to add civs in userpatch, I answered. That’s the point.
Yes I mean the original post.
If he meant simple modding to add new civs then he doesn’t need to specify SP or SP+MP. All data mods made using AGE tool can be played both online and offline as long as both players are using the mod. He certainly meant a simplified official tool (in game) that helps in making custom civilizations.
I don’t know about Empire Earth, but probably that is what he meant…
A simplified tool that allows combining a architecture set, create custom tech tree and reuse some of the UUs and UTs will be sufficient for an Official Civilization Builder in my opinion.
Currently the process making such a mod using AGE is very complex.
Long story short game devs might add Userpatch like civilization builder/adder/remover or whatever you say in future. If that’s something done then you actually be able to play those civs you want as mod and consider yourself lucky.
They have already added the feature of adding new civs to the game. It just has a bug that doesn’t allow it to appear in UI properly. It will be fixed in future patches.
Follow this thread for more information:
As far as I know those codes are still hardcoded and they’ll work on it. This is something definitely not currently done yet.
Also we need a custom AI that builds all units in general and not follow a build order/personality, otherwise single player functionality of any new civ mod will be questionable:
In order to clarify the original post.
Currently, in order to create a new civ you require a third party software. Additionally, we cannot add new mod civs to AOE2:DE, unless we create a unique tech in the Dark age that changes an existing civ to the new one (see Tamil civ mod).
This custom civilization builder would allow players to easily create and add new civs using an in-game feature similar to that of Empire Earth. Moreover, this system would create a shareable file to upload as a mod on the ageofempires.com website for single player or multiplayer use.
Yes, the developers confirmed that their future plans for AOE2:DE do not include adding new civs. Cysion said “no new civs” in an interview during the AOE2:DE release promotion. Topic on reddit here:
The main argument against new civs is that pro players said that new civs do not vary significantly so as to offer new gameplay. Personally, I believe that new gameplay mechanics can be added. For example, some civs could turn into nomadic civs with packable buildings and an animal herding economy rather than a farm based economy. This of course will require the appropriate balance giving advantages and disadvantages over a farm based economy and static buildings.
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BlockquoteAOE2:DE but are highly requested by fans including: Chola/Vijayanagara Empire (Dravidians), Tibetan Empire, Kanem Empire, Jurchen Empire, Ghurid Empire, Thai Kingdom, Moldava/Transylvania kingdoms (Romanians), Georgian kingdom, Burgundian Kingdom, Bantu (Zimbabwe + Kongo) etc.
I dont want to sound all negetive here but pretty much all the civis here can be represented by current civs.But there are areas of the world they can touch base on but rather they made a whole expansion on horse people.
Empire Earth doesn’t really offer a good civilization builder. Because sometimes civilization with tons of bonus still makes them bad civ by design(Take Saracens for example) and sometimes one single bonus will make them overpowered.
On top of that there is UU. Where can you manage them? Each civ uses slightly different UI. It’s actually better to seek for third party tools rather than providing something like official.
DE currently offers no ability to add new civs but with Userpatch you can add civs like said. From programmers and designers’ standpoint it’s better to use third party tools like Advanced Genie Editor, SLX Studio.
You know, to me this would actually be pretty cool. There’s such a massive amount of unique units, bonuses and team bonuses now that just by ticking a few boxes you could build something very close to your ideal civ. You could make some overpowered stuff by piling on bonuses and technologies for the same things (say faster cavalry, stronger cavalry, cheaper cavalry, more HP cavalry, bloodlines and full blacksmith), so no ranked multiplayer games, but it would be cool to mess around with.
A problem might be that the game was not build with this in mind, getting it to handle these custom civs in a nice and flexible manner might be quite a bit development work that’s better spent elsewhere, at least for now.
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Not from my standpoint. Don’t try to generalize all modders.
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Empire Earth’s custom civilization builder was not good I agree, but the one for AOE2:DE does not need to be the same. It will be improved on all aspects such as how civ bonuses are set, which techs a civ will not get etc.
Regarding UU and UI, a modder would be able to import models into the game for the custom civ if he wishes so. Other options would be being able to change the appearance of units and buildings within the framework of this custom civ builder. The easiest thing to do would be to use an existing model of a unit and an existing building set. For example, an Iroquois civ could be created and the user could use the Iroquois warrior as a UU.
I am not really interested about the Userpatch or third party tools in regards to AOE2:DE. The point is to make both obsolete by improving AOE2:DE.
I’m not sure I’d even go that far. I think by the time you’re creating custom units and even architecture sets you’re in the domain of modding, which is cool, but not really what I’d aim a tool like this at. I’d probably keep it simpler, just recombining the units in the game.
For a North American civ as an example maybe either go Meso civ architecture or Eastern European architecture with their heavy use of wood, and Meso civ monks. let them build stables with the scout line and/or those new pseudo-knights but give them eagles as well. Some form of cavalry archer would be nice, generic from the stable works, or you could use the unique unit slot for this. Depending on the exact civ conquistadors might be weirdly appropriate for late game. Or you could throw in something like jaguars, throwing axemen or woad raiders for a bit more of a “fierce tribal warrior” feel. Throw in the Mongol hunt bonus if you’re going for a “plains tribe” feel, maybe scout line of sight as well (but start with an eagle, because things don’t have to make sense), or do something like Berber villager speed or a farm bonus if that suits the civ in question better. From there… Maybe a nice infantry bonus? Infantry speed maybe? Something for archers? Have them miss at least one final armor upgrade but get all the attack ones? I don’t know enough about North America…
It’s not as good as something designed from the ground up with new mechanics, but that’s not going to happen with an ingame tool anyway.
I bet none of you tried to mod the game before or have any idea how data structure of the game really works. Didn’t even played old AOC version of the game. Try to mod the old game version yourself then you’ll realize how units, technologies, etc. really works. For example, you’ll want X bonus working on Y unit. Can you do that easily with Empire Earth civilization builder? Those civ crafting you saw around the forums really won’t be any useful because of the genie engine limitations.
Besides, some of the community civ crafters makes their dream civs true to some extend via community mods. You still can play them. In Userpatch completely making new civs is possible. HD/DE forces you to replace the civs still.
Even so if you want Empire Earth like civilization builder then you better wait for openage when it comes out. It’ll offer much more freedom than any versions of the game out there. It might offer that user-friendly interface you want.
Then you have lost the bet. What’s next?
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I agree. Have done a little modding earlier, and something like this would be very welcome.
I have a suggestion of how to balance it, but I think I’ll make a post for that specifically.