Return of Rome Should Be AoE1's Future, Not Its Competition

Age of Empires: DE I - Discussion
1

I don’t think Return of Rome (RoR) should be seen as a competitor to Age of Empires I: Definitive Edition.

Instead, it could become the platform that allows AoE1 to continue evolving.

The key point is that preservation and future development are two different goals.

The real problem with AoE1 DE is the engine, not the content

AoE1 still has a unique identity:

  • From the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
  • The rise of ancient civilizations.
  • A completely different atmosphere from AoE2.

The content itself has not become obsolete.
The biggest limitation is the technology behind it.
Many players don’t need every technical limitation inherited from the original AoE1 engine to be preserved forever.

What players truly care about is:

  • Is the game still enjoyable?
  • Can new content continue to be added?
  • Does the game have a future?

If some old engine behaviors can’t be perfectly reproduced on a modern engine, most players would likely accept that.

The focus should be preserving the spirit of AoE1, not preserving every limitation of its original technology.

AoE1 Already Has Multiple Layers of Preservation

AoE1 DE has already shown that different historical versions can coexist.
It includes a more nostalgic experience that preserves the feeling of the original game.
This proves that preservation does not require every version to serve the same purpose.
A possible future structure could have four layers.

1. Original Rise of Rome Preservation Mode

This is the true historical archive.

Its purpose is to preserve:

  • The original rules.
  • The original balance.
  • The original feeling of playing AoE1.

It exists for nostalgia, research, and historical value.

2. AoE1 DE Classic Mode

This preserves the Definitive Edition experience.
It represents AoE1 as a remastered classic version, including the improvements made during the DE era.

This is another historical snapshot.

3. AoE1 DE Remastered Mode (Powered by the RoR Engine)

This should become the recommended way to experience AoE1.

It would use the modern AoE2 DE / Return of Rome engine while remaining faithful to AoE1’s identity.

The purpose is not to replace AoE1,
the purpose is to remove unnecessary technical restrictions.

Most importantly, this is where developers could finally complete the AoE1 campaign experience.

Many civilizations and historical events from the Ancient Age never received the level of campaign content that modern players expect.
Some original campaigns were also limited by the technology available at the time.

With a modern engine, developers could:

  • Recreate classic campaigns with modern presentation.
  • Add missing historical campaigns.
  • Expand existing stories.
  • Create a complete Ancient Age campaign collection.

I believe this is something many long-time AoE players would truly appreciate.
Many fans would rather see the history of AoE1 fully completed than simply receive more civilizations.

4. RoR Modern Mode: The Future of the Ancient Age

After preserving and completing the classic AoE1 experience, RoR can become the long-term platform for Ancient Age development.

This is where future content can happen:

  • New civilizations.
  • New historical campaigns.
  • New gameplay systems.
  • Continued expansion of the Ancient Age.

Civilizations such as Lạc Việt could naturally become part of this future.
RoR would no longer be just a way to replay AoE1.
It would become a living Ancient Age ecosystem.

Return of Rome Is Not Blocking AoE1. It Is Helping AoE1.

The original AoE1 DE engine can remain as a preserved classic.
The RoR engine can become the place where Ancient Age content continues to grow.
These goals don’t conflict.

One preserves history, the other builds the future.

A classic game should not be forced to choose between preservation and evolution,
the original versions can remain as museum pieces.

The modern engine can allow the civilizations, campaigns, and ideas of AoE1 to continue living.

Return of Rome shouldn’t replace AoE1.

It should become the bridge that allows AoE1 to move beyond the technical limitations inherited from its original engine, while keeping its history alive for future generations.

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2

For the love of God, USE YOUR OWN WORDS

You post long AI posts almost every day. It’s completely unnecessary. Longer ≠ better.

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3

I understand your concern.

Most of my original writing is in Traditional Chinese, and my posts here need to be translated into English, so the style may sometimes feel more formal than normal forum discussions.

I’ve been playing AoE1 since its original release, so this series has always had a special place for me.

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4

Just write in your native language,we will understand the idea behind it rather than this AI text wall.

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I used English to avoid misunderstandings caused by translation.
I actually tested the forum translation, but I couldn’t see the translated version from my side.

The core idea is simple: AoE1 DE can preserve the classic experience, while RoR can become the platform for future development. They aren’t meant to compete with each other.

In Chinese:
我用英文只是想避免翻譯造成誤會。
我其實有測試過論壇的翻譯功能，但我這邊看不到其他人看到的翻譯版本。

簡單來說，AoE1 DE 負責保留經典體驗，RoR 則可以作為未來發展的平台。
兩者其實不是競爭關係，而是可以互相補足。

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He’s saying to keep developing AoE1 inside Return of Rome

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7

Its a nice idea and wont cost the developement team much but is there an enough fan base for it?

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I think there is still potential. There are already creators making AoE1-related content, which shows that interest in the Ancient Age remains.

At least, I am one of them. The Ancient Age has always had a unique appeal, from Rise of Rome to Return of Rome. RoR could provide a platform for these ideas instead of leaving them as separate projects.

9

All the AI slop to say that, it was easy.

AOE1/RoR wont receive any more official updates, only modding can give any more meaningful future.

10

I think “RoR won’t receive any more official updates” is too absolute.

RoR may not receive standalone content updates at the same pace as AoE2 DE, but it’s still maintained as part of the AoE2 DE ecosystem. For example, according to aoe2techtree.net, which extracts data from the game files, the RoR tech tree data is based on Update 162286 (Dec 2, 2025), and RoR-related data files have continued to change. The empires2_x2_p1 data file shows changes as recently as Feb 19, 2026.

I agree that modding is essential for RoR’s long-term future, but it needs official maintenance as a foundation.

11

Yeah, QoL and patches will happen because is under AoE2 DE engine, but I should have said no more campaigns, DLC and probably no more balance changes.

A pitty that they didnt port all Aoe1DE campaigns, and the ones that they did, didnt brought the changes of 1DE and went OG instead

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12

I agree. I also think porting the remaining AoE1 DE campaigns would have been a better choice. Those campaigns were already there, and bringing them into RoR would have been a great way to keep AoE1 going.

A stable foundation is important for the community.

From Rise of Rome to Return of Rome, the veteran players have always been there. Keeping that connection alive is also part of AoE1’s future.

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RoR still has bugs which are yet to be fixed if I remember right.

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Yes, one simple exemple is The Shang and Hittite team bonus who are not working because their not placed in data file. That two civilizations are being played right now without team bonus.

I reported in march that oversight, but they simple responded telling the number id of the effects of the team Bonus. And the problem still persist.

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