I strongly disagree with limiting Chronicles civilizations to single-player or unranked modes.
Keeping new, unique civilizations out of the Ranked pool will only lead to a greater community split, echoing the division seen when the original Age of Empires expansion content was not fully integrated into Age of Empires II.
If new civilizations introduce mechanics that are genuinely difficult to balance alongside the current civilizations, the solution isn’t segregation. The solution is to properly rework and integrate them so they enrich the competitive meta, rather than forcing a portion of the player base to choose between playing the “core game” and playing the “new content.” All content should, ideally, contribute to the main competitive experience.
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The primary focus must be on gathering and deeply analyzing player feedback regarding the new civilizations’ performance (overpowered or underpowered) and design flaws. This analysis should drive an iterative overhaul to rebalance and rework their mechanics, making their design more concise, streamlined, and thematically appropriate for their historical niche.
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To address design issues effectively, developers should collaborate directly with content creators such as Spirit of the Law and High ELO players specializing in civilization analysis and strategy. This approach mirrors the successful AI overhaul that integrated community-developed tactics and advanced strategies, providing a proven model for translating elite competitive knowledge into fundamental game improvements.
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Additionally, I would prefer this model of community-driven design and deep integration be applied retrospectively to the Return of Rome DLC. My major frustration with that expansion was the segregation of the Age of Empires I units, preventing their use in the main Age of Empires II game, a feature countless community mods had successfully implemented for the Conquerors expansion era.
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This separation is often defended with the argument, “If you don’t like it, play mods,” but that response completely misses the point. Relying on mods does not fix a fundamental problem with the DLC’s design and integration philosophy. The core issue remains that official content unnecessarily excludes itself from the game’s primary competitive and creative ecosystem.
Are you referring to the population cap? your statement is a bit confusing.
If a civilization ceased to exist before 476, then it doesn’t belong in Age of Empires 2.
5 Likes
Bit too late for that now with 3k.
Solution is giving them its own ranked and not play alongside the aoe2 civis.
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That’s a hard no from me dawg.
7 Likes
If I were to keep Chronicles and Base game separate, these are the things I would do:
- Introducing Chronicles navy to base game. Seems like its already happening with tournament
- Instead of separate ladder, I would introduce unique way of matchmaking randomization. In general ppl either picks civ or go random. If picked civ, it’ll check what majority of players have chosen. Is it base game or chronicles. If Chronicles is majority then ranked would happen between Chronicles civset. Otherwise its base game. Priority will always given to player picking civs. If not then even in random, it’ll either go random picking civset for players depending on choice. This approach will save players from community split.
- Have crossover civs. Huns, Goths, 3K can be played between both civsets. These civs will use Chronicle era sprites. Thus making civs appropriate to time settings.
I dont like idea of totally separate ladder. It’ll end up creating dead ranked mode. Just use typical 1v1s and TG but following format of civset.
No. Chronicles civs are incredibly asymmetric, and they’re also anachronistic. There you go: gameplay and historical reasons for the devs not to do this.
7 Likes
There is a very easy solution:
Make 4 rank queues:
- All civilisations
- AoE2 only
- Chronicles only
- Legends (3 Kingdoms civs and future none historical ones)
If you select all civilisations you can be matched with everyone as long as you have the necessary DLC, but then you are limited to the civilisation set the other person choose.
For example if you own 3 Kingdoms and Chronicles but you only want to match with AoE2 and Chronicles people you can simply disable the 3 Kingdoms DLC to not get matched with them. You can still run into them when someone else selects all civilisations too and then plays a 3 Kingdoms civ, but you won’t be forced to play one yourself.
The Chronicles and Legends list will likely have a lot less players but as along as enough people select all civilisations they will find a match relatively quickly.
AoE2 only will likely have enough people to quickly find good matches too.
1 Like
Give them their own ranked ladder instead but this time with matchmaking, unlike Return of Rome.
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Considering how unpopular the Three Kingdom civs are in ranked already this is a even more terrible idea.
If you want more players to quit the game this is how you do it.
6 Likes
Making “separate scenarios” with separate factions unavailable in the normal setting has been done for decades in strategy games, with plenty of success.
The Chronicles civ completely break with the theme and setting of AoE2
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For me the main problem is that Chronicles civs don’t fit thematically into AoE2. They’re from about 500–400 BC – way too old compared to the other civs. By including them in the main civ pool, the devs would be buying into the outdated early modern misconception that the middle ages were technologically and culturally stagnant, with no advancement beyond that of classical antiquity. It already annoys me that the Chronicles civs have so many medieval technologies in their tech trees, but this would take things a step further.
Forum posts have to be at least 20 characters long or it won’t let you post them.
2 Likes
In its own ranked queue, yes. Chronicles civs are too old AND too different to play against the medieval civs.
This new ranked queue could replace Empire Wars queue…
I’m of the opinion that since they’re already here, we might as well add them to the pool. Like many others, I also misunderstood and thought that the Age of Empires I civilizations in Return of Rome would be fully integrated into ranked and standard gameplay.
Which was a let down if, I’ll be honest as i genuinely had fun destroying more advance civilizations with AOE1 units in the conquerors mod.
Sure, and I’m not of that opinion, mainly for the reason I already explained. If you want to convince me otherwise (and I assume you do, since you replied to me specifically), you’re going to need to address what I actually said. Simply saying they “might as well add them” is not going to change my mind.
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A good thing the Romans still had some holdings until 486 
Civs that are “borderline medieval”, namely the Romans and 3K, already caused enough noise. Civs from Classical Antiquity would be 10x worse. AOE2 is supposed to be a medieval game that starts with Late Antiquity.
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Agree. Please group 3K together with chronicle civs and create their own ranked games.
3 Likes
Chronicles is not some garbage pit to throw anything that doesn’t seem to fit.
3 Likes