Suggestion/request: forest terrains for new tree types

Age of Empires II: DE II - Discussion
1

Firstly, thanks to the devs (and especially graphics artists) for the new tree types added with the recent patch – I really appreciate them!

However, only one of these (lush bamboo) has an associated forest terrain – so I’m suggesting/requesting forest terrains for the other five:

  • Asian Maple, Autumn
  • Asian Maple, Green
  • Asian Pine
  • Peach Blossom
  • Willow

Currently to include these in a forest in a random map script, I need to use the GAIA_UPGRADE_UNIT effect – which firstly feels like an awkward hack, secondly reduces the range of tree types usable in a single script, and thirdly can have odd effects when testing scripts in the scenario editor. Having dedicated terrains for these forest types would make using them in random map scripts much more straightforward. (I’m sure it would help scenario designers too.)

There are also several older tree types that don’t have dedicated forest terrains (they only appear in a mixture) or don’t have a forest terrain at all:

  • Dead Tree
  • Cypress
  • Italian Pine
  • Olive
  • Bush A
  • Bush B
  • Bush C
  • Scenario trees A–L

Similarly, I’d like to see a separate terrain for forests of each of these.

6 Likes
2

I’ll add I’ve noticed some slightly weird things about these new trees. Older tree types always have three graphics per tree model, shot from different angles, to give the impression of more variation. The maples seem to have been designed this way, but the others don’t. Willow has only three variations, but it’s not the same model from three different angles. Asian pine has four variations and peach has five, although I think the peach trees are one model from three angles and another from two angles.

Also the style of the Asian pine graphics doesn’t fit well with other trees. There’s not much shading or contrast in them, especially in the foliage, so they looks out of place next to, say, regular pines. Not sure if this is deliberate.

2 Likes