I think civs should be able to plant a few rudimentary traps per game in the Dark Age that the enemy would have a tough time seeing unless they’re quite observant. Or, possibly (probably), completely invisible to the enemy (a case could be made here).
Boulder-related traps, Burmese tiger pits, and the like. I don’t know names of any traps from ancient or medieval times; or what variations there were per civ. Maybe there weren’t many? If not, devs could make some up that fit the times
Defensively, you’re spending time building them with a villager(s) – taking time away from your econ - but with the hope that an enemy scout or other units will stumble into one of them.
It’s a unique way to be slightly defensive early on, without being guaranteed anything. The enemy may never stumble upon them. If that happened, time and resources wasted. That’s the risk, but it could also help prevent laming or early attack damage if successful.
It’s a big game, with big map… so, strategically placing the traps would be good, and/or devs could make each trap be a decent size (like 4 grid units x 1 grid unit, or 3 x 3, or something). Or, maybe more than 3 traps should be constructable.
Enemy could very well lose five units at once in a tiger pit, for example – if the units are tightly marching.
The traps would last the entire game if never tripped or never deleted.
I’d prefer every civ be able to make traps, rather than just a few or 50% of them.
In my opinion, it’d add an interesting, likely enjoyable, gameplay element.
Maybe in later ages, you can plant a few more traps (different kinds or sizes)… and/or you can upgrade earlier traps to be bigger.
If you build a trap, I feel your own units should walk freely over them. I don’t have any ‘real world’ justification for why this should happen, but it just makes gameplay sense to me. Otherwise, would be lame for an enemy to just watch your units walk around a 3x3 piece of land for not reason – thus identifying a trap location.
Thoughts? Variations on/fine-tuning of idea? Maybe just one or two traps max allowed? Make them slightly visible, if so, how visible? Etc. Is it workable?
So… any player will lose a few units on their first successful agressive push of the game, but they don’t know exactlly when. Let’s call it a scout rush tax. Incentivises defensive play, with possibly some men at arms to annoy a bit and then trip the darned thing.
Doesn’t sound like my kind of thing, especially not the way you describe it, where one trap can take five units and you get multiple traps. That basically keeps you safe until late castle age unless they are semi-randomly tripped by units made (read: resources thrown away) for that express purpose. I like the whole “an attack starting from just three units can be a game changer”-thing.
Edit: I could potentially see something like this work as a bonus for one civ balanced around the concept, but not as a general multiplayer feature.
So you want to introduce stronghold crusader mechanics in the game like Wolvs cages, sharp woods sticks and burning oil traps but in my opinion no, and of course no, why?
Man, people still here talking about nerfing walls more in dark and feudal age and make Arabia more open even after the last nerfs for walls, and now you want to indroduce more mechanics to make rushing harder and game longer?! So this is one thing; second thing, in early feudal or even dark age you still need many resources to spend about many important things like units, buildings and upgrades, so spending resources on ambush will not be that worthy especially you will not even know that if the enemy will got traped in that trap i mean what is the chances?!
In general i even hate what the devs did with the 2 new civs with their new mechanics and weird UTs and weird UUs, so i am with that group of people who say “no” to introduce more stuff or more new mechanics or even more new civs in the game; the game now have a large contents and more than enough in my opinion, so lets just focus on fixing pathings, bugs, balance and crashing.
But as @Mahazona said, i don’t mind to make these mechanics be in campaigns and scenario editor
It would be hilarious if a trap could be built that looks like an open wall segment. The caster yells “Oh no! He has a hole between those two buildings!” Bam – it kills the first invader and splash damages units within one tile.
Already exists, just make a trigger to damage/kill units as you see fit.
As the idea itself, I can’t say anything else than no. If I manage to break out a wall despite all the repair/house wall I don’t want to die randomly lol.
And it’s not like you can, you know, make units to defend
why do some people want to make this game to look more and more like a moba? What’s next suggestion, every game you start with a Hero in the Dark Age which can gain xp and throw ult attacks in Imperial Age?
I’m just kidding btw, don’t take it as if I was upset, because honestly this is getting pretty funny
No idea what moba is. Funny, as I wonder why everyone wants to make the game more and more like Call of Duty. What’s next, arm villagers and scout at beginning of game with grenades and machine guns for constant battle action?
Sure. Sounds good. except for balance. That ranks near rock bottom on the priority list for those who can’t play at all. We should have absolutely no more civ buffs or nerf discussions or changes, map changes, lobby or matchmaking changes/QoL improvements, main menu UI gripes or improvements, challenge events or related perks and artwork, or in-game UI or hotkey improvements. No more anything until the game is fixed for 100% of players 100% of the time for, say, a good solid month or two. Only then should we feel able and free to talk about the other stuff. In fact, let’s shut down all threads until that time comes. We need to stay singularly focused on just the bugs, crashes, and sync issues people are experiencing; and the devs too. Sound good? Lol I’m game. (not really)
I hope so! The game takes too long and it isn’t any fun until all the battle action starts!! Need some mech archers on wheels, loot crates, ability to call in Greek fire air strikes, and mega-trebs in Dark Age that can hurl 10 ton stones across the map!
Like seriously, you have most of the dark age to be in peace. No need to be an adrenaline addict or whatever to find house wall spam boring, or feeling that some peasant with a hammer being able to outrepair several soldiers is just dumb. If on top of that when you try to find another target after stopping wasting your time on a wall your army randomly starts to die there is just no use trying lol.
Yep, I know you weren’t serious. Nor have I been the past couple posts.
Villagers repairing so quickly vs. an onslaught can be somewhat believable when you consider they can build barracks and castles in a matter of seconds rather than years. I don’t think AoE was ever meant to represent one-to-one reality with the real world, so it’s okay.
I’m okay with knowing one villager can build a castle rather than having to see thousands of them building it. One villager in the context of AoE doesn’t really mean one villager in real world mechanics of things, per se. I’m okay with AoE being a fun game, and not a reality sim.
ancestors legacy has traps (RTS hybrid of total war and generic RTS)
anyway i think the idea could work in aoe except they would do minor damage to the first unit to step on them (friendly units avoid them) or they slow the enemy units (2 different types of traps)
so 1 is better vs scouts, the other better vs m@a or something
The ideas on this seems to get even more worse… Traps will decrease the pace of the game. It will promote defensive play even more. Why? Defensive play is already very strong. FC is already a solide strat on most maps. Feudal wars arent really a think anymore. Traps will favor FC strats even more.
The trap idea was born from someone suggesting devs ban laming. In the context of it being an anti-laming device without outright banning or abolishing laming, it’s reasonable, isn’t it?
I’m not looking for it to change the tides of war 100% of the time, or to be a massively OP defensive strat. I’m looking for a small percent of success so laming can continue, but with a bit more risk added for doing it. And also adding a bit of fun and hope for those who get lamed all the time and hate it.
I wouldn’t say defensive play is already very strong. And traps, if well implemented, wouldn’t do more than give laming recipients some hope.
How about traps just exist in Dark Age, then, and then they go away entirely (are removed from the map) after that? That way, lamees (the receivers of lamings) have a chance of not having their econ ruined by a lamer (the giver of lamings).
Nice idea.
I wish it can be a part of aoe2 but if it happens to be too game-changing and devs don’t want to rebalance every civ, then it can be considered for our AoE4. Did you post in the forum there already?
(not really)