I’d take that bet. I’ve seen people change their minds on this very forum.
You don’t seem that familiar with the game. Naval mechanics are not water rendering. They’re two separate things.
But yes, they could’ve simply not done these things. The game was reviewed well enough on release, and sold well enough. It could’ve just been left at that, forever.
Games frequently update or redo things post-launch these days. If you want to believe that makes the game an alpha or beta release, that’s your opinion. I don’t agree, because that’d mean most games in existence from about 2010 onwards released in an alpha or beta state.
These tangents keep on being super weird. If you don’t like the game, don’t like the game. If you don’t want to play it, don’t play it.
But you seem to be complaining that the game is . . . being made better?
Surely, if the game was ever bad, it getting better is good? I don’t really get it.
Don’t you also want the graphics to keep improving? I do!
you dont seem very good at reading. nobody talked about mechanics.
see comment on reading above.
i’m super happy for you that your favorite game keeps being somewhat improved. there are also lotus flowers now in the rivers. Since you didn’t read properly, I’ll just repeat what I said. No overhaul is ever going to happen on the graphics that will make people stop complaining about them on this thread 5 years later. If they haven’t yet grown on you, they never will. I also have an issue with apologetic incorrect statements, e.g see comments on supposed drastic overhauls above that we should be happy about when it was more like a fix.
I love this franchise a lot and if my comments come across as complaining to you, that is only because I wished we set the standards bar a bit higher than that. Smiling at everything and being apologists of Microsoft and its subsidiaries isn’t beneficial for the future of the series.
Urbanized quit the game a long time ago, Gorb. He only comes here to flamming. He’s not even arguing; he’s just trying to boycott the game under the idea that if he quit because of the graphics, “we all should”, something I find extremely arrogant. He doesn’t seem to be aware of the graphic changes that have happened in the game between seasons, or he simply doesn’t care, so, there’s no point in discussing those changes with him.
Anyway, the topic was created to discuss further graphical improvements, which we have already seen implemented in many cases, so let’s continue as it was.
Graphically speaking, I’d say Age of Empires IV has made good improvements, and if it continues to do so, it will be good for the community in general.
I know many would like something more impactful and visible. I would love that.
But it’s not going to happen.
The only thing I’m waiting for is color saturation control, something that already exists in Age of Empires 2 and could easily be done for Age of Empires 4.
But my biggest problem with Age of Empires 4, I’ll talk about now!
It’s the bugs that cause the infamous: crashes or death screens or anything like that.
I stopped playing a few days ago because I tried for the last two days and couldn’t.
The game closes out of nowhere, like a black screen! During two attempts, I lost practically one hour and couldn’t finish a single match with my family.
I must point out that two years ago, some of my friends stopped playing Age of Empires 4 because their games would crash or the screen would close during gameplay. This happened on their computers… Imagine playing for 30 or 40 minutes and then suddenly the game closes.
The weirdest thing is that it’s 2026, and this problem should have been completely resolved by now.
But the only game on my Steam account that crashes or shows a black screen is Age of Empires IV.
I don’t know what the problem is. I don’t know if the problem lies specifically with the private and custom match options.
I should report this at some point in the bugs section.
I realise English isn’t everyone’s first language and people straight up make typos, so it’s not a big deal. But that’s what caused the confusion.
Perhaps not. Should the game even try to appeal to that kind of gamer? Presumably they’re off elsewhere, being constructive and playing other games?
Let’s agree to disagree with what people think are reworks, and what people think are fixes. Some things can reasonably be described as both at the same time. It doesn’t make any of what I’ve said “incorrect”.
You’re allowed to not like something. You not liking it doesn’t make it not good. If you’re just here to moan about “standards”, you’re probably in the wrong thread. This thread is about improving the graphics.
I have a lot to say on the state of the industry, but it’s pretty off-topic. And you’d probably consider it too apologetic anyway
I quite like how a lot of the game looks. The very image you noted to look so “bland” I find to be great.
I have long argued for certain things to be altered and changed, but none of that was in an attempt to reconstruct the game from the ground up. In this thread in particular, you will find countless of my contributions that keep asking for additions, but never changes in style, only enhancements.
This is more appropriate for the likes of yourself, someone who does not play, nor care for AoE4, who still lingers on these boards. Tell me, how many hours do you have and how can you sit there and judge when you seemingly hate the very fundamental elements of this game? As much as I enjoy AoE3’s graphical fidelity, I hate its style in contrast to AoE4, of whom I wish had better graphical fidelity. This visual language you may not be familiar with, many aren’t, but graphics aren’t just about “good” or “not”, and can vary in many ways.
My aim has always been to pressure developers to put more elbow grease in presentation. I have, however, been quite satisfied with cultural portrayal, the 3D models, animations, stylization and performance. I would want them to focus more on environment, UI, effects and perhaps add another level to unit textures, but that is pretty much it.
You on the other hand, seem to be intent on a rehaul. I ask, what is the point of such an effort when you would clearly not play the game despite so? It has already located its target audience and your job now is to abandon these threads to live your life until such a game that does appeal you comes to being, rather than taunt those who do enjoy it for what it was made to be.
I’m not sure what you mean exactly. The level of detail?
Besides, what is the “AOE-3 style”? I only see that it aims to be a game with an organic and natural appearance. Very inspired by nature. I don’t see why wanting this in other games is the same as “being a hater.”
Yes, more wildlife wouldn’t hurt the game either…it makes it more immersive…they could even include a ton of wildlife not found in Europe in an Aztec DLC, like the kind they’re adding now in TLC for 2DE…
I don’t know who you’re quoting but, certainly not me. What the AoE3 style refers to is an attempt at realistic textures, proportions and overall visual presentation, at least moreso than AoE4 which aims to stylize those elements instead with more of a table top appearance than real life structures. Fidelity is about how well you are capable in executing said styles, think of it like two paths with different lengths traveled.
I find AoE4’s style to be justified in its charming, fun and robust appearance. However, I feel it has been lacking in execution, so while I prefer AoE4’s style over the more realistic attempt in AoE3, I can appreciate the great lengths the AoE3 went to in enhancing said style.
Anyhow. The game will never be magically mimicking AoE3’s realistic approach, because it would mean remaking the whole game. It isn’t a matter of lighting, of just textures either. It is the whole 3D pipeline that has aimed to maintain this stylized framework. As for “haters”, it begs the question. Why torment yourself or others over something that cannot nor will ever be changed? Especially when those that lingers with said product’s community very much likes said style?
At that point you’re complaining about someone else’s breakfast. Either way, AoE3 still exists, and so does AoM and AoE2. Complaints about AoE4’s stylized choices seems beyond unnecessary at this rate and you’re better off saving your energy on things you do like instead.
Be humble. Remember, if you had your way, I would lose mine. I would lose interest in playing and perhaps you wouldn’t even start. So it isn’t a matter of “improving” anything at any rate, its a matter of subjective taste which has firmly been settled.
Seems to be your argument against everything. For someone who complains about reading comprehension, you sure like to avoid answering any of the questions I posed to you. So I take it you have less than 100 hours?
The game released 5 years ago. It isn’t gatekeepery to tell you that what you are doing is simply destructive and that taunting those that have stuck with the game thus far is not helping anyone. The game has settled in its stylized appearance and you are free to enjoy many of the other games in the Age of Empires franchise that have gone in a different direction.
Like I’ve pointed out to @OperaticShip743, if the likes of him or you got your way, they would lose someone like me. Perhaps you think yourself the protagonist of mass market appeal, but ultimately, this is why it is good that we have variety and are able to choose what we engage with and what we don’t. Lamenting that AoE4 didn’t turn out in your specific desired way when it has a thriving community is odd when you could be contributing to the aesthetic you do desire to engage with.
Either way, it seems these points are lost on you. Hope AoE5 is more to your liking. Good luck.
It’s great to remember various characteristics of each game in the series.
Thank you for finding this video.
I will make an observation:
It’s a shame that in the video she showed and thus mixed some scenes from Age of Empires IV, before its release, and other scenes after the game’s release. Those of us who have followed it from the beginning know that the game underwent visual changes, and it’s possible to see differences between the images before and after the release; we even had a colleague here in this thread who mentioned this difference.
Another important detail, regarding the topic of colors in the Age of Empires series:
All Age of Empires games are colorful, just like the vast majority of RTS games.
However, each game has its own color palette and each has its own artistic identity, varying in the intensity of the lighting, contrast, and color saturation.
Just because the game is colorful doesn’t mean they all use the exact same “calibration.” Obviously, they are all different in their own way, and that’s great.
I’m imagining what the evolution of the series will be like for the next games, such as Age of Empires V, VI, VII, and Age of Mythology 2, and so on.
Haha. She is trying so hard to gaslight the viewer into liking something (that most clearly disliked and this thread is a living proof), by spending 30 minutes explaining “why it makes sense”. Words like bold, beautiful, confident, balanced, creative, readable, smart, intentional, are the main arguments here and being repeated.
Is she a sponsored influencer by the way? I have no idea but most likely.
If anyone is trying to brainwash themselves into liking the graphics, you should watch this video, and preferably put it on a loop before sleep.
And then again, buzzwords of clarity and readability keep coming up again and again, which apparently were only invented by AoEIV but never been issue before.
You can spend 30mins, write en essay or write your dissertation on why you think something sucks. It still sucks. Funny vid, thanks for sharing.
Interesting to see how some of the original concept art from pre-production was utilized in the latest DLC, as seen top right of the first image (click it), which is meant to be Golden Horde’s Landmark, as well as the new sacred site ruins in some biomes as seen in the second image.
Having said that, let’s use even more of the work done in pre-production to enhance AoE4’s experience for its future updates. Here are some suggestions that are limited to ideas played with during these early stages. I’ll start with my greatest wish; revisiting the main menu for something infinitely more interesting.
We could also flip the Barbican to show the front to the player rather than the back. Also, adding tiled mortared walls surrounding Chinese TC as seen in the concept art, much like what the Japanese have now.
And here we have concept artwork as well as in-game models demonstrating them playing with flags attached to spearheads or lances, which is quite medieval and, frankly, has aura.
Then for some unfinished assets and, or, discovered assets in the editor. First we have the stone gate and tower for Byzantines which was only ever grayboxed and simply given the Ottoman’s version. Then we have Rus wooden walls which likely were meant to be their Stone walls.
I also found out recently through Shih-Kai Chang’s progress updates that AoE4’s production indeed has access to higher quality textures for units, they just chose to not include any options for players and thus, we are limited to extremely blurry units regardless of PC specs.
Oh, and here is a bonus, the fully HD textured model of dumbo. Below it you will see an alternative model that they may have access to, and could be repurposed (main body) to make some elephants more distinct from others (maybe healer elephant or springald?)
Not to be a downer, but those models also look to have significantly more polys than the ingame versions as well.
It might be that that they could create graphical settings for textures and models, higher than normally exist, and use those there, but there’d have to be comparable assets for every unit in the game for that to be viable.
This graphic is really really good. It’s what i was waiting for when i often talked about a graphic DLC or a big graphic update. So, Relic developed High detailed models but they choosed to implemented them on low textures into the game and to me It’s not acceptable. There are many graphic settings: let players free to take their decisions.
