I think that HD textures would require too much compromise between graphic and performance. And It would need big efforts by Relic. So, i don’t think so bu i will happy yo to be wrong, in this case.
Essence Engine is not the tight Engine for AOE, imho. It has been developer for different type of RTS
The units will remain dropping their torches in a 90° angle, will continue to look plastic, the buildings will continue to look smaller than they should and…well, ya’ll already know the rest
So much potential and so little polygons
Unfortunately, video game developers have to actually develop this, instead of relying on magically Photos hopping a static image.
Personally, I think the improved water in Sultan’s was a massive step up. I don’t think it needs redoing again, or copy-pasting from a game with a different visual style (also ignoring how these things aren’t copy-pastable).
but the reflections are missing. on the rivers there are reflection (weak ones, but they are there). so in my opinion, the engine can do this very well
I think is for Esports/Performance setting
You know thats why DOTA or LOL do not have the most impresive graphics out there but they are pretty readable, fast, reliable and optimized for the largest amount of players
Just for fun, could you try to the same with units?
that i’d like to see how it handles, even tho it cannot adjust animations
While on the subject of graphics and visual fidelity, I would like to point out a discrepancy with Elzbach Palace. There is a balcony with no notable way to access it.
I don’t have the exact human-to-building proportions in front of me, but I’m guessing it’s similar to this. In which case, the best way to access it is for units to just easily climb over the wall onto the balcony 
Maybe they could just add water to it and make it some kind of random pond or flower garden. Not sure that would make sense on a defensive structure though. I’m thinking just adding a door would be best, or maybe stairs from inside and remove the inner walled portion.
i tried, but it wasnt that impressive. try yourself with gemini - it does a few pics at the without paying.
Water in AoE4 currently looks amazing. What doesn’t look amazing are rivers, which are still utilizing the same old style from before the visual rework to water. Your suggestion is obviously better, but it needs to actually be made in-engine with materials, textures and competence to be animated and work during real-time rendering in the game engine.
All this is to say, I obviously want them to update the rivers too, have had this opinion since the visual water rework itself. But, they deserve only praise for having done that initial rework at all and I can only hope rivers are in the pipeline somewhere too.
Yes, they must be waiting for the right moment to do it…
This made me curious so asked gpt how units would look like with more realistical environment and more details:
It looks really good…it resembles Ancestors Legacy, or if they switched from the Essence Engine to the Unreal Engine…is this what an AoE 4 remaster would look like?
It seems beatiful and realistic. Units are very good too.
Probably but a bit more brillante and colourful
I don’t get how making everything look less saturated and more brown (via the magic hallucination machine) is beautiful, but each to their own.
Because feeling dirtier, browner, and more worn feels more realistic… the fact that everything feels so clean and pristine feels strange in the context of the Middle Ages…
