Did devs say the UI looks like that because of the documentary-like setting? It doesn’t really remind me of documentaries either.
The UI doesn’t bother me, though. I actually like the minimalistic icons (icons in previous aoe games look really bad imo, although it is true that they’re much more functional).
The borders make it a little bland for sure. Borders in AoE2 are very nice. It’s awesome to have different borders for different civs.
If AoE4 had the civ-specific borders with minimalistic icons, coloured and stylised to match civ identity as well, it would be visually perfect for me.
I don’t remember them saying this, but maybe there’s an interview or something where they mentioned it?
Only thing I recall them saying is something like how campaigns will be presented in a truly unique way that hasn’t been done before in AoE (or maybe even any other game?).
They’ve been a bit cryptic in the interviews I’ve seen, but it does have me genuinely curious and excited to see what they did for presenting campaigns. And through the released game videos, I’ve seen some live-action composited onto the game, and/or vice versa… so this is where the documentary vibe, for me, kicks in; and I assume it was only for campaigns
Yeah, see here, at 8m 00s. Seems purely tied to “campaigns,” not the rest of the whole game… (if we take the words at face value)… and I highly doubt the documentary presentation style for campaigns is the reason they decided to use a contemporary UI for the entire game.
I have a hunch it was purely because it’s a simplistic two-colored modern ‘theme’ that can get used everywhere in the game (just like how every website does these days), and likely follows Microsoft’s latest internal branding/design UI standards docs for UIs made in 2021.
And here’s what I mean by compositing video w/ the game (see 3m 13s in same video). I figure they might do this as a transition from telling a historical story (cinematically, with live action video and/or actors), to, then, seamlessly transport us into the actual gameplay at some point after the story-telling. I assume these live action moments could/probably will happen even mid-match during campaigns… like to introduce newly explored locations on the map or finding new people. But did they really say the UI looks as it does due to the documentary-like vibe campaigns have at times?
It is evident in the choice of the ui and general symbols, and you see it well when they transfer from the campaign video into the game. Especially the latter one.
You see them basically “reconstructing” the medieval europe from nowadays ruins, using the golden outlines - and the golden Workers, then basically fading right into gameplay, where to golden theme continues, and, in my opinion, continues well.
We are playing a historical documentation about the empire WE build. Thats the whole idea behinf it, and thats what the UI displays (or tries to display) in my opinion.
This including how the devs said the historical documentation part are what leads to my conclusion.
I see the blending of live video with the game an effort to transport our minds more solidly to the medieval time period and get more immersed in the game and that era, rather than an effort to make us feel like we’re a modern day human playing a video game at our computer desk through a History channel-like window portal on Windows 10.
So, I’m okay with the history lessons and integrating them into the game for campaigns; I think that will probably be pretty cool. Or, I’m at least open to seeing what it’s like. However, there’s no need, and no utilitarian ‘speed-to-find’ or ‘speed-to-click’ benefit for making all icons gold, in my opinion. Making icons contemporary just to have a consistent color scheme, and for the sake of making them fit an iconography fad in the year 2021 doesn’t make sense to me, personally
I know why they chose golden icons for every icon… in that it fits a HUD color scheme and style they want to carry through the entire game, including the menus, no doubt… and that it matches the golden CG overlays.
However, the AoE4 UI is a bit like being presented with a bunch of gold shapes in the game “Perfection.” A little overwhelming to see many 2-D icons the same color and have to hunt for the one you want to click. For example, pretend the circle piece means “build”, the diamond piece means “military,” and the kite-shaped piece means “barracks” here… now find them and click them fast!
For AoE4, muscle-memory will, undoubtedly, somewhat set in over time… but how is it good, evolved (‘lessons learned’) UI design and a good user experience to have to rely on muscle memory developed over days, weeks, or months to quickly click what you need and avoid mis-clicks?
we already know what the gameplay is, to be honest that does not matter that much as long as graphics are good and they keep the gameplay as same as age 1, 2 and 3.
Bro the animations are not even fluid, they look terrible , like mobile game, nothing is looking good visually speaking, people who say it looks great are those who are blinded by the love of the saga. Lets be honest, it looks like a pre alpha game (even coh3 in prealpha stage looks better)
so. RIP or not? (just saw the gameplay)
I accidentally learned about a aoe2 refresh in 2011 or whenever it was. the HD edition. was insta-buy
aoe4? not so much.
just looks like a cross between aoe3 and aoe2.
microsoft should somehow monetize aoe2 so they don’t lose money while updating the code.
while I would make it a subscription model, for online players, this would potentially bar kids under 18 years old and/or without CC or other payment methods from playing the game.
maybe some sort of skins. so long as these don’t take priority over the bug fixing. that’s why the subscription model would be better
3d doesn’t belong in rts games. makes everything super laggy.
Wasn’t the readability main argument why some things look like they look, but making poor icons works totally against it. It’s hard to quickly understand what is what.
So, I have a co-worker who only plays CS:GO, and it’s the only game he’s played for years. No matter what I pitch at him, it’s always the same response, “I’m satisfied with CS:GO. No reason to try anything else.”
I feel like this mentality applies to a lot of the AoE community, too. A lot of the people that have been playing AoE2 for years, haven’t felt the need to move on… and I honestly doubt that AoE4 will motivate them to move on, either.
That being said, imo, it’s probably a safer bet to cater to a new crowd, instead of trying to convince the die-hards to move on.
what you on about. CS itself had many iterations, 1.4, 1.6, source, with pretty significant differences in the details, but the game stayed overall the same, so there was a lot of moving on.
Tbh not really any different than age2 now with the DE version.
it’s because it’s the gold standard in shooters. ?
why would I go race in Indy instead of F1 when I don’t have to?
lol. what new RTS. age of empires? yea so new.
so what’s your fav RTS? (inb4 naming a RTT game)
right. bc age2 has so many millennial pros and not a single zoomer. oh wait.
You don’t have to agree.
If you think that trying to pry the same people off of AoE2 who refused to moved on to AoE3 is Relics strongest marketing move… then that’s on you, my guy.
Personally, I’ma have a very hard time taking the word of a guy who thinks that a 20something year old game should randomly switch over to… a subscription model? Yikes, dude.
oh boy
I mean I can’t speak my mind. I’m gonna bet banned.
as an ardent age2 supporter somewhat OCD and ADD, if a game is better, truly better, then I have no problems moving on.
precisely because it is a 20yo game, and because it’s still being worked on. Now idk how big the age2 team is, but just bc it’s Microsoft doesn’t mean they should funnel funds out of their server business or Xbox division to cover on-going age2 costs… ??
how does that in your world make any sense. oh yea, ofc, living with you parents makes that possible. no worries then.
the less you can streamline something, the more it will cost you.
but that’s every company’s decision. if Microsoft can make it work like this, who am I to say they are doing it wrong. (and let’s be honest, so many things could use improving with proper hired coding talent. late-game stuttercity and DE lobby just two of the things.)
what I wouldn’t want happening, is for them to stop working on age2 and its animations/balancing/dedicated servers and all the rest they added, because it doesn’t pay.
There is still Voobly, but there have been massive changes between even HD And DE.
and also nice bad faith. I blatantly added: for online players aka the online component.
singleplayers still could play free as per purchase price + even receive balancing/engine/whatever benefits if you want to be good-guy.
10 min later: I still have to laugh. I dont know if you fall into this category, for your sake you better don’t. you got all these zoomers pumping money into all these privileged streamers, but then when a game is supposed to go into sub-only mode BECAUSE IT’S STILL BEING WORKED ON EVEN AFTER 20y, you all lose your mind.
@howlingwolfpaw
Aoe 2 felt kind of plain to me. All factions had the exact same units and blacksmith upgrades, the only difference was a unique unit or two in the castle and a slight bonus to something. In the long run aoe 3 had much more longevity for me because of all its unique features. As fun as aoe 4 might be when it comes out, withou recruitment of mercenaries, holy orders and encampments of neutral natives, I would eventually get bored. I hope that aoe 4 evolves to include all of these and more.
I know they can make a fun game, and the little bits of leaks out there suggest it will be, how long it will how attention? good question… I just do not see why they would not have been included in some way. the map control natives incentivize is real nice too, it helps the balance of a stale mate defense where the attacker can get the extra population. Its really well thought out.
Mercs are harder to balance but they can be done differently in AOE4.
I wonder if they will have any town center minute militia like concept, or just rely on hardier villagers with better attacks…
I also do not get why they made the unit information so vague, that’s annoying unless its a random calculated value based on various parameters… then that’s cool.
Yeah militia would be nice even if its just a tech that allows you to turn 1 farmer into a bilhook per 2 minutes of game time with a maximum of 30 minutes. Some civs like the germans could get a research tech where all villagers carry swords because a few german cities in the medeval era actually required everyone to own a sword as part of the city’s defense plan.
If you have any ideas on mercenaries feel free to discus them on a “mercenaries ideas aoe 4” topic I started.
(just saw the gameplay)
