I don’t think they will make a subseries…with AoE 3 they tried and MS didn’t let them…for AoM it is fine because it deals with mythology, but with an AoE in the 20th century I see it unnecessary or they will see it unnecessary, it is so difficult make an AoE with 4 ages in the 20th century?..an old AoE could be, but since you have the precedent of AoEO, I would prefer that they make a DE version for 2026…
Age 1 - Industrial Era
Age 2 - Early WW1 Era
Age 3 - Late WW1 Era
Age 4 - Early WW2 Era
Age 5 - Late WW2 Era
In my case it would be:
Age 1: Industrial Age (1870-1914) (44 years): Belle Epoque and pre-WW1 scenario (to connect with AoE 3)
Age 2: Atomic Age (1914-1945) (34 years): WW1 and WW2 battles and Great Depresion in the middle
Age 3: Modern Age (1945-1991) (46 years): ICBM nuclear weapons (you can win here with a military victory)
Age 4: Digital Age (1991-2035) (44 years): Space Race to Moon and Mars (you can win here with a tecnologic victory)
I’d separate them as:
Gilded Age (Late 19th century, up to 1910 or so)
Diesel Age (WWI and Interwar)
Atomic Age (Pretty much WWII and the immediate postwar)
Cybernetic Age (50s to 80s)
Information Age (1990 to 2020)
People avoiding the Cold War are cowards in my opinion. (˙ ͜ʟ˙)
personally id split those games up. latestage WW2 did look a lot like the coldwar, like except guided missiles you could see the beginning of what would dominate the cold war.
WW1 to me is technologically kind of its own beast, sure there where planes, tanks and armoredcars but they where very primitive compared to what we would see in the 2nd world war or later. only by the very end do we see the beginnings of modern warfare as we would understand it today.
why not computer or chip age?
Cybernetics to me would be something we don’t even have today, like you cyborgs or advanced robotics.
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Because the science of Cybernetics was developed in this period. It is the study of complex systems in its most basic definition after all, so it fits much better this period of early computing and reorganization of the world order than calling this period after computers. (Especially since the last age is… themed after computers already.)
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Cybernetics has all sorts of sci-fi connotations of interaction with biology so it’s not a good name. Your diesel age and atomic age are early too. Could shift it around like this:
1 Gilded
2 ???
3 Diesel
4 Atomic
5 Digital
But trying to fit WW1 in the same game as the Cold War seems like a stretch. I think one game that’s 1820s-1920s would make more sense, and WW2 to Cold War could be a separate game.
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lumping in WW1 with WW2 and then calling it all atomic age is a bit much IMO. there was a massive difference in technology between those 2.
maybe move atomic to coldwar? alternatively global age or space age are options.
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Space Age sounds best to me. It’s the least artificial of all of those.
I really wouldn’t like a game like that. Mixing the Industrial Era, WW1, WW2, the Cold War and modern times in one game would be too chaotic and lacking in immersion.
Ideally it would be like this:
- Industrial & WW1 - first game
- WW2 & Cold War - second game
- Digital Age & Future - third game
I fully agree with you. The first such game could cover the time frame of Victoria 3: 1836-1936. During this period, the fastest technological progress took place (leaving aside all other areas of civilization), so despite the short time frame, the Ages would be really noticeably “modern”. I just dream of an RTS game based on this time frame. Trenches would replace Walls, Stables would become Vehicle Factories and the Airport would become a completely new building in the series. In such a game, it would be really useful to have a University where improvements could be researched that would modernize both the Economy and the Military.
When it comes to a game in the WW2 and Cold War time frames, I’m less excited than the above-mentioned time frames. However, I would also love to play such a game. It would be nice to play Operation D-Day or Operation Barbarossa in an AoE gamplay. In such a game, nuclear weapons would certainly play the main role - it would be nice if, despite their powerful destructive power, there were some penalties for using them - e.g. the possibility of destroying buildings and units in the field of its destruction - in addition, it could be blocked in the Online game or ruin the player’s rank/or status.
When it comes to the present (Digital) and possible future, I am definitely not interested. I just don’t like Sci-Fi and the present is boring to me. However, I know that there are definitely a lot of people who prefer it more than historical atmosphere.
There are people who say that modern conflicts do not fit the AoE series, but let’s start with the fact that AoE 3 is significantly different from the rest of the games in the series - and besides, these modern games could be a spin-off of the AoE series.
Is it just me or the discussion has moved wildly away from the original topic? Lmao
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Nah you are just imagining that 
Big-time. I believe there was even the omnipresent Polish civ discussion too!
Anyway, regarding a 4th Euro resource, I’ve no idea what you can do with that idea without it feeling like it has been shoe-horned in, considering they have existing since the games conception. Regarding Universities, it’d be fun having another building, but the Home City is pretty much an Uber-University (in traditional AoE terms).
I guess in a way to avoid introducing extra resource types for the sake of it and introducing a university (or rather Academy, to avoid existing name clashes), you could have an educational establishment that is shipped in, in limited quanity like the Fort Wagon and makes special Academy research techs available slowly (with certain ones locked until an appropriate age), based on the amount of Settlers you currently have. Like a Mill/Estate, you can garrison Settlers in to speed this process up. Once these techs have been ‘discovered’ (and therefore available, having been locked-out before), you can then research them like a standard upgrade with a standard research time but for free. Secondary function is to generate XP based on the (studying) Settlers garrisoned.
Basically a cross between a Rise of Nations University system and the AoEIV Delhi mechanic. Could even be a way to research unit replacement / military modernisation techs, rather than having this as convoluted Church/Shipment techs.
…however other than it being another abstract way of presenting upgrades/techs that could probably be added to the Church/Arsenal/Factory/Capitol and even TC and it being nicely thematic (establising your first Academy in your new settlement with your little wagon of supplies), plus some kind of side benefit (XP-farm?), what does it do that other buildings/mechanics don’t do currently? That’s what I’d struggle to justify.
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I don’t really like the idea of University in principle.
University was added in Age of Empires 2 because it was immersive. If you study the topic of the medieval era in an academic setting you’ll inevitably run into the University as a fundamental element of the period, as a space of innovation that disrupted the usual dynamics that had existed up to that point.
I don’t see that still being the case in the Modern Era, they weren’t as much of a cultural point of reference of the entire period. No more than academies, seminaries and whatnot. If anything, Public Schools are more of an innovative element of the period. But I don’t see them as a space for innovation. So in that sense Academies may be fitting, this being the “age of enlightenment” and all, the origin of science as a discipline and whatnot.
I don’t think this justifies it as a new resource however.
If I were to add a new resource, maybe I’d lean more towards Investment Capitalism, co-opt the Lombard investment system for Chartered Companies, who rather than slowly exchanging resources it slowly provides you with shares that can then be invested in upgrades or some other sort of exotic effects that provide returns later.
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Yes, it seems fine to me, it all depends if they put 4 ages or 5 ages in the game…
Yes, but it is more for the study of the atom (remember that AoE ages have to be technological ages)…the same since 1914 the war has not changed much: tanks, airplanes and weapons that have been improving over the decades…
Yes, that’s why it looks kind of strange…atomic age seems good to me to represent the period of the cold war…
2 Progressive Age (in USA)/Belle Epoque (in Europe)?..
The Victorian/post-Napoleonic era (1820-1920) is represented in AoE 3 with the Imperial Age and other references:
1821: Iguala Plan (Mexican improvement of the Cathedral)
1821-1830: Greek Revolution Phanariot Ability
1823: Central American Revolution in Mexico
1825-1830: Indonesian Revolution (The Java War)
1830: Dutch Card of Belgian Revolution
1835-1836: Texan Revolution
1837-1901: Victorian Age Hanover Improvement
1839-1876: Tanzimat (Ottoman religious improvement)
1840: Mexican Rio Grande Revolution
1846: California Revolution
1847: Yucatan Mayan Revolution
1848: Albertine Statute (Italian Card of the Church)
1848-1871: Risorgimento (Italian religious improvement)
1848-1849: Hungarian Revolution
1852: South African Revolution
1853-1856: Historical Map of the Russo-Turkish Wars (Crimean War)
1855: Historical Battle of the Era of Princes
1857: TAD Campaign Act III:India (Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 and end of the Mughal Empire)
1863: American Pickett Charge Card
1866-1876: TWC Campaign Act II: Shadows (Red Cloud and Black Hills Wars)
1867: Canadian Revolution
1868: Meiji Restoration (Improvement of the Japanese consulate)
1876-1911: Mexican card of Porfiriato
1878: Romanian Revolution
1882: Egyptian Revolution
1899-1901: Chinese Boxer Rebellion card
Twentieth century:
1917: Finnish revolution
Maybe in the next game you can start in 1870 onwards (Industrial Age/Belle Epoque) until you reach 2035 (digital age?)…
World War I (1914 AD -1918 AD) is the tenth epoch in Empire Earth and the biggest conflict era before WW2. It is an epoch with major changes for the game, as the player can train better infantry and is now able to build aircraft, tanks and submarines. The epoch brings out the first Armored Tank and the first fliers into the battlefield, as Cavalry units become obsolete. The civilizations focused on this epoch are Russia, Germany, United States, France, Great Britain, and Italy. This epoch can be researched in 165 game seconds. Its unique Heroes are warrior German Ace Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a The Red Baron who is used in the German Campaign, and the French strategist DeVerran.
World War II (1939 AD - 1945 AD), known in-game as “Atomic Age - WWII”, is the 11th epoch of Empire Earth. It comes after the 10th epoch. World War II was the first epoch to feature nuclear warfare and jet aircraft.
Atomic Age: Modern (1945 AD - 2030 AD) is the twelfth epoch in Empire Earth. The timeline of it is typically dated to the aftermath of World War II or after the bombing Japan in World War II, but the timeline which can be located on the front cover has the Atomic Ages all from 1900’s to 2000’s, which means the Modern epoch of this game ends in the 2030. It features little amounts of Barracks units (unless you have unlocked them from the tech tree via the Scenario Editor) which include Marines, Medic, Heavy Mortar (final upgrade), Flame Thrower and Machine Gun.
The Digital Age (2030 AD - 2100 AD) is the 13th epoch in Empire Earth. It is the second last epoch in the game, aside from “Art of Conquest” Expansion pack. This is the first age in which laser and Cyber units are available.
Ages in EE1 (1800-2120):
Industrial Age (1800-1900): It is not very different from the previous one but the musketeers evolve into the grenadiers. In the capitol or in the city center it is now possible to create hot air balloons, obtaining gold and iron is improved by 15%. The partisan appears at the barracks. At the Assault Weapons Factory the Culverin is upgraded to Bronze Cannon and the Basilisk is upgraded to Serpentine. In the stable the Carabineros is upgraded to Dragon and the Royal Cuirassier is upgraded to Imperial Cuirassier. In the hospital the healing speed is improved by 25%. In the Granary Productivity is improved by 15% and in the Temple the Temple Range is increased. (This age is very similar to the imperial age of AoE 3)
Atomic Age (World War I) (1900-1920): The first airplanes appear, the British Mark IV Tank and the German A7V revolutionize land warfare. The Frigates and Battleships look more modern, and the Foot Soldier makes an appearance. The houses become wooden in the Victorian style of San Francisco, the Capitol has a more iconic shape, with arches that surround it. The stables are scrapped, the machine gun and the 88mm AA cannon appear to defend against planes, and it is also improved the hot air balloon to the form of an airship.
Atomic Age (World War II) (1920-1950): The A7V is replaced by the Panzer, the Mark IV with the Sherman. The Infantry Soldier evolves into the Marine, and the planes increase in quality and number. Nuclear planes appear.
Atomic Age (Modern) (1950-2025): We come to the present day. B2 bombers now dominate the skies alongside super-fast F-15 fighters. The M1 Abrahams and Leopard appear. The helicopters appear. Nuclear submarines appear.
Digital Age (2025-2125): Laser weapons and cybers (robots) appear, war changes forever. Ships, helicopters (except the Specter AT), infantry units, and tanks use laser weapons. Planes are much more powerful than before and nuclear weapons reach gigantic power.
Ages in EE2 (1800-2130):
Industrial Age (1800-1900)
The invention of the steam engine represents great changes in the quality of life of the majority of the population, both for the better and for the worse. Technology advances at an unusual pace: it is no longer necessary for hundreds of years to pass for improvements to materialize, but now people are witnesses in life of the changes that occur in society. The industrial and military sectors are those that experience the greatest revolution during this period.
Modern Age (1900-1940)
The Modern Era suffers the consequences of the combination of industrial innovation and military tradition: a war of previously unknown dimensions. Steel, mechanized transportation, aviation and mass production come together to make large-scale massacre possible. Although the brutality of this period leaves nothing safe, important progress is made in improving the quality of life of citizens thanks to the regulation and moderation of capitalist practices.
Atomic Age (1940-1980)
The ability to manipulate the world on an atomic scale, even if only destructively, is an indication of the direction technological progress will take in this era. Miniaturization allows the most technologically advanced goods and services to reach an increasing number of citizens. However, the specter of nuclear war looms in this era of unprecedented progress.
Digital Age (1980-2030)
The personal computer (PC) takes technological progress to a completely new level, since a network of computers performs a much greater volume of work than the old machines and in a much smaller space. Industrial processes and military testing laboratories take advantage of the advantages provided by the great analytical speed of computers. Soon the Internet begins to unite the planet with the promise of greater cooperation, a direct consequence of greater communication.
Genetic Age (2030-2130)
The advent of genetic engineering and the widespread use of genetic mapping make living in this era both exciting and terrifying. While genetic research makes it possible to protect all types of diseases, genetic experimentation and confusion of identity cause great social unrest. On a more artificial level, robotics seeks new horizons in creating affordable machines to carry out all types of tasks, from home cleaning to detecting and defusing bombs.
Either of the two is valid but remember that in EE1 the space age was the age of the space colonies (2225 onwards)
The issue is that with MS putting in the money I don’t think they will make a trilogy to set the entire 20th century in the saga…they will tell Relic “make me an AoE 5 from 1870 to today” and that’s it…that’s why I see myself something like a CoH but expanded with citizens from WW1 to the present… and then yes, an AoE 6 from today to the distant future in space like DoW 3…
The issue is that in this period there were not as many large-scale conflicts as in the Napoleonic Wars or the 20th century… there was a lot of progress and revolutions… In addition to the fact that I feel that this age is covered by the imperial age in AoE 3, but it can be started, lastly, in 1870 and from there until 1950/1990…
Empire Earth 1 and 2 did it and it was great…
EE1 German Campaign: In the German campaign, the player takes control of the Central European power during the first half of the 20th century.
- The air cavalry (summer 1915)
- Supply and demand (winter 1915-1916)
- The Red Baron (spring 1916)
- The Somme (1918)
- The blitzkrieg (1939-1940)
- Preparations for the invasion (1940)
- Operation “Sea Lion” (1941)
EE2 American Campaign: Understands the conversion of the United States into a world empire, reaching a hypothetical future.
- The hill of San Juan (1898)
- The Meuse-Argonne Offensive (1918)
- World War II: North Africa and Sicily (1942-1943)
- World War II: The liberation of France (1944-1945)
- Cold War: Germany divided (1952)
- Cold War: Countdown to the apocalypse (1988)
- Cyborg Insurrection of 2058 (2058)
- Cyborg Cataclysm (2070)
EE2 had the turning points…The turning points are playable scenarios with two different sides that represent battles or decisive moments in History. Two appear, inspired respectively by the Battle of Normandy and the time of the Three Kingdoms.
Normandy: the Allies
Normandy: the Germans
The three kingdoms: Wei
The three kingdoms: Wu
In the TAoS expansion the game incorporates four new turning points:
Rorke’s Drift: The British
Rorke’s Drift: The Zulus
Battle of Kursk: Russia
Battle of Kursk: Germany
Yes, the same, it’s for later… If the Empire Earth saga touched on the 20th century and the future (21st to 23rd centuries), AoE should do the same…
So er, about those universities and the fourth European resource…
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On University with Additional Techs: The issue is how to balance the Europeans gameplay-wise. To solve this balance issue, I suggest the following:
- All civs should have some form of University (or equivalent building) starting in Age 3.
- Each technology in the university must be researched by a European civ before becoming available to non-European civ. (This is arguably a bit Eurocentric. However, it roughly corresponds to how techs were spread during this time period.)
- The cost of techs in the university operates on a progressive global discount system. Specifically, the first civ research the tech at full price. The subsequent civ can then research the tech at a discount (0.75) applied multiplicatively for each time it is researched by a different civ.
- The discount is only computed whenever a player completes the research.
As an example:
- This is a 3 vs 3 game of British+Portuguese+Japan vs Aztec+Chinese+Dutch
- There is a “Electricity” technology in the University that has a base price of 1000 G.
- The Dutch player is the first to research the tech with a cost of 1000 G.
- The British player starts researching the tech have the Dutch player’s research is completed. Thus, he only pays 750G (1000 * 0.75^1).
- The Aztec player starts researching the tech while the British player’s research is not yet complete. So he also needs to pay 750 G (1000 * 0.75^1).
- The Portuguese player starts researching the tech only when both the British and Aztec has finished their research. So he only has to pay 422 G (1000 * 0.75^3).
- Assuming that the Japan player only starts researching only all other players have already completed “Electricity” research, the Japan player only needs to pay 237 G (1000*0.75^5).
This way, the University techs become increasingly cheaper. This allows European civs to gain a temporary advantage, but allows other civs to catch up easier. If the tech research time are long (i.e. 1-2 minute per tech) but give powerful improvements (i.e. “Electricity” makes each TC generate a large resource trickle), then it could add a lot to the game dynamic.
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Watch as I play chinese and build an University while playing against Lakota just to flex on 'em.
For those derailing with thoughts about an industrial era+ aoe game I made a pretty high effort concept in the off topic forum you might be interested in!
Feel free to discuss your ideas there as well!!
As regards the discussion here, I think I agree that Universities are probably not as relevant in the time period as other things. My personal thoughts would be towards a “laboratory” (or maybe a “royal society”).
In a game that still has a strong theme of discovery in it, I think it would be really cool if the laboratory could train naturalists, who are like non-hero versions of explorers who can gather treasures and scout and so on. Maybe naturalists can also harvest animals, but instead of food they provide XP.
The laboratory would also allow balloons to be trained and might have special research options depending on the map type? I think the most coolest thing would be if it had some additional imperial age techs that made visual changes to buildings and units. E.g. you could research electricity and buildings would get electric lamps around them. The tech would boost line of sight even more than gas lighting and would make all other research instant.
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