To the Age of Empires IV Development Team,
I am writing with immense frustration and deep disappointment as a fan of the Age of Empires series for over ten years. The current state of the Chinese civilization, including the ZHUXI, has become utterly unplayable and has completely destroyed my enjoyment of the game.
For too long, the Chinese civilization has been subjected to repeated nerfs. Now, these civs have been stripped of any viable identity or competitive strength. The so-called “gunpowder” theme for China is a complete joke; its unique units are as weak as chickens. Historically, China was a top-tier military and economic powerhouse for centuries, but in the game, it possesses neither unique flavor nor a satisfying gameplay experience. Its win rate is consistently at the bottom, which severely hurts the game’s commercial appeal and reputation within the massive Chinese player base.
We, the Chinese players, are the ones who are truly powerful. To survive your endless waves of nerfs, we’ve been forced to develop incredibly sophisticated and demanding strategies just to keep this civilization viable. But enough is enough. It’s disgusting how you’ve treated this civilization. Why does the Beastmaster streamer keep praising Chinese civ while clearly not enjoying playing it? His commentary feels completely disconnected from our actual, painful experience.
You have ruined the game for me. As a veteran of over ten years, I am heartbroken. The Chinese civilization, the “Rome of the East,” with the incredible artistic and economic heights of the Song and Ming Dynasties, is represented with zero glory in the game. Even the Japanese civilization is designed with more care, detail, and fun. What we have is a gutted, flavorless, and weak shadow of what it should be.
My urgent questions are:
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Do you not care about the Chinese market and your Chinese players at all?
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Is our feedback ever truly heard by any decision-maker on the team?
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When will you stop ignoring us and finally address the fundamental flaws that make China and Zhuge Liang so unbearably weak and unenjoyable to play?
This is not just feedback; this is a plea from a heartbroken fan. The current state of the Chinese civilization is an insult to its history and to the players who love it. We demand meaningful action.
A Deeply Frustrated Long-time Fan.