¿What things could fit as treasures, and what things could fit as captureable buildings or anything else that can be captured?
For example, I would propose water mills. Usually it would be on the edge of a river. You would actually build it, but you would capture the place as if it were a native TP. This would appear on maps with rivers. (Basically it would represent a strategic point where it would be feasible to build said mill). It would generate a drip of food and coins, and it gives a 2% bonus to harvesting crops.
Also that something else could function as an infinite natural resource (such as whales)
Hay tesoros que encontré en el mapa desconocido que literalmente te dan casas y barracas algo así también podría funcionar ayudaría a incentivar la caza de tesoros
The emerald mines could be on the same maps that the Muiscas could potentially be on, although as the graph indicates, they could also be on other continents.
I don’t really like the idea of water mills. It would be better to keep the sockets as the exclusive domain of Trading Posts. A resource trickle is also a pretty uninteresting bonus. Even the new mills could be made more interesting if they had more functionality or interactivity. For example, they could require a food investment similar to Lombards but just yielding a greater quantity of food (they could even remain under your control for the duration that you have food invested). A global boost to farming yield as you suggest could also be an interesting way to make them relevant in the late game.
For other structures, I’d like to see more impactful and game-altering properties. Villages could provide this kind of impact.
Villages that increase the population cap and also provide housing could appear on Chinese maps.
Fishing Villages that provide a gather boost aura and act as an infinite source of fish could appear across Southeast Asian maps.
Bridges could be another interesting structure. Capturing them could give you sight lines over river crossings and give you the option of demolishing a bridge to eliminate a river crossing and restrict land mobility or expand naval mobility. They could even be as simple as pontoon bridges that could be reconstructed by boats.
A structure that generates natural resources could also be useful. Something like a Buffalo Pound could generate bison. For this structure, I’d prefer it be a building for Lakota and Cree (if they ever get added).
Treasures
Treasures where the guardian is the treasure. The wild boar on European maps gives food when killed so this is already kind of a thing. This could be taken farther with things like bull elephant guardians being harvestable for their ivory, or bears that could have their pelts gathered for coin. Essentially something similar to how the AoE4 boar works. The corpse of the guardian could become the treasure that is to be gathered, and the gathering could be done gradually like how crates are gathered instead of instantly as it is now.
Some treasures could also be guarding natural resources such as black bears guarding a blueberry bush.
Natural Resources
More natural resource types would be an improvement. However, for emerald mines, I don’t think they should be infinite. Giving experience in addition to coin would be a compelling enough difference.
Some other natural resource sources could be as follows:
Dens - Limited source of coin. Gathering upgraded by hunting upgrades
Spice Plants - Source of coin. Gathering upgraded by berry picking upgrades
Quarries - Source of ‘wood’. Gathering upgraded by mining upgrades. This could increase the available wood on arctic and desert maps without ruining their aesthetic by filling them with trees.
My take, there could be different kind of them, based on specialization. Ideas:
Rural villages could give food+militia call to arms button that doesn’t lose HP near the village Mine/industrial/metalwork villages could give coin+autoproducing falconets at slow pace since age III. Fishing villages could give food + autoproducing fishing boats.
Noting fancy, in-game assets could be used, and they could appear in all maps with different skins.
At some points, back in the vanilla design of Age of Empires III, devs played with cash crops and spices ideas, but I can’t think an interesting one to implement with the current gameplay.
But Saltpeter Site sometimes spawn on Unknown, so it would be cool to have them some effect.
Other neutral sites, inspired on other videogames.
Outpost. LOS benefit. They should have more LOS than a Native TP and could be garrisoned to prevent the capturing.
Lighthouse. Similar to Outpost but near the sea. Could provide some kind of sea bonus
Mercenary camp. Allow to train certain mercs, tied to the map. (Europe, Asia and Africa maps)
Watermills. Bonus to construction and farm gathering rates.
The treasures could also be relics, offerings or objects that are highly valued by local populations. This would translate to many possible things:
When you collect X treasure that would be valuable to some tribe, your alliance with them will be cheaper so the first TP built there will be 50% cheaper.
The first native TP you build will give you 500 experience.
Etc.
There could also be treasures such as seeds or medicinal herbs, for example:
Blueberry Seeds: Your scout gains the ability to plant a berry bush every x amount of time.
Medicinal Plant: Your scout heals instantly and increases the automatic healing rate by 25% (even while he is moving).
Other types of treasure could be burrows similar to beaver hoards, or animal nests, for example:
Hare Burrow: 60 food. (It is a treasure that is renewed every X amount of time).
Eagle nest: You will capture an eagle chick that you can train. (the guardians would be 2 eagles that stun the scouts) You will get an eagle that you can use as a scout unit and see stealth units.
The idea is that it simulates a situation in which said place is open to build said mill. Once captured, a button will appear in which you invest X amount of wood so that it is built automatically.
They could simply be limited to a maximum of 4 workers and some cards related to mining could increase the number of workers, such as some cards that increase the amount of coins offered by the mines. I think that there would be no problem that they are infinite.
Emerald mines might give 50% less coins than the average mine, but the other 50% would be offset by experience.
I’d be surprised if developers don’t end up adding immigrant settlements all over the Americas.
Small clarification, these settlements do not have to have the same technologies and units as the civilizations from which they come, this is just an example to provide a general image.
Italian settlements:
Allows to create an architect, 10 Italian settlers and enables the creation of Bersagliere.
Italian technologies:
Red Shirt Training: All infantry gain 15% damage. Pizza: Italian infantry earn 15% more hit points and villagers harvest 5% faster from all sources. Italian Farming: Villagers harvest 30% faster from plantations, mills, and haciendas.
Italian Ability:
italian trade: Gives boxes of experience that increase in value as time goes by, up to a maximum of (3000 = 30 minutes)
German settlements:
Allows you to create 5 Settler Wagons, 10 German Settlers, and enables Uhlan’s creation.
German Technologies:
Germantown Farmers: Allows you to create up to 20 carts of settlers and the mills produce 15% more. Germán Riding School: All cavalry move 10% faster and gain 15% damage and health. German Cattle: Allows you to create cows in the pens and they fatten up 30% faster.
German Ability:
German Medics: All out of combat units regenerate health for 10:00 minutes.
Spanish settlements:
Allows you to create 10 missionaries, 10 Spanish settlers and enables the creation of Spanish soldados.
Spanish Technologies:
Spanish Unction: Missionaries gain an aura that increases unit damage by 3% each (can be stacked) Spanish guerrilla tactics: All infantry have their damage increased by 25% and their speed increased by 5% Spanish Artillery: All artillery gains 30% damage and health.
Spanish Ability:
Bourbon Allies: (Age IV requires 1500 gold), send 20 Bourbon Musketeers and 2 Royal Cannons.
Note: Economic units would cost no population, but units like the Bersagliere soldado and the Uhlan cost normal population.
I’m surprised the developers didn’t add archeology and mining outposts.
Mining Excavation Posts.
These mines do not occupy population and allow a constant trickle of gold.
Copper: Common material that can be found easily.
Produces 2.00 gold per second.
Silver: Common material that can be found easily.
Produces 2.00 gold per second.
Gold: Hard to find material, but very valuable.
Produces 5.00 gold per second.
Coal: Material used for industry.
Produces 2.00 gold and 0.50 experience.
Diamond: Extremely rare and extremely valuable, mining cannot be upgraded.
You produce 10.00 gold per second.
Mining upgrades.
Mining Tools: Mining stalls dripping improves by 50% (Age II)
Mineros: Mining stalls dripping improves by 150% (Age III)
Increased budget: Mining stalls dripping improves by 200% (Age IV)
New Cards.
Geology: Dig sites produce experience as well as gold.
Extra:
In case this mechanic is insubstantial, the creation of units and buildings with explosives could be enabled. Depot Miner Black Powder Wagon Fire Ship
Examples of Archaeological Excavation Sites.
These are just examples, the idea is to investigate cultures that may not appear in the game.
Inca Excavation.
Produces 1.00 experience per second.
Inca technology
Curare: Archers and crossbowmen gain poison damage. Chicha Brewing Settlers cost 20% less resources. Chimu Metallurgy: Villagers gather coin20% faster from mines; mines’ coin yield +20%
Mayan Excavation
Produces 1.00 experience per second.
Maya technology
Pok Ta Pok: Infantry get +10% speed and -10% train time. Old Yalain Traditions: Trees last 200% longer. Cenotes Trading Posts generate 1.50 XP/sec.
Aztec Excavation.
Produces 1.00 experience per second.
Azteca technology
Aztec Fortifications: Walls get +100% hit points. Chinampa: Villagers gather from Farms, Estates, Mills, and Rice Paddies 20% faster. Stone Towers: Towers get +100% hit points.
New Cards.
English Market: Archaeological Excavation Sites produce gold as well as experience.
New Mining Excavation Post.
Emerald: Rare but valuable material.
Produces 3.00 gold and experience per second.
the devs removed aztec, hauds, lakota and inca as minor civs - and it was a great decision. Having those eurocolonists makes the main civs even more boring… everyone gets unction, architects, settlerwagons.
same goes for the aztec, mayan and incan excavations.
They are just examples, do not take it so literally.
Immigrant towns could have their own units, technologies and characteristics.
The archaeological excavations are purely examples, it is not necessary that the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs are the civilizations that we can investigate.
Is this satire? All this stuff is already in the game.
This is 100% not going to happen. The whole point of the game is for the player to found the immigrant towns.
I don’t understand… mines are already a thing. The main difference is the quantity, with silver, copper, and tin only having 2000 coin, gold having 5000 coin, and diamond having 100000 coin (but only available through revolutions). Coal mines have 2000 but are gathered twice as fast, and salt mines gather slower but have 10000 coin.
Your “archeology” is basically just native settlements that are also already in the game.
Are you seriously comparing archeology with native alliances?
Considering that the idea of this theme is to add strategic positions that have value, a mine that does not require settlers is a more interesting mechanic than a “mine” that is only on the ground.
I think you are confused, one thing is a small town populated by immigrants and another is a foreign colony that seeks to conquer the territory by force.
Yes, what you’re suggesting is basically just a native tech.
That makes more sense but it’s still way too similar to the mines that are already in the game.
The colony the player controls is still a small town. You start with one building and have a population limit of 200. This is especially true since they got rid of all the double-plus-ungood instances of “colonial” and replaced them with “town”.
I didn’t mean to offend. I was just confused by you saying “I’m surprised the developers didn’t add [stuff that is basically already in the game].” It just seems like very redundant stuff to me.
The idea is that this mechanic represents civilizations that are not in the game or that simply became extinct before the colonization of the American continent.
PS: As I said before, the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs are just an example.
I honestly tried that the mechanic wasn’t OP, but an alternative is that these mines provide something extra to the players, maybe miners that have a dynamite attack and mine ores faster, another unit they could have is an explosive cart to besiege.
I guess this mechanic could evolve into a mineral quarry that allows us to hire miners and mine for gold without sacrificing population.
We could recruit units like miners, carts with explosive barrels and ships with explosive barrels.
I don’t know what to tell you, for me this is a way of having the equivalent of royal houses, but in the American continent, for me immigrants who are just working the land without disturbing anyone and forming a small settlement are not the same as a colony seeking to expand economically and militarily.
These are some examples of what European settlements might look like.
This image is from the Napoleonic wars historical map.
You are most likely right, but since the idea of the theme is to add interaction with the map and the world, I wanted to add it as a way to explore the history of extinct peoples that we would not be able to see in the game.
The idea was that we would create zones where we could “hire” the services of Archaeologists to generate Renown (XP) and learn skills from ancient peoples.
