Returning to the innovations that I would like to see in a future title, I would like to focus again on the Total War style world map, because I believe that this addition would represent an absolutely new element for the series and would be well received
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I made also some short video to show better the dynamic map:
View: https://youtu.be/tPG1ZEnk06s
View: https://youtu.be/k6qE6SwX8qA
Once you have moved your units on the map and attacked a target (which can be a city, a fortress, etc.) then a window opens asking if you want to fight the enemy and in this case a classic mission starts (a skirmish that can have different objectives) which also represents that specific region or that specific territory.
Think of a dynamic map of the ancient world, which the developers could update with future DLCs and with the addition of new civilizations: for example, with a DLC related to Alexander the Great, the Macedonians and the regions of Afghanistan and India, with brand new armies such as Indian warlords, war elephants and much more.
Once a certain amount of DLC was released you would have a giant map of the ancient world and several civilizations that you could lead from a small region until conquering the map, all through skirmishes or dedicated missions.
What publishers want today, including XBOX and Microsoft, is certainly sharing and hours spent on a game: the more hours spent on a title, the greater the success and the return (in terms of gamepass subscriptions or purchase of DLC all entire dedicated stores).
The fundamental thing is the care that the developers should dedicate to supporting the game.
But definitely an AOE title with a dynamic world map would be a perfect GAAS, in my opinion.
If I remember correctly, during an interview with Quinn Duffy, a well-known face from Relic Entertainment, he was asked if it would be possible to have a “dynamic campaign” mode seen in COH3 also for AOE4. The response was not negative.
It could be a real possibility.
The only negative aspect is that relating to Relic Entertainment.
We read that they recently went independent and unfortunately many developers were fired. This also affected the development of the console version of Company of Heroes 3 which was discontinued.
I find it hard to think that Relic will be behind the development of a new AOE for this very reason. So, we might not even have an AOE developed by them anymore.