Considering that Aoe spirit is still not dead and that AOE 3 2006 pioneering policy (of making a game that is half RPGish - half RTS or anyway half and half, which has plagued until today from tactical shooters to other games as also the finance oriented era) has not killed the tradition and the desire for a good Aoe 3 (see patches by players communities) and the desire for “an AOE IV”, we have to accept also that finance matters and the best way to release a good game is maybe the Hitman way, at episodes. And so maybe this will be the choice that will or should be taken.
**They can come out with a Prehistoric chapter **and then create stand alone 2 and 3 chapterS. That is AOE. don’t got further than 1880ish\1920. If they make a succesful 1st chapter (prehistoric until alexander) they will continue otherwise that’s it, they fail to sell and what is done is done.
At episodes indeed. I** sincerely hope this game can be a game of\for “everyone” but of course someone will be deluded.** I hope not those who know very well the essence of videogaming, game over games, (maybe) steep learning curve games, RTS AOE tradition, competition on multiplayer will be deluded, and I do not WISH to anyone to be deluded.
What can make interesting this type of distribution \ production policy is that after the 3rd chapter is released ALLTHE PLAYERS owning 1 2 and 3 will be able to play also through the 3 realeases with games expanding from 1 to the 2nd to the 3rd (Prehistory\democracy &roman - 2medieval to renaissance -3 to Colonial imperial and **pre Mass Media era **(1920) (with the parts in bold that will be added as a difference “plus” to the original games.
The other wish I make is QUITTING from seeing Europe or USA as the center of the world. This is a very poisonous idea that is totally OBSOLETE. We are far beyond this with studies and research and discoveries, it would be horrible if we keep people bounded to these stereotypes (just as in Company of Heroes Germans speak in english with german accent … this is horrible, racist, ignorant)…
I have seen many comments in many topics here around 15 I read: I found quite good and in line with my opinions ideas, or diverse and divergent thinking. I found also mainstream lovers and many who don’t know at all what is AOE, history, gaming but whatever, we are all and shall all coexist and suggest the best ideas for all not trying to tell what would be OUR kind of game but a game for the most UNDERLINING the best things we have seen so far.
Please don’t mix AOE with a Smite, DOTA, PUBG, League of legends “game” nor a loot creates casino “videogame”, don’t make AOE a strongly RPGish game, remove all the cultural barriers, remove the barriers to interaction (one mention above all: the immature milkitary ranks
or of any other type\ system). Stay true to basics (“ranking” by elorating the only one a _true _player watches) and innovate with powerful game design like a Switchable avatar allowing team players to switch and overlap in control of a civ in game or enchance multiplayer allowing people to join during the game, allow nature growth mode on off, natural disasters (every 10 games etc), create a NOT to good nor too bad (aoe II HD is horrible) game - I don’t care if I offend the super aficionados but in 2018 it really deserves this adjective use.
There are many cool feature that other people mention.
Just to say one: if an eclypse happens (once every 50 games) -today this type of game creation is possible thanks to AI development and use. - The players that invested in monks will be able to raid opponents with monks by CONVERTING their lads (because they gain power of conversion thanks to “Religious stories” connected to the sun eclypse…
I know these things make the game felt like “not for competitive use” but one can always play without nature regrowth \ natural events odds which instead can be a game mode played by others.
Please Relic, bring it on.
AOE 3 was and is good but there are too many flaws in game and outside the game. From that we can build aoe IV.