Hi everyone, here’s a list of features and improvements I’d love to see added to Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. Feel free to add your own ideas, comment, agree, disagree, etc.
Match Configuration & Match Add-ons
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More map and resource options
- Additional map sizes beyond “Big” option.
- Land/Sea filters (e.g., Land + African, Sea + Asian, Land + European, Sea + American).
- Higher population caps (200 / 250 / 300 / 350 / 400 / 450+), similar to other Ages.
- XP trickle options (Normal / Faster / Slower), plus the ability to gain 2 shipments instead of 1 as an option.
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Environmental effects
- Day/Night cycle.
- Dynamic weather (rain, fog, snow, sandstorms, thunderstorms).
- Combat effects tied to weather, for ex.
- Reduced range in fog
- Slower rate of fire for gunpowder units in rain
- Reduced movement speed in snow
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Shipments
- Ability to purchase (or unlock) shipments starting from Age III / IV / V.
Home City
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More visual variety
- Additional day/night cycles, rain, fog, snow, sandstorm, thunderstorm, etc. for all civilizations.
- And/Or Optional slider so players can freely control the time of day and weather in their Home City.
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More unlockables
- Unique units, animals, parades, flags, lights, torches, and other cosmetic/functional items.
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Better Revolution customization
- More card selection and customization options for Revolutions, special revolutions as ex. France to use the same home city as is the same city, and so on for each civ that falls onto the same.
- Home City unique units per civ, ex:
- Dutch: Merchants (and other unique units)
- Italian: Papal Guards
- Ottoman: Sipahis / Janissaries
- French: Royal Musketeers (pre-Revolution)
- Japanese: Samurai (pre-Meiji), etc.
Unique Units
Some civilizations receive unique looking units through Church cards or other one time shipments that currently cannot be trained further. It would be great if these could permanently replace the base unit for the rest of the match (similar to how British Rangers replace Longbowmen).
Examples I remember:
- Spanish / Swedish: Can ship attractive Halberdiers that currently cannot be trained further.
- French: Can ship distinctive Old Guard Grenadiers, but only regular Grenadiers can be trained afterward.
- Russians: Can obtain Dragoons (via St. Petersburg Dragoons) that replace Cavalry Archers, but the Dragoons themselves cannot be trained normally.
There are likely more examples. It would be nice if these units could either:
- Be trained from Forts, or
- Permanently replace the base unit for the rest of the game, or
- Be added as a trainable option in the relevant building depending on the case.
Papal / Alternative Unique Unit Access
It would be interesting if more civilizations had a system similar to the Italian Basilica / Papal shipments for obtaining unique units (ex: Sipahis, Skull Knights, Macemen, and various North American native units).
Alternatively, allow Native American civilizations to train their unique units from their own Fortresses.
Elite Unit Skins
While the variety that some modders achieve is fantastic, it would be nice to have unique skins for the most important elite / Royal Guard units of each civilization. Here are some that currently feel under-detailed in my opinion:
- Dutch Ruyters: the icon looks great, but the in-game model is missing details such as the cape
- Spanish: the Jesuit Conquistador model feels higher quality and better armored than the Lancer; the Rodelero also feels less armored compared to its icon and to the Pikeman
- Most Dragoons and Hussars (especially Hussars unfortunatly cause they were very fashionable)
- Most Grenadiers suffer from the same lack of visual distinction.
- Some skirmishers.
- French Halberdiers.
Other Mixed Ideas
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Mexican cards units
Spanish Musketeers, Lancers, and Cuirassiers currently receive little to no benefit from Mexican cards. This is especially noticeable with Lancers, which are close to Charros. It would be nice if Musketeers could use the soldier skin from the Home City for both Mexicans and Spanish as a mod does. -
French Royal Dragoon
Has higher melee attack than ranged, but does not seem to benefit from health improving cards. Additionally, the Royal Horseman (from mercenary contractor Fortress age) does not receive the population reduction from the Theatre card nor the Mounted riflemen. -
German Grenadiers
It would be interesting if regular Grenadiers were replaced by the mercenary “Big Grenadiers,” while behaving as the standard Grenadier and benefited from the Grenade Launchers card. -
German Totenkopf Hussar
It does not currently benefit from the cavalry cards, if using all cards the regular uhlan has around 76+ damage while the Prussian stays around 56 for the charged attack, same for health. -
German Mounted Crossbowman / Hussite Wagon
Germany could have a Mounted Crossbowman instead of the War Wagon, with the Hussite Wagon available as a base mercenary or via a card. -
French Courer des bois
To behave as settler wagons, french to have normal settlers and special ones with their own cost, stats and build limit as germans. Instead of all of them being sturdy.
Also if Revolutioners of the French revolution to benefit from the same cards as settlers and sansculotte. -
Spanish Tercio
The Spanish Tercio should be stronger, historically they were famous for being nearly undefeated, while the Rodelero is less renown.
Part of the problem in AoE III is that most melee infantry are strong vs cavalry, even if most of them weren’t. ex. Rodeleros, Doppelsoldners among many others.Suggested adjustments:
- Rodeleros: Bonus vs. infantry + better melee/ranged defense
- Doppelsoldner: Area damage + better melee defense
- Pikemen: more range, bonus vs. cavalry
- Halberdiers: Area damage, better melee defense
Additionally, clustered infantry currently get shredded by artillery. It would be nice if the Cover mode would be either replaced by stagger mode or if the speed reduction would be of -10% to -20% instead of more than half or almost half of the unit base speed.
Comment down bellow your ideas.