AOE III:Age of Discovery

[Galaril]

Here is an article I came across from Pc Gamer about the next age of empires som interesting innovations like a RPG element in the form of "Home Cities".



Age of Empires III
Ensemble enters an Age of Discovery - Boldly going
where no RTS has ever gone before.

The elevator opens and i walk out into a dimmer,
futuristic hallway. An audible hum fills the air, as
if Ensemble's office is being rocket-propelled
through the far reached of space (instead of being
parked in a sleepy suburb of Dallas, Texas). A
background of stars and out-of-this-world graphics
effects beckons to visitors from the sleek, black
monitor embedded in the wall. Any minute now, i
expect Scotty to appear from Engineering and offer
up a refreshing Romulan ale.

So what in the name of Spock does Star Trek have to
do with a history-themed real-time strategy game
like Age of Empires III?

Nothing...and everything, as i soon learn from
Ensemble President and CEO Tony Goodman. He's a
quirky, likeable character who has gone above and
beyond the call of duty to make sure that Ensemble's
office is so entertaining that, for it's employees,
arriving at their jobs every morning is like
visiting a theme park. Inspired by Las Vegas' "Star
Trek experience", Goodman flew the architects
responsible for designing Ensemble's new digs to the
tourist attraction before they began building four
years ago. Their Mission: to boldly re-create its
sci-fi chic ambiance (on a far more modest budget).

Why? Because Goodman really likes Star Trek - a lot.
But mostly because he knows that the way to keep a
bunch of veteran game developers happy - and the way
to attract celebrated new recruits - is to make work
fun. And if that means giving your 80 or so
employees access to kitchens that are the spitting
image of Quark's bar, then so be it.
As trippy as the place is, especially to a
first-time visitor, Ensemble's Federation-styled
backdrop is a parallel to the company's philosophy
about the type of games that it makes. With 16
million copies of its Age of Empires franchise sold
worldwide, Ensemble has single-handedly introduced a
fresh style to the RTS genre once dominated by the
Command & Conquer series. Now, after a detour into
the realm of fantasy with 2002's Age of Mythology,
Ensemble is, like Captain Kirk and crew, seeking out
new life - in the tired universe of strategy gaming,
that is - with a game that, at its core, is all
about discovery.

Which brings us to Age of Empires III...

THE WONDER YEARS
Continuing from where Age of Empires II left off,
the third chapter n the series begins in 1500 A.D.
and chronicles the Age of Discovery that started
around the time when Columbus "discovered" the new
world. (Yeah, we know - several indiginous tribes
were already living in America long before then.
Write a historian, not us.) the single-player
campaign then follows the course of American History
up through 1850 - ending right before the start of
the Civil War.

In multiplayer mode, you'll be able to choose from
among the eigt different European civilizations.
Only three - the French, Spanish, and British - have
been officially confirmed by Ensemble, but the smart
money says the Dutch and the Swiss will be two more.
Games will start with your arrival by ship to the
shores of America, where your goal will be to
explore the New World, establish trade routes, forge
alliances with Native Americans, build and army for
battle against rival Europeans, and ultimately bring
glory to your home country.

Codenamed "Rocket" by its internal development team,
Age of Empires III almost turned into and Age game
that didn't have "ages". Taking inspiration from
German board games, the designers crafted a strategy
game in which you capture victory points to win
scenarios, but without technologically advancing
your civilization through new ages, which is one of
the hallmarks of the series. Another version had
"auto-ages", in which each side automatically
leveled up at the same time. And borrowing from
massively multiplayer games, one incarnation had
persistent character that would build experience
from match to match.

while Lead Desinger Greg Street asserts that
Ensemble's initial stab was a "fun game", it didn't
feel much like an Age of Empires game. A year and a
half into development, incongruent elements and
features were dropped. So the team regrouped, and
decided to focus more closely on traditional
gameplay - but also experiment with some of the
first iterations' inventive ideas.

"Innovation has driven our design," says Ensemble
Senior Designer Bruce Shelley, whose 20 years of
experience making videogames includes a successful
partnership with Sid Meiers in the early 1990's
co-designing such classics as Railroad Tycoon and
Sid Meier's Civilization. The pressure was, and
still is, on Ensemble to not only build on the
success of it's past Age games, but also to exceed
such ambitious competitors as Rome: Total War and
Rise of Nations.

"There isn't an RTS made that isn't played at
Ensemble," says Street, who freely admits that the
team borrows bits and pieces from the competition
when transforming ideas. Another benefit to rampant
sampling is that Ensemble is able to keep abreast of
the latest trends and advancements int the genre,
such as innovations in user interfaces, a move
toward story-lines with an epic scope, and, of
course, full-3D graphics.

As development gelled(?) on Age III, two areas were
singled out for innovation. First on the list was
the graphics engine, which the group decided had to
be the very best on the block. so the "Rocket" team
set a not-so-simple goal for itself: Age of Empires
III would have the best-looking graphics of any
game, period.

To accomplish that lofty aspiration, Ensemble built
a brand-new graphics engine from the ground up that
includes features like dynamic shadows and lighting;
support for Pixel Shader 3.0; bloom effect that make
lit object seem to glow onscreen; and tone mapping
to creat near-photorealistic images. And one
programmer has been devoted to nothing but water
effects, just to ensuer that the lapping oceans in
the game look their very best.

Ensemble has also licensed the Havok physics engine
for Age of Empires III. What that means in that when
you fire a cannon at a band of Redcoats, the ensuing
mayhem will have all the pizzazz of an explosion in
Half-Life 2; bodies fly through the air with ragdoll
physics; tiny little hats are knocked off the heads
of the injured; and your cannonball may continue to
roll after impact, possibly uprooting trees or
bystanders. Similarly, structures will destruct
dynamically as they're fired upon, with bbits of
roofing and rubble flung airborne until the building
finally crumbles.

HOME, SWEET HOME
Ensemble's second great innovation is the one it
considers to be the most important. It's the concept
of a Home City, a capital back in Europe that
supports your efforts to conquer the New World.

The idea is a throwback to an early design that
included persistant character. In multiplayer games,
your Home City will be like a character in an RPG
that "levels up" as you gain experience points,
giving you access to varied upgrades. Levels and
upgrades will carry over from game to game - but
unlike in a typical massively multiplayer game,
skill will be the most salient factor in who will
win a match. So, a player with a level-50 city won't
automatically trump a level-45 competitor...though i
wouldn't take any bets on a level-5 opponent if i
were you.

Both you and your opponents will be able to view
your Home City at any time. Initially, it will be
small and relatively unpopulated, but as you earn
glory (and XP) in the New World by hunting,
fighting, and allying with native tribes, your city
will grom more powerful. And as the city expands, so
will it's society - including crowded foot-traffic
on city streets, the ability to erect magnificent
buildings, and the sounds of urban living (like the
clip-clop of horses or the grinding urn of a
windmill). Wonder how the residens think you're
doing? Click on one and he'll tell you.

The benefit of having a Home City will be economic
support in the form of regular supply shipments
delivered right to your colony's doorstep.
Additionally, every level gained will give you
access to more of a branching tree of potential
upgrades. Som upgrades, like unlocking a mime to
entertain the pedestrians of your Home City, will be
purely cosmetic. But at least half of them can
affect gameplay - for instance, opening up new types
of units like Grenadiers or Scouting parties, or
being able to send reinforcements from your Home
City.

As they become unlocked, you'll be able to build the
illustrious buidlings for which your home country's
capital has become famous, such as Paris' Notra Dame
Cathedral. Structures in Home City can also be
personalized - you can select the roof color and the
decorations (such as gargoyles) that adorn it's
edifice, for example. The design team believes that
the RPG elements involved in building up your city
will motivate you to continue playing online long
after the point at which similar games wear out
their welcome.

Ensemble hasn't set a level cap for Home Cities yet,
but expects it to be at least 100. A built-in
matching system will help you find online opponents
with comparable experience levels, but you'll be
able to generate an unlimited number of Home Cities
(with each representing a unique persitant
"character") in case you want to compete against a
buddy who just started playing the game.

"The dream in the creative industry is to come up
with an idea that people don't know they want until
they see it," says Bruce Shelley. If RTS buffs react
to the Home City concept with that sort of "Where
has this been all my life?" fanfare, then the
Ensemble team will be able to breathe a collective
sigh of relief. And the early word is promising:
According to Ensemble, Microsoft has submitted Age
of Empires III to public scrutiny through
focus-group testing in Chicago, Dallas, and around
Europe with positive reviews.

[MrBug708]

Sounds rather unique...I hope

[Dutch]

Age of Empires II was always my favorie RTS game of all time.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Though I hope Im proven wrong this looks like a probably bust to me.

[Barkeep49]

Originally Posted by CHEMICAL SOLDIER

Though I hope Im proven wrong this looks like a probably bust to me.

I agree. To me RON leaped frogged over AOE and I don't see the innovations here doing anything to reacapture that spot.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

I agree. To me RON leaped frogged over AOE and I don't see the innovations here doing anything to reacapture that spot.

RON'S features really revolutionized the genre. Especially with gameplay lasting a max of 90 minutes. fun fun compared to RON'S 3.-6 hr games.

[G-Man]

Ron? What game are you referring to? Rome, Total War

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Originally Posted by G-Man

Ron? What game are you referring to? Rome, Total War

RON= Rise of Nations.

[G-Man]

Originally Posted by CHEMICAL SOLDIER

RON= Rise of Nations.

Never played it, you think I should give it a try? I am not one who enjoys allot of micrmanagement, so keep that in mind. My favorite all time RTS is STARCRAFT.

Thanks.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I was skeptical of Rise of Nations at first but was wowed by it when I bought it. It's pretty simple compared to other RTS' out there. Read the review on IGN.COM and search this site for thoughts on the game. Trust me once you've played it you'll never play another RTS Again.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Dola: This game really brought me back to the RTS genre (as seen in my previous posts in the thread). I loved the addition of natl. borders as well as attrition rates to your units in enemy territory if not supported by baggage trains.

[jbmagic]

Rise of nation and the Expansion is an excellent RTS game...i highly recommend it

[Galaril]

I agree RON is a great RTS.

[Eaglesfan27]

I've never played it. Might have to try it out sometime in the future.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I've never played it. Might have to try it out sometime in the future.

get the gold one....it comes with the expansion together.. i think price is lower now too...


RON is like age of empire 2 and Civilization 3 combo..it has wonders, library, temple, etc to build

try the demo out

[maximus]

Here is another article about it.

http://www.ensemblestudios.com/MoreInfo.htm

January 4, 2005

Dawn of a New Age: Age of Empires III Announced for 2005 Release

Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios are proud to announce the return of the king of real-time strategy games: Age of Empires III is scheduled to ship in the second half of 2005. This will be the latest landmark release in the award-winning franchise that has sold a staggering 16 million units worldwide.

Age of Empires III will offer gamers the next level of realism, with advanced battle physics and unparalleled visual detail. The new game picks up where Age of Empires II: Age of Kings left off, placing gamers in the position of a European power determined to explore, colonize and conquer the New World. This time period features stunning scenes, from towering European cathedrals to courageous tribes of Native Americans, and spectacular combat with Industrial Age units like rifled infantry, cavalry and tall ships bristling with cannons.

Age of Empires III will once again demonstrate Ensemble Studios' reputation for excellence and innovation in the real-time strategy (RTS) genre. The game will set a new standard for visual quality and amaze players with detail never before seen in an RTS. Age of Empires III will excite strategy gamers with new game-play elements, including the concept of a “Home City,“ new civilizations, units, technologies and an immersive new single-player campaign that will span three generations.

and for those interested here is the official website for AOE:III (at the moment it only show a few in-game screen shots)

http://www.ensemblestudios.com/


I've never played the AOE series but that may change today if I can find AOE II anwhere.

[jbmagic]

Maximus get AOE 2 Gold.. highly recommend it...very good RTS game

it has the expansion inlcuded....and then play it with the expansion


But i will just wait for AOE 3 and just get RIse of Nation Gold includes expansion...a great RTS game
http://www.microsoft.com/games/riseofnations/


Empire Earth 2 RTS game that coming out in Feb 2005 looks great..
http://empireearth.sierra.com/empireearth2.jsp

[Eaglesfan27]

I've played quite a bit of Rise Of Nations Gold the last few days, and it has become my favorite real time strategy game of all time. Excellent game.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I've played quite a bit of Rise Of Nations Gold the last few days, and it has become my favorite real time strategy game of all time. Excellent game.

i agree. so many different ways to play
just play the expansion only and be sure to hit update on the menu..to get latest version

check out Empire earth 2..looks promising too
http://empireearth.sierra.com/empireearth2.jsp

Some of RON ideas was from Empire earth and Age of empire

[Galaril]

Does anyone have this? How is it? I might pick this up.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Does anyone have this? How is it? I might pick this up.

mine is shipping, although it's more for the wife. I don't really care much for RTS games.
I haven't heard a lot of great things about it - seems pretty similar to AOEII, although that's fine with me.

[G-Man]

I aim to play it today, so I'll keep you posted!

[Galaril]

I went out and traded Black and White 2 for it. I too will give impressions after playing some.

[G-Man]

Wonderful Graphics and great game play. I teamed up with another computer against two computers and got wasted! I am a bit rusty as I have not played any AOE or AOM for over 2 years!!

Looking forward to playing with my friends and daugter soon

[Ben E Lou]

I played the demo, and couldn't figure out a way to get a unit to scout the map. Am I missing something, or is it a clickfest to scout?

[WrongWay]

Kind of dissapointed that I did not read any "It is 4AM and I am finally turning off my computer and going to bed" reviews.

Nobody seems to excited by this game. I was really hoping for a can't put down type of game here.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Originally Posted by WrongWay

Kind of dissapointed that I did not read any "It is 4AM and I am finally turning off my computer and going to bed" reviews.

Nobody seems to excited by this game. I was really hoping for a can't put down type of game here.

Seems there really is no hype regarding the game too. A game of this caliber needs a lotta hype.

[jbmagic]

Empire Earth 2, Rise of Nation and Age of mythlogy didnt get lots of hype either.

seems like rts games here dont get much hype here.

the most hype will be Civ4 it looks like.

[illinifan999]

Originally Posted by WrongWay

Kind of dissapointed that I did not read any "It is 4AM and I am finally turning off my computer and going to bed" reviews.

Nobody seems to excited by this game. I was really hoping for a can't put down type of game here.

I've only been up until 2AM playing this game the last 2 nights.

[Barkeep49]

I think Rise of Nations got a lot of hype here. For two or three weeks solid we had 4-6 people show up for multiplayer. I think AOE is an underwhelming game, frankly, and that's why you've seen an underwhelming response.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

I think AOE is an underwhelming game, frankly, and that's why you've seen an underwhelming response.

Underwhelming is a good word for what I've seen in the demo. It looks like they've added some stuff, but it doesn't appear to be that much of an upgrade from the last installment of the series. Unless I hear differently from FOFC in the coming weeks/months (or get sufficiently bored at some point...), I'll pass on this one.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Underwhelming is a good word for what I've seen in the demo. It looks like they've added some stuff, but it doesn't appear to be that much of an upgrade from the last installment of the series. Unless I hear differently from FOFC in the coming weeks/months (or get sufficiently bored at some point...), I'll pass on this one.

For me, the main focus of AOE has been on gameplay, graphics, and fun. Not on depth or realism. That's why I was put off by Rise of Nations. While the added dimensions of the game were interesting, it killed the whole "unadultered fun" part.

I don't want my fun mixed with my strategy!!!

All I really want from the AOE series is the ability to watch little toy men battle it out on my computer screen while I hang out with the bird's eye view.

If I want something with a lot more strategy, I'll head off for Civilization or if I LOTS AND LOTS OF TIME to dedicate, I'll go pick up some of Matrix Games wargame titles.

But when I only have 30 minutes or an hour to kill and I'm in the mood for some warfare, titles like AOE are perfect. It's the KISS concept at it's finest.

Why I am getting the AOE's latest installment is because it's a graphical update and a new timeframe. I really am not expecting anything more. Of course, if I find something else that's, that's just gravy.

[Bonegavel]

Originally Posted by Dutch

For me, the main focus of AOE has been on gameplay, graphics, and fun. Not on depth or realism. That's why I was put off by Rise of Nations. While the added dimensions of the game were interesting, it killed the whole "unadultered fun" part.

I don't want my fun mixed with my strategy!!!

All I really want from the AOE series is the ability to watch little toy men battle it out on my computer screen while I hang out with the bird's eye view.

If I want something with a lot more strategy, I'll head off for Civilization or if I LOTS AND LOTS OF TIME to dedicate, I'll go pick up some of Matrix Games wargame titles.

But when I only have 30 minutes or an hour to kill and I'm in the mood for some warfare, titles like AOE are perfect. It's the KISS concept at it's finest.

Why I am getting the AOE's latest installment is because it's a graphical update and a new timeframe. I really am not expecting anything more. Of course, if I find something else that's, that's just gravy.

This is the first thing I've read about AoE III that has made me want to buy it.

What I don't like about the gameplay footage (I subscribe to Gampespot) is that there appears to be zero need for any strategy in regards to the combat. Still appears to be build as many units as you can and hope that your rock beats their scissor.

I remember when this was in production, Shelley made comments about how formations will matter in this version and how combat will be more strategic.

From what I've seen that didn't happen.

I lean towards Dutch's assessment for the most part, but it would at least be nice to have some higher level strategic choices to make so it isn't just build as many of your best unit and unleash them.

[WrongWay]

Originally Posted by illinifan999

I've only been up until 2AM playing this game the last 2 nights.

That is very good to hear.



ALso, the last 2 posts about Strategy and realism over Game play fun had me thinking about Rome: Total War. There is a game that just about sucked all the fun out of the battles.

[Johnny93g]

My bro loves this type of game, so he bought it, and i played it for 2-3 hours last night....graphics were great....i was very impressed...i had alot of fun with it.....both in the single player campaign mode, and the skirmish mode(which i got destroyed in).....this type of game isnt usually my cup of tea, but i can see myself playing it quite a bit when i get the time.....(bad news for BBCF!!!!!... )