This game is going to suck as an RTS for 2 main reasons:

- Online only (internet connection required to play + persistent-in-useraccount unlocks, eXPerience and other mmo-like progress crap)

- GFWL


Can GPG remove the stupid "Online" part, and make it a traditional offline+online RTS/AOE game?

If not, then too bad that K&C was delayed/abandoned because of this.


Ensemble Studios did a very bad job with AOE3, however a studio much like GPG, Big Huge Games made an awesome AOE3 expansion pack (The first AOE game not made by Ensemble) and somewhat saved the series.

Can GPG do the same here? I don't think Microsoft will allow that, AOEO is already flawed as an RTS game.

It all comes down to how much freedom they give to GPG net. If they keep them on a tide leesh then the game will probably suck. If they unleash the man, A.K.A Chris Taylor then the game will most definetly rock.....

I'm assuming that your statement that AoEO is a flawed RTS game is based on you playing the beta. What is it about (1) the game in general, and (2) the gameplay in particular that you don't like?

Also, why do you want to be able to play the game offline if it sucks?

Consider what Servo posted in Suggestion Guidelines: "Eventually, Microsoft may provide a place for official suggestions and a link will be added here for that. Until then, consider this the unofficial place to discuss new (and old) ideas that could add something to the Age of Empires franchise as we begin morphing it into something distinctly GPG."

I think AoEO will be very interesting and definitely a game to check out since it uses a model that has few peers. Only CoH Online is really similar and of similar scope to AoEO. And I loved AoE3, even vanilla. AoEO will be free to play, so there is no risk to using it.

AoE 3 is the only RTS game that I truly enjoy playing vanilla. If AoEO is at all close to the AoE gameplay genre (which it most likely will be), then the fact that it will be free will make it pretty damn hard to criticize it. If you don't like it, then don't play it and don't worry about losing any money. The only people who will spend money to get other civs are going to be the people who already like the game.

Which is why it is even more important for GPG to appeal to the core fans. Adding non-Age features like strat zoom just might drive those AoE fans away.

Im pretty sure GPG only makes extra content for the game, and doesnt really influence gameplay itself except for of course the gameplay flavour of those new factions. So no, they cannot "fix" AOEO. I will agree that GFWL is a big turnoff for me as well.

Yeah! Awesome idea! Let's delete all the hard work there is done, and restart everything. No problem at all! It's very easy to rewrite a game! In fact, GPG can do that in only 2 days I think!

2 days.
What.
No one said anything about 2 days, don't pull random numbers out of your *** to disprove other people's arguments. At least intelligent people have the decency to do it subtly. If they're in charge of the project, then they can make alterations to the game.

Almost everyone here is missing two main points:
1: This game will make bank. I will be seriously surprised if GPG is not happy with the cash it pulls in. GPG will then have money to make their own projects.
2: GPG is developing the game. Developers can develop developmentally. Sure there are restrictions, but in the end, they're the bastards making the game.

GPG is probably getting a flat rate to develop this, its not thier game, and its not even really made by them, the content will be it seems, but the game wont (for a large part anyway)

The way I see it, Robot Entertainment built the foundations (after all they where Ensemble Studios devs, it is was not an complete engine from scratch for them), and now GPG has complete control of the game, of course under some rules Microsoft Games has set.


I don't understand though, why there won't be a minimal offline mode, that you can only play (solo) skirmish games against AI in various Random Maps. That is what made previous AOE games special, and that is how most people play RTS games.

That would be cool, even if you have to pay for it (Offline Pack?).

Actually, that sounds like an idea that could be very successful imo. And GPG happens to have developers with great experience when it comes to AIs.

It might not be what Microsoft planned to do but I think it might be a financially attractive idea.

The lack of an offline mode I think is related to the persistent capital feature. Since the capital city does stuff while you are not playing the game (you get more gold and such), the game requires an internet connection to allow you to access the city. And from what it seems, every part of the game is accessed through the city (mercenary houses for PvP, workshops for wargear upgrades, town hall for quests, etc.).