Re-implementing Cut/Planned Features from AoE 2’s Early Days: Should Forgotten Try?
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Recently, I came across an old video of Spirit of the Law and a design document from 1998 where Ensemble Studios discussed features for Age of Empires 2 that ultimately did not make it into the final game. Some of these features included relics providing combat bonuses, raider civilizations, the ability to kidnap villagers for resources, special abilities for units, boarding and ramming enemy ships, and fire ships causing damage to units on transport ships. While some of these features were later added to newer titles, like Age of Mythology and Age of Empires 4, it begs the question of whether or not the development team should consider bringing these features back to Age of Empires 2, or leave the game as it currently is.
I like everything apart from the raider civs.
I think for sure they should look at how Rome at War have handled naval combat. It’s a very different beast, but it’s a lot more fun.
re relics prividing combat bonuses- how would describe Liths bonus or Aztec monks?
A few of these are kind of implemented – the relic bonus for Lithuanians, gold from attacking for Keshiks, the new Chieftains tech giving gold from killing villagers and trade carts, things like Hussite Wagons giving reduced damage to units behind them. I think there’s more interesting stuff you could do but I think often adding stuff like this overcomplicates things – it’s either not useful or so useful it dominates the meta and is very micro demanding.
I think all of theese could be implemented in aoe4, but it wouldn’t be a fit in aoe2.
Aoe2 needs to stay simple at first glance.
Not necessarily that the community is conservative, but some of these were cut because they are just bad. Like having to babysit a squishy monk around the battlefield vs the way relics currently work (which is already strong enough to fight over, but not so strong that there are no other options).
Personally, I’m a big fan of a new ramming/boarding ship, and it would be historically relevant as well.
No. More features don’t make a game better.
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