Released on September 4th, Age of Mythology: Retold is Assemble’s fourth and final remake of the early 2000s classic game age… RTS series, inherit the legend age of empires 3. Released during an era when strategy games dominated PC gaming, these four games remained beloved for 15 to 20 years, receiving various updates and re-releases before Microsoft launched more focused projects to adapt them for modern players. Completely completely remodeled and updated.
You might imagine that a project like this would be a side project for one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, the effort of a handful of people focused on some repurposed stationary cupboard, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, for Age of Mythology: RetoldA total of five different studios are working on the game, overseen by World’s Edge, a Microsoft studio created specifically for the project. Executive producing all of this is a Microsoft stalwart, an executive producer who started making games back in 2002 brinks and great Xbox 360 games, Long live the piñataYuan Cheng.
(When I mentioned brinksYuan was shocked, because it seemed that I was not the first reporter to mention this matter in an interview. I remained silent and turned to 360 to start the game Cameo. He recalled that it was the first game made for the console before the console itself was available for purchase. We all pretended to stare at the CD in our hands.
“The way World’s Edge was built from the beginning was to be a management age of empires Franchise, similar to Marvel Studios! This rather grandiose comparison made Yuan unable not to laugh as he tried to add that his job was to “manage the sacred timeline.” Then he continued more gently: “[We’re there] Finding people we think are great and pairing them up so everyone can focus on what they’re good at.
five teams, myth retelling If anything, a milder setup because second generation There are “seven or eight” teams working on this. Yuan’s logic is that not everyone is good at everything, “but every company is great at something they do. So we pair up different groups so they can do what they do best.” , and then we coordinate.
In fact, two of the teams worked on myth is a company that World’s Edge helped build, made up of experienced developers they knew were big fans of the original game. Overseeing it all is obviously a huge logistical task, but Yuan says the only drawback is the time zones, with the team spread across Australia, Canada and elsewhere. No matter what time the all-hands meeting was scheduled, someone would get up at midnight.
When remaking age World’s Edge and its many partner developers face a difficult balance. These games have had a loyal fan base that’s still involved with them for the better part of 25 years, and they’re certainly passionate about the original version and its spirit. Then again, RTS is no longer as dominant as it was in the late ’90s, early ’00s, and the format’s particular sensibilities and sometimes impenetrable systems no longer lend themselves to a wider audience.
But senior game designer Kristen Hanlon-Pirillo explained that while older players are very enthusiastic, “they’re also very cooperative.” A big part of the process is returning home. mythological age Involves going back to forums from 15 years ago and seeing what people were saying about it, seeing what exploits were used, and how people were playing the game back then. “Then, on the design side, we ask, ‘How many problems can we solve?'”
A lot of what World’s Edge finds is people trying to play mythological age as if it were a age of empires The game, therefore, misses out on key elements contained in the spin-off games, specifically the role of the gods and the powers of the gods, and the heroes that preceded them, thus missing the core of the game. “We want to answer the question,” Hanlon-Pirillo said, “how do you play ball? mythological age as if it were a mythological age game?
Another major pillar of the updated approach is to address elements that were simply not possible in 2002. In this way we can have more crazy attacks and more special effects.
However, it wasn’t until they looked at how to transfer these traditional mouse and keyboard games to consoles that they stumbled upon a host of other ways to improve the quality of life for PC gamers. When adding elements like a “villager priority system” or “artificial intelligence economic assistance” – designed to make the game more controller-friendly, clicking each element is a less flexible option – it becomes clear that these Will be good for PC as well. “It reduces cognitive load,” Hanlon-Pirillo said. While you might think this would raise eyebrows among long-time fans, the changes seem to improve the game, even for what remains the most popular way to play, competitive multiplayer. “[Units are] “They’re more self-reliant, and while it’s not yet to the point where they take over, you don’t have to take care of them like a lost duckling,” added Hanlon-Pirillo, who said feedback from an extremely responsive community has been positive. This is also largely thanks to the team taking the opportunity to “clean up” the core complaints about the game from the original release and fixing them.
Oh, and there are turtles. This isn’t a weird new creature being added to the game, but rather a nickname given to players who play RTS games from a purely defensive perspective. “They’re just not aggressive,” Hanlon-Pirillo said. “They’re not warlike, they’re very strategic and they hoard all their resources. It’s called a turtle.” I commented that my father was the king of turtles. “I love turtles!” ” Hanlon-Pirillo replied, but pointed out that many mythThe design wants players to be more aggressive, especially when playing the Norwegian race. Therefore, many people fall behind at this point in the game. So, to fix this, they’ve rebalanced the Norwegian campaign, introducing new unit types and building types, and making more powerful units available faster. “It’s a balancing act,” the developer added, “because we still want to make sure [civilization] This is still something you need to hone your skills on.
Speaking of remakes, there’s an elephant in the room mythological age. 2014, Age of Mythology: Extended Edition Released, the game has been updated with Steamworks integration, modern resolution options, Twitch support, and graphical tweaks. This was followed by a new expansion in 2016, dragon storyfeaturing China as a playable culture, along with new gods, new campaigns, and new multiplayer. There are two questions. First, this was made by SkyBox Labs, then in partnership with Microsoft, but now – after work Halo: Infinite——A subsidiary of NetEase. Secondly, it is not great. Aside from the minor updates, there are issues with the multiplayer and the game feels out of place when it’s around two thousand years old. but what’s worse dragon expansion, was derided by many and sat for years Disastrous orange text “Mostly Negative” on Steam.
Both restate The developers were too polite to get involved. But given the active community surrounding the game, their plans need to be clear. “We heard from fans,” Yuannest said, “that this was definitely a controversial expansion.” So, no, dragon story This version will not include an expansion pack, but a new Chinese expansion pack is being developed. The premium version of the remastered version will come with two DLC packs, the first of which is the “New Chinese Expansion Pack”. There are no further details yet and the DLC will be released after launch, but it seems like a sensible compromise.
Another DLC returns to the offensive Norse campaign, adding four new gods, powers, upgrades, and units, as well as metagame spread effects designed to provide the region with adequate defense methods.
So, of course, considering this is the last game of the old game age The franchise is getting a remake, and, how do they make new expansion packs for it…surely? Of course, right? Age of Empires V Just sitting there, in the ether, raw. “It sounds like you really want to create something new?” I asked, my voice rising to a ridiculously high pitch as I tried to prod them into giving answers I knew they wouldn’t give. I’m closer than I thought!
“So…” Yuan began. “I…” he continued. “We…” he added. “I’d love to…” he continued so seductively. Then he himself returned to the clearly rehearsed line, “So, we’re launching the game on September 4th, and our goal is that this will be a game that will continue to be updated and nurtured, and…” Picture me Rejected the volume at this time. So I tried again.
“I know you don’t want to answer this question, but you must Be tempted and make a brand new one! You’ve got everything ready, right? The team is in place, all these experts…”
“Yes,” Yuan interrupted me gently. “We do have a lot of people interested in building more age”. Come on, come on. “This is definitely what we need…” Right? “Now we need to focus on Age of Mythology: Retold The best game. Damn it.
.
