I get that. I still like to play AoE1 as is, though, so I’m interested.
There’s just something about that game’s atmosphere. The quiet caveman stuff at the start. Hauling the fishes back and forth. Random lion attacks. Triremes sailing by. Priests going Wo Lo Lo!
It was really the first RTS I seriously got into, although I think AoK is superior in almost every way (except maybe setting – I have a soft spot for the ancient world).
One thing people have been complaining about is it being in Windows store and not Steam. This German article says the reason is Steam rules, but I’m not sure it makes sense to me (could just be lost in the google translation). I’m pretty sure there were titles that used Games for Windows Live that have been on Steam. Anyways, apparently MS guy responsible for AoE rebirth apparently says it is possible it could end up on Steam.
No, that’s complete bullshit. The real reason is that MS needs the windows store to succeed more then they need the sales.
Personally, I have a bit of windows store credit from using Bing, so I might as well use it. I dont use the windows store, but it’s not like I won’t. I have all the other ones after all.
Don’t take it too seriously, but what comes to mind about these two is:
On the red corner, a convicted monopolist known for purposefully selling consoles with below spec components (to keep it short) that has infighted itself into an OKish company for the moment.
On the blue corner, a monopoly that gathers more and more power to dictate the PC gaming market and to do whatever they want to your decade of licenses once it chooses, but all it’s done is stagnate it’s services for a decade.
Neither of which gives a damn about customer support and have no compunction to extort customers and partners alike. What a fight it could be! If only Valve had a reason to care about the fight, that is…
So the game is out, and it looks good. I haven’t had any time to really play since I’ve been sick in bed the last 3 days, but hopefully tonight I will get a crack at it.
Honestly, AoE looks fun, but I’m really looking forward to what the team will do with AoE 2, especially with all the expansion packs. Hopefully, India will get some updates, and finally be the Elephant Kingdon it deserves to be.
I’m looking forward to that too. I played the heck out of Age of Empires, but AoE2 came out in 1999 when I was really busy and didn’t have time to play. So I never really got around to it. This time I can finally try it out.
Historical footnote: The original AoE is the reason we finally downloaded Internet Explorer. We could play multiplayer over Kali, which we did, but we got tired of playing against the same five people over and over. And for the Internet Gaming Zone, we needed to have Internet Explorer, since it wouldn’t work on Netscape. I don’t think we had a 56k modem yet, so it took a really long time to download Internet explorer. It took us many many failed tries before we finally successfully downloaded it.
YES IT DOES! ALONGSIDE WITH REBELLION!
This I can agree with.
It looks great. The AI pathfinding is pure 90s. Lasso-grouping units that don’t queue up into formation but remain in the blob you found them is kind of shocking at how that massive inefficiency changes the combat.
But… Xbox Live is syncing, please wait. I can’t even play the game until it syncs with Xbox Live. And if it never syncs, I can never play.
Just to let everyone know, Star Wars Battleground Expanded Fronts just updated. The Zann Consortium can now build Nightsisters instead of Sith, and can build Hunters (Ranged Jedi).
I played a bit with them last night.
It looks like maybe we will finally get some info the other Definitive Editions, or maybe Age 4. Also a new patch coming out for Age 1 DE, which is surprising as they’d been pretty quiet on it for a while.
So, they are finally bringing some of the features of AoE 2 to AoE1.
Oh! I forgot this comes out next week.
Yeah, I haven’t had the time to play it much yet. I might try tonight.
Those screenshots look terribly fuzzy.
YouTube has been busy with videos to check out since last night
I initially shrugged when I heard about new DE Age of Empires. Better to let the game live in the past with its happy memories. I dabbled with Age 2 HD but found the performance awful from years ago. Fast forward to now, I am watching community games on Youtube, including T90’s recent Regicide Rumble event. And I found myself excited for Age 2. And here I am now having just pre-purchased Age 2 DE and also Age 1 DE on Steam feeling excited about jumping into these games again. Dammit.
I’m also currently watching a commentary of DauT vs Hera in Age 2 DE via a T90 Youtube video. This game looks real pretty.
Mods!
The plant remover one might be nice