Author: Bai Guangguang
Around 2000, in the computer room (computer game room, which is mainly a single-player game room with internet access due to the high cost of internet access), some of the scenes are different from the current impression: almost all machines used to have DOOM and DUKE, and later evolved into "Command and Conquer" and "Red Alert", and occasionally mixed with "Paladin Legend".
Later, a game that looked like RTS, but felt different from the RTS we understood, came out, and that was Age of Empires. At that time, I vaguely felt that some of its ideas were different from the popular games on the market, such as classes, resources, strategy, and victory concepts. And some of us in the group of players really talked about the relationship between Saracens and Saladin in the cafeteria, in the dormitory, and on the way to the Internet café because they read the general history of Arabia.
Later, Age of Empires 2 and StarCraft became the perfect choice for speed and ideas in Internet cafes near schools — at least until Counter Strike became popular, RTS was our first choice for crowds. But later, with the gradual rise of various types of games, it gradually fell silent, and only a small number of people still remember the joy of strategizing.
Now, Age of Empires 4 is back in front of our eyes more than 20 years later. Maybe this is not the Renaissance of RTS, but this full meal of civilization and history is still the same as it was then – new, rich and still mellow.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > on the thoroughness of nostalgia: Age of Empires 2 veteran players have zero resistance to get started</h1>
Talking about the history of "Age of Empires", we can know: Microsoft released the game of Ensemble Studios in 1997, and because Microsoft and Ensemble are new to the industry, the lack of experience between yin and yang is filled with full passion, and it also makes "Age of Empires" eye-catching in the market. As for the later Age of Empires 2, it can be seen as a complete body of Ensemble's design intent.
But luck is stronger than people. Although Ensemble still insisted on releasing Age of Empires 3 in 2005, the ebb and flow of RTS was inevitable. The slower overall pace of the game itself, the longer duration and the more complex operational skills, are less flattering in the tide of fast-paced games that has emerged. As for the realistic themes such as the real historical trajectory, the connection between the class and civilization, etc., it is even more clumsy: at that time, more players on the PC side have plunged into the arms of FPS or more game types from the myth of RTS and RPGs, and more modern and faster themes are more attractive.
But time has entered 2021, and although RTS is far from its heyday, the nostalgia and taste for it are much better than before: after all, the clothes are not as good as the new people, and many elderly players still have a space in their hearts for it.
So, Age of Empires 4, which comes at this moment, has barely taken any adventurous attempts or groundbreaking changes, and everything it presents seems to tell the player that it's back and that the style remains the same. If you're a season of empire 2 skilled veterans, it's hardly a minute to find out: from gathering resources (food, wood, stone, gold), to building infrastructure, building barracks, workshops, to technological development and upgrades, to the final construction of top civilization facilities, everything is so original. The span of four civilization stages, the integration of different technological generations, Age of Empires 4 completely follows the game design logic of Age of Empires 2.
And, even for a new generation of gamers who have only heard of the Age of Empires series, or have never even played RTS at all, the friendliness of the game itself is first-rate: the "Norman" civilization story in the opening tutorial can be said to serve almost every need of the player, answering all the players' questions about operation and development - from clicking on units, formation actions, to collecting resources, building facilities and sending troops to fight, everything is "hand-in-hand" level teaching.
Therefore, any player who is skeptical because of the change of production of Age of Empires 4 is actually not necessary: Relic Entertainment is still the traditional company that has produced the Homeworld and Warhammer 40K series, and this OEM is also a comprehensive reproduction of Age of Empires from concept to presentation, which is completely worth the money.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="16" > script and campaign: not many civilizations, many contents, and a large pattern</h1>
If you use the more well-known historical games of this era as a basic understanding, Age of Empires 4 and Civilization 6 should be in the same camp. But the number of civilizations in Age of Empires 4 is not very large in terms of intuitive perception alone: China, Mongolia, Rus, Delhi Sultan, Shen Luo, France, Black Food, and England as the initial tutorial.
Although it is not like the "random flowers are becoming charming" presented in "Civilization 6", as long as you get started with the script, you can know that the content of this game is full of sincerity. First of all, the existing scripts include four major scripts: "Norman", "Anglo-French Hundred Years' War", "Mongol Empire" and "The Rise of Moscow", with a total of 35 levels. The number of battles in the script is rich enough that even if you choose normal difficulty, it basically takes about 40 minutes to pass a level.
At the same time, the historical nature of the campaign itself and the strong sense of narrative are further strengthened: each campaign departs from its historical location, with narration transporting the player to memories of the past. And what Relic didn't get lazy about was that they actually went to the real place where these battles took place, using live-action buildings and game animations to try to give players the experience of immersing themselves in the course of history. In the course of the game, the age of empires itself has a moderate rhythm and sense of age, which still plays a charm in the steady cycle of "farming, building houses, and recruiting soldiers", allowing players to have enough time and mood to experience the epic journey of different civilizations.
Of course, this can be a bit of a rush for frizzy players. But I personally think that Relic's level design and civilization fit more like an amplified process, with difficulties and challenges, and also give beginners the greatest kindness - after all, as long as they follow the historical facts, they will not be thwarted. During this period, some strategic components of the RTS will also be integrated: such as rapidly upgrading the civilization stage, improving the construction efficiency, resisting the harassment of different civilization levels, and field battles with different functional units. Basically, if you can get through these dozens of hours of campaign content, then other game modes are enough to show a richer possible attraction.
In addition, Relic has prepared a solid historical documentary for those who have patiently fought the battle: according to the progress of the script, many of the "detailed features" of the chosen civilization are examined for the benefit of the player. These fragments of real-life performances are all "idle chess colds" in the history of some civilizations, but the content of weapons, armor, national habits and even architectural structures is excavated extremely deeply, and even corresponding experts, scholars, and historical researchers will be found to expound and explain. It was able to bring very convincing evidence as a response to the progression of the entire campaign. After playing the complete script of a civilization, you will be amazed by the stories in it and curious by the details they present.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="22" > free to play: balanced and stable, with sufficient affinity</h1>
Of course, the characteristics of the RTS game itself still need to be taken into account, which is the trade-off between the balance of power and the characteristics of the game. But The Relic is still the old god: the 8 forces given in the early version, although the development strategies in the middle and late periods are different, are generally more balanced. And I don't know if it is to take care of the old players to "make up lessons" or new players "trial and error", the game in the actual process of the advantages of the defender is more tolerant, relatively speaking, the side that attacks the city often has to pay a lot of costs.
And this also involves the triumph of Age of Empires based on the symbolism of civilization. In Age of Empires 4, there are still three ways to win: the first is the classic "I come and conquer", which bulldozes all the enemy's landmarks on the map; the second is the "Spectacle Victory", which builds a civilizational wonder, but once completed, the enemy will attack it, and the player's mission is to ensure that it has a 10-minute survival time; the third is similar to "religious victory", that is, sending monks to occupy all the sacred buildings on the map at the same time.
Slower paces, relatively tolerant resources, preferential treatment for defenders, and diverse victory conditions give Age of Empires players great tolerance. You can either use the tightly knit walls and cascading arrow towers to encircle yourself and win in the core area, or you can quickly plunder the opposing families who are buried in the feudal era, break up their supply chains or plunder a lot of resources to achieve the victory of civilization.
However, there are still some differences in this "Age of Empires 4", such as a special "influence system" that can make other buildings around the functional building gain gains (technology research and development efficiency increase, income tax increase, etc.), which makes players need to carefully plan their own territory and structure in the development process, and leave enough space for future functional upgrades and urban agglomeration expansion in the process of development - otherwise once they enter the stalemate of the middle plate or the final battle, Often, the cascading effect of an important functional building will affect the situation of the disk situation.
In addition, the basic settings of common units such as infantry and light horses are similar to those of Age of Empires 2, but relying entirely on a single class to attack or promote the expansion of the sphere of influence is more difficult in the medium term, and it is simply difficult in the later stages. The reason for this situation is that the tendency of the development of civilization is very different, on the other hand, the characteristics of restraint and resource matching of the arms are more obvious, and the development progress of each civilization must be balanced to consider the cooperation of combat units. If you are familiar with the restraint logic of RTS, then the "formation strategy" of booby-trapping the enemy with the high mobility of light cavalry, heavy infantry squeeze propulsion and split encirclement in plain operations can be realized.
Of course, "vigorous miracles" also exist, but the premise is that you have so many resources to build enough catapults... And it's better to make something else. The good news is that infantry can also craft improvised siege weapons such as chargers and siege towers under the walls. A fierce and heart-wrenching siege battle will surely bring the most burning moments to those old players who have been immersed in the good old days.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="29" > not many people like RTS, but enthusiasts can read it with sincerity</h1>
In fact, in addition to some of the rough game experiences briefly mentioned above in The Age of Empires 4, there are still many details waiting for players to dig. At the beginning of this century, due to technical and hardware limitations, some shortcomings can be said to be much more complete in terms of today's engine technology and modeling detail. At the same time, Relic has also added more rich elements to the development process of various civilizations, such as architecture, map environment, key elements, and even the difference in the style of voice dubbing. If you love RTS and are a veteran of Age of Empires 2, Age of Empires 4 from Microsoft and Mine Society is sure to be a slow-paced and informative meal.
But it's also completely unrealistic to describe it as a game that meets all the needs of everyone — because after all, the era of RTS has really passed, and the so-called "Renaissance" idea is not necessary: after all, in this era, having the courage to finish an RTS and put it on the market is already something to be encouraged; not to mention that Microsoft has given an account to the old players who have been addicted to "Age of Empires" day and night with its own historical accumulation for many years.
Overall, age of empires 4's overall framework is still outstanding, and the content that seems to be slightly insufficient at present, especially the types of civilizations, will surely be gradually completed over time. It's still the Age of Empires I imagined and expected, but it's just a matter of choosing a suitable point in time to reappear on my hard drive to fulfill the never-ending dream of a dynasty.