AoE4 - Details about France & other civilizations

Details about France, Abbasid Dynasty, and the other civilizations revealed so far in Age of Empires 4.
1:18 French
4:08 Abbasid Dynasty
6:15 Chinese
7:40 English
9:12 Delhi Sultanate
10:25 Mongols
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Patreon: / spiritofthelaw
Background music from Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com
Game: Age of Empires II Definitive Edition

[@TribePirate]

this channel is the real House of Wisdom

[@vaibhavsingh8381]

Baghdad

[@carloscoss5372]

48 hours since the release of the trailer and the update of 2 new civs in AOE2 and you have already given us 3 videos so far. You sir are the real MVP.

[@jjforcebreaker]

SotL is YT News Central for Age of Empires series.

[@JKRevanBR]

to be honest, as much as i love SOTL videos, these last ones are just things we could've read on the site ourselves in a fraction of the time

[@asch220]

JKRevanBR I like them already read it a few fimes but still nice hearing someone elses perspective

[@carloscoss5372]

@@JKRevanBR Yes, the problem is that I don’t know how to read.

[@mustahsinkhan5290]

@@JKRevanBR Same man, I can't read so have to listen

[@fulguratingbean9489]

Fun fact: in the French version of AoE II, Arbalétrier is the name of the Arbalester, however the Crossbowmen are renamed to something that can be translated to "Bow-wielding footmen", because crossbow and arbalest are the same word in french

[@yuryyboneski7277]

Crossbow was used in early medieval as it was a newly introduced weapon and arbalest designate it in late médiéval as an "enhanced" version for war. Arbalest was i french word if i remember correctly.

[@c-buck]

@@yuryyboneski7277 & Fulgurating Bean: thanks for the explanation, I learned something! As a french, I didn't even realize you had two different words for "une arbalète" (arbalester/crossbow). Now I better understand! 😅

[@krankarvolund7771]

I remember as a french kid, I was confused because I already knew what a arbalest was (I'm a history geek XD), and I was like "Bow footman? Why, he clearly have a crossbow?" XD Honestly, why translating bow-wielding footman instead of crossbowman and elite crossbowman, there's already a ton of upgrades that are just "elite" XD

[@nenko5919]

@@yuryyboneski7277 I'm french, and yeah the arbalest (the weapon) is called arbalète, and the dude wich is fighting with is called arbaletrier

[@SIGNOR-G]

In the italian version we solved the problem pretty easy. Since we have the same grammatical situation of the french we simply have crossbowman and *elite crossbowman* for the arbalest

[@Binarokaro]

I'm so used to "Age2" being short for "Age of Empires 2" and "Age3" being short for "Age of Empires 3" that this is tripping me up

[@UnEn666]

Start using Aoe2/aoe3.

[@HealGea]

this is what I was thinking while watching the video

[@the_Haexler]

as someone who has recently picked up aoe2 again and played it before in german, i was confused when people talked about the strategie of "fast castle". i thought, they talked about aging up fast and building fast a castle. in german aoe2, the third age is called "ritterzeit" (would be in english "knight age"), but apparently in english it is "castle age" (would be in german "Burgenzeit"). So yea, fast caslte apparently just fast ageing up to castle age But then again, feels so strange that "castle age" gets followed up by imperial, where castles still exist (even if trebuchets and canons ccan take them on now too beside rams). Knights on the other hand really vanish after "castle age" in an upgrade either and in late imperial age with low resources entirely as a line while trash remains.

[@Cecilia-ky3uw]

@@the_Haexler you are mistaken people do use knights late in the game

[@Falindio]

@@Cecilia-ky3uw people do use the knight line in the imperial age, but the name has changed from "Knight" to "Cavalier" and "Paladin", that's probably what they meant.

[@Tudsamfa]

I like that the city planning/building-buff-nearby-things mechanic will subtely help newer players reduce the idle time spend walking around. If you tell a new player the farmer spends half his time walking instead of gathering, he wont care. If you tell him the farm has improved stats if its near a town center, he will build 5 of them near every farm.

[@nlb137]

Age of Mythology might also be a place to look at for trade comparisons; AoM you can trade with yourself, between your market and any TC.

[@JuanTeDDi]

it sounds kind of similar with collecting tax from your own buildings

[@thenamelessguy7357]

@@JuanTeDDi hey, someone let spirit of the law know that the aoe4 website has just been updated with the final two Civs. The Holy Roman Empire and Rus

[@sweetmarshmallow7146]

Commenting for the algorithm

[@Critical_Capybara]

same

[@jdbrisebois8732]

yup 👍

[@gengoron4519]

Liking for the algorithm.

[@darthlannister7927]

For the algorithm!

[@Wisewolf_of_Avalon]

Replying for the algorithm

[@Diinassty]

"The Mangudai, which any Age of Empires 2 fan will recognize from their nightmares." - pure comedic gold, SotL, keep it up!

[@MidoriOfTheShuinsen]

I mean, massed Mangudai can be rather startling if you aren't expecting it.

[@YoungSnipes]

ikr?! love his subtle humor! xD

[@ShermTank7272]

I’m really curious about how the speed of the game will go. From all this news, it sounds like most civs have a much stronger Age 2 than most Feudal Ages in AoE 2, with seemingly a larger amount of techs, units, and buildings available. I wonder how the average Age 1 will go.

[@ethribin4188]

AoE4 sounds slower to me, and much more defence oriented then AoE2. But we'll see.

[@sevret313]

It seems like the goal is that every age is somewhat meaningful and that the dark age is more than just an exercise in build order and a stepping stage to the next one.

[@Tpoleful]

I hope its not Like Aoe3 where 1v1 games often end in age 2. Age 4 is almost redundant and Age 5 is unseen.

[@CornBredCrusader]

To me it looks like AoE4s age 1 will be a mix of AoE2s dark and feudal age, with age 2 being far more like castle age, and then ages 3 and 4 being far more about using you distinct military than about massively growing your eco. Its hard to tell though, as we have only seen pre-baked clips, in which most show a small economy, but its possible that it in the hands of actual players that it would end up with massive ecos that spread across the screen

[@asch220]

I think it will be faster, devs mentioned they want less vils than age2 so I imagine faster game time overall with hopefully options for early timing attacks and rushes.

[@vladimirlagos2688]

I love the fact that each civ is very unique. However, I do feel a bit concerned about how balanced all matchups will be...

[@HOBIXpl]

First week: there's only one playable civ competitively. After that: lots of patches

[@kingstarscream320]

@@HOBIXpl Relic are pros. This sort of variety would scare me if it were FE making it but this is completely different

[@Kuddochan]

I mean that's the norm for many other strategy games though. Like Starcraft has completely different races in every sense of the word yet it's still balanced, you just need to have lots of balance patches to address any potential issues that come up along the way

[@zonetropper]

@@Kuddochan if they balance it for 7 years, great. Coh2 was closely balanced to 6 and still isnt penultimate sight of balance.

[@Cecilia-ky3uw]

vladimir about balance I think theyll find a way somehow to deal with the nightmare that is the mongols

[@rupert7565]

The part about the camel archers doesn't say they take reduced damage from cavalry, but that cavalry around them do reduced damage: it seems to be an AoE damage reduction. If fact a lot of AOE stuff seems to be going on.

[@NorseThunderFox]

My stupid brain thought AoE ment Age of Empires, not Area of Effect

[@ateium2409]

It is an AoE game after all

[@rupert7565]

@@NorseThunderFox The pun was intended.Though I did use both AoE and AOE to try to make things slightly clearer.

[@4Pssf2w]

You did good, Rupert. You did good.

[@knasttrast7168]

Camels actually scare horses IRL and has been a counter to horses

[@hanspeter01]

Age of Empires team: *releases new content trailers Spirit of the Law: *releases 3 vids within 36 hours after the announcement

[@ateium2409]

They are releasing more info to hear the sweet voice of SOTL

[@MidoriOfTheShuinsen]

@@ateium2409 why else release a trailer?

[@mistermaster256]

Looks like Age of Empires 2 and 3 had a baby.

[@ethribin4188]

Considering how important Trade seems to be in AoE4, and how we font see gold piles, only stone, my guess is that trade is the majority of your gold income. Maybe taxes too, which the chinese buff, or maybe thats unique to chinese. But yeah. Gold likely will be much more valuable then ever.

[@alperenelbasan2597]

I think 5:54 right upper corner is a gold pile. Not sure though.

[@EndoScorpion]

At 2:12 it mentions "economic drop-off buildings - such as the Mill and Gold Mine"

[@asch220]

There are gold veins would be weird not having them

[@Just_Lucky24]

Brits gain gold from farms I believe

[@Myrmidal]

Afaik we haven't seen any relics so most likely all the factions will have some sort of gold generation besides the standard goldmines to make up for gold running out late game.

[@voiceofreason2674]

i get the impression that tower rushing and forward barracks / stable would disrupt all these beautiful little fortress cities we keep seeing

[@sebbsebb9570]

8:49 we do know that MAA is an age 2 tech because in the first in-game demo the english defended themself with arrow shooting vills and MAA in age 1, so it should be an age 2 tech.

[@ShermTank7272]

It could have possibly changed between then and now, too

[@rileydosh1605]

It seems interesting to me that they've kinda released the civs in pairs. English and French, Chinese and Mongols, Delhi and Abbasid. They're probably campaign related pairings. It seems obvious a Mezo-american civ is coming up, most likely the Aztecs. Perhaps the Mayans or Spanish well be paired with them? I also think a Polynesian civ would be neat, since they've been fairly quiet about ships

[@MrlspPrt]

Aztecs and Mayans would be paired because both "civs" were interacting before the Spanish came to México (I live in Veracruz), then Incas and Spanish, but I'm sure there were several cultures fighting against the Incas. The problem here is Spain wasn't a unified nation, so they may be using "Castilla and Aragon" (or just Castilla), just like they did with Delhi.

[@thomasfplm]

My guess is that American civs will be an expansion. I bet on a North African and a East European civs.

[@FaithfulOfBrigantia]

If they are pairing the Spaniards with anyone it has to be with the Berbers, since these two civilizations have been clashing throught the entirety of the Medieval period.

[@Firearrow5235]

@@FaithfulOfBrigantia This guy gets it. Yeah, that would be my guess as well, although I could see the Berbers and a North-Eastern African/Islamic civ as well. Kings and Generals did a video that talks about the clash between the Berber and Islamic worlds. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p37ZanqvmJVrhpo Edit: Wait, the Abbasid Dynasty is already in the game. *facepalm*

[@satyakisil9711]

Interesting to see Delhi Sultanate getting different languages for each age.

[@manishchandra58]

Different languages?

[@manfromdownunder8407]

?? Different language

[@ateium2409]

You mean like in Age 1 they would be speaking a Turkic launguage but as the game progresses , they begin to speak Aryan launguages ?

[@ub3rfr3nzy94]

Then why are they calling them the Delhi Sultanate? Surely they should be called the "Indians" and each age it's name changes to reflect the empire that existed at the time. For example we say Chinese and not ming China, or France not West Frankia, England not Wessex or Mercia or Northumbria, the Danelaw etc. The only civ it makes sense to name is the Byzantines/east rome because they existed as one continuous empire for the entire middle ages.

[@satyakisil9711]

@@ateium2409 I think it would be Persian first, then Turkic and then Indic. Maybe an Afghan twist, who knows?

[@omarmyia]

Thank you for the awesome review. It looks like a combination of AOE2 and AOM, which is exactly what I was wishing for.

[@notmosesfs6411]

You're the real carry. Thanks for the updates

[@Ganonmustdie2]

Interesting stuff! I get the feeling this game's being built almost as a gameplay bridge between AOE2 & AOE3

[@MrlspPrt]

I see this game as the son of both games...

[@Krisstoff001]

Just taking the best of both of them

[@dr.strangelove9815]

16th century Imperial Age would be awesome. There's so much that could be done with the middle Renaissance: early pike and shot, arquebuses, landsknechts, mercenaries and heavy gothic knights... architecture... cannons. So much stuff not really covered by AoE2 or AoE3.

[@christopherluke9658]

Age 2.5

[@jacobweeks777]

@@dr.strangelove9815 I agree, and that is what I hoped for when I heard that AoE4 would be set in the medieval period; that the timeline might bleed further into the AoE3 era. I find the gunpowder units such as hand cannoneers in AoE2 underwhelming. However in AoE3 gunpowder is the only viable option, with melee infantry like pikes being relegated to siege units. Of course, this makes sense for the time periods focused on by these two games - the Imperial Age in AoE2 sees the earliest firearms being invented at the end of the European Middle Ages, whereas the Discovery Age in AoE3 starts off with muskets+bayonets, and quickly moves on to purely skirmishing warfare, as is to expected for fights occurring during the colonisation of the Americas. It would've been nice to see some of the pike and shot warfare as you mentioned, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case. However, the culverin-esque artillery unit for the French does look interesting. Let's hope the Holy Romans have landsknechte that aren't just gimmicky tankier pikemen, and are actually a counter to infantry!

[@MissUHarambe]

The House of Wisdom concept for Abbasids sounds a lot like the district and palace mechanics in Rise of Legends where adding a set of districts (military, merchant, palace) eventually upgrades the city center which in turn upgrades the whole city (equivalent to age upgrade in AoE).

[@manfromdownunder8407]

this mechanic sound similar for Delhi sultanate as well

[@Bob-ol6if]

Always loved the content Spirit

[@NotFlappy12]

As a mostly aoe 3 player, I am starting to get less and less scared that this will be an aoe 2 copy

[@flxdrv5020]

Yeah me too, it's great that they didn't shy away from taking the good stuff of aoe3

[@TonyRedgrave]

​@@flxdrv5020 Yeah, the landmark system reminds me strongly of how Aoe3 and AoM have you pick a bonus when you age up. I'm looking forward to this new take on it.

[@vladimirlagos2688]

Aye, it seems they really are trying to aim at both communities for once.

[@Igor369]

Making AoE 2 copy would be stupid as AoE 2 is still being actively developed... and stupid because there is no point in making AoE 2 copy just like there is no point in making Heroes 3 copy.

[@grraf1]

And as such it also seems less and less likely to be able to draw a large enough community for it to succeed... it isn't a coincidence the largest chunk of the community is still playing age 2 with its classic gameplay mechanics instead of the 3rd iteration that is superior in both graphics and gameplay mechanics innovation... Its probably going to belly flop hard and likely never get another edition for 2 more decades.

[@encoreperformance1081]

Hey Spirit of The Law! Guys here!

[@Alpha1200]

1:36 - It's strange to me that they went with a trade bonus over an agricultural bonus of some type considering the historical fertility of France and its role in French power.

[@Alpha1200]

2:31 - Although obviously the focus on castles and cavalry makes perfect sense.

[@sniperloic2904]

agreed on that, AOE 2 nailed it with free farm upgrades. BUT, franks don't have arbalesters, wich were historically their thing and this is corrected in AOE 4 Seeing Burgandian gunpowder units dealing more dmg frustrated me btw, as it should be more for Franks

[@tibsky1396]

@@sniperloic2904 Probably a reference to the Genoese Crossbowmen.

[@faithful360]

Spirit just breaking it down, always awesome

[@davidnaylor83]

Thank you for educating us! Can't wait to play this, all though it will no doubt take some getting used to.

[@DatBrasss]

I'm excited. This seems fun, so far

[@whatrnames]

The only question is whether it will be anything close to balanced. More variety always makes that more difficult.

[@Firearrow5235]

@@whatrnames Probably not on launch, but it'll be smoothed out with patches just like any other game.

[@Kuddochan]

Man hearing you use Age 1/2/3/4 to refer to the in-game eras rather than which Age of Empires game is hella confusing lol

[@archvaldor]

I am so stoked for this

[@randomvintagemap160]

I'm glad that aoe4 seems like it's going to have a larger focus on economy and city planning

[@MagisterProcellas]

Is it just me, or do some of the French bonuses covered here sound like they would be more tailored to an Italian faction? Pavise shields, improved traders, and advanced gunpowder all sound like they would better fit the merchant republics and city-states of medieval and renaissance Italy than they would France's middle-ages society which was deeply entrenched in the feudal system.

[@kingstarscream320]

The artillery is clearly a reference to how the Hundred Years War was ultimately turned around in France’s favour by the use of relatively well-made French canon that could easily knock over castles. The defenses built up over decades by the English suddenly meant nothing.

[@Firearrow5235]

Well, medieval Sicilians are Normans (northern French). Parts of Southern Italy were settled by Normans as well. Northern Italy was part of Charlemagne's Empire. While the Italian City States were the masters of trade in the Mediterranean, the French were active and profiting participants through cities bordering the sea like Marseilles. The French made extensive use of (often Genoese) crossbowmen in their armies in the late Middle Ages. By the time of the High-Late Middle Ages (1250-1450 we'll say) the Fuedal System really only held sway in the rural areas. The same could likely be said for rural Italy, though I don't have any research as of yet to back that up. Cities governed themselves for the most part, and their connection to their Lord(s) (either Lay, Ecclesiastical, or Both) was mostly financial in the form of regular payments. Paris was among the largest cities in Medieval Europe.

[@MagisterProcellas]

@@kingstarscream320 I didn't know that bit of information, thanks for sharing!

[@MagisterProcellas]

@@Firearrow5235 I don't doubt that France would have made use trade, pavise crossbowmen, or gunpowder. My point is that all these bonuses are much more emblematic of what is commonly associated with Italy during this time period. My main concern is that the devs may be shooting themselves in the foot if they ever want to add an Italian civ to the game, as it may prove difficult to give them a fitting set of bonuses without overlapping with the French bonuses. Of course, if they have no intention of ever adding an Italian civ then it's a moot point. Though I would be a bit disappointed, as Italians were one of the first civs I really got into in AoE2.

[@Firearrow5235]

@@MagisterProcellas I wouldn't worry about it. There's plenty that devs could do to make a sufficiently unique civ that's still true to form.

[@delphidelion]

It looks and sounds like economies will be more based around the base camp rather than map control itself.

[@Jacks_Suffocating_Nihilism]

Which would be a disaster for competitive play. AoE2 is already a wallfest, even with maps that try to discourage passive play.

[@nikmaxter]

Thanks SoTL for another video!!

[@nathanpiazza9644]

I'm impressed by your pronunciation of Ovoo!

[@rahulgr3167]

I am starting to fall in love with the art style. Just fix arrows and pathing.

[@elliejohnson2786]

I haven't been this excited for a game in years. Still not going to pre-order.

[@Amp661]

Lol why not? You were stoked for half a second!

[@elliejohnson2786]

@@Amp661 :(((

[@LeoGreca]

Just get game pass.

[@elliejohnson2786]

@@LeoGreca Why? I want my games on steam, and I don't want to pay a subscription for games.

[@Austinitic_steel]

Sotl great analysis as always!

[@mikewright7964]

I like how the different civs are more different to each other than just having unique stuff and changes to stats, the military and buildings.

[@valk_7233]

While i'm not sold yet on the graphics, i find the new gameplay very interesting.

[@seinine]

French good at trading? If anything France had always have for itself, and was well reflected in AOE2, was their crops. Gaul was more productive than Egypt, and the soil of France kept the touch of labouring hands and tradition along with natural fertility, notably in the volcanic areas. Trading was something of Italians. French had a distrust for it as it was the main feodal country of the time and nobility are not merchants... I mean, France is where middle age was birthed and remained the main kingdom around, even in times of weaknesses... One should read Machiavel to have an insight of how people viewed France back then.

[@albertorepetto2909]

Considering that the French have Pavise Crossbowmen, good trade and Royal Institutes (basically universities) it's fair to say that they replace the Italians in the new AoE 4. At this point I wonder if the Italians will be added at all in a later expansion.

[@seinine]

@@albertorepetto2909 everyone back then had "pavise crossbowmen"

[@albertorepetto2909]

​@@seinine and also France didn't have "Royal Cavalry" (the first medieval Garde du Corps weren't even necessarily on horse, while the royal Gendarmes are mostly from 1500 onwards) as well as also Burgundians had longbows. Also the first "Carrack" built by the English was a disaster, it stayed in port most of the time of its life: the English didn't even have the expertise to maintain the first Carracks they had - Genoese ships that the English captured in a french port - so much that they had to call experts from Italy just for that. English Carracks are more a modern era thing than medieval, and still in the game you can build English Carracks like it's nothing. There are tons of historical inaccuracies in AoE, what makes the factions is the flavor. So, it is indifferent who had what, the units are built more on a general perception of a certain idea. Otherwise most rosters would be identical in reality. And in this respect pavise crossbows are especially associated with the Italians in the AoE narrative.

[@seinine]

@@albertorepetto2909 Well there is no such thing as "royal knight" anywhere back then. The "gens d'armes" you are refering to are the "Companies d'Ordonnances" created by Charles VII in late half XV century (so before 1500). But I get your point and agree. Things is France wasn't renowned for its trading capacity, but more by the unity of its kingdom and its powerfull agricultural capacity (and for its knights who were considered to be the best because of their overparticipation to tournaments). Historical flaws were less evident in AOE2 as precisly they did brought those two things: knights of franks were a thing and they had free farming upgrades. In this AOE4, look they rush ideas without backup on history this time. French had no reason to replace italians, much less reasons than the HRE for example as they were not that involved in Italy before the very end of the XV century, and indeed while italians crossbowmen (who were equiped with pavise like ALL crossbowmen of that period, prior to the invention of the "cranequin", the reloading mechanism that could allow fast fire and thus render the need to protect oneself during reloading obsolete) were renowned, a more evident unique unit would be the carriocio, which was an italian thing, used distinctivly than the hussite war wagon for one example...

[@tibsky1396]

As a Frenchman, you are right. For example, The Republic of Venice built its political independence and economic power through maritime trade. In the game, I would rather have added "Agricultural Bonus" or "Soil Performance" instead of "Trade" for France.

[@gabbywilliams6460]

2:50 in the center of the screen amidst the clash of two riders, you can see a jousting pole shatter into the air after contact. pretty cool imo

[@johndavies3743]

I'm really excited for Age4. I've been an Age2 player since it came out, and I also really enjoy Age3. This looks like it might be a great mix of those two games

[@Guardias]

This focus on town building has me super nervous not only for map generation but that it'll go the way of some RTS where you can only build in specific spots.

[@Firearrow5235]

While I don't feel that will be the case (Mongols cease to function under such a system), it wouldn't particularly bother me. What Age 4 would be representing in that case is a rivalry between 2 (or more) growing medieval cities. As a history nerd that excites the hell out of me. Age 4 is shaping up to be a much more historically representative game than Age 2 was ever intended to be. I don't expect that Age 2 players will necessarily be excited by what that will entail. But that means I don't think Age 2 is going anywhere. These games will both have their player bases and I'll likely be a member of both myself!

[@Jacks_Suffocating_Nihilism]

If remote building is not possible, it cripples any strategic depth the game might have had.

[@Firearrow5235]

@@Jacks_Suffocating_Nihilism go look at the minimaps in the footage shown on the Xbox Extended Showcase (where they officially announced the final two civs). Looks like the game is going to function almost exactly like Age 2.

[@SirAroace]

I still have mixed feeling about AoE4 setting but the game itself looks good.

[@MrSafer]

I agree, i am also curious how unique each civ is going to be and the implications for balance that brings.

[@underdarkgaming8563]

But it's like age 2 I like 3

[@MrlspPrt]

@@MrSafer more civs, less balance. Games like Starcraft are balanced because they have just a few civs. Even Warcraft 3 can be balanced with four civs, but I feel that more will be resulting in serious balance problems.

[@satyakisil9711]

I really hoped each civ would have a unique way to advance to the next age.

[@asch220]

The differences are not gonna be near as big as starcraft so it will not be as hard to balance in that regard. I def expect a civ or 2 to stand out as being very strong on release, but I imagine if the games is designed well it will not be a big issue. Biggest worry for me will be if they force each civ to play a certain way or go down a certain route, that will also make it hard to balance. As some matchups might feel very onesided which is a big no no imo.

[@FrankBocker]

OK, I'm excited. These are some sincerely cool gameplay ideas. And with a brand new game to follow on the horizon, I think it's time to actually subscribe.

[@T33K3SS3LCH3N]

11:17 I love how it says "a knight" in singular, like you can build exactly one dude

[@Firearrow5235]

Well, I'm not entirely sure the Mongols were known for home-grown knights. xD

[@redcastlefan]

The imam actually sounds like Egyptian priests from AOM that can boost bldg rates

[@ezrahn]

I would prefer fewer but largely distinct civs than 25+. Somewhere between SC2 and AOE 2.

[@adriandrost4823]

Me too

[@mickethegoblin7167]

So, like AOE3 :p?

[@mickethegoblin7167]

@Berserking Bishop Saxons were not Norse, but otherwise I agree

[@mickethegoblin7167]

@Berserking Bishop Germanic, yes, but Norse as a term is used to refer explicitly to the people of Scandinavia.

[@ahouais5620]

@Berserking Bishop i think they'll add at least one germanic civ, but i guess it's more likely it will be the holy roman empire or the teutonic knights rather than vikings. I think they'll eventually add viking but not yet.

[@adamfrary6227]

Best KZbin channel

[@Viddaric]

My guess is that, considering what would be useful when, you get the Tang bonus for building both Dark Age landmarks, the Song bonus for feudal, Yuan for Castle, and Ming for Imperial.

[@MrShadowThief]

The Imam sounds a bit like the egyptian priest from AoM.

[@ayushpurohit8266]

That's because a majority of Christianity and Islam is based on Ancient Egyptian religion

[@nba2kclassicmatchups906]

@@ayushpurohit8266 You think you know about religions, but you don't know anything. You are probably an atheist/deist looking for excuses for your own unbelief.

[@dogeofgreatness2222]

@@ayushpurohit8266 not at all. Zoroastrianism is known to be related to Judaism and thus Islam and Christianity but ancient Egyptian belief has only influenced Muslims and Christians within Egypt. That's very wrong.

[@ayushpurohit8266]

@@dogeofgreatness2222 thank you for this information

[@dogeofgreatness2222]

@@ayushpurohit8266 koi masla nahi bhai

[@chingamfong]

That sounds really complicated... I'm a bit worried if I can learn and play a faction well before moving on to another one with totally different tech tree

[@CraigTheScotsman]

If you have ever played AoE3 and switched between European, Indigenous, and Asian civs, it is an easier learning curve than you think. There is a certain pulse to how civs in a game play in general that makes big cultural shifts just be slight variations on theme at the end of the day.

[@sohamdas6401]

@@CraigTheScotsman Thats actually why i prefer aoe 2 vs aoe 3

[@HentMas]

That part about the Abbasid dynasty that talks about "levels" according to the "buildings"... It seems like a multiplier is applied to the "golden age" according to what is around the house of wisdom, to make a sort of district??? Maybe it's done to have the buildings work more with each other instead of you being able to plop then wherever, to encourage building in a more "city" like manner

[@getasia7915]

Love the videos keep it up...would love to see a video on how villages reapir tho, so if you have 2 trebs attaching a castle how many vils do you need to repair etc

[@yazdanmehrabedini4342]

There's part in trailer a unit speaks russian, Rus are confirmes too

[@muskatDR]

Whos up for guessing the last 2 civs? I think a east/north european civ and a germanic one

[@88porpoise]

The Roman Empire seems to be the most glaring omission so far. A medieval game without the Byzantines just seems wrong. The final civ there are a few that make make sense. A Hindu Indian civ to pair with Delhi, such as Vijayanagar. This would likely mean Delhi has a campaign fighting the Mongols and Hindu kingdoms. Or the Rus or Japanese would tie well into the Mongol campaign (which I assume will be there based on the Civ List). Lastly, there is the option to go with a pair of civs that tie to their own campaign. Tuetons and Lithuania or Poland, for example. I doubt the New World or Africa will appear as I can't see them being held back. And both make more sense with a focussed expansion (and I am confidant the plan is to sell lots of additional civs).

[@sevret313]

Russia would probably be one alongside perhaps another rival civilization.

[@T33K3SS3LCH3N]

I can't wait for the Great Wall to become the new castle drop, including the inevitable Daut Great Wall.

[@Myrmidal]

A quick point of clarity, the french description says gunpowder siege units, not gunpowder, siege as the verbal pacing you have suggest. So presumably it was just the cannon vs bombard and not better gunpowder infantry.

[@ericbiscuit2248]

Spiritofthelaw have you ever played Cossacks or American Conquest?

[@piatansfair]

These Ages really need some names to avoid confusion with other titles (is Age 2 Age of empires 2 or the second Age in Age of empires 4?)

[@dembro27]

Yeah, I'm not sure if "Age 1" will have a name like Dark Age. I feel like the time period AoE 4 is trying to capture is more condensed than AoE 2. Instead of, basically, 500 AD to 1500 AD, they're focusing on 1200 to 1600 AD. Still, it's better for each Age to have a name, but if not, then we should get in the habit of saying "First Age, Second Age", etc. to avoid confusion. Also to feel like we're in Middle-earth.

[@0nni1998]

@@dembro27 I'm pretty sure they already confirmed the names of ages are same as AoE2 i.e. Dark, Feudal, Castle and Imperial age.

[@roym2185]

Thanks for the update! :) Curious... this seems more like AOE3 than AOE2 at this point, but maybe not quite as far as AOE3 was... Very interested to see how this will play out in practice. Interesting stuff there.

[@hinobody90]

@2:41 In AOE3 for Indian civilization Placing KarniMata temple wonder increases the production of nearby resource gathering units like Mills. Similar bonuses for Some native americans civs too

[@mike.quiblat]

Can't wait to create my 3v3 Siege of Jerusalem multiplayer map in this!

[@DaBagel777]

Idk if maps are going to be that big

[@mike.quiblat]

@@DaBagel777 you're probably right, so sad. All I'm asking for is the same level of detail we get from AOEII DE but in full 3D with mountable walls like in stronghold. The massive computer-slowing battles I'm currently getting from my version of AOE II DE Siege of Jerusalem would look even more amazing.

[@ramanand5187]

Idk why I still have mixed feelings about this. Guess I'll wait out for a while

[@TheMainCore]

Because it just doesn't looks fun. Slow and huge units on low res ground textures.

[@scardy92]

We just haven't seen enough to grasp how the game is going to play. They didn't show a single "basic unit" for example. Big, more recognizable units are a plus though

[@Tremere]

@@TheMainCore Pretty much this, looks like a mobile port and it’s comically embarrassing that a game from 1999 has better animations and art direction than a 2021 big budget sequel

[@ramanand5187]

@@Tremere they should know that graphics never was a problem with old AOE. I still prefer AOE 2 art style to this. Hope they atleast bring back the same game mechanics as the second part and not try something new

[@Tremere]

@@ramanand5187 Unfortunately I think they will double down on trying to "reinvent" the game for new (casual) audiences, but I really hope I'm proven wrong

[@SuperMewKittyKatGaming]

this seems nice,is a mix between aoe 2 and 3

[@elpollochileno]

I was totally going to buy the game despite the price and all the minor things that people are disliking about it but this video and how unique each civ looks brought me the first real hype about it. Good job on these vids, Spirit!

[@akashpm5350]

Sweet Joan I shall avenge thee..

[@manfromdownunder8407]

La hier's sword is not bloody enough

[@akashpm5350]

@@manfromdownunder8407 La hire wishes to kill something

[@manfromdownunder8407]

@@akashpm5350 it is a good day for la hier to die

[@foxxy706]

I swear to heck if there are no Teutonic Knights in the game I‘m finally going to uninstall AoE 2 then re-install it immediately after because it‘s my favorite game I‘m addicted help

[@squaeman_2644]

I hear the last two are Rus and HRE so you'll most likely get your Knights C: I've also heard the first Expansion will be Byzantium and the Norse Vikings.

[@solankijimmy]

Why does it feel that with these civs, we would be in for longer games and maybe less of a gold crunch in the late game? If research speeds are reduced I guess that can balance it out?

[@diogenesofSinope87]

Excellent

[@samfroese3788]

Hype for this game

[@mayazmahmud1740]

this game is gonna be epic just like it predecessors

[@royasturias1784]

Relic Ent must earn their redemption through this game.

[@revere0311]

Good stuff

[@FranciscoSilva84]

thanks this is great

[@assasincubique4501]

I think the Imam might work like the pharaoh does in age of mythology

[@volk551]

Mangudai that aoe2 players will remember from their nightmares. that made me laugh

[@BrendanBomanTheSwagnificent]

Im sorry but I cant help but to notice that the Abassid Dynasty age up mechanic is a direct copy of AoE3 Wars of Liberty's African Library age up mechanic. You have a building used to age up through generic techs which if you select enough would age you up, and it's separated into different wings.

[@robertlewis6915]

Imams might locally boost vill gather speed. It'd be interesting to see if they implement a trade system between players, even hostile players, though I doubt it. You'd have to make the trade so it can't be auto-targeted by any unit stance or defensive building, add a 'let hostile trade through' option for gates, etc. It'd be an interesting dynamic, though I would bet cash on it going wrong, as the person with significantly less reliance on trade would be able to hurt the other guy's trade with relative impunity, meaning trade would be driven as far out of the meta as possible.

[@ateium2409]

Trading is possible b/w 2 players od they set diplomacy to neutral with each other .

[@ev3rnight356]

Alright, I feel like instead of a bunch of factions with a base roster with some differences, I feel like Aoe4 is almost going for more of a StarCraft feel. You play and master one faction and don't just play random. Anyone else?

[@egotonic6138]

I defenitely want to play all of the civs but yeah it seems like it would take a lot of time to master all of them :D

[@viktor1337w]

yes its better

[@jasv49]

Yeah I think that was the idea. And a good one too, if they made every civ almost the same it wouldn't be too different than AoE2

[@jaredpoon5869]

I think there's probably a lot of general units, like general infantry, archery units, calvary, and naval units that we don't see. However, yes, I am getting more of that unique civilization feel.

[@asch220]

I think you can play a few, I plan to try them all put and then stick with a few prob 2-3. They will not be near starcraft level of asymmetry but def a good bit more than aoe2.

[@siddharthab.s334]

Is it me or did anyone get a pharo/priest vibe from Egyptians in age of mythology

[@mrid191]

Oh that comment on the mangudai did bring up some bad memories

[@dbock3081]

I really like the idea of landmarks. Hopefully they are well balanced so that certain options are not always meta

[@Skinineful]

Gameplay aside, it is a bit strange to see the French as the trading civ, and the English as the farming one. It pretty much was the complete opposite in history.

[@archiraph1548]

It was complete opposite during the renaissance and afterwards. Medieval times England wasn't the economical and commercial powerhouse if became later on. I don't know why they got a farming bonus either though.

[@asch220]

I do not think every small bonus they add is gonna be historically reflected/accurate

[@kingstarscream320]

@@archiraph1548 The French countryside in the Middle Ages was sprawling farms as far as the eye could see, all with quality soil and irrigation.

[@Firearrow5235]

@@kingstarscream320 And the English Countryside was much the same with the addition of sheep/other animal farms where arable farming was less possible.

[@HorseshitDetectionAgency]

I just hope the graphics and animations get a much needed improvement and you aren't forced to build 20,000 houses to support a few hundred units like in AOE2.

[@zillavanilla6353]

Play incas

[@PutinMonke]

I agree its far more annoying than enjoyable

[@ateium2409]

Or play huns

[@HorseshitDetectionAgency]

@@ateium2409 I want to play every civilization but have the houses support more population so everyone can get on with the game and not be strangle-held every 2 minutes and have to spam their base with stupid houses as if this was city tycoon or some shit.

[@Tremere]

@@HorseshitDetectionAgency Are you unironically booty blasted from getting housed? How is it actually possible to get housed this much??

[@NolDragon]

These differences of gamestyle from one civ to another kinda reminds me of the lesser known Age of Empires Online, which I enjoyed a ton.

[@kingstarscream320]

Also Age 3 and AoM. Asymmetric civs is the natural progression in the evolution of RTS games

[@Firearrow5235]

@@kingstarscream320 Additionally, it's the natural progression through history, which this game seeks to represent more than Age 2.

[@TheMainCore]

You are doing a good job with these videos! The game looks very joyless though. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[@mafiousbj]

I feel they have gone in a direction that is a cross between Starcraft with very unique civilisations and AoE3 with buildings and trading...and just took the time period of their most succesful game. Time will tell if pros will have to specialize in only one civ or a system like AoE2 develops where they can play any civ almost interchangeably

[@Firearrow5235]

Pros, I suspect, will be able to play all the civs, but not interchangeably like Age 2. The civs just aren't designed from a single base like in Age 2. I suspect there will be a lot of civ maining, however, particularly early after release. I already know I'm going to be maining the French and figuring them out top to bottom before I even consider touching other civs (beyond campaigns).

[@mafiousbj]

@@Firearrow5235 I think maining civs could hurt tournaments if they don´t have enough depth for a variety of strategies or if some match-ups are completely one sided (since there are less civs those match-ups could happen more often than in AoE2) But on the other hand if they hit the nail in the head and achieve that depthness and versatility it could make for some amazing mind games during a best of 5 or best of 7 series!

[@Firearrow5235]

@@mafiousbj I mean, there's already the opportunity to mix-and-match which landmark you decide to age up with and the bonuses provided by them. There's 16 permutations at least right there alone (assuming 1 military-focused and 1 economy-focused building). Combine that with a more complex mix of units and we could be in for something really cool, with different playstyles within civs themselves.

[@tuto0000000000000]

Buildings are very small compared to units, imo i dont like it

[@gettinmoney1203]

SOTL after practice always hit different

[@maces5607]

mix feeling hope for the best

[@hb.raafay]

Its fun to see players will finally require to play past those silly build orders! that is indeed the real game!

[@JaylukKhan]

"You would never start trading this early in age 2" Me who starts trading in the feudal age: 👀

[@JaylukKhan]

@Bryce Pruitt always annoys me when the ai doesn't build a market 🙄

[@JaylukKhan]

@Bryce Pruitt lol amazing

[@coreyx8819]

Ger is basically a home tent and even people in mongolia use it because its cheap and easy o pack and unpack(which I'm bad at)

[@Kid_Ikaris]

Looks interesting. Probably a fun campaign but I don't see it replacing AoE2 in the competitive scene.

[@Firearrow5235]

I don't see it replacing Age 2 at all. They're different games filling different roles. They'll each have their own competitive scenes.

[@onepalproductions]

The price of AOE4 is outrageous.

[@Firearrow5235]

A $60 game? Jesus Christ, games have been $60 for 20+ years.

[@onepalproductions]

@@Firearrow5235 Really? Someone's been overcharging you then. I paid 14.99 for AOE2, 9.99 for Hornet 3.0, MS Flight Sim cost me 19.99, Call of Duty 2 cost me less than 25. I could go on, but hopefully you understand now, and don't call me Jesus Christ outwith office hours.

[@Firearrow5235]

@@onepalproductions original AAA titles have been $60 at release since before I was born. That's 25 years.

[@onepalproductions]

@@Firearrow5235 Name 3

[@Firearrow5235]

@@onepalproductions Borderlands 3, Call of Duty: Cold War, Baldur's Gate 3, Doom Eternal, Flight Simulator, Ghosts of Tsushima, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

[@Andrew-wi9jz]

I hope Japanese and Teutonic Order will be chosen as two civz left

[@nicolasbr1332]

I don't think they will include Japan unfortunatly, we already have 3 asian civs

[@barsni4779]

This new Empire Earth game looks nice.

[@Eric-ir1jx]

I love this series