How AOE4 won me over

If you're thinking about getting into Age of Empires IV but you're still on the fence then this video is for you. I was a long time holdout before I finally got the game and became a fan. In this video I go in-depth on the things I like most about the game.
If you think my content is worth a coffee, I'd really appreciate your support! Please consider giving a donation at Ko-fi:
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If you're looking for folks to play AOE4 with, come hang out on my Discord: / discord
My personal website with fan concepts for new civilizations in AOE4 - www.charlesniu.com/age-of-emp...
Der Rote's video on the Chinese language depicted in AOE4 - • Let's look at the Chin...
Beasty's video on broken units and mechanics in AOE4 - • The Most Broken Units ...
Age of Noob's video on the sound design in AOE4 - • Age of Empires IV has ...
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:36 A Brief History of AOEIV
2:53 1. Sound Design
5:21 2. Historical Authenticity
8:10 3. Civilization Diversity
11:16 4. Base-Building & Influence
13:08 5. Emergent Gameplay
14:51 Recap and Conclusion

[@TypeErrorDubs]

This is legit content. All the relevant B-roll could not have been easy to put together. And I couldn’t agree more with the conclusion! Especially the sound design 🎉

[@ChillyEmpire]

Thanks mate 🥹 It does take a lot of time though. I gotta figure out how to do this more efficiently.

[@alexs8404]

You are quickly becoming my favorite AoE4 content creator and have inspired me to finish my deep dive into the history (or lack thereof in some cases) behind all the civs technologies. I would definitely watch any future videos on historical related aspects of AoE4.

[@Zempashino]

I love the way the game becomes more and more enjoyable. AOE4 in 2023 is in great shape, I can't wait for the new DLC thanks for the video

[@johnnyforz]

I gota agree with you it does get more and more enjoyable

[@TheMinepath]

Great video, Chilly. Really hits on all the things I love about AOE4.

[@SonofPlonky]

Thank you for mentioning sound design and attention to unit detail, I truly think this attention to detail probably was part of the cause of the less than ideal release, but after the jank was straightened out, the little flourishes really make it wonderful to play.

[@Punggles]

Fantastic video! As someone who has really gotten into AOE 4 the past month this was a great overview. Subscribed!

[@benwozak5296]

Thanks man, You sold me. I'll be picking it up for sure next time it goes on steam sale!

[@sethvanniekerk2289]

Very high video quality and editing. Perfect for retention yet still focusing on the topic of the video, massive respect to you sir.

[@ChillyEmpire]

Much appreciated mate

[@boon6848]

great video, never played any AOE but i enjoy watching rank and competitive matches, the only RTS i played way back was stronghold.

[@DM-ox4jq]

Great video Chilly! You are absolutely right. This game is alive and kicking. Can't wait for the DLC. Keep up the great content.

[@collinhadley4119]

Interesting take on the release. I was pretty excited as you were there at the beginning, but was absolutely thrilled since day 1 and have been playing it weekly since then. I hadn't even noticed that the game had been considered "dead".

[@hiddendragon6437]

Great video, subbed. I actually really enjoyed this game launch just because of the sound and visual design. The fact the English speak Anglo-Saxon and then progress to Middle English showed, to me, that a great deal of care had gone into the game, even if it was a bit unfinished. My interest waned a bit but the new civs and now new expansion coming out have got me playing again and I've convinced my friends to play as well! Also I though the campaigns were pretty great. Keep up the good content!

[@shuangyouwei]

Great video! Love your content so much!

[@MilkShaikh]

I’ve only ever played AOE for the single player campaign since RoR. Wish AOE4 had more. Which is why AOM had one of the best campaigns in the series.

[@ChillyEmpire]

Agreed. AOE4 campaign is mid. AOM campaign is amaaaaaaazing

[@ILIKETOBOOM]

sick content man! Excellent analysis !

[@GoblinxChild]

AoE4 has quickly become my favorite of the series. One thing you forgot to mention is the fantastic campaigns. I genuinely learned about history and felt like I was partaking in it. Excellent production that feels ripped straight from a docuseries.

[@ChillyEmpire]

I’m glad to hear you liked them but I can’t say I was a fan unfortunately. Maybe I’m just more of a multiplayer gamer.

[@danhobart4009]

The devs are historical revisionists.

[@alexs_toy_barn]

I started playing AoE4 and 2 a few days ago cuz of your videos, I'm a big history fan and RTS fan but the fact that every faction had the same units turned me away, since I'v been playing recently iv realized that thats no so important. Good thing I found you and age of noob and spirit of the law

[@ChillyEmpire]

🥹

[@nunyabizwacks6711]

yup. AoE 4 is pretty fun but i gotta say......starcrizzaft til the day i die bitches!!

[@alessandro.neithad]

love the setting of the video, I think I will give this game a try once more

[@TheArcherGilgamesh]

I've actually been won over by this. Ive been kinda curious about AoE4 for a while and it getting a significant influx of civs it making me want to give it a shot. It also helps that after a thousand hours in AoE2 I'm a bit burned out on it. Still, this is the video to actually tip the scales.

[@jaydonsmith3434]

did u ever jump on it ? im struggling to decide whether to get AoE 2 or 4. which would u recommend?

[@TheArcherGilgamesh]

I did. I currently have.... 252 hours in AoE4. Honestly you can't go wrong with either and I'd say ultimately it depends mainly on your prior RTS experience and what preferences you have. The games play somewhat similarly in many ways where they have the same kind of "feel" with some notable differences, the main really being how civs are built. AoE4 you get fewer civs that are more distinct and more unique mechanics to them. In AoE2 you get more civs that are more similar to each other but also the greater degree of symmetry can make the smaller differences between them stand out more than some of the bigger difference between civs in AoE4. Overall if you asked me now I'd lean towards AoE4, but I imagine there's a recency bias there and it being the game I'm currently playing, but maybe one of the biggest things that really puts me in the AoE4 camp right now is how landmarks and the way civs are built in AoE4 you can have multiple very distinct builds with each civs where how they play can change drastically based on your choices and also the fact that each civ is built to be a bit more unique leads to each unit roster feeling nice and appropriate for the civ in question as opposed to the AoE2 situation where you have Mayans running around Arbalesters just cause Arbalester is the endgame version of an archer and its what everyone gets. Basically, I'd recommend AoE4, but I think you know best what your preferences are and what appeals to you, though I'd say you can't really go wrong with either for an RTS experience (also for reference, this is all from the perspective of multiplayer, I never touched singleplayer in either game but from what I know and as I understand it AoE2 not only has WAY more campaigns but they also tend to be better so take that for what you will)@@jaydonsmith3434

[@jaydonsmith3434]

@@TheArcherGilgamesh omggg where were u 12 minutes ago 😩😭 ! Literally just finished downloading AoE 2 . Very first RTS game I’ll have ever played . I’ve been curious and interested in the grand strategy genre for awhile but I’ve been reluctant to dive in. I’ve only played turn based strategy rpgs my entire life so I’ve been struggling hard to decide which one too choose but AoE 2 being 5$ def helped sway a lot 🤣

[@TheArcherGilgamesh]

Haha, bad timing. No worries. AoE2 was the first RTS I learned to play as well. I have some 1200 hours in it and for what it's worth, AoE2 has much more resources out there to help you learn and start out so I don't think you'll regret it either way.@@jaydonsmith3434

[@vickvinegar6018]

@@jaydonsmith3434whether you like 2 or not id recommend 4. Ive played both but never got addicted like I am with 4. It was hard to take 2 seriously with how bad the graphics are. Personally I think 4 blows 2 out of the water but that is my opinion im not here to start a war lol. I just want them to release more civs but I get that takes time.

[@communistboba9935]

Gave a sub and like! Unfortunately not an AoE4 player but I see it around because I do like RTS, HOWEVER, video is amazing quality so you deserve it man! Enjoyed the editing and video itself, hell I might even get the game when I get the money.

[@ChillyEmpire]

Much appreciated mate. I hope to see you on the battlefield some day :)

[@08vinster]

This is great, I only wish more people that dont play aoe4 would see this. I think it's a great pragmatic take on the game

[@gansersk]

Great vid mate. I'm having quite a similar experience with It.

[@AsaTJ522]

Spot-on. I love AOE2, but the difference is: AOE2DE: Lots of unique stuff per civ, that is not always historically resonant, can be hard to remember, and has a deceptively small impact on gameplay. AOE4: A handful of unique stuff per civ, that is historically resonant, is easy to remember, and has a deceptively large impact on gameplay. The other thing I'd add is that the Light/Heavy armor distinction opens up more opportunities for counterplay. I think you just end up seeing more interesting armies fielded in AOE4 because of this and other factors. It's not always just, which three units make sense for this matchup?

[@MyPimpedOutMuslim]

Well done ! I wish aoe had more videos like this, a good idea for a series might be having a video for each civ, and the references to the armor and buildings

[@ChillyEmpire]

😀 I’ve been thinking about doing that - a historical analysis of every civ or something like that. The Malians is first on my list. I have a lot to say lol.

[@87JJosh]

​@@ChillyEmpireHow the Malians match your 5 points. Some people say that they are a "different" civilization

[@MyPimpedOutMuslim]

@@ChillyEmpire can’t wait!

[@AungBaw]

Excellent quality, keep up mate

[@AungBaw]

13:56 that's Go(Game)

[@nicolasgonzalez629]

loved the video, subscribed.

[@danrvids20]

A very informative and entertaining video, well done sir.

[@ChillyEmpire]

Thank you for the kind words :)

[@MunezAFK]

what a well done video, thank you for your work put into it✨ i'd like to add a 6th point to your list which made me give it a shot: Xbox brilliant compatibility; i barely went through the tutorial and i got hooked, such a cool experience to play an rts on console, i'm glad someone actually thought of us console players as well🖤 also, how are you on such low subs? :(your videos are great

[@ChillyEmpire]

Thank you, I'm just starting out right now so the sub count is a work in progress 😅

[@depressedespresso3928]

I'd love to see more vids from you!

[@BossLevel10]

Nice work!

[@TCOYChannel]

mates. This is some Damn good videos on the game. We all glad to have more people joining the community!

[@chaff5]

I'm glad I found you. I watched Spirit of the Law and he doesn't seem to cover AOE4 at all.

[@alkrimiy]

Great content as always. I heard very good review of Ottoman phrases from the Turkish history students. They compared it with AOE3 phrases and AOE4 sounds much more authentic, not like the modern Istanbul accent. Student of Iranian history said that Delhi sultanate's Farsi is also sounds great and authentic. The only small problem, according ot him, was that this dialect of Farsi is more western (as it was spoken in Iran), while in India they spoke what's called Dari (as in the modern Aghanistan).

[@DavidBrown-mi4ot]

Excellent video mate

[@tftpengu]

looking to play here, I played a lot of battle realms and godsworn too... does it have similar gameplay and controls? would it be hard to learn?

[@NolmanZ]

That is clearly annoying for me because you litterally did the exact video I wanted to make ! I think exactly the same about sound design, gameplay mechanics and historical accuracy compared to previous titles. Excellent job ! I hope you'll get more visibility

[@ChillyEmpire]

Thank you! And please don't feel discouraged, I'm looking forward to watching your video when it comes out :)

[@Beispielname1233]

My favorite nitpick is that if an unit is Attacked from far away it actually Sounds like someone shouting from you from afar So you immediatly know just from hearing "ok that must be my scout" for example

[@ChillyEmpire]

Only downside is that my scout shouts all the fricking time it’s so annoying 😆

[@makingivan]

I was hooked right from the launch. It was not perfect but I know it’s the future of the franchise. Still playing it now.

[@Chariot_Rider]

I have always been wanting to get into Age of Empires, and I had played 2 a decent amount, but I only ever started playing a lot of Age and entering the ranked ladder in 4. For me, the absolute diversity of the civs is really interesting because it means that I have to adjust my approach based on my opponent and what they are trying to do. I also think it helps players with a lot of different approaches get into the game. I personally like a lot of aggression, so I play English for their longbow rush, but other players who prefer booming will get more out of the Abbasids. It can accommodate so many different approaches, even within a single civ. It really is a shame that this game is a slept on as it is because I think it is exemplary, and it honestly might make it a bit hard to go back to something like 2. I really hope the new DLC brings in a lot of new players, even if I think naming a Civ after a whole person gets a bit too “great man/woman of history” for my own tastes.

[@Smoker2777]

Elite vid! Good job!

[@Skylivedk]

I appreciate your love of sounds. To me, I'd like more focus on the gameplay, game balance, replayability, campaign, coop, skirmish battles, etc. than have 50% of the video on sounds

[@ChillyEmpire]

Here you go: Gameplay - great if you win, frustrating if you lose. But that’s RTS for ya. Balance - honestly pretty dang good. Replayability - multiplayer 10/10 Campaign - for me, 2/10. It’s not good imo. But some people like it. Coop - there’s no coop campaign. You can play comp stomps with friends if you’re a boring person I guess but I really recommend multiplayer instead. I focused on the really stand out things for me in this video. The things you listed didn’t necessarily stand out vs other games.

[@immorttalis]

Thank you for making a compact video that I can link to as I proselytise to my history nerd friends. It's sad to see that the game is still put down for just not being another AoE2 and not recognised for actually having more national identity in each faction than most factions in its predecessors.

[@JohnSmith-us9fv]

This video makes me want to play AOE4. Thanks for the video 😆

[@emanuelquimper697]

Great video !

[@josephdifiore8471]

Great video. Thanks a bunch

[@pcost]

Old yet lesser known RTSes like Medieval Lords, Caesar series, Empire Earth, all have those territory influences. Actually, I can not get more shocked on how much AoEIV draw ideas from Empire Earth series. This mechanics where you can actually use walls and position soldiers over it is straight from Empire Earth III -- a game which was quite bad executed but is still extremely original and interesting.

[@productarizona7164]

Fantastic video

[@gizmoMKD]

great video!

[@xjuliussx]

like a lot your video. Decent, inspiring, almost made me bought the game. I'm not an AOE player, but all my friends were. For sake of good memories i would buy it.

[@TheArcherGilgamesh]

Oh, I forgot in my last comment. Any good resources for learning the game? I've been playing AoE2 for years now and I've dabbled in SC2 a bit so I got a perfectly solid foundation RTS wise and even obviously some familiarity with AoE specific, but with how unique AoE4 is in terms of how civs are designed it'd be great to have something to help bridge the gap in terms of standard openings, build order priorities, crucial power spike/critical moments in a game's timeline etc.

[@twoaf3261]

Ahh that's why I enjoyed it so much the second time around. I bought it on launch and did not enjoy it at all and stopped playing for a year or 2 but gave it another go a couple of months ago and loved it.

[@jaiapenopicante7758]

I just came back to it, Im still learning how to play but im currently gold 1 almost gold 2. The game is, at least to me, absurdly fun and I would recommend anyone to give it a try. Civs are fun to play, pretty unique, and theres more new stuff to come.

[@markmc5112]

Imo AOE4 is probaly the best new RTS to play. They are charging you less for DLC them a COD skin

[@abrahamlincoln4691]

please do the vid on the idiosyncrasies in aoe4

[@casualgamer9728]

Decided to buy AOE4 as a brand new player cause of this video, thanks for your input :)

[@name_christian]

this video made me install ao4! good job!

[@Wkumar07]

I love the languages in the game in that they sound realistically different. Also, civilization's units do look different and unique unlike in AoE II where most units look the same (though AoE III looked great unit wise as well.)

[@thomasscream4179]

For non-RTS folks especially, AoE4 takes a bit of time to learn to a comfortable level. But once you do its just so rewarding!

great summary

[@tomblack2064]

I need to psyche myself up to play this game again. I liked War Elephants, Tower elephants, Scholars and Men at Arms.. i want to try that again

[@rnbKick]

As german/rus i enjoy the voice lines alot. The war cry everything. They really shout for their life. As a huge fan of japaneese culture im very hiped for new cheap Season. Got my ps5 with 80 € games dusting bec i pump all my free time in age. Ilalu my friends im gone for ranked now ❤

[@georgebethanis3188]

AoE4 is a superb game. I did play it for a year and a half like crazy. Now Im off to other things. Will pick it up again once the expansion is released.

[@JustMyOpinion-]

3:44 you had me rolling with this one 😂😂

[@AugustusGrimes]

HRE age 2 musical theme has to be my favourite. Great game, great content. Anyone on the fence, get game pass and jump in, online is fun and not too serious outside of ranked!

[@teamguapogames]

I didn't play the game day 1, but probably when the first couple of months. Personally I loved the game back then. I was addicted, playing every day with my main the Delhi Sultanate. I stopped after one of the first patches where they completely nerfed one of the (at the time) main play-styles of Delhi, which was based on going after monuments early on to put pressure on your opponents. As someone who is new to RTS, nerfing the strategy I had committed so much time to as a new player hurt a lot, and on top of that the strategy was really the only way I liked to play at the time (not hard to imagine with so few civs). Nerfing Delhi basically eliminated that playstyle or at least I was too weak of a player to make it work with any other civ so that was when I quit.

[@kennybob1705]

Subscribed :)

[@SC2noHope]

nice video, i also addict in aoe4

[@124akshat]

You are right. I liked aoe4 throughout when it came out; when half their fans base was shitting on them. Why? Largely because of production value and historical authenticity. But with the ‘variant civilisation’ they have crossed a line…no consistency and poor design and zero allegiance to historical authenticity…

[@ChillyEmpire]

Yeah I think it's a risky move. I have some thoughts I'll share in a future video.

[@124akshat]

Exactly, I might add it is probably a product of some internal management change - who are more focused on quirks, playability that immersion.. How can a game that so emphasised historical authenticity (Mongols are literally nomadic!!) suddenly dispense with it all through cheap names like Order of the Dragon, Jeanne D'arc..etc.. @@ChillyEmpire

[@unknowninfinium4353]

Whats the music playing at recap and conclusion?

[@ChillyEmpire]

IIRC it's one of Mali's peacetime music.

[@waldquellz3794]

this is the kind of aoe content im looking for. easy sub +1

[@outrowender]

What is the mobile game from beginning?

[@sari-eljarrah]

Best game series EVER 😎

[@Devvult]

I hope they keep updating aoe4, the longer this game exists and the more updates it gets the better it gets. I hope they show the same love to this game as they do with aoe2

[@fennisdembo34]

couldn't agree more (esp. on points 2 and 3). but this is also what worries me about the upcoming variant civs..

[@cohortConnor]

Except besides the bug fixes… a lot of these features (sound design, civ diversity, etc.) were in the game at launch.

[@Kaaxe]

as long as the game on it's own or through a usable mod list offers very powerful options of changing hotkeys and UI I am willing to play most RTS games, this doesn't tend to be the case though

[@donjoncraig6804]

most civs having generic units in aoe2 made it much easier for me to learn how to play, because with 40+ civs imagine each has 2-3 unique units... 80-120 different units to learn

[@TNMJAD]

I’m a campaign player and played some on launch. I felt like the maps were always so small and cramped. Maybe this has changed now but I felt like I was in the UFC octagon rather than a world to explore and conquer.

[@ChillyEmpire]

Oh unfortunately the campaign is ass. Maybe the campaign in the Sultans Ascend will be better but my expectations are low.

[@P4TRICCS]

It won me over with the less aggressive micro and more counter play opportunity against enemies making the game a lot more balanced. And even though there wasn't many unique units but the civs itself is so unique. In 2 you had 1 or 2 troop and a few stat change congrulation because everything else is completely same. Here i freaking jumped in my chair happily seeing that the same troops looks completely different depending on your civ.

[@JTHill-ed7qe]

I've never played AOE Before but I'm definitely getting this! Love the graphics to. I've heard of AOE before but seen the graphics and was turned off. This I'm definitely hyped about. I'll be getting it later today! That and The Guild 3!

[@faisalhusein227]

can this game played solo ? i dont like competitive games but love RTS

[@sandman_7326]

Can you join an Alliance where you are in a group of other players with each player in the Alliance having there own castle ?

[@Andy-uq9eo]

Ok, you won me over. Great content

[@thegoat1778]

Fair and honest review.

[@Vesmir789]

I played the beta for the game, but once it was released I didn't touch it for a very long time. Just about a month ago I started to check it out again, and I've been loving it. I agree with all the points you made, especially regarding sound design, music, attention to detail, and asymmetric civ designs. I'm also very happy with the updates they've made to the game since launch, including revamping some of the landmarks, adding some new units, and the new free civs. I've also loved the campaigns; I thought they were well-made and educational, and I really enjoy all the additional information they include in the forms of text and videos to highlight specific people, events, or aspects of life for the civs. The civ mastery system also includes a ton of neat extra info, so it all really drives home the desire to use the game as a vehicle to teach real history. I love that. I'm really looking forward to the DLC next month. I'm excited to learn more about the Crusades and to check out all the new civs, especially the Japanese and Order of the Dragon from what we've heard so far.

[@juanfisi]

I must say all of these very valid points are not enough for me to give it a chance, im glad there is a blooming fanbase for the game but I'll stick to aoe2de for now. Would be great to see aomde someday in the future.

[@thingsmac]

Thanks for the video. TIP: Calvary - the hill Christ was crucified on Cavalry - what you are probably looking to say.

[@rogerpiotr6977]

All I want is multiplayer Coop in RTS. SC2 showed it´s possible. Battleforge was such a blast (still is )

[@ChillyEmpire]

Me too! Multiplayer co-op RTS is INSANELY slept on.

[@timo-2046]

Ураааа, Русь восстанет! Great video as always, your videos have inspired me to the point to rebrand my channel to have AoE4 content into the addition of other games I play, I used to play AoE2 back in the day and now till AoE4 had the stress test (September 2021), I played it, forgot about the game for a year exactly on the start of September then came back before the announcement of Ottomans and Malians. Keep up the great work, you are up to par with Age of Noob for the AoE4 creators that I am always hyped for a new upload.

[@user-lg2on3tg3c]

"Ураааа, Русь восстанет! " если ты русскоязычный - делай на русском, очень не хватает контента по AoE4 на русском, особенно с хорошей картинкой или с историческими разборами

[@ChillyEmpire]

That’s ace! Welcome brother 😀

[@alkrimiy]

@@user-lg2on3tg3c с историческими разборами и на английском то плохо, по большей части билды, тирлисты цивилизаций, короче все под соревновательный мультиплеер заточено.

[@timo-2046]

@@ChillyEmpire oh yeah also wanted to know, were did you get the audio tracks for the "Peacetime, Combat, etc." at around 4:08 soundtracks of each civs of different ages? Because currently I only able about to get access to the main themes only, through the game files, and I just like to use the ambient music, themes, and soundtracks of the games I make content on as background music.

[@ChillyEmpire]

@@timo-2046unfortunately for that French theme I had to record it from in-game. I couldn’t find it anywhere else. But it’s the theme that plays when French ages up to imperial.

[@nsawatchlistbait289]

All campaigns from previous age games need to be ported over to age4 in my opinion

[@jacquesjtheripper5922]

Reviews seem to say it played it too safe, and isnt technically enough of a jump. But id be intrigued to check it out if it comes to ps5, which now seems it could, with xbx games coming to ps.

[@nsawatchlistbait289]

We need age2-like isometric camera view

[@Loreweavver]

Tha ability to play The Army of Saint John Darkness and the Boomstick. Legit though, this game is fun and i can't wait for the remaster of Age of Mythology

[@ahlaoe4]

I hear alot that the sound in this game is exelent as you say. Sadly, after around 1400hrs of gameplay I still cant recall hearing the music. Sound effects and voicelines yes, but not music. The constant clicks of the keyboard buttons and switching between production buildings and units is all I ever hear... How can you play such a chill game that you acctualy hear the music?

[@this_smitty23]

I'm in the same boat, bought on release and put in 12-15 hours at best then uninstalled. I didn't refund it for whatever reason. I installed it a week ago and it's all I've been playing. I went against my "no pre-purchase policy" and scooped the expansion to show the devs some love, they've done a great job.

[@minuteman101x]

I think the game was much better at launch than is implied here, but I liked hearing the things that won you over. The sound design is AMAZING :)

[@RainintheBrain]

I was always a big fan of AOE4 despite the flaws. What I love the most 1. Diverse units and civs. In AOE2 every civ had the same medieval European looking units. Its super awkward playing as the Malians in AOE2 and my villagers don't really look African in the slightest. 2. Easier access to unique units. In AOE2 you often have to wait til Castle age and build a castle in order to 3 Superior historicity in game play. AOE2 could get under my skin with the inaccuracies. Like with the Franks. Why are the medieval french fighting with throwing axe men?! I'm excited for a Celtic civ to come to AOE4. They will finally have some authentic Celtic units. I mean really blue woad raiders?! Was Mel Gibson AOE2's history consultant? 4. Landmarks when aging up. I love this feature. In AOE2 ageing up was a tough choice because it would mean a period of time where I would be bared from training villagers due to my town center being occupied. Now in AOE4 I can pump out villagers and age up at the same time. I also love how the landmarks give me a reason to start in the dark ages and work my way up. If I just start in imperial I miss out on all the bonuses my landmarks provide. 5. More complex gameplay. I love the new Byzantine civ. I get to build aqueduct systems that boost my economy and production. I can also recruit mercs from other civs using the olive oil resource. 6. Markets. I love how almost all the maps have a market. In AOE2 you wouldn't have access to a market for trading unless you had allies. Thus if you are playing with no allies you had no reason to build a market and send up caravans. Thus if you had a civ with trading bonuses those bonuses became worthless. I love the random docks and markets that give me a reason to trade and also when I play Byzantines I can get even more mercs

[@ga21351]

M8 you are really good.

[@NikolaPj]

Emergent gameplay is the key to a good and popular game - chess is a great example.

[@greymonwar9906]

As an old fan of AOC, base on your opinions AOE4 is well-made, this series age like fine wine, hope we get more civils.