AOE2 Return of Rome Review | Justify Your Existence Edition™

[@Zade_95]

UPDATE: I've been informed the farm 'bug' at 8:56 is intended behavior via the 'solid farms' game setting. KZbinr moment....

[@masternobody1896]

Aoe 1 de remaster edition lol

[@grraf1]

The age 1 campaigns are coming, its confirmed(at least the first two of them were chosen via community vote)

[@NolmanZ]

@@grraf1 Damn, where did you see this ?

[@grraf1]

@@NolmanZ steam game's news page may 19th

[@jordancambridge4106]

I had to uninstall age of Empires 2 because trying to play the game after they added the Rome part but I don't have it downloaded but in order to actually add the better stuff they had to change the core mechanics of the game and now the game does not work at all because and I figured this out real fast from the dear fucking god ancient text boxes that were report the problem text boxes that were created in 1999. Age of Empires 2 is working on corrupted code from 24 fucking years ago. Age of Empires 1 does not have that problem. Is it possible to alter the coding of Age of Empires 1 slightly enough to be able to enter town centers and tower? Yes because entering transport ships already existed and having ships go on land already existed so its not hard to add that to Age of Empires 1. Adding opening and closing gates would also be doable to the coding of the game because again its able for the code. Now to port the game to Age of Empires 2 they had to slow down the units and do either an overhaul to each and every item that was being added to Age of Empires meaning buildings, ships, and units, and gathering speeds or screw up the code of Age of Empires 2 slightly enough to be able to use the older game units. Basically either add the easily addable units to a far better game or completely destroy the base game of Age of Empires 2 to add superior game into their game because Age of Empires 2 is dying and the developers are refusing to admit reality. Sure high ranking players play the game but the causal player moved to Age of Empires 1 because its actually playable.

[@JB-nr9tr]

for old schoolers is great to see a version of aoe1 with all the nice things that aoe2 has (gates, formations, full market, more intuitive scoring, etc). I really liked this dlc and to be honest was waiting for something like this for years; this is what I think AOE DE should have been.

[@Zade_95]

totally fair, i'm glad you're enjoying it!

[@AlexiosTheSixth]

Yeah, this is exactly what AOE DE should have been. The main reason I like this DLC is I hope it means that AOE 1 won't be abandoned anymore, the bronze age is an interesting time period that is RARELY covered in rts games.

[@Thirteen13551355]

Soo, they should have left out AoE1 campaigns from the start in AoE: DE?

[@christophersweetz7495]

​@@Thirteen13551355don't be dense 😂

[@christophersweetz7495]

I agree big time. They should've used the AOE 2 engine from the beginning. It's a lot better ergonomically and has more features and it's more recent.

[@yajamanvamsikrishna509]

It exists for the guys like me who want aoe2 mechanics in aoe1. Simple.

[@hersh1138]

Yeah just a slap in the face though that they released Aoe1 Def a year or so before this. Would have been nice to discount those who bought it.

[@patrickhammer207]

It was definitely lackluster as AOE2 content, but (ignoring the annoying lack of original campagins) is pretty good AOE1 content imo.

[@michamalinowski8015]

But how those original campaigns would be compatible with the new mechanics added into the game from AoE2? Like we already have those with AoE1 so what would be the point? New campaigns with the new mechanics make waaay more sense.

[@LeftJoystick]

There's no doubt in my mind that the community scripters will port those older campaigns in as custom campaigns. There are already 4-5 campaigns/scenarios that have been uploaded. The guy who made them has worked for or with Forgotten Empires iirc. He even added Co-Op for one. Just look for "[ROR]" in the Mod Browser.

[@xKinjax]

@@michamalinowski8015 AoE 1 DE is a complete mess with atrocious pathfinding. Microsoft basically gave up on trying to fix anything about it. Is it really that shocking that people hoped it would be fully ported into the much better game that is AoE 2 DE? Also keep in mind that the studio never classified that the campaigns were not gonna be added outside of a single facebook post.

[@michamalinowski8015]

@@xKinjax There were screenshots of the campaigns, YT creators got early acces versions of the DLC. I knew way back that there will only be 3 campaogns and they will all be new ones

[@xKinjax]

@@michamalinowski8015 The campaign button was greyed out on every youtube video i watched of the game pre-release. When you say "3 New Campaigns" on the store page it doesn't automatically imply the old ones wouldn't be ported over. They could have simply made it clear from the start, on the store page, that none of the campaigns would get ported over. They were not clear enough on what the content would be and the reviews reflect this.

[@aruan7sp]

This DLC is what AOE1DE should've been from the start. I just wish they port the original campaigns at some point in the future.

[@danielmunoz2316]

Exactly. I strongly agree with you!

[@Zade_95]

Yeah, if they bought over original campaigns, maybe dropped the price or made it standalone, I'd feel a lot better tbh

[@aruan7sp]

They've just announced that AOE1 campaigns are being ported to Return to Rome. Guess I got my wish!

[@danielmunoz2316]

@@aruan7sp A lot of Steam comments about this as well

[@shigarumo121]

@@aruan7sp Unfortunatley, just 4 campaigns so far. They decided two by themselfe and for those other two, we can vote for atm. But I really hope for all the campaigns.

[@Viper1Zero]

Really enjoyed Return to Rome gameplay. This is what I wanted the AoE1 Definitive Edition to be, honestly. Love it.

[@RightDudeHere_AK]

I don’t think I’ve ever played much of AOE1 but I like the timeline! Seeing it imported to AOE2 with all the mechanics I couldn’t asked for a better DLC. I hope they will add more content to this DLC, I couldn’t be happier!

[@rohitmp1992]

Same Here! I felt as if this is for players who both love AOE2 and also like this historical setting of AOE1.

[@Yesnog05]

AOE1 was my first PC game I ever played with my older brother (besides Starcraft and Warcraft) and this DLC is an absolute must buy. When AOE1: DE came out, I told my brother about it and we played a couple games and realized that the path finding sucks as we were so used to playing AOE2. Now we can finally play AOE1 with modern AOE2 mechanics and it just fits so well! Now I just have to teach my nephews on how to play the game with us!

[@AbeTweakin]

Same, except not just my older brother but our cousin too. I was born in 92 and by the time I was 6 I was playing games like quake, half life, aoe, unreal tournament you name it! So here's to elder siblings and family or friends who helped us get into something that's relatively healthy and maybe kept us out of some, but maybe not all trouble lol

[@felixalexisortizlagos6904]

AoE 1 was my first game too and if Rome calls i must go!

[@sweetnerevar3509]

Similar here with my brothers and also I'm finally able to enjoy AoE 1 with my AoE 2 friends who either never got to play it when they were young or just couldn't stomach how bad the AI and pathfinding was. The quality of life changes for gates and market trading are a really nice touch and I'm having a blast even just playing matches vs AI because AoE 2 AI is actually good. This is definately a great game to start bringing other new players into the fold with I hope you have a blast playing with your nephews.

[@JuanxDlol]

They rly rly rly want that vietnam market money with this DLC.

[@rdyt0]

If my memory serves me right, the dev-team once mentioned during an interview that maintaining two engines(AOE1 particularly) at the same time is simply too tiresome to be viable. So they decided to port everything AOE1 into the more popular AOE2 engine and thus makes maintenence much more easier. I don't expect them changing too much game mechanisms for AOE1 in the future(such as UT or UU) since AOE1 already got some solid player base who are already quite used to it, but there's the possiblity that we may see more newly designed campaigns and even new civs for RoR in the future.

[@thenayancat8802]

They've added a decent amount of AoE2 content for free (the co-op campaigns, for example), so I could definitely see them slowly porting over the original AoE1 campaigns.

[@SufferToResist]

If they are kind they can do a sale or give aoe1 players a discount to migrate

[@xotl2780]

@@thenayancat8802 Don't hold your breath. AoE2 civs Persians, Koreans, Vikings, Chinese, Mayans, Japanese, Turks, and Maygars don't have main campaigns (1-shot scenarios don't count) and some of those civs have been in AoE2 for literal decades, so building campaign scenarios in general seems to be low on the list of priorities for the development team.

[@Steve-mx9rr]

then hopefully RoR sells well.. if you go by the steam reviews.. the DLC is unfortunately not so well received. mainly because of the missing AoE 1 OG campaigns. but actually all the content was announced before the release, so idk why some people rate this as negative even though it wasn't promised at the launch. We'll see what the future brings, would really like more RoR content in the form of more DLCs and patches.

[@Zade_95]

That makes sense. I just hope they bring over the campaigns, and maybe bake in a discount for AOE1DE owners to bring them over

[@kennedyeduardooliveira272]

This expansion is near perfect and what i always dreamed about. The only missing things for now is the original campaigns

[@buenastardes1687]

Do you think there will be more campaigns?

[@kennedyeduardooliveira272]

@@buenastardes1687 theres two of them comming

[@buenastardes1687]

@@kennedyeduardooliveira272 thanks!

[@mihaimercenarul7467]

@@kennedyeduardooliveira272 perfect? lmao it's awful

[@kennedyeduardooliveira272]

@@mihaimercenarul7467 sounds like a "you" problem

[@Swmpzor]

Now i want Age of empires III in Age of empires II 🤑

[@Zade_95]

lets gooo AOEIV in AOE2 💰💰💰💰

[@vincentdegheyndt3609]

@@Zade_95 Breaking news: AOM retold is actually AOM... in AOE2 🥴

[@Zade_95]

@@vincentdegheyndt3609 FINALLY!

[@mathdantastav2496]

YES, PLZ!

[@lau9076]

​@@vincentdegheyndt3609Jokes aside,aom retold is going to use age3 engine,so don't be shocked if is an age3 dlc

[@oll-turny-llo8200]

I wanted this. I grew up playing aoe1 then 2 and have a love of the classical period of history in general. Aoe1 with the vastly improved mechanics of Aoe2 is definately something I wanted and willing to pay for. The new campaigns are great and worth the money on their own imo, but we also get a new aoe2 civ. I hope they add more to it and attempt to balance it more in the future!

[@dhruvsharma6826]

Got it, played with friends... it's super fun ! Though the economy seems slightly broken... a bit too easy once you hit Tool Age, but maybe AOE1 is like that ? I am looking forward to new civs like the Mauryans which would fit the time period. As a side note ... can centurion be beat ? I am having way too much fun trouncing AIs with mass centurion and I make no efforts to produce other units.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@dhruvsharma6826 "can centurion be beat ?" - Use a bunch of Ballistas / Helepoli. Now that is scary. As for how to beat that, Catapults are the answer.

[@dhruvsharma6826]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn okay...so like. Scorpions to beat centurion and mangonel to beat scorpion.

[@dhruvsharma6826]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn is it normal to float 10s of thousands of resources in team games post Iron Age (with all game settings at default) in the original aoe / aoe de ?

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@dhruvsharma6826 Yeah, except Helepoli in AoE 1 are a lot stronger than Scorpions in AoE 2. And AoE 1 Heavy Catapults have a lot more range in AoE 1 relative to all the other units available than Siege Onagers have in AoE 2, as they fill the Treb role too.

[@Fedekelmuygrozo]

Hi Zade, the answer you wanted to have during the hole video is quite easy: Vietnam I'm a big fan of AoE sagas (AoE 2 my favourite) and the main reason of these is to move the hole Vietnamese community in AoE 1 (they are like 25k daily players on the old AoE from 1997, incredible but true). When they did AoE 1 DE, the game was exactly the same as the oldest version but the gameplay was worse, with this new AoE 1 (ported on AoE 2) they expect the recover that. They already got everything made, the "spectator scene", the multiplayer competitive ladder, better gameplay, IA, pathfinding, and more. Thats why they did this new old DLC on AoE 2. Hopefully the hole vietnamese community joins to this beatifoul game and if that happen, it will be twice as big. Also thanks for the video, but here you got the real answer of "why did they make this DLC?" Cheers

[@brettfitzmaurice3317]

Yes. Thank you, so many people don't realize that surprisingly AoE1 actually has the largest player base. It's just not been monetized or integrated into the global scene, just Vietnam

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@brettfitzmaurice3317 That's cos they insist on playing the cracked version of the original game, and even in that they insist on a custom ruleset that's completely unlike general play. They don't want to change, so I'm not sure if even this will win them over.

[@brettfitzmaurice3317]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn I think that ruleset is actually supported in this DLC too. Though maybe not being ranked will put them off

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@brettfitzmaurice3317 D3 itself does yes, but the RoR version of the game is just hugely different from the game they're used to in a whole lot of other ways. If they're open to change, they might switch, but in that case I don't see the point of D3 to begin with as they're open to change. If they're not open to change then I doubt the inclusion of D3 will be anywhere near enough to convince them to switch to such a drastically different version of the game than they're used to. But ultimately it'll probably just come down to whether FE can convince enough of the pro players to switch as the whole scene basically revolves around them, with no single-player to speak of.

[@bidoof22]

Exactly this. You always have to look at it from a business pov.

[@theeliteelite1873]

Personally, this expansion was exactly what I was wanting it to be. (And frankly, what I had hoped the original AOE1 DE was going to be when it was first announced). AOE1 with AOE2’s gameplay and quality of life improvements. I love the ancient era, but it’s always been difficult to get myself to play the first game when AOE2 was such a huge improvement by Ensemble Studios. Given just how fleshed out the medieval era is with all the expansions released for AOE2 over the past 20 years (from Conquerors all the way to Dynasties of India is, what, 8 expansions this game has, not including Return of Rome?) I hope this means more ancient era campaigns to come for this. (Though I certainly won’t complain if we get more regular AOE2 campaigns of course) Maybe a full reworking of the original game’s campaigns? Completely new campaigns like the three this expansion has?

[@jurgnobs1308]

yea the only thing i am missing are thr old campaigns but they are bringing some and i bet modders will do the rest

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

the one thing that makes the western romans, is that if you played the first Alarac mission; you fought for the eastern romans; and fought the western romans; but... both sides were Byzantium roman. with the DLC i was hot in my mind that the Western romans would finally come into the game, and they did. which means Bari's campaign will defacto be the Byzantines vs their western brother too.

[@Joshua-dh3uj]

The one thing that I wanted from this DLC was the original AOE 1 campaigns, and that was the one thing they didn’t include.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

They just confirmed it'll get some of the campaigns, and you get to choose which ones! Plus we've already got a bunch of AoE 1 custom content from modders uploaded, so the mod scene is alive and will definitely make sure all the content is there eventually.

[@SirArtanis7]

I'm buying it, I just need to wait a few weeks for a paycheck. I don't like the lack of stand alone but, I can't help but feel like they wanted to bring in AoE 1 factions into 2

[@WillyMacShow]

Wish it had the campaigns but as far as gameplay goes it’s a huge upgrade imo

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

They just confirmed it'll get some of the campaigns, and you get to choose which ones! Plus we've already got a bunch of AoE 1 custom content from modders uploaded, so the mod scene is alive and will definitely make sure all the content is there eventually.

[@URBANSPCMN]

Was born in 85. I remember the first day Age of Empires 1 came out. I had been a huge Warcraft 2 player so it was just insane to see how advanced the game was. I loved it. I will also be the first person to say that Age of Empires 1 did not age very well mechanic wise. I always wanted an updated version of Age 1 and this DLC delivers exactly what Ive wished for. I can understand the argument that this could have been a standalone game but in the end Im just glad that this even exist in the first place after soooooo many years.

[@ljuc]

The good thing is that they can built on it by adding parts, like improved building designs, unique and regional units.

[@Robin-yf6yl]

I’ve played AOE 1 almost exclusively for years - but this DLC is a big step up from DE, the campaigns is a bummer though

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

was kinda shot that it was just DLC campaigns and skirmish too, but as far as that goes I've had a blast with every roman mission; and the Macadonian missions have been really fun, though alot harder then i'm used to being the fact I can't make a temple.

[@hylje]

The AoE1 original/DE campaigns will probably get ported as custom campaigns by anyone who wants to do it. People can also choose to hack them up to be more AoE2 campaign-like (higher popcap, redo the landscape to accommodate gates/larger bases, add triggered events, etc), or leave them mostly as-is.

[@krux02]

​@@hylje Don't change too much otherwise it isn't the original campaign anymore.

[@hylje]

@@krux02 with custom campaigns made by random people, you can have both and pick whatever seems best for your taste.

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

@@krux02 i mean AoE1 AI tended to be derpy with the pathfinding. 2 might still be derpy, but it's alot better then one was.

[@Auriorium]

So basically this is AOE1 if I made it. A little history, I played Age of Empires 2 before I played the first game and found the game obnoxious, archaic and old still enjoyed it. Always wanted to see a port like this with better mechanics added.

[@make575perday]

"If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission." *Motivation

[@voiceofreason2674]

I knew I was gonna be disappointed with it when I realized there wasn’t any real overhaul of AOE1, I wanted unique units and more new civs

[@steretsjaaj2368]

@Voice of Reason Old campaigns, unchanged with AoK style beginning video naration with single comics style image pasted on would of been at least expected.

[@felixalexisortizlagos6904]

The three campaigns are EPIC

[@felixalexisortizlagos6904]

...and Antiquity was a lot more interesting than middle ages

[@ChrissieBear]

They're bringing in 3 community chosen campaigns from the original game, plus the Egyptian tutorial campaign.

[@michamalinowski8015]

I honestly don't get the hate. When people got the game with the old balance 700 people played it. Now people say why the original campaigns are not here. Seriously? Because they were made for a different game and mechanics. Like if you want to play the original campaigns AoE 1 DE is there. Getting new campaigns build with those changes in mind is a far better idea, and give people more content insted giving them the sam content twice. Maybe it's just me, because I was thinking "I would love to play AoE1 with AoE2 mechanics like gates and formations" and I got it. The fact that I get a Western Roman faction is just a cherry on the top, because the Great Migration Period is my favorite chapter of history.

[@VPLewr]

This DLC is absolutely amazing and I've been waiting for it for years. Love it! It was definitely intended for me. :D

[@Zade_95]

Glad to hear!

[@mihaimercenarul7467]

this dlc is lackluster

[@jmanned]

Another reviewer framed it that they wanted to get the Vietnamese players to eventually move over to AoE 2 DE, which would make some sense here with the way they did things. I like the introduction of the Romans even though the age is off with the rest of the civs in AoE 2, but it's good fun.

[@nekogaming5300]

Tf are you talking about? Romans were still around in the 14th century and only died off as a civilization after 1453. The goths existed, the huns existed and they existed before the western half collapsed. There is zero logic whatsoever in people like you saying that rome doesn’t fit yet nobody complains about goths and huns

[@morkallearns781]

Nah this is literally exactly what I wanted.

[@Zade_95]

honestly stoked for you

[@rafalst]

From what i heard, the main reason to bring AoE1 to 2 was the engine. They couldn't expand and stuff the Ao1 DE due the engine limitations

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

That and making another stab at getting the massive AoE 1 Vietnam community to finally join the rest of the world.

[@yamtarbabayigit3328]

It is probably for the vietnamese players who refuse to buy age 1 de. It is actually good because devs wants to unite all age communities

[@Doomfrost]

I think it's just more logical that if they have the means of housing two entirely different datasets in one game, then the opportunity should be taken.

[@cohortConnor]

So basically the AoE 2 purists are upset (as always), but the AoE 1 enjoyers are happy. Considering that was the target audience sounds like a W in my book

[@fabriziocossio3336]

honestly, this DLC is exactly what people wanted, from whta i seen in general, AOE2 mecahnics and quality for AOE1, with the bettr path findingm, formation, and especially connection. the price may be a bit high if you only care for AOE2 stuff, but, you are basivally getting a new game at almost the same price as the original (depends on region) so for me, this DLC was expectacular, and im sure modders will bring nsthe old campaings. hell considering this dlc was a mod at first, they may give modders support and officially help them port said campaings

[@erkocab]

I too wish the original campaigns had been brought over - especially Enemies of Rome. I understand that this DLC was made, at least in part, especially with the Vietnamese market in mind. Apparently there is a huge Vietnamese player base - but for AOE1. So as a marketing ploy, this DLC was made to appeal to them and perhaps bring that market into AOE 2

[@IndSoc]

You have made some really solid points. I think we need to ask more questions like this. We as a community are not as harsh on the company we pay money to. There are too many unanswered questions about this DLC. And I say this as someone who bought it immediately.

[@Vahki100]

It's more than okay, people are just whining as usual for very little reason. IF you don't like it, don't buy it simple as that. But no, let's make a 15 min video for no reason :D

[@Christian_Bagger]

Ok… I’m kinda outside, playing these games as a kid… at face value, I didn’t get the bad reviews… because an aoe2 port is ideal… but if you already got aoe de, which were lackluster and pretty much abandon… if you aren’t making it a standalone, which you should, at least just give those who purchased aoe de, this dlc for free when you acquire Aoe2. In normal business, good will goes a long way. It’s only gamers that tolerates being flagellated repeatedly.

[@TomsonTheOne]

I pre-ordered and refunded: The nostalgia was fun for 30 minutes; then I wanted to play AoE II again. I am not paying for one civ that is not time appropriate.

[@cloacky4409]

Its very time appropriate + there are even worse examples like Goths and Huns.

[@Avinash_Lincoln]

Legionaire: I'm Roman Teutonic Knight: Well I'm Holy Roman. Legionaire: Holy ****.

[@kevinkibble8342]

As someone who played the original AoE 1 in the late '90s before AoE 2 was even released, and as someone who has a keen interest in ancient/classical history, I love this DLC. It's a shame it's received so many mixed reviews from the community though

[@Beriorn]

If you're into AoE2 and are curious to try AoE1 but don't want to buy it, then this is the best way to do it. If you enjoy AoE1 but don't own AoE2, then this will be a hard sell. I'm also not entirely on board with essentially creating a paid patch like this.

[@TheLightningYu]

I might be wrong on this, but i think one major reason why this DLC exist and is also the reason why i got it myself despite owning AoE1:DE is possible console. I feel like quite some people forget that Age of Empires 2 exist on Xbox now (thankfully) plus Age of Empires 4(especially thankfully). And surely you could argue about "why not simply port AoE1DE over" (by the way I'd love if we get on Xbox AoE 3 as well), but than they would split up the AoE Community on Console too much, which might not really have been in touch with the series (most people atleast) and that's why they've gone with the "give the most popular and the newest one" (AoE2 and AoE4), which could've been counterproductive. But adding it as a DLC for AoE2 not only gives it some modernization which they got used to when starting out on AoE2, it also bundles it more to one singular experience than two separate one. So it wouldn't surprise me "personally" if their Focus / Intention for the DLC was so Xbox players have also somewhat AoE 1 content. However they've still done the DLC dirty due not adding all campaigns... (that's why i got it on sale)

[@xanecosmo5061]

Instead of releasing all of them as AoE2DE DLC, Why not just release it as a normal update for AoE1DE?(When was the last time this game was updated?) If they want more money, release the new civ as both AoE1DE DLC and AoE2DE DLC. (So either fanbase can choose) Right now, AoE1DE players have to buy both AoE2DE and Rise of Rome DLC just to play the improved version of AoE1DE.(Even though they've already bought the same game twice). AoE2 DE players who don't care about AoE1DE still have to pay for the full price of AoE1DE just for the expansion. And AoE1DE is just gonna sit there awkwardly in their game and they're probably not going to play it at all. I have both AoE1DE and AoE2DE. But I'm hesitant to buy the Rise of Rome DLC because I feel like something weird is going to happen again. Who knows, they might release the same thing yet again and we have to buy it again as another product.

[@Kalimdor199Menegroth]

Nobody is going to update AOE1 DE anymore. Simply put, the engine in which that game was made is too dated and faulty. Outside of Vietnam, nobody plays this game anymore. So it is only logical that the only way to revive it is to remake it in the AOE2 DE engine. If MS decides to expand the AOE1 content, they will do it within the Return of Rome DLC most likely. So for people who actually want to experience a better version of AOE1, it is better to go for this DLC than for the original game.

[@vanfja]

Watched the review and definitely getting it. My bro played AOE I. I only got a computer to play in when AOE II came out. So never played the first one. So this is now the game for me!

[@tibersulla2305]

Being me, one with plenty nostalgia for AoE1 but can't ignore it's shortcomings, like the horrible path-finding which they purposely left untouched in AoE1DE... Yeah I very much enjoy this one. My only problem is the lack of the classic campaigns, which apparently was just announced they will be adding just 4 of them? And sure this could be standalone, it makes sense that it isn't because its literally the AoE2 client, but still. Many echo the sentiment that THIS is what we wanted from AoE1DE from the start, but hey AoE2DE pathing that we wanted wasn't even done yet. It's a bit of a mess for sure but hey.

[@mathdantastav2496]

As an AOE2 player, I've always wanted a new age game that felt like AOE2, but different, a new setting, idk, anything to make it interesting and new, while keeping the original AOE2 feeling. I was hoping AOE4 would do this, but it did not, imo AOE4 doubled down on everything AOE2 did poorly, and changed everything AOE2 did well. Only thing I like about AOE4 is the way each civ is very different and unique. This DLC made something that is new enough to be interesting, but not different enough to give it a huge learning curve, I can quickly get into a game and play, and it'll feel right, all the tricks I've learned from AOE2, like dodging arrows, qucik walling, all of that will still work, and everything will feel familliar, since its essentially the same game, but it has a new setting that makes it way more interesting for me. AOE1 is not nostalgic for me, cause I barelly ever played it, so to me, and to most of the younger AOE2 player base (wich there are quite a few of us), its a brand new game that feels just familliar enough. This DLC makes me excited for what's to come in the future, if they decide to do something else in the same style as this, but with an original new setting, or maybe bring back the old star wars version of AOE2 lol (wich I've never played, but it seems cool) it would be very interesting, and I will definitly pay for it again and again.

[@mullerpotgieter]

Basically the AoE 1 client is pretty scruffy, so the Koreans still play the OG version of the game. Porting it over to work on the more stable AoE 2 Definitive edition is an attempt to appeal to the Korean audience

[@xotl2780]

AoE1 is popular af in Vietnam also. But they don't care about this release.

[@KlausWulfenbach]

I'm guessing the main reason for putting most of AoE1 in AoE2 is so most of AoE1 can be in the XBox version of AoE2 without separately porting and updating all of AoE1DE. It's what makes the most sense to me.

[@ArchOfWinter]

I own Age1 DE, but the campaign was so hard to get into because of the old timey path finding and UI. Disappointed they didn't port over the campaign. If they had a more expensive option that has them, I would pay for it. I hope someone will mod in a hybrid play mode where Age1 civs can age up into Age2. Kinda like a more expanded version of the Age3 Revolution mechanic. Trigger a dark age collapse and pick a historically accurate successor faction? Defeat an opponent in Iron Age will have them spawn in a random location in the Dark Age?

[@tomascostanzo3673]

To be fair, AOE 1 def Edition already had some AOEII mechanics and no one complained in 2017, no one I know of. And as a nostalgic man, I'm glad both the DLC and AOE I exist, I would constantly miss the old AOE I mechanics. I hope it's the same for other players.

[@MMMNJES]

It's for Xbox players who want to play Age 1 with the Age 2 DE quality of life improvements. Things like a town bell are essential when playing on controller because of the lack of ability to select individual units with precision. It's a DLC to Age 2 DE rather than separate so that they can charge Gamepass players $15 instead of listing it for free.

[@ryanmann1416]

As a mediocre AoE fan, I would just like a full campaign of all Punic Wars and playing as Rome

[@ElShogoso]

Ever since I got Return of Rome, I have barely touched regular aoe2. Having aoe1 with aoe2 qol like formations and better pathfinding was literally my dream game. I just like the units and the historical period better.

[@DCdabest]

Yeah I shelled out because I wanted Age 1 in Age 2. I was very disappointed with the Age 1 DE and this DLC is pretty much exactly what I'd hoped the first AoE1:DE was going to be. If they port over the base games campaigns (and spend some time making the gameplay a bit smoother as some old design choices are a little screwy) then this will be my Age1:DE in my heart.

[@AnimeFan-dl4qd]

3:55 no word so far? Its known for over a week that they will bring some of the old campaigns-we can vote which ones:)

[@LuisPereira-ms8mg]

7:33 We didnt needed this dlc if they fixed the path fiding, formations, gates and garrison in the ao1 definitive edition. As a person that bought that version I think it would have been fair go get at least a fixed discount for this "dlc".

[@elduquecaradura1468]

6:35 yes, this is what I was asking for: I was expecting medieval factions, not ancient era ones. Probably more african, crusaders (yes, a crusader order as a faction, probably templars or hospitallier), native american, maybe some oceany natives, heck, I was expecting even pirates but being an AoE1 in 2, is weird, totally weird

[@mchiles91]

The devs recently opened a poll asking what campaigns from aoe 1 they should work on next for return of rome.

[@kimlee988]

Hope this dlc could help to attract more new /old aoe1 players to the definitive world. Although this is not for me, will consider it when it’s on discount only.

[@vkkoorchester666]

I played AOE and AOE II, III and now IV and more or less loved them all. I love the medieval period but I think the Antiquity has even a slight edge over the middle ages for me. So I deeply, deeply wanted always a "playable" version of the old game which - imho - the definitive edition wasn't due to the missing unit formations and the other quality of life problems (which you mentioned) of the first iteration of AOE. As I am hoping AOE 5 will be set in Antiquity this Return Of Rome DLC (I suppose most of the real fans have every part of the Definitive Edition series of the games anyways) is really all I've wanted for a long time ...

[@87JJosh]

I bought it for the Romans and to support the devs, not sure if I would try the AoE1 content or the campaigns Nice video, good criticism The game needs a hotfix ASAP

[@Justjustinp]

As someone who never played AoE 1, I’m actually really enjoying this DLC. However, now that you mention they left out some campaigns, I’m a little sad they didn’t port them. But overall, I am glad I bought this DLC. The Romans are really fun. But the thing that got me to buy it was the Roman Civ jingle. That thing goes hard. I did, however, only buy it for $12 with some deal. I wouldn’t buy it for much more.

[@bchristian85]

I like the simplicity of AOE1, but after getting used to AOE2 mechanics it was hard to go back. This fixes that problem and gives us what AOE1:DE should have. I've played more AOE1 since this DLC came out than I've played since 1999.

[@WikiHL]

Bought AoE1 DE recently, then bought this. Playing campaigns with AoE1 factions with the swet AoE2 responsiveness is really nice. Also got it at 5.000 CLP, which I'm pretty sure it's way less than 25 dollars. If it's got regional prices, bless their souls

[@Derrek84]

I guess it was easier to transfer visuals into aoe2 mechanics than to rewrite them for aoe1. For me the annoying thing is lack of original soundtrack, which was simply amazing. And now I own 3 different copies of the same game. Yay for me 😛

[@Robert-vk7je]

When AoE I DE was released I thought, I'd rather have a dlc for AoE II DE with all the improvements in gameplay. Well, here we are. :D

[@VitorEmanuelOliver]

To me its quite clear what's happening. They had a plan to add some dlc for age 1 de. But then they realized its no longer relevant. Age 2, in the other hand, is massively popular till this day. So they added it to age 2 despite not fitting the timeframe of the game.

[@coppykappa2235]

Nah i think they did the right thing ,the whole premise of the dlc was to bring aoe1 to aoe2 engine, NOT aoe1 to aoe2, its literally impossible and silly to merge these two games all together and having medieval warfare vs ancient warfare on a same match, just imagine how embarrasing it would be to have people fighting with rocks and other fighting with gunpowder, it just makes no sense. So what they did here its actually cool, the brought new content to aoe2 (16 civs wich you can play separatly, not bad imo) and still have fun! i dont really care about getting AOE2 content when the whole premise of the DLC WAS TO BRING aoe1 content to start with lmfao, and we dont need much new content in core aoe2 atm, we have like 47+ civs atm? but this is refreshing and really adds up in the experience. IMO is exactly what we asked for and what we hyped for. People really missunderstood or did it on purpose, yes the existence of this DLC comes from a broken aoe1 game now evolved and ported in aoe2, it cannot literally be any better. Its just perfect!

[@nikobellic570]

Babe, how often do you think about the Roman empire?

[@ydk1k253]

maybe twice a day

[@Zade_95]

hourly

[@JacketAndTie]

At least 5 Age 1 campaigns are confirmed to be coming, along with the original tutorial

[@thekween9037]

Really hope they put ranked queue in? I finished the campaigns and was seriously hoping for that basic feature. Had no idea it didn't have it until I clicked it and was very confused. Only one player on when I looked. Tragic considering how fun the skirmishes are. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this game unless you are ONLY into playing campaigns and want to pay 5$ each for three of them.

[@emdeo]

As a Goths player I look forward to pillaging Rome some more! But I agree with this video lmao

[@jonathanking8800]

I think the idea behind this expansion was to test the desire among the people to have another game in the Ancient Age. AOE1:DE was a reskin and most people prefer the better mechanics of AOE2 so it wasn't an accurate measure of how many people would buy a new game based on that time period. Honestly, I would love a new AOE based entirely before 2000 years ago. The fact that every faction is limited to a clubman, then axeman, then 2 kinds of Greek Swordsmen followed by 2 identical Roman swordsmen really exemplifies how historically shallow the original game and the reskins were. Every faction could have entirely unique and diverse units in every building. Way more buildings could be added. New physics could be implemented. You could 10x the amount of technologies to really boost gameplay strategies. AOE4 came out and it's utter crap.

[@BeatRoot14]

I am a bit disappointed that they didn't add in unique units for the AOE1 factions and a castle type building. I am glad I didn't buy AOE1 DE

[@steretsjaaj2368]

Trouble is, almost no-one plays online, there's no advanced ranked game finder UI AoK DE has.. Can hardly find any game - at EU evening time at least..

[@flaviapunktexe]

Its really a nice addition to bring back AoE 1 in AoE 2 and take over some mechanics of AoK. I was so hyped for the AoE 1 DE and it runs like shit on my system(AoE 2 DE runs smoothly). I wish they could add the original campaigns.

[@godkingemperor9782]

It would have been great if they have added the old AOE1 campaigns. not only that they they could have also added an option to advance from the stone age all the way to the castle age. it would make it feel more like the old Empire Earth Games or Rise of Nations.

[@Ymgarl]

I just can't get past how bad the buildings in aoe1 look. I know it's quite a big change, but I feel like moving them over to the aoe2 style (scaling everything up by like 50%) would make the whole thing more playable for me

[@gojiradestructor]

I'm personally liking it! Though more campaigns for the ancient civs would be nice.

[@SirCharlesJensen]

Actually I really like this... I hope they make it so I can use the editor and mix the AOE1 and AOE2 factions, units, heroes, etc together. I think we all over-reacted to it a bit. Maybe someday we can even add in new units, etc.

[@quoniam426]

I am under the impression that AoE1 DE didn't sell that well all things considered, the reason that I didn't buy it was really because it was just a reskin of AoE 1 without the QoL improvements of AoE II and AoE II DE combined. In a way, porting AoE I DE into AoE II DE engine was worth it for me, especially since they seem to listen to the community who ask the AoE I campaigns to be ported as well. That will make AoE I DE totally worthless and obsolete to be honest. It benefited from NO improvements, no added content, apart from Vietnam, not that many people play it (just as not that many people play AoE IV either). AoE II DE benefited from AoE II HD editions and mods and new content being brought to it regularly. It's a game that is more alive than some recent games around. I am glad not having baught AoE I DE to be honest ! I hated AoE III mechanics and never dove into it. AoE IV shouldn't take place in medieval times and should have been marketed as AoE II Remake/Starcraft factions style. AoE IV should take place between late 19th Century and 22nd Century, to close the gap and wrap up the timeline, Empire Earth style. I'm not interested in AoE IV as it is and I think it was a marketing error to create it as a Medieval setting just after AoE II DE was released especially since AoE II DE is still so popular and alive with new content.

[@TheMonkeygoneape]

just picked it up a few days ago and have been having a blast with it, granted my first AOE game was 2 back when it came out, so 1 never really held any special place in my heart so I've been treating this dlc like a treat galactic battlegrounds

[@bosskey23]

Makes more sense to consolidate both player bases into one game. We will get new civs for both games as well.

[@caligulawellington3171]

At least they fixed the pathfinding and formations this time. I never understood why they never bothered to pix that the last time. Hopefully they will add all the campaigns in time. This is what the original DE should have been (+ all the campaigns). The old version is basically only for the campaigns. The new one if you want to play any other map and have it work properly.

[@manospondylus]

I think AOE1’s main appeal nowadays is the time period and general atmosphere of primitiveness. It has its very own charm compared to AOE2

[@Zade_95]

yeah kind of agree tbh

[@krux02]

I am an Age of Empires 1 fan. That is the game that got me hooked for the atmosphere and got me interested in RTS. I never bought the Age 1 definitive edition because I am on Linux since 2006 and when Age 1 definitive edition released I simply could not play it. Now I can play it, I already own age two definitive editon, because it does work on Linux. I am really really happy to go through the campagne right now. I am in my happy zone again, with lots of nostalgia. This was an easy buy for me. But I am still disappointed to not be able to play the old campaigns. I never managed to beat them all as a child, and I am now in the mood to do it all. But I don't want to buy the not so definitive anymore definitive edition of Age of Empires 1.

[@colmduffy2272]

Alright... So, I think context is everything. Firstly, I paid £8 for the dlc. It's another game, and another faction for aoe2. I am ok with that. Less subjectively: 1: AoE2 definitive is on a 20 year old code base. It's being upgraded now (as in right now), but it is notoriously hard to maintain and extend. So, further development of AoE1 on a nearly 30 year old code base must be a total nightmare. I figure that this is about consolidation. Bring both games together, modernized the code base and it is easier to maintain both rather than letting one die. 2: campaigns. If the idea is to support the game longer term then I would imagine that the other campaigns would likely be brought over as well. 3: who is this game for? There are several potential ideas here. Firstly, there is a huge player base in Vietnam. Bringing them over would be massive for the franchise. But, considering the old free version is what they play, it's unlikely. Perhaps the idea is to get interest from aoe2 fans, there is not the same toxicity as around aoe4, so this has potential. You could argue that this might at least have some short terms success with the likes of viper, daut, Hera, tattoh all playing and streaming it regularly. I play and stream aoe2, but I have been playing and enjoying the new campaigns. I would not have fired up AoE1 definitive to do this. But it feels so much like aoe2 that it's not hard to just pick it up and have fun with it. One of the criticisms, at the time, of aoe4 was that it was totally different and aoe2 players just did not want to learn a new game (this was when there was fear that aoe4 would kill aoe2). In summary, for 8 quid, I am happy enough with the purchase. It seems like it's very much about consolidation. The latest update notes clearly state that there won't be more update for a while, as they are modernizing the code base. I think that the idea is to cut aoe1 loose. Port over everything and make one massive upgrade to the code base rather than two. The idea of modernizing it is to make further investment into the future. I actually find that prospect pretty exciting. And if it means less bugs in the future, also great.

[@ernestkhalimov3305]

AoE1 definitive edition sucks, it has no formations and the pathing is terrible plus it's missing lots of features, for example scouts can't even auto attack in AoE1, hell, the whole D3 game mode only exists because if you rush your enemy with babylonian slingers in AoE1 you instantly won. Sure it's similar to the original mechanics of AoE1 but even back in the day everyone realized that AoE2 had superior gameplay and mechanics to it's predecessor. I'm sure that there are lots of people that just want an ancient/bronze age RTS with the more polished features of Age of Empires 2 otherwise there wouldn't be popular mods like Rome At War.

[@easyyo6784]

i buy the bundle, played all campagne, and want more. I played AOE 1 and 2 back in the days. So happy that AOE1 works now like AOE2. makes it so much better.

[@ThoRCX]

The DLC sounds interesting honestly, my only complain is that it should be discounted for people who already bought AOE1DE.

[@dansam4818]

Honestly any content. 1 faction. 1 campaign. A smack in the mouth. Whatever they want to sell me to add to Aoe2 I’ll have it. Campaigns are fun.

[@aidenbodycoat3681]

This dlc was exactly what I wanted it to be especially for an Xbox player two fun games in one the only issue for me is how busted the elephants are now 😂

[@Zade_95]

yeah this is something I wish I mentioned. first time for AOE1 on console!

[@krux02]

I think if they couple this DLC with the Age1 DE it would be nice: Buying this DLC gives you Age1 DE and vice versa. So that I could play the original campain, even though it would be in a different executable.

[@Zade_95]

yeah not a bad idea!

[@taminodauth1108]

I would love to see a mod which gives it the old retro look also for AOE2. I grew up with the old look and the old sound effects.

[@FrumpleJames]

I'm a big fan of antiquity history, and while the time span AoE2 covers is also interesting AoE1 just scratches a neat historical itch for me. I'll admit, I pre-ordered this because I wanted to play the new campaigns. A little disappointed that the old campaigns aren't coming over but even if they aren't officially ported I expect modders will do so. In the run up the DLC, I thought I'd go back and do the old AoE1 missions and it definitely highlighted how infuriating the pathfinding is in that game (even in DE), and the really strict pop cap in the campaign. So it's nice to play AoE1 with really good pathfinding and being able to field more epic feeling armies in campaign missions. But I definitely agree it's odd that it wasn't a standalone. It does seem like a terrible value proposition unless you own AoE2 already and don't mind paying again for an AoE1 total conversion. Given the cost it's a little disappointing, although I've personally had a blast with it. But I think I'm very much in that niche you mentioned in the video. I think the biggest mark against it is that it honestly demonstrates how AoE1 probably should have been remastered. I think it would have been smart to offer a discount to people who owned the original AoE1 DE too (but maybe I'm biased) =P Overall, it comes down to asking how much you want to pay for an (official) AoE1 total conversion and 15 new missions in AoE2. Whether that feels like a mean description of RoR or not probably is a good litmus test for if you'll think the DLC is good xD

[@JohnnyEMatos]

This is my first time skipping an AOE2DE DLC. I have no intentions in playing a different game mode. I simply want DLCs to actually improve my AOE2 ranked experience, not distract me from it. I also not fond of the new bugs and crashes that came with this patch, at least on my side. It also completely broke my bottom UI mod. I can see how single player guys will love it though, as well as people who wanted a better AOE1 experience

[@estellebright2579]

If anything, I would say $18 AUD is not a bad deal considering mobile games gatcha can easily cost some $30000 USD in extreme cases, and other popular FPS games cost $70 USD upwards. Plus, you have one more civ to play in ladder, and game itself has unlimited replay-ability. For the target audience it might be a bit much depending on who you ask, but generally speaking, this asking price is not too outlandish imo.