The empire mode of Planetfall was amazing. It turned that game from one I would have only put a couple hundred hours into one in which I invested about a thousand hours. I hope they can incorporate something similar into AOW4.
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Yes, that was baffling. I will never get why they fried up that golden goose. It seemed to absolutely be the future.
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I wouldn't really call this an improvement because these feel like two completely different products. Empire Mode was a fun new single player experience that let us experiment with combinations and bonuses that weren't available in standard play while giving a fun sense of power progression over multiple play session. The Paragon system, meanwhile, is a meta-progression system for mostly cosmetic unlocks, with a few extra faction customization options thrown in. You can also bring in characters from previous games, but since they don't have any special bonuses and are a different race (so don't benefit from any of your transformations), there isn't really any point in that feature other than, perhaps, getting extra chances at dragon recruitment.
A lot of the improvements mentioned to the system weren't really things that impacted me. I enjoyed Empire Mode as a separate gameplay mode, I didn't need it integrated into the rest of the game.
Balance - Empire Mode was certainly a balance disaster, but I think that was a lot of the fun. Of course the balance wouldn't be perfect in AoW4 either, but I don't think it needs to be.
RMG - Part of the fun of Empire Mode was seeing what planets the computer would generate for you and doing your best to work around the limitations/opportunities that were presented. If I had an extremely specific world type in mind, I'd just play that outside of Empire Mode. And if the worlds you were presented with didn't look good, you could always shuffle them. So the lack of picking your own maps was a benefit to me, not a downside, I really liked the variety it created.
Multiplayer - I'm not sure if a lot of people were clamoring for Empire Mode to be available in multiplayer, but personally that doesn't really affect me. Due to the aforementioned balance issues, I was perfectly fine with it being a single-player only kind of deal.
Somehow I feel that people read this and think we are perfectly happy with it, when I've quite literally stated the opposite.
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I appreciate that you're looking to make improvements, I think a lot of us just want to provide an explanation why we loved Empire Mode in the first place. Improvements are great, but if there's a mismatch between the players' expectations and the devs' vision, there will probably still be a lot of disappointed players.
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Yes, we know. Simultaneously, we have seen a lot of actual movement in the opposite direction. The mods are way weaker, there are fewer of them, flexibility is lower, no carry-over, and on and on. So while Triumph may not be happy with it, you all are killing it pretty fast.
Why not explain that in a bit of depth? Because it looks pretty bleak from here. I personally think it will be gone by the next expansion if we don’t do something.
We're all very much invested in AOW4'S continued development and success. If we could get some kind of idea of the future of Pantheon mode, it might help allay the intense feelings some players may have about the former empire mode and look forward to seeing their customs in action with campaigns that showcase the best features this game has to offer.
During gameplay, I and perhaps many others enjoy the graphics showing heroes upgrades for item dropped shields and weapons, and would very much like to see the same for boots, leggings, and helmets. When that is completed, every realm campaign started will be an immeasurable timesink that will ensure future dlcs on such cosmetics will sell substantially.
We want as much as you guys can give, and we're very eager to hear what future dlc is like and how the game is meant to be played, since everybody and their grandma has an opinion on balance and fun. But you guys are the creators, with the final say in design and balance, and in your capable hands this game can go much farther that any others in the previous series because of its uniqueness and flexibility in the 4x space!
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I know I'm in the minority here, but I never cared for the Empire mode.
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I think we should take the subject from another angle. Without empire mode, what is the reason to play, especially solo? Motivation, evolution. I liked the basic system, the game sold well for this type of game, but honestly, over time, for such long games, there is a lack in that regard. And empire mode would have been the solution to a lot of problems with such a weak single-player campaign.
In fact, in general, some bonuses are nice for this type of game, because you play a game for a very long time. Getting a little something out of it is always good.
The argument of the difficulty (= too easy) is a false argument because foes can very well to be toughter to fight.
In fact, in general, some bonuses are nice for this type of game, because you play a game for a very long time. Getting a little something out of it is always good.
The argument of the difficulty (= too easy) is a false argument because foes can very well to be toughter to fight.
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I didn't realize the low-level neurotypical lack of internal drives extended this far.
I write wikipedia pages on largely ignored persons and subjects from ancient China.
This must be the stage of development that comes after watching TikTok all day.
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Did you play it? Or just window-shop?
Balthazar had a point. Empire Mode was different. The integration of a mod system was an improvement. Technically. Almost revolutionary. Plus, it’s where everyone goes in time. Modded games generally eclipse the original.
Why not formalize it, and bring it into gameplay? Doesn’t it let you spice up play, and amp up difficulty in a way everyone could enjoy? Without playing mod combo 173695477? Which isn’t compatible with 173695476?
Why not let the natural evolution, and free user labor, work for you?
And what’s with the psych speech? Point was salient to me.
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Maybe I should make multiple paragraph long posts about it weekly.
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Start with respect, after that you could perhaps teach a life lesson and criticism of modern society and what going wrong. You are not the old guy better than the others, you are exactly the evil of this tik tok generation (Like you said), my friend... All psychological, all disrespectful. Lol, look at the mirror from time to time...
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If I had any real opinion on the matter. I think the key thing the pantheon system is lacking that planetfall's empire mode provided was presentation.
When you played empire mode you expanded a map of all your past games. You acquired planets to fill out your empire map. And could kind of navigate to varying menus to view your trophies and leaders.
I never really liked the idea of unlocking different units and stuff to bring into your next game. But I did enjoy the interface a bit more. It felt like you were building something with each victory.
I think the cosmetic angle for AOW4 is fine. I just feel like the concept of mage haven feels a little unexplored. Like the player's idea of the place is isolated to the location of the title screen. Seeing your leader roster build up is cool, but it would be nice if going through your custom world's / pantheon or play history had a background similar to the title screen that showcased different mage haven locations your wizard might visit. So you really felt like you were one of the Godir planning your next move while setting up a game. Because you don't quite get that feeling outside of flavor text atm.
When you played empire mode you expanded a map of all your past games. You acquired planets to fill out your empire map. And could kind of navigate to varying menus to view your trophies and leaders.
I never really liked the idea of unlocking different units and stuff to bring into your next game. But I did enjoy the interface a bit more. It felt like you were building something with each victory.
I think the cosmetic angle for AOW4 is fine. I just feel like the concept of mage haven feels a little unexplored. Like the player's idea of the place is isolated to the location of the title screen. Seeing your leader roster build up is cool, but it would be nice if going through your custom world's / pantheon or play history had a background similar to the title screen that showcased different mage haven locations your wizard might visit. So you really felt like you were one of the Godir planning your next move while setting up a game. Because you don't quite get that feeling outside of flavor text atm.
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