Age of Empires 2 HD

[Onkel Neal]

As many know, I still play AOE and AOE2 (or also known as Age of Kings (AOK). Two of the best games I ever played, I have more hours with these than any other game (yes, including AOD and SH3). They even still look pretty good, the little sprite figures are sharp and fun to watch. I always dreamed of an updated version that would be compatible with new OS and take adnvantage of better graphics (without changing the graphics approach and game mechanincs the way AOE3 did--really didn't care for it all that much).

Well, apparently someone took this ball and ran with it.



Also, I found this: a post from one of the original developers who had the idea 2 years ago, and could not get anyone at Microsoft Games to hold still long enough to get this greenlit. Of course, he had to pitch the idea as freeware, and fun and cool as that sounds, it won't pay the bills. He should have suggested this as some decently priced DLC or something.

I had a good idea why AoK is remembered so fondly. Ensemble made a number of good, and very good games. You could do much worse than having Ensemble's quality bar. But as a former co-worker once said "AoE is a good game. AoK is a *GREAT* game". Harter R, who now heads up Robot had once said "We caught Lightning in a Bottle with Age 2". And he was right. Of all the games we did at Ensemble, AoK was something extra special and it showed. Lifetime retail sales are near or around 10 Million. None of our other games did half that. It was indeed 'Lightning in a bottle'. It was just the right amount, with extra broad appeal, at the right time.

And what probably drove it home best was seeing that Age of Kings was still being sold on store shelves at Retail - and I'm not talking about the Discount bin Jewel case releases. Microsoft was, until earlier this year, selling the Age of Kings gold edition, full box, at full price - US $20, and I could find it online at Amazon and on store shelves like Fry's Electronics. …….. AND IT STILL SOLD COPIES…. After 12 years. Amazing.

Well, yeah, it is remembered fondly because it is a classic, it still is great fun to play and looks good. I would be so happy to have the same game but more options and environment elements, such as swamps, more farming choices, and stuff like that. Once in a while a computer game is so good, it falls into the category with Risk, Chess, and Monopoly--it's timeless.

Another thing about the developer's post... how weird that a game company like MS cannot manage it's catalog any better than this, or manage queries to re-market it. Really makes a strong case for the abandonware concept. Oh, don't jump up and say MS is stoopid, if they are like most everyone else, they probably have a full plate managing their current titles. But still...seems odd that the original developer could not get a solid contact with MS.

[Lionclaw]

I preordered this as soon as I saw it on Steam, played it a lot in my teenage years.

[Miggy4000]

I wonder if it might make an appearance on GOG?

Oh and Neil? I know I am slightly late but congratulations on passing the 13k mark on your posts.It might be "some time" before I have that many!

[Cybermat47]

I played AOE and AOE2. Both good fun games. It's a shame that Ensemble is gone. But their last game was epic:


They actually made a console RTS that works.

[Takeda Shingen]

Cybermat, do you like Halo? Do you?

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Cybermat, do you like Halo? Do you?

No. I absolutely hate it. The very sight of it makes me sick.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

No. I absolutely hate it. The very sight of it makes me sick.

That's hard to believe given that you talk about it all the freaking time.

Anyway, AoE II......

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

That's hard to believe given that you talk about it all the freaking time.

LOL.

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Anyway, AoE II......

...is an amazing game.

[Philipp_Thomsen]

What's so bad about AOE3, Neal?

[CaptainHaplo]

Phillipp,

Allow me to answer that. AOE3 dumbed down the gameplay tremendously. While AOE2 was a truly balanced game that gave a player various ways to win, the ONLY way to win in AOE3 was to build an army bigger than your opponent and go kill him.

Map size limitations, horrible AI, and the lack of a reason for doing anything but fighting made AOE3 a really horrible game, even after it got its expansions.

In AOE2, turtling was a reasonable tactic, for example. Do that in AOE3, and your just waiting to die.

Now if only EE2 would get a much needed graphix update! EE3 went south even worse that AOE3 did!

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Cybermat, do you like Halo? Do you?

I think he does....just a little bit....

But most 13 year old kids do. It's kind of expected. He'll grow out of it like I did.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

He'll grow out of it like I did.

Umm...

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

LOL.


AOEII...
...is an amazing game.

Like Halo?

Originally Posted by Philipp_Thomsen

What's so bad about AOE3, Neal?

For me, the feel of the game changed too much. Both AOE 1 and 2 feel very similar. The size of the maps, the size, movement, and graphic quality of the villagers and armies. AOE3 wasn't a bad game, it just didn't feel much like the original. Honestly, I will be playing AOE and AOE2 for another 20 years, there's not much about the games that I see need improving. I support the new edition this thread is about for several reasons, among which is I like to reward ingenuity and allegiance to great work, and seeing these guys put some time into upgrading a classic is A+ in my book. How I wish Sonalysts would do this for Fleet Command, and there was an upgraded version of Fast Attack, how cool would that be?

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Like Halo?

Maybe even better.

[Cybermat47]

Look what I found!


They'd better be compatible with Vista