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Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition


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Features

  • 4K graphics, zoom, destruction animations, yada yada
  • intelligent unit selection (optional)
  • still using AoE2 game engine (Genie engine)
  • new population limit: 500
  • re-recorded orchestral soundtrack, including new pieces
  • new path-finding
  • new, way stronger AI that doesn’t cheat (even on highest difficulty)
  • spectators don’t take up a player spot, unlimited number of spectators
  • seperate spectator lobbies
  • Mixer integration
  • does not use UWP (Universal Windows Platform), but “standard” Win32
  • release on Steam and Windows Store, crossplay between both platforms
  • using technology from AoE4, for example “Relic Link” (anti-cheat-tool, allows player profiles, similar to Battle.net)
  • the new Age of Empires studio supports the other game studios
  • HD mods are compatible with Definitive Edition, but need a tool for conversion that’s provided by Forgotten Empires
  • AgeofEmpires.com becomes platform for mods, so that both Steam and MS store users can get them
  • reworked scenario editor
  • four new civs (Tartars, Bulgarians, Kumans, Lithuanians)
  • three new campaigns, one of them is called “The Last Khans”
  • portraits of talking campaign characters are shown while they speak
  • original campaigns have been reworked, AoK campaigns now feature HD civs where appropriate (e.g. Italians)
  • there’s a so-called “Community Council” for each of the AoE titles, which cooperates with the developers
  • there will be updates after release, they didn’t exclude another addon
  • 15 Euros for HD owners, 20 Euros for everyone else
  • re-designed interface
  • control groups are displayed, building queues are displayed
  • attack-move
  • technologies can be queued
  • buildings that are researching something show a visual effect (that’s not yet final)
  • when deleting important buildings (e.g. castles) there’s a dialog that asks you to confirm (optional)

The article also included this:

More, partly optional new features in Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition

  • Redesigned interface with larger, re-drawn graphics for resources and buttons.
  • Groups defined with Ctrl + Number key are displayed including symbol at the bottom of the screen, at the top you can see the global build list with all currently ordered units. The developers have placed the button for finding idle workers prominently in the upper left corner.
  • Units sent to a location with the “Attack Move” will independently attack enemies on the way.
  • In buildings, technology upgrades and the production of new units share a common build list; upgrades no longer block the commissioning of new troops.
  • With a single button, you can select all your military units at once.
  • When a technology is being explored in a building, a glitter effect around the building will draw attention to it, even at low zoom levels. The glitter is more reminiscent of Christmas and is not yet final.
  • Optional: There is a safety query when deleting important buildings such as castles and wonders.
  • Optional: Fields from farms are automatically renewed on request (can be switched off in the mill to produce newly filled fields as before on stockpiles).
  • Optional: After training, units are by default in aggressive mode and attack enemies independently (formerly: defensive mode).
  • Optional: After setting waypoints while holding down the Shift key, units immediately start to run the route. To start, no click on the first waypoint is necessary.
  • Optional: Waypoints can contain movement as well as attack and build commands.

Challenge Missions: Getting Better in the AoE2 Dojo

An innovation of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition are challenges. In a special mode, the game presents you with a series of tasks specially designed to teach beginners and advanced players specific multiplayer strategies. Developers compare this to a kind of training dojo in games like Street Fighter.

For example, you’ll learn how to respond properly to an opponent’s rush attacks, which build order is best at the beginning of a game, how to take advantage of certain civilizations, or how to hunt boars without losing a villager. Your performance is rated by the game, the highscore can be compared to your friends and other players from all over the world.

  • auto-farm-reseeding (optional)
  • newly trained units are in aggressive stance instead of defensive stance (optional)
  • when settings waypoints units immediately start to move after setting the first waypoint (optional)
  • waypoints can contain movement, attack and build commands (optional)
  • so-called “challenges” are included to teach the player common tactics and other stuff (luring boars, build orders, etc.)
  • in those challenges you get a score and can compare yourself with friends or players from around the world
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Reworked networking model. Lockstep model is no longer used. This is the recent trend. Most remakes and re-releases by major studios do this. (Lockstep model is what 0AD is built upon. It have major drawbacks which cannot be fixed. It was an ingenious solution to limitations in tech which no longer exists.). It’s faster, more efficient and more secure. RTS was the only genre which held out this long.

While the lockstep model seems to be secure, state mismatches can easily be caught, it doesn’t go all the way. For example, in 0AD, playing a rated game with  full map visibility is very simple. And that’s something you can exploit without opening a game source file. (A player who is already known for abusing various game mechanics have been using this since ages. I don’t know if he have stopped doing that). Maybe, I can post a step-by-step guide on how to do that later ;).

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On 6/18/2019 at 9:19 PM, Lion.Kanzen said:

they made same ugly deteriorated aesthetic.  

 

Spoiler

Resultado de imagen para definitive edition egyptians

 

 

On 6/18/2019 at 9:22 PM, Trinketos said:

 

I do not know why they made it look like ruins again, They have placed color at least

It would have been quite risky to heavily alter civ set colour pallette. Specially between old-school "purists" gamers, since this is an original Ensemble Studios designed civ. Civs that were later added on by Forgotten Empires on the expansions (like the slavic architecture and the mediterranean/italian set) had a very good redesign.

Also hard to make a good balance between very coloured buildings (like the aztecs had) and playercolor readability.

 

On 6/18/2019 at 9:11 PM, Lion.Kanzen said:

because money. takes hours render people.

This is for gameplay readability too. That's also why same units between different civs look the same. 35 civs with different looking units (even with the same stats between them) would be entirely impossible to distinguish during gameplay for unit countering-decision making.

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4 hours ago, Enrique said:

This is for gameplay readability too. That's also why same units between different civs look the same. 35 civs with different looking units (even with the same stats between them) would be entirely impossible to distinguish during gameplay for unit countering-decision making.

That's right, it's hard to recognize units especially in this game.

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https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-06-26-age-of-empires-2-definitive-edition-looks-great-but-still-has-to-compete-against-itself

New interview.

Spoiler

"If you put one AI, non-cheating, of the Definitive Edition version against seven of the original that do cheat, it just wipes the floor with them. No problem. Every time. So that's the kind of level we were aiming for here... the new AI is so good that you can watch replays of it to actually learn how to play the game, because it plays the game correctly now... it tries to follow the competitive meta - on the highest [difficulty] level - because we have 20 years of pro players doing tournaments and we tried to get that in the AI as well."

 

Edited by Lion.Kanzen
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  • 2 weeks later...

https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/aoe-ii-de-quality-of-life-ideas/44190

Interesting ideas but some implemented here.

Quote

Allow Structures that make units to automatically set their stance upon being created

This is something minor that I think could have some potential to some strategies or just unit management in general. Most military unit are created on agressive stance by default, but sometimes while I’m playing campaign or vs AI I want a group of units to be in defensive stance so they don’t get baited away from my base, and it’s annoying having to change it whenever a new unit is created. Adding a submenu for that on those structures would be something rly interesting imo (that but also adding an extra option to create them on their default stance, since I believe some units made in the castle have a different default stance, and the player might want them all to stay the same as the default for that reason)

This is really good one.

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  • 2 weeks later...

again problem with beta testing.

Quote

What If I tell you that almost all of the active community members did not receive any beta keys yet. We feel that someone who actually recognizes the community players and understands better whom is prioritized to receive keys, for instance, Cysion is the perfect candidate to get the job done.

Already 4500 invites of AoE2 DE Beta invites were sent out to the wrong participants. Priority should be given to active community members to help debug the game as best as it can and actually help out in the multiplayer section.

I have heard that there are almost no 1v1 games in multiplayer and it’s been 2 months already. I don’t think you are taking the Beta Testing seriously…

https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/aoe2-de-beta-not-taken-seriously-keys-distributed-to-the-wrong-users/45511

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Age of Empires: DE Cross Play Now Live with Steam, Age II: DE Coming November 14 to Xbox Game Pass

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By Adam Isgreen, Franchise Creative Director for Age of Empires posted on August 19, 2019 at 8:15 am
 
Hello to our Age friends and family from around the world! Today, we are thrilled to not only announce the arrival of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition on Steam as well as Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) and Ultimate, but the official release date of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, which will launch on Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) and Ultimate, and Steam on November 14, 2019!
 

For all you Age II players eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the Definitive Edition, starting today you can pre-order the game on the Microsoft Store and Steam! You’ll be able to enjoy all the features—including cross play with your friends, four brand-new civilizations, three new campaigns, and a transport ship full of game improvements —right on day one, so be sure to unlock your copy today:

Our goal is to make the best possible version of Age II that we can, working right alongside our community. So while Age II DE’s release is only a few months away, you can sign up to participate in the Age II DE beta right now – visit ageofempires.com/insiders to join the Age Insider program – and help us tune and refine Age II even further. You’ll also have a chance to participate in future beta opportunities, so sign up!

To take advantage of cross play, existing owners of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition from the Microsoft Store will need to download a brand-new client. This is a free download for anyone with Definitive Edition in their Microsoft Store library. And don’t worry: all your existing save games, campaign progress, and achievements are preserved. In fact, any achievements you’ve earned in the earlier Definitive Edition will automatically unlock in the new client; they’ll even count towards your Gamerscore, so double points! Woo!

The development teams have been hard at work improving the games we all love and play, and we can’t wait to continue this adventure through the ages with all of you! Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and to pre-order your copy of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition today! Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta)  or Ultimate members will also find Age: DE included with their subscription starting today—to be joined by Age II: DE on the same day as its global release on November 14.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2019/08/19/age-of-empires-de-cross-play-steam-age-ii-de-coming-november-14/

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