Armchair Dragoons Forums
Wargaming => 4X Gaming => Topic started by: bob48 on January 20, 2023, 06:29:52 AM
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I just noticed this on Steam today.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1669000/Age_of_Wonders_4/
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"MAY CONTAIN CONTENT NOT APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES".
Sounds like they're checking ID's at the door, brother!
Def on my radar.
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Just saw this on DasTactic. Great news!
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I certainly logged a lot of hours on III, and I & II, now I think about it.
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giggity
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^My sentiments exactly. ;)
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I liked AoW III quite a bit but I just couldn't get into Planetfall. Here's hoping it's more like AoW III than Planetfall.
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I liked AoW III quite a bit but I just couldn't get into Planetfall. Here's hoping it's more like AoW III than Planetfall.
same
though both games i found were bit too heavy on combat (just planetfall especially so), and a bit too light on empire building for my tastes. i'm hoping -- perhaps naively -- that aow4 will be better in this respect. fingers crossed.
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I've been tempted by Planetfall a couple of times when its been in a sale, but something about it has always put me off.
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I've been tempted by Planetfall a couple of times when its been in a sale, but something about it has always put me off.
I played the hell out of AoW 3, bought Planetfall and really, really tried to get into it. Didn't happen. It's a big pile of "meh" as far as I'm concerned.
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https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/age-of-wonders-4-is-4x-fantasy-with-the-scope-and-breadth-of-a-dungeons-and-dragons-rpg
‘Possibly this years biggest most exciting fantasy game’
May 2nd
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Given what the last one was like despite all the hype, I think I'll hold fire until its out and we see some reviews before I throw £42 at it.
<exit grumpy old git mode>
<what d'you mean, there is no 'exit grumpy old git mode'?>
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Given what the last one was like despite all the hype, I think I'll hold fire until its out and we see some reviews before I throw £42 at it.
<exit grumpy old git mode>
<what d'you mean, there is no 'exit grumpy old git mode'?>
I thought you were a big fan of 3
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I was and still am - I'm talking about the space one. Planetfall thingie, innit.
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Pfffft passed me by during the ‘stress’ years
I remember huw loved 2 but I kept bouncing off it time after time and I had the usual me, the spider, the dragon and the guy with the googly eyes save the world in 3 but this is looking better
We’ll see
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I have to admit that between the extensive developer diaries, dev streams, and various previews I've seen so far, it's become very difficult to not be excited for this one. It seems Triumph Studios took a hard look at everything AoW3 and Planetfall did both right and wrong, and have adjusted things accordingly for Age of Wonders 4. Stuff like exploration, hero development, and empire management have been expanded and/or deepened, while diplomacy and the combat system have been refined and improved.
Not that this will probably be a Day 1 purchase for me; I rarely do that anymore. But unless the release is a complete dud, I have a feeling I'll be diving into it sometime this year.
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Agreed. it is indeed looking like a must buy.
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Agreed. I keep telling myself there is absolutely no need to pre-purchase it and so far, I'm hanging tough. But it's looking like a rare day one purchase for me as well.
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I hope its better than MoM which I thought, given the hype and general levels of excited anticipation, was a bit of a disappointment in some respects.
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Yeah, I feel exactly the same way, Bawb. MoM was much anticipated and more than a bit of "meh" when received. And having AoW4 coming out makes MoM feel really second-tier IMHO. I mean, assuming it doesn't suck :bigthumb:
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Lots of prep previews re race building and customisation out there and I think a little bit of gameplay
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PC Gamer likes it:
https://www.pcgamer.com/age-of-wonders-4-review/
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Doesn't PC Gamer like everything? :P
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RPS were pretty meh but admitted the game is that big and they had to squeeze a lot of the game into a short time and missed a lot of the nuances and immersion
A long time since I had faith in a written review - I’ll watch some let’s plays from trusted sources
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A long time since I had faith in a written review - I’ll watch some let’s plays from trusted sources
You don't want to write one for us?
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I’m aow4-less
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Launch day!
And now begins the battle of wills to hold off on buying it immediately...
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Intriguing but I can make it I think
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^ Same, but I find acknowledging the struggle helps. ;)
Sounds like overall impressions thus far are very positive, amongst major streamers, professional reviewers, and regular users alike. Apparently just about everything -- from game setup (including faction & realm creation), empire management, and (especially) combat -- are pretty much firing on all cylinders.
I did read there were significant technical issues at launch for some folks, especially regarding multiplayer, but Triumph Studios has been quick to find and patch them. The praise isn't universal, of course, but there seems to be a growing consensus that this might be not only the best fantasy 4x in years, but one of the best 4x games out there, period.
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Yeah - they’re not making it easy - I’ve seen nothing negative and only how wonderous and smooth it is
I’m always going to run into the brick wall of me, the giant and the fairy defending the realm against 6 rat men and 2 spiders - I want my fantasy to be epic and huge - yes yes Warhammer 3 - but I think I’m more of a fan of operational scale for this - hearts of iron 3 but elves and dwarves and goblins and dragons and now I’m all pointy so I’m off
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As good as it looks, no way am I parting with £42 for it. I'll wait for a sale.
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I’m always going to run into the brick wall of me, the giant and the fairy defending the realm against 6 rat men and 2 spiders - I want my fantasy to be epic and huge - yes yes Warhammer 3 - but I think I’m more of a fan of operational scale for this - hearts of iron 3 but elves and dwarves and goblins and dragons and now I’m all pointy so I’m off
I completely understand, geek; indeed, I sympathize & agree with you on most of your points. It's one reason I really wish it would be revealed someday soon that the rumors about Paradox making a fantasy 4x/GS game were more than mere rumor...
That being said, I think I'm willing to give AoW4's combat a go. While obviously not to the scale of the Total Warhammer titles, it still generally involve more individual troops than in most other 4x/GS games. Moreover, it's turn-based, which I vastly prefer to the TW franchise's more recent outings, as the battle pacing in those has generally become too frenetic for my liking.
As good as it looks, no way am I parting with £42 for it. I'll wait for a sale.
Good point, Bawb. That is likewise part of my hesitancy as well.
The other big reason I'm holding off on picking up AoW4 is that I'm waiting to hear feedback from players regarding how fun the game is (or not) outside of combat. Because my concern is that it's going to be all about war & battles -- again -- then I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy the game. At the very least I wouldn't want to purchase it until it was on sale for very cheap.
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A paradox fantasy GS you say??
I could happily get on board with that - eu4 with fantasy races - sold!!!
I don’t know whether it’s an age thing or game preference but I’m definitely leaning toward turn based - in fact come to think of it I’ve always preferred turn based
Just remake lords of midnight!!
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A paradox fantasy GS you say??
I could happily get on board with that - eu4 with fantasy races - sold!!!
As would I. At this point, however, it's nothing more than rumor, and I intend to treat it as such unless & until it's proven otherwise.
If you've not checked it out yet, there is the Anbennar mod for EU4 (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1385440355/). I've not tried it myself, but it's highly regarded, and they're still making improvements to it.
I don’t know whether it’s an age thing or game preference but I’m definitely leaning toward turn based - in fact come to think of it I’ve always preferred turn based
Same, although games like Stellaris and Distant Worlds have shown me that TBS isn't always the be-all, end-all.
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So Age of Wonders 4 has become the fastest-selling game in the series, with over 250,000 copies sold already. It's reached nearly 50,000 concurrent players a couple times now, which rivals the numbers Humankind had when launched, except AoW4 appears it's going to have a lot more staying power. Every indication so far is that this might genuinely be the best -- and at least certainly the most popular -- fantasy 4x ever made.
I'm going to be passing on it for the time being, however.
For as much praise as the game is getting, it's also clear that Age of Wonders 4 is heavily focused on combat, just like its predecessors. Now if that's your thing, then you should almost certainly get it. However, it's nowhere near the "fantasy Civ-builder" I keep hoping for.
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I haven't bought it...yet. But it's getting harder to resist. And then there's GalCiv 4 sitting there in the Steam store calling my name. :D
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Dev Diary #17: Post-Launch
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/developer-diary/dev-diary-17-post-launch.1587996/
Sounds like the Dragon Dawn DLC and accompanying free "Wyvern" update will likely be releasing before Triumph and Paradox go on their summer break.
I wonder about the wisdom of releasing paid content so soon after the game has come out; however, there does seem to be a demand for it. And if they release Dragon Dawn in another month or so, it would still give Triumph enough time to hot-fix any major issues before going on holiday.
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I haven't bought it...yet. But it's getting harder to resist.
Totally understandable; the game has a lot going for it.
For me personally, I'm mentally moving Age of Wonders 4 to my "Eventually" list: I'm definitely getting it...someday -- just not right now.
And then there's GalCiv 4 sitting there in the Steam store calling my name. :D
It's a heck of a game, and one I need to get back to. Stardock is doing all sorts of interesting things...
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Its going to be on the back burner for me for a while, I think.
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Dragon Dawn DLC is releasing June 20:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2367860/Age_of_Wonders_4_Dragon_Dawn/
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/developer-diary/dev-diary-18-dragon-lords.1589296/
It doesn't appear to make major changes to gameplay, not that I was expecting any so soon after the game's release. The DLC primarily adds a 3rd ruler type -- Dragon Lord, which you can create/customize to a high degree like the other two types -- along with a new passive "Dragon Hoard" mechanic, which you can use to both help support your (very expensive) Dragon Lord, and/or equip the heroes in your employ. Looks pretty cool.
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Still trying to keep from buying this! :D
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I might be reading in all the wrong places but there just doesn’t seem to be a huge enthusiasm for the game
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^I thought the same.
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I suppose that depends on your definition. However, the game appears to be doing well enough, and most folks playing it seem to enjoy it.
It continues to score well across Steam, Metacritic, Opencritic, etc., among both professional reviewers and rank-and-file gamers alike. Numbers-wise, it had something like 4000-6000 players on Steam this past week. Granted, that's a big drop-off from its peak of 42,000+ shortly after release, but that's still well ahead of every 4x game other than the "Big Three" (Civ 6, Stellaris, Civ 5). And I imagine AoW4 will see a renewed surge in interest when Dragon Dawn and the Wyvern update drop in a couple weeks.
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I guess there just doesn’t appear to be a lot of folks talking about it
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And, quite a few rather negative reviews.
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Dev Diary #19 - Dragon Dawn: Lizardfolk, Tomes and Units
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/developer-diary/dev-diary-19-dragon-dawn-lizardfolk-tomes-and-units.1590342/
Whatever I might think about releasing DLC so soon after the game's launch, I'll admit these guys look pretty damn cool.
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I can't say I'm impressed either with them releasing DLC so soon, especially given that the game itself is quite expensive.
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True. Pretty cold-blooded of them I'd say. :hehe:
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Release the dragons!
https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/age-of-wonders-4/add-ons/age-of-wonders-4-dragon-dawn
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2367860/Age_of_Wonders_4_Dragon_Dawn/
The accompanying free "Wyvern" update has also dropped:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/age-of-wonders-4-update-v1-003-wyvern.1591008/
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In addition, a new dev diary was also published today, looking at the roadmap for the remainder of 2023:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/developer-diary/dev-diary-20-roadmap-2023.1591014/
Sounds like lots of good changes & improvements are coming to the game this year still. Fingers crossed they successfully address at least most of the major issues mentioned by the community since launch.