Post ideas for a redux of the original Age of Empires here. I will post civilizations already used in AOE here along with others.
Quoted from AOE Features by Ensemble Studios: Twelve different civilizations from which to choose, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Quoted from AOE:ROR Features by Ensemble Studios: mute/nomute affects your own local system only, not everyone’s. Quoted from AOK Features by Ensemble Studios: Starting with minimal resources, players are challenged to build their civilization into mighty empires. Gamers can choose from several ways to win, including conquering enemy, accumulating wealth by extensive trading and diplomacy, building and defending wonders of the world. Key Features: New Combat options. Players can use garrisoning and military formations that add interesting tactical choices. Units are also smarter, with new artificial intelligence (AI) options like Guard, Patrol and Follow as well as multiple aggression levels. Unique Units Alternatives to combat. Players can improve the economy of their civilization through trade and diplomacy options. In addition to gathering resources, they can trade at their own market or use trading routes with their allies. A market-based economy gives new options for players to buy, sell, and speculate on resources. Diverse cultures. Gamers command one of mighty civilizations. These include the Gauls, Japanese, Romans, Huns, Chinese and Greeks civilizations. Each civilization has unique attributes, buildings and technologies as well as a unique combat unit based on its historical counterpart. Ease of use. The learning campaign makes it incredibly easy for new users to get started. The new two-layer interface lets players select the level of command buttons displayed based on their needs. Additionally, the game also includes production queues, rally points, customizable hot-key system, as well as expanded rollover help. Choose a technology path. Age of Empires II lets gamers choose from numerous technological paths to help lead their civilization to greatness. From an economic path of farming and craftsmanship to a military route of siege and naval warfare, the game comes with a technology tree that has more than 100 nodes, larger than one player could possibly complete in just one game. Achieve victory in many ways. In contrast to the linear game play found in other real-time games, Age of Empires: Redux lets gamers choose one of several ways to achieve world domination and ultimate victory: Domination of enemy civilizations; Economic victory through accumulation of wealth; Building and defending wonders of the world. Experience intense single and multiplayer game play. Story based campaigns focus on historical figures and their struggles bring the player much deeper into the game as they strive with the hero to victory. A new expert system driven computer player with artificial intelligence providing a solitaire opponent who seems human. Maps are larger which adds to the sense of exploration and allows more options for extended play particularly in multiplayer. The very popular Random map generator brings unlimited replay value for both multiplayer and single player. In addition to the traditional Deathmatch option, there is a new gameplay mode: Regicide, where players have to protect their Queen or King while they try to assassinate the enemy one. A Map editor extends also the game play by allowing users to create and exchange scenarios or link them into campaigns. Advanced A new expert system driven computer player with artificial intelligence providing a solitaire opponent who seems human. Maps are larger which adds to the sense of exploration and allows more options for extended play particularly in multiplayer. The very popular Random map generator brings unlimited replay value for both multiplayer and single player. A Campaign editor extends also the game play by allowing users to create and exchange scenarios or link them into campaigns. Quoted from AOK:TC Features by Ensemble Studios: Garrisoning units inside rams All foot units (infantry and archers) can garrison inside a ram; villagers, Monks, Petards, Kings, mounted units, and siege weapons cannot. Garrisoned infantry and pikemen increase the ram’s speed and attack vs. buildings. Units garrisoned inside a ram are not damaged during an attack, and garrisoned archers do not attack. Battering Rams and Capped Rams can garrison four units. Siege Rams can garrison six units. A flag appears on rams with garrisoned units. Allied players can garrison units inside each other’s rams (and ungarrison them at will). Units are automatically ejected if the ram is destroyed, converted by a Monk or Missionary, or if allied players change their diplomatic stance. When a garrisoned ram is loaded aboard a transport ship, the ram and each garrisoned unit count toward the ship’s capacity. For example, if three units are garrisoned inside a ram, then four units are loaded onto the transport ship. Smarter villagers Villagers are now smarter so resource gathering and wall building are easier. Villagers automatically begin gathering resources that are nearby after building a Mill, Mining Camp, Lumber Camp, or Town Center. Improved trading & tributes You can buy, sell, and tribute the resources in your stockpile in lots of 500 or tribute your entire stockpile of a resource. To buy, sell, or tribute lots of 500 Press the SHIFT key, and then click the button of the resource to buy, sell, or tribute. To tribute your entire stockpile of a resource Press the CTRL key, and then click the button of the resource to tribute. Improved chatting Chat text is shown in each player’s color and there are two new ways to send messages to specific players. As in The Age of Kings, you can begin a message with a semicolon ( Friend or foe colors The friend or foe option uses a simpler color scheme to indicate which players are your allies and which are your enemies. When you set the friend or foe option, colors are not unique for each player. Instead, enemies are red, allies are yellow, neutral players are gray, and your units are blue. The colors are determined by your diplomatic stance toward each player (not theirs toward you). Commanding allied computer players If you are playing a standard game (not a campaign scenario), you can use the Commands button in the chat interface to send commands to allied computer players. The computer player recognizes the following commands: 3: Food, please – Computer player tributes 100 food to you. Improved game recording Recorded games now save chat messages, and you can insert chapter markers so you can easily find important battles when you play back the recording. Full-size map screenshots It is now possible to create a screenshot of the entire game map exactly as it appears on the screen, including fog of war. You can save screenshots at any time during a single player game, but you must wait until after a multiplayer game has ended to save screenshots from it. In order to create a screenshot while using the map editor, you must either play or test the scenario. To create a screenshot of a full-size map Press CTRL+F12, and then click the button to select the reduction ratio (1:3 is the largest image; 1:8 is the smallest). The map image is saved in the Screenshots folder where you installed the game. Quoted from AOM Manual: Infinite Farms and Fish New Features Include whatever you decide. Remember, save some civs for the expansion pack.
100-node technology tree; more technologies than can be achieved during a single game.
Robust alliance options allow players to exchange resources and share intelligence.
Trade between players allows civilizations to build economic wealth and power.
Robust siege warfare model includes walls, fortifications, towers, catapults and ballistas.
Fully integrated campaign editor, scenario builder and random world generator.
Superior computer player AI that does not rely on cheating.
Multiple levels of difficulty.
Dazzling animations and graphics for terrain, buildings and units.
Historical encyclopedia included in game.
Designed for multiplayer competition. Includes a variety of unique multiplayer scenarios.
Cooperative and Death Match modes.
Observer mode reveals the entire map to view during game play.
In-game score displayed for active players.
Over 50 historical combat units, unit upgrades and building types.
Massive game maps with true terrain elevation.
In-game and post-game timeline illustrates the rise and fall of each Civilization over the course of play.
Strong economic model, including multiple types of resources.
Buildings upgrade and become more advanced over time simulating the passage of thousands of years.
Allied town centers are automatically visible at game start; in additional your Chat is set to Allied at game start
Your current/max pop appears at the top of the screen when you press a function key.
By tapping "Home" you go to the last sound cue you got.
New ability to queue the production of units.
Double-clicking a unit selects all units of that type on the game screen.
New Random civilization option so you don't know which civilization you're playing until the game starts.
In multiplayer games, there is now an in-game option to change the population limit using the Game Settings.
In addition to the traditional Deathmatch option, there is a new gameplay mode: Regicide, where players have to protect their Queen or King while they try to assassinate the enemy one.
Unique Technologies
King of the Hill – To win, control the Monument in the center of the map for the specified time period. To take control of the Monument from an enemy, kill all of the enemy units near the Monument and move one of yours nearby. The map style greatly affects this game. For example, on Coastal maps, you can defend with walls and Castles; on Island maps, you can defend only with ships; on Ghost Lake maps, you can defend only with land units.
Wonder Race – No combat; the first player to build a Wonder wins. All players are allied and cannot change alliance or form teams. However, you can play a coopera-tive multiplayer game, where two players control the same civilization. There are no walls, Siege Workshops, or Trebuchets.
Defend the Wonder – One player starts with a Wonder surrounded by walls and defends it from enemy players to win. All players begin in the Imperial Age with all technologies researched, large stockpiles of resources, and several villagers.
If a villager is carrying resources when you order it to construct a building, the resources are deposited in your stockpile before the villager gathers a new resource. For example, if a villager is carrying 8 food from hunting and you assign it to build a Lumber Camp, the food is added to your stockpile before the villager begins chopping wood.
When you send a group of villagers to a single Farm, the villagers automatically spread themselves among any untended Farms nearby.
When two or more villagers are assigned to build a wall, they space themselves out so the wall is built more quickly and efficiently. Also walls are now built starting from the outside and working toward the middle so they end properly at the edge of water and forests.
4: Wood, please – Computer player tributes 100 wood to you.
5: Gold, please – Computer player tributes 100 gold to you.
6: Stone, please – Computer player tributes 100 stone to you.
31: Attack an enemy now! – Computer player uses any available units to attack the most dangerous enemy. If you have sent a “Wait for my signal to attack” command, the computer will not attack until it receives this command.
32: Cease creating extra villagers – Computer player focuses on building its military.
33: Create extra villagers – Computer player focuses on building its economy.
34: Build a navy – Computer player focuses on building combat ships.
35: Stop building a navy – Computer player stops building combat ships.
36: Wait for my signal to attack – Prevents computer player from attacking until you send the “Attack an enemy now!” message. The computer player automatically attacks unless you send this command.
37: Build a Wonder – Computer player hoards resources and attempts to build a Wonder when its stockpile is large enough.
38: Give me your extra resources – Computer player sends you any resources it can spare.
42: What age are you in? – Computer player tells you the age it has reached.
3D Engine
New AOM interface
Herd animals fatten over time