i love the art style, and because of the good rep the AoE series has, i got interested in this.

then i heard about buying power, and grinding away for power to have advantage over new players.

i totally lost all interest and immediately felt alot of illwill for the designers/company.

RTS games are supposed to be competitive SKILL based games.

when part of the "strategy" starts becoming how much time you spend in the game and/or how much money you spend in the shop, it becomes a huge mockery of the genre,  and if it were to become popular, would heavily pollute the genre with  bandwagon titles.

Originally posted by Isometrix

 

 

I am bitter............snip.......... They're not just creating a game that's doomed before it starts, but they're creating a future. Next time someone has an idea for an MMO-RPG-RTS game, the guys with the money to fund projects will go "No, look at Age of Empires. If that franchise can't do it with a company like MS behind them, noone can".

great point.  the same way the original wave of so-called "MMOFPS" games messed up the public mindspace for the very idea of an MMOFPS, and people STILL haven't quite recovered from that, here some 7-8 years later.

hopefully FireFall will turn that around.

I love the idea of the game MMO/Strategy and I can even deal with a item mall but they pushed the item mall a little to far IMO. It's like buying a new Xbox360 game when it first comes out at $60... I'll wait a couple months and pick it up for $30 when the price drops or even $20 if it goes that far. I'm just going to wait for the item mall prices to drop, then I'll jump in.

Originally posted by Terranah

I've been playing a lot of AOE 3 lately, but I just play skirmish mode with the computer.  I'm not so sure I'd like playing against another human being.  Also, pay to win is not my cup of tea.  Infact none of the p2p games appeal to me really.  The whole nickle and dime thing is obnoxious.  If a game is worth it, I'll pay the box price...and if the first month is good I sub.  But constantly getting hit up for money turns me off.

I am looking forward to AOE 4 though, if that ever happens.  Actually, I'm waiting for Stronghold 3.  Release already damnit!

This is a lot like where I am coming from. I've enjoyed the AoE series thus far. It's my 'go-to' game when I am traveling for work. I can plug in at the airport (if I get a seat near an outlet at least) or hotel and fire up a skirmish or campaign and just kill some time while having a bit of fun. Having the option to play online was nice, but not something I really used.  When traveling I generally avoid public wi-fi and when at  home I have other MMOs I play. Therefore, while I generally like the AoE brand, this particular iteration of it isn't for me, 

Perhaps another way to look at it is that, based on my preferred play style, there is just no value in AoE:Online for me. Couple that with the seemingly common complaints about the cash shop for this particular game and I have even less motivation to check it out. 

Originally posted by eddieg50

Originally posted by Vhaln

I was interested at first, but it looks too cartoonish for my tastes, and then I read how greedy the payment model is, and totally lost interest.  Free-to-play needs to mean free to play.  They need to get creative with how to get people to pay for things, so they still earn a profit, but this phony F2P business isn't the way to do it.

    How many games are out there which are truly free 2 play= NONE. YOu are looking for a mirical if you are looking for actual F2P. The nonsense I hear "the game cost a fortune" is nonsense

TF2 says hi,

Oh, you meant RTS games? League of Legends says hi.

Originally posted by LisXia

Originally posted by eddieg50

Originally posted by Vhaln

I was interested at first, but it looks too cartoonish for my tastes, and then I read how greedy the payment model is, and totally lost interest.  Free-to-play needs to mean free to play.  They need to get creative with how to get people to pay for things, so they still earn a profit, but this phony F2P business isn't the way to do it.

    How many games are out there which are truly free 2 play= NONE. YOu are looking for a mirical if you are looking for actual F2P. The nonsense I hear "the game cost a fortune" is nonsense

Lots of games are free to play after paying for the box.  Most RTS are.  You just need a LAN to start gaming.

In the past many games can be set up via dial-up, Master of Orion 2 back in 1997 or so I think, can be done so.

I have korean friends who still play Starcraft, and its free.

There is no nonsense when people do not see enough value for money from any games.

Personally, I do not like Microsoft as a game supplier, or really as a publisher/developer.  That bias aside, I see very little from AoE online that I cannot have from any of the B2P RTS.  I see it to be an inferior product based on the released content so far.

   'after paying for the box" with AOE you dont pay for a box, thus free

Originally posted by eddieg50

I figured all RTS players would want to try it but it does not seem like anyone wants to try it?

It uses Games for Windows Live. I think a lot of people greatly dislike this service, and wants to avoid it.. even at no cost.

AOE players want a real RTS not some mmorpg wannabe this game is disgusting. Im not wasting time imo some should buy the aoe license and make a AOM 2 or AOE IV. If not im still gonna play AOE 2 and 3.

Lame.  It's combining the quest grinding part (dog crap) of MMORPG's with the great playness (steak) of RTS.  Why would you put dog crap on a steak?

Pay2win? really? is this the first f2p game you people have ever played. 20$ is the max you need to spend to be able to compete with the top players. It's like crying that you can't compete in wow pvp with a trial account. Everytime I come to this site the forums are filled with insane exaggerations on how much you "need" to spend in w.e f2p game to be able to compete....

p2w rip off games of once great franchises aren't working. This game is just a disgrace, captastic graphics, p2w and not a real RTS so why are people surprised it didn't take off?

The writting has been on the wall forever.

I quite like it tbh. Chat needs an overhaul and a moderator system in place to deal with the spamming.

But all in all I like it. :)

Hate the model and repetiveness of it. Doesn't even try to hide it.

I generally agree with everything here.  I am still playing just for entertainment and am only on level 3.  Just play during lunch at work.  I am not into the cartoony game graphics either and as far as the pricing, it's ridiculus.  I could buy AoE I and AoE II for less and get more.  This needs to go for REAL f2p.  Just my opinion.

Originally posted by eddieg50

I figured all RTS players would want to try it but it does not seem like anyone wants to try it?

Uhm have you tried it yourself???? first of all their signup system is the worst thing since myspace. second, they try to get money from you before you even begin the game and last, they try to force you to pay for every little thing in the game instead of making a more successful model that Turbine adopted where you pay for only some things and others you get for free by playing the game. Typical microsoft fail.

What gets me is they think they can make into an mmo style rts with only four civilizations.

Originally posted by itgrowls

Originally posted by eddieg50

I figured all RTS players would want to try it but it does not seem like anyone wants to try it?

Uhm have you tried it yourself???? first of all their signup system is the worst thing since myspace. second, they try to get money from you before you even begin the game and last, they try to force you to pay for every little thing in the game instead of making a more successful model that Turbine adopted where you pay for only some things and others you get for free by playing the game. Typical microsoft fail.

 

What gets me is they think they can make into an mmo style rts with only four civilizations.

   I am playing it and the sign up was as easy as pie, I paid $20 for a premium nation subscription and wont have to pay anymore, I also play LOTRO and have paid a heck of alot more than this game. For 20 you get everything you need, I really hate it when people who have not played come on here and try to sound like they know what they are talking about , its sad really

Originally posted by ers061156

I generally agree with everything here.  I am still playing just for entertainment and am only on level 3.  Just play during lunch at work.  I am not into the cartoony game graphics either and as far as the pricing, it's ridiculus.  I could buy AoE I and AoE II for less and get more.  This needs to go for REAL f2p.  Just my opinion.

   ya wow $20 really hurt me in the old pocket book, do you really want to play aoe 1 I dont , AOE 2 is good and that is what this game is based upon with some very good RPG in there also.  What can I say people come on this forum and have no idea what they are talking about, again its sad

Originally posted by eddieg50

For 20 you get everything you need, I really hate it when people who have not played come on here and try to sound like they know what they are talking about , its sad really

Riight so you missed my post on the long drawn out ordeal on setting up a free account to try it out before you buy because that in it's essence is REALLY what Free to Play is and that's how Microsoft is advertising it, you missed my post on just how bad the downloading of the game was, on how little they put into the game, and just how much they wanted you to spend to be competative in a pvp sense? I guess you don't really know what you're talking about. Sad really.

Originally posted by itgrowls

Originally posted by eddieg50

For 20 you get everything you need, I really hate it when people who have not played come on here and try to sound like they know what they are talking about , its sad really

Riight so you missed my post on the long drawn out ordeal on setting up a free account to try it out before you buy because that in it's essence is REALLY what Free to Play is and that's how Microsoft is advertising it, you missed my post on just how bad the downloading of the game was, on how little they put into the game, and just how much they wanted you to spend to be competative in a pvp sense? I guess you don't really know what you're talking about. Sad really.

    Like I said $20 is all you need to compete, Just cause you wrote a long post does not mean anything in it is correct. Did you play the game and for how long? If you are serious about your comment you will answere this question and please dont make up an answere

Originally posted by eddieg50

    Like I said $20 is all you need to compete, Just cause you wrote a long post does not mean anything in it is correct. Did you play the game and for how long? If you are serious about your comment you will answere this question and please dont make up an answere

Wrong again. And just because you post something doesn't mean you don't leave out facts. just because you can get blue items doesn't mean you ARE going to. $20 is around the price i found one needed just for the premium acct much less getting one of the other civilizations which at the time i tried it cost another $20. F2P my behind.  I'm not the only one to discover how corrupt this games tactics are just look at the reviews. 

• Need to spend at least $20 to feel like you're playing a complete game  * Gamespot
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• –High money store cost. * MMOHUT 
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• this journey to the level cap will be a grind with sub-par equipment for units, limited inventory space, few options for multiplayer, and other features that would otherwise be at your disposal for a premium civilization of your choosing. *1up.com review