Pure Evil - Age of Empires III

[Evil Avatar]

I recently attended an Age of Empires III Preview Event at Ensemble Studios in Dallas. When I got back, I started a new strategy guide project and I never got a chance to upload any pictures. Check out the Forum Thread I started with some of the shots (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6083) I took while I was there.

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/ensemble/ensemble_002_small.jpg (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6083)


The guys from Ensemble Studios were fantastic hosts and the game is just amazing, the home city concept and the game cards worked perfectly and added a whole new level of strategy to a great game series. I can't wait to see the retail game.

Someone tell artist Craig Mullins to give me a call, I must have the original of the above Redcoats painting. Wow. Just, "Wow!"

[Knightsaber]

Ah, psst Evil, it's ah, spelled 'Empires'. :)

That is a sweet print though.

*continues waiting for The Movies*

[Sion]

I played that game 7 years ago

[Spooky]

Damn that's a beautiful concept painting. It looks like the art of Adrian Smith, who does alot of the best works for Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 settings (including Dawn of War). Who was the artist Evil?

[Evil Avatar]

Damn that's a beautiful concept painting. It looks like the art of Adrian Smith, who does alot of the best works for Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 settings (including Dawn of War). Who was the artist Evil?

Craig Mullins. He did a bunch of concept art for Age III. Man, he rocks.

[ArkMan]

Man, ever since I was linked to Craig's homepage by PA a couple years ago he's been my personal hero (not to mention the object of my dirty fantasies). Seriously though, the guy is amazing, his sense of depth, atmosphere, lighting, etc. is absolutely unparalleled.

Also, being among the ever growing club of long time lurkers, first time posters, I have to say that it's actually kinda crazy to see what Evil looks like, as it's absolutly nothing like what I had pictured in my head (large brooding hooded guy, with a blood soaked sickle). Kinda makes me wonder what the rest of you rug rats looks like.

Hey Perigon, wanna post a picture buddy?


Oh, and as a personal message to Craig Mullins:

Have my man babies!! (http://www.goodbrush.com)

[Evil Avatar]

Ah, psst Evil, it's ah, spelled 'Empires'. :)

Good save. Thanks.

[jwbxx]

I played that game 7 years ago
Yeah the games graphics are top notch amazing. But the gameplay is just so stale. From what i have played in the demo it seems that formations have no point. I wish the units would be made in squads like in dawn of war. So you get the feel of revolutionary war combat where the dudes line up.

I think ill pass on this game because the gameplay is lacking.

[The Iron Weasel]

Ok, i personally thought the demo was pretty good, but the only rts's that are on my radar right now are Company Of Heros, and Supreme Commander. Period.

[thudo]

Well..

Hate to say this folks but from what I saw in the FINAL (hope its a bad beta) AoE3 has some severe issues:

1) Watch out if you own Creative Labs Soundblaster Audigy2 ZS card - expect sfx delays and likely sound disappearing entirely from the game. Even the latest drivers or reducing sound acceleration won't help.

2) Villages still have issues when, say, cutting trees down - some get abandoned and remain idle while the others keep to the nearest trees.

3) Walls cannot be built over trade routes! Ugh! Stupid. Now if yer unlucky to be near one you can't wall in for protection - enemy can go right through the opening where traderoute is. Its no biggie but seems silly. A pricey gate option would have been nice.

4) Pre-Game Skirmish setup menu is really lackluster - makes AoM look real fancy-like! WHERE ARE THE OPTION, Relic!??!

5) No DirectIP support!!! Ensemble - WHAT THE HELK?!?! This is getting really pathetic that the PC Gaming industry is dropping this. So what happens when someday the Online Matchmaking is gone? Noone can play AoE3 on the NET? Grumble..

I pre-ordered my copy but wanted a sneak preview when I went to a friend's place. I'm generally pleased but I'm dismayed - what I saw didn't feel like an Ensemble quality game. Hope it was a diluted beta of sorts. It doesn't feel as clean as AoM was.

Anyway.. we'll find out in the next many days what the customer verdict is!

[codswallop]

3) Walls cannot be built over trade routes! Ugh! Stupid. ... A pricey gate option would have been nice.
There /were/ gates in the second level of the demo. I think you could close them if needed; they automatically opened/closed for the trains as they went through.

[outontheporch]

I just finished a skirmish...I didn't realize you could get free crap from your hometown until my enemy was already in the fourth age. maybe i should start playing the tutorials.

also, i suck at aquiring gold.

[Royal Fool]

Judging from the demo, this game won't be so great. A real shame, since I was kinda hoping it would be a worthy successor to AoE2. Lots of things are just broken and horribly implemented... and yeah, I know Ensemble were hiding behind the "It's not retail code" excuse, but I'm not convinced. They probably wouldn't have time to iron out all the quirks in time for release, considering the game went gold 9/23 while the demo was released Sept. 9/7... maybe we can expect a giant release day patch? That would at least make me happier.

[Expugnare]

Heh I thought the demo was great and I'll definaitely be buying this. But then again I mainly play RPGs so I like the new RPG elements that have been thrown in.

[jwbxx]

I just finished a skirmish...I didn't realize you could get free crap from your hometown until my enemy was already in the fourth age. maybe i should start playing the tutorials.

also, i suck at aquiring gold.Make plantations.

[thudo]

There were no walls allowed over Trading Routes. Dunno where you saw that. You know what the trading routes are right? They're the paths where you can build "trading posts" on.

Release is soon.. hope it does well - just a little down after seeing that build. Hope it was an old one. Still some issues that we're Ensemble-like. Perhaps the game industry is just proding its developers too hard these days. Darn Publishers! :)

[outontheporch]

hey doesn anyone know how to unpause the game?

[Magnanimous Gnome]

I wasn't really impressed by the demo either. Felt a lot like Rise of Nations, but with a whole lot of bugs. I already have Rise of Nations, and I played the hell out of Age of Empires 2 back in the day. I'll pass.

Too many games coming out these days just feel stale to me. A lot of them give me a "been there, done that" feeling. :(