AoW4 is a good game, has a lot of well-thought-out elements. Have my fun playing it twice this Sunday, but I prefer AoW1 formula (shame this game is so outdated in terms of mechanics, like no AoE spells for units[except breath attacks and goblins bomber suicide]).
I didn't like AoW3 at all, i try many times to like the tactical combat, but heroes spoiled it (like in AoW1) this time with damage instead defence. AoW3 is a doom stack rider of dungeons, with no strategic map gameplay. However, AoW3 units/heroes abilities and interesting troops are still best.
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In AoW4 you control 1 to 4 cities, plus quite a lot of outposts. The kingdom size under your control is bigger than in AoW3, and it is an improvement.
personally, much more prefer the dozens of different size towns from AoW1, with no buildings at all, where the strategic layer play feels like in Warlords 3.
Each city have a long list of buildings that you can erect. I play with 2x races so far only, but it appears that all the buildings are the same (there is not even different name or 2d graphics), except for a few special structures from your faction choice.
In each city you have 2x building queue; one for structures and one for units recruitment. That's an excellent idea, It really prevents lots of frustration with adjusting your build order, when enemy arrive at the gates.
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Each city is slowly annexing abut provinces as the population grow. Some provinces have Point of Interests of various types like dungeons or resource nodes, that your city absorb with each annexation (population growth).I don't like this expanding creep mechanic and much more prefer Capture the Flag style from AoW1.
A nice twist would be if not all units could capture or collect benefit from all type of Point of Interests.
f.ex. in Fantasy General 2 flying units cannot capture ground points.
It would make sense if animals couldn't do it, neither.Your provinces gain a single upgrade that grants your city +X income of resources.
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Your army can pillage each province upgrades for 75 Gold. Ruined province can be rebuilt for 50 gold. If gold is what you need, its a valid tactic to pillage all provinces of besieged city, just to rebuild them in next turns.
For each pillaged province, you are rewarded with a massive -5 alignment toward being an Evil ruler. That's a fine drawback, just too harsh, as i immediately become full red moon evil after starting a war.
Pillage is excellent mechanic gameplay wise, because just one unit is enough to loot a location. This lead to legitimate decision if you want to split your doom stacks, to plunder vast area, exposing your self to being defeat in detail, or you rather keep your forces together. I really like it, everything that incline me to separate my forces (nukes?) is good. Big blobs of units are not fun ; One big dick measuring contest and the whole multi hour game is decided.
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Empire resource - idea is ok... you collect ego points to pick global skill or settle a new city. But the execution is so-so, because of the streamlined empire skills that making all your unit aquatic, miners, summon units or grant +Y to your Excel spreadsheet.
Sailing is just an global unlock, and all of a sudden your units are capable of traversing water. You no longer need mining units, just unlock Excavation with Empire currency. Forced March - a great skill from Fantasy General, is not assign to specific units. Its just faction wide unlock from tech tree.
Siege units? Don't be silly, too much logistic for modern audience. Instead, on each siege we have rubber band, delay mechanic that prevent the winning player from prevailing too quickly.
I crave multiple unit roles. Multiple hardcouters like from AoW1.
I like Knowledge being separated from Mana. I am not a fan of Master of Magic balancing of blue crystals budget.
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Tactical combat is great and its an improvement over AoW3, where heroes melee (flank) charge deal such a big damage, that it render whole buff/debuff skill irrelevant, or detrimental even because you waste turn to reduce target poison resistance instead of killing it on the spot.
I really like how even each ability and units competitive level is. Difference between units tier in terms of HP difference is small. A to win a battle you need a quantity, instead of quality. Which is good,
Im not a fan of max levelled top tier doom stacks clearing one dungeon after another in AoW3. Neither Def10 Heroes from AoW1.
I was using unit skill and rarely feel like I should just charge instead.
Also AI is using lots of units abilities which make the combat interesting to watch. After few battles, I turn the auto battles ON and watch it like football match.
In tactical combat healing grants only temporary HP. Which is a great invention, it makes the strategic healing in towns or by hero skills the more important. This is good, it creates depth in the gameplay, and make multiple "tools" viable to use.
Multi figure squads of units, lose damage inflicting capability with reduced HP. I like it. There are not dead/wounded figures, but its still supporting my suspension of disbelief. And make a difference between squad and single creature troops.
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Defender still cannot retreat. If enemy doom stack catch your single scout, he has to die in suicide battle.
This prevents the weaker forces from routing and gathering somewhere at the back (giving away control over land) to create bigger opposition. THe more even forces = the more interesting battles are later.
I understand that someone could say "hey but i just step 1 hex back, and you will be caught in infinite combat loop". Fair point, let the single unit flee to the nearest town as neutral, until it reach city or ally forces to rally it.
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Faction develop tech tree by picking Tomes as you gain next knowledge levels and unlock skills/spells/units from these books.Tomes units allow you to customize available non-mundane units to your liking. And is in line with the whole "make your own faction!" idea of this game - whether you like it or not.
Heroes have just a fistful of skill to pick from on level ups, its a step down compare to AoW3 where the available options were very crunchy, and it was fun to spend your points.
Same with the units, each culture grants you 6 similar basic role units (like range, shield, shock, polearm, support scout). There is not much "wow factor" here from picking different types of troops from different cultures. AoW3 is much better (f.ex. the matriarchal society of Frostling with simping Guardians). As example globally, I would say HMM3 (and 5) have very different and unique roosters between each Towns.
I very like that upgrading attack with poison, is adding poison damage but reduce physical damage a bit too. Support units are boosting around troops by resistance boost or temporary abilities.
High culture units could be awakened which grants them temporary boost, while Primal units are gathering Fury counters to receive some boon.
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Enchantments spells are affecting all units in game. At first i didn't like it, but I grow on me. Selecting every single dude you want to improve with magic is a wearing micro. In AoW4 there are enchants that upgrade weapons of only range unit f.ex, and you would find out to have whole 4x of archers at the time. It really saves time with micro needed to look for units on map, and moving them near your caster hero.Saves work with clicking.
transformation spells (on the other hand) are silly, i dont like the idea that your race evolve in the time span of one conflict. Would the medieval society that im in charge learn how to manipulate DNA through magic? I dont buy it.
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Diplomacy is more sophisticated than in AoW1. Its like in master of orion, where you have conversation with other factions. Make no mistake, its not an Alpha Centauri level of interaction with your enemies.
Narrative interruption, C&C are ok. The available options are not brilliant but are not awkward neither. Sensible if you want to roleplay.
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To my taste, Eldritch DLC units fit with the rest of the game. They have this Elden Ring vibe to it, instead the Lovercraftian fishy tentacles that you probably expect. There is much more depth in this DLC with Umbra map layer, but honestly I dont know much about it as I only play 2 games.
Primal Fury add one culture Primal with extra twist of 7x different animal spirits, that affect terrain and the bonuses provided by accumulating fury counters by the units. Bunch of animal to the game. And 2x skins - to be honest, i buy AoW4 because i could finally LARP as beastmen.
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AoW4 has tons of content and options to mix things up. With fragmented tech tree into chunks of Tomes, it creates a mosaic where no game would be the same.
Ofc you could min-max the best options each time, and i see why this game would never be balanced for competitive autisms. It is a great sandbox to larp nevertheless where you can lead your dream race of mole or toads into domination.
I see why lots of people like it, and i see why lots of grognards hate it.
