Well folks, I am furious again. After dishing out more dough for the latest whiz-bang game I’ve been disappointed again. After playing the AOE 3 demo I decided to give the full version a whirl when it was released, thinking there would of course be more content in the full version. Wrong. Sure, there are different nationalities and they have unique units, but as far as tech trees and unit types go, you pretty much have them all in the demo.
OK, so now that you know that you’re throwing away your money, let me tell you what will really piss you off. Multiplayer blows. AOE 3 is the same rush-fest that all of the other AOE games have been. The forums are full of ways to get the cheapest units the fastest, or to get the best unit to the enemy base before he can mount a defense. Most games don’t last 30 minutes, and an hour long game is considered extraordinary. What a sad state RTS games have come to. Not only are single player campaigns boring and stale, but multiplayer is frustrating and completely lacking in tactics. Your most important decision will be what to rush with.
Finally, because I know there are still some of you out there who will buy the game due to your feelings of nostalgia, let me announce the worst flaw to date of any RTS game – the online “Home City” system. This system is totally FUBAR. You begin with a level one home city. Win or lose, that city is going to level up (allowing you to add more cards, i.e. choices for unit deliveries that you get when you have enough experience points). What does this mean? It means that even a crappy player (like myself) who loses more than he wins will be faced with tougher and tougher opponents, regardless of your wins and losses. It’s easy to get to level 6 after only 4-6 games, and at that level you’re playing against some skilled players. The system only lets you limit the auto-matching to players within 5 ranks of you, so you never know if your playing a noob or the grand master himself. I admit I’m not good at rushing. I’m opposed to the thought of short and angry little battles, with someone being furious at their inability to click or use hotkeys as fast as their opponent. The RTS genre needs a breathe of fresh air in multiplayer, and that could be Blitzkrieg 2, if they ever patch it to a point where it’s playable.
-SC
Me vs Age of Empires III
