The Wargamer

E3 2005 Impressions

The Age of Exploration following Columbus' discovery of the New World was one mankind's greatest ages of adventure and destruction. The great conquistadors - Ponce de Leon, Hernando de Soto, Franciso Pizarro, Hernan Cortes - all left Europe in search of treasures, but instead laid ruin to great ancient Central American civilizations. Settlers in Colonial America not only waged war against Native American tribes, but also allied with them when it came time to break free from the grasp of Old Europe. This tumultuous history (circa 1500 to 1850) spans five specific ages, the Discovery Age, Colonial Age, Fortress Age, Industrial Age and Imperial Age, the setting for Ensemble Studios' next epic strategy title, Age of Empires III, which we saw at E3.

During our preview, we spent some time chatting with Ben Donges, Ensemble's community manager. He showed us the new features the developer has been designing into Age of Empires III; the developer is clearly aiming to keep existing fans happy with some innovative features while drawing in new players with its superb graphics. This latest Age of Empires title is built on an advanced 3D engine, capable of all the technical wizardy gamers have come to expect from strategy titles. Ships gently bob in the water. Cannon balls, after wrecking destruction, randomly come to a stop after hitting their targets or may meander downhill, perhaps even splashing into a nearby body of water. Soldiers’ bodies will be tossed about when struck by artillery in an unexpectedly chaotic and impressive fashion that gamers would be more likely to find in an FPS than a strategy game. We were particularly impressed with the beautiful, ornate Home Cities and the game’s use of the Havoc physics engine. The former featured postcard-like renderings of Old European cities, complete with glorious cathedrals and bustling city streets. The latter provided for some exaggerated but funny moments when cannons blew through infantryman. 

The Home Cities are representative cities from Old Europe; they serve as power bases for the country’s leaders and the explorers sent to the New World. Players can expand the power of their Home Cities by discovering new treasures, establishing trade routes to the New World, conquering foes, and so on. In turn, the monarchs of the Home Cities will be able to send new shipments of troops, equipment, and foodstuffs for an expanding colony. As the game progresses through ages, players can research technology upgrades, which can benefit the player’s empires through both economic bonuses (like increased farming efficiencies) and military bonuses (like field generals). We were struck by both the simplicity and ingenuity of the Home Cities concept: it captures both the motives of monarchs and the incentives for explorers during the Age of Exploration. 

Of course, Age of Empires III won’t be a game for the peaceniks. Each of the game’s playable countries (Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Russia, Turkey, and the Netherlands) will have their own unique units, and to help organize them, formations will play a critical role. These formations can be used to organize flanking maneuvers (exposed flanks are a critical risk for some units) or focus fire among a group of soldiers. At the same time, an organized group of soldiers can be ordered to move left and right in order to maximize their effective fire, while certain units can be ordered to charge enemy positions after a musket volley. And for those wanting to relive Master and Commander, Age of Empires III will offer combat on the high seas, but only with a limited number of ships.

While Age of Empires III may not be a revolutionary leap forward for the RTS genre, it seems to us Ensemble has chosen a wise evolutionary step for its next great title. Look for Age of Empires III later this year.

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