General information
Original release date
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a remaster of Age of Empires III and its expansions. It features graphical upgrades, UI improvements, quality of life, gameplay changes, new game modes and two new civilizations[3]. Announced at Gamescom 2017, the first closed beta began on February 11, 2020.[4], and it was released on October 15, 2020.
On April 10, 2021, a new playable United States civilization was announced. Released on April 13, it could be earned for free by completing fifty in-game challenges. It can now only be purchased.
On July 20, 2021, a new expansion was announced, The African Royals. With a setting based on Africa, featuring Ethiopians and Hausa, three new Historical Battles, 15 new African maps, and five new African native settlements, it was released on August 2, 2021.[5]
On September 14, 2021, a new civilization was announced to be coming up, which is the Mexico civilization, featuring also three new Historical Battles, and set to release on December 1, 2021.[6]
On March 15, 2022, a new civilization was announced to be coming.
New features and changes
- Ability to rotate building placements (Shift + mouse scroll) outside the Scenario Editor
- Auto Scout feature added for Explorer units
- Enhanced AI
- Enhanced graphics and particle effects[7]
- Engine updated to DirectX 11
- Rebuilt 3D assets[8]
- Ultrawide resolution support[9]
- Updated camera system
- Expansions to the Politician system and Revolution mechanic, with more variants for each original civilization including non-American states.
- Fully remastered soundtrack
- A new music tune for each civilization[10]
- Home City Card changes:
- All cards unlocked in multiplayer and singleplayer (apart from campaign Home Cities)
- All decks at 25 card limit, with pre-built decks available for new players.
- Leveling only affects Home City customization.
- Addition of new cards such as Grenade Launchers.
- Updated mechanics and abilities to pre-existing cards such as Sawmills granting a 10% yield bonus to villagers gathering from trees.
- Multiples of the same civilization allowed for both Skirmish and multiplayer matches
- Name changes:
- Campaign renamed Story Mode
- Discovery Age and Colonial Age renamed Exploration Age and Commerce Age respectively
- Light infantry renamed to Shock Infantry
- Plantation renamed to Estate
- Colonial Militia renamed to Revolutionary
- Dog Soldier renamed to Tokala Soldier
- Macehualtin renamed to Otontin Slinger
- Ikko-Ikki renamed to Sohei Archer
- Sohei renamed to Sohei Naginata
- New customizable user interface
- Default, Definitive, and Classic options
- Grid-based hotkeys
- Right-click mouse scroll
- New game modes
- Historical Battles
- The Art of War Challenge scenarios
- Official mod support via a download hub located on the Age of Empires website
- Overhauled online multiplayer with cross-network play
- Dedicated servers
- ELO rating and matchmaking systems
- Ranked ladders and integrated leaderboards
- 22 new maps[11]
- Range indicators for buildings with attack
- Redesigned flags for most existing civilizations[11]
- Redesigned Iroquois and Sioux[12][13]
- Renamed to Haudenosaunee and Lakota respectively
- Coin mining disabled and replaced with fur trading (via Tribal Marketplace building)
- Fire Pit reworked into the Community Plaza
- Nature Friendship replaced with an ability to convert human Treasure Guardians only
- Spectator mode
- Story changes to the The WarChiefs campaign of Act II: Shadow
- Crazy Horse replaced by Chayton Black's Lakota uncle, "Frank" Warbonnet.
- Team limit increased from two to four[11]
- Two new playable civilizations:
- Inca: A defensive Native American civilization with strong walls and unique fortifications
- Swedes: An aggressive European civilization with focus on artillery and mercenaries
- Unit formations added for military ships
References
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/933110/Age_of_Empires_III_Definitive_Edition
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCcRNUlE7ek
- ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/age3de-preorder-now-gc2020/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/AgeOfEmpires/status/1227311020538056704
- ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/preorder-aoe3de-african-royals/
- ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/aoeiii_de_mexican_civ_reveal
- ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/interview-joss-ellis/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/AgeOfEmpires/status/1299134005162303490
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe3/comments/ii9xdc/gamesstar_interview_summary_by_andri_on_resetera/
- ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/interview-todd-masten/
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9ahD-rg9bY
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbiUgJG6BYU
- ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/interview-anthony-brave/