Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition

 

General information

Developers

Tantalus Media
Forgotten Empires^[1]

Publishers

Xbox Game Studios

Genre

Real-time strategy

Platform

Windows 10
Steam

Original release date

Windows

October 15, 2020^[2]

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

1.  https://store.steampowered.com/app/933110/Age_of_Empires_III_Definitive_Edition
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCcRNUlE7ek
3. ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/age3de-preorder-now-gc2020/
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/AgeOfEmpires/status/1227311020538056704
5. ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/preorder-aoe3de-african-royals/
6. ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/aoeiii_de_mexican_civ_reveal
7. ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/interview-joss-ellis/
8. ↑ https://twitter.com/AgeOfEmpires/status/1299134005162303490
9. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe3/comments/ii9xdc/gamesstar_interview_summary_by_andri_on_resetera/
10. ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/interview-todd-masten/
11. ↑ ^{Jump up to:11.0 11.1 11.2} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9ahD-rg9bY
12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbiUgJG6BYU
13. ↑ https://www.ageofempires.com/news/interview-anthony-brave/