Age of Empires 3 Preview

Everybody remembers their first time. I remember mine, how about you?

The first time you rode a bike, the first time you tasted a fine steak, the first time you kissed the woman (or man) of your dreams, and the first time you ... well, I'll leave that to the imagination - but the first time I was going for was the first time you played Age of Empires.

Before it was the New World, tomorrow it will be Mars. Mark my words.

Our mission: To boldly go where no settler has gone before.

A gaming classic, Age of Empires was a historical RTS game that asked the question of which culture could offer the most when it came to war and economy. Who's the best in the world at fielding an invincible army and conquering everything the eye can see? Whose people have such engineering skills to erect impenetrable defenses and whittle their enemies down under a hail of arrows and stone? Who can gain an economical advantage that any potential foe had better be rich beyond the dreams of avarice if they intend to field an army larger than yours? The Romans, the French, or the British? And what about the Chinese ... or the Japanese? The tribes of man have built impressive military machines, and Ensemble's Age of Empires allowed them all to shine.

Ensemble took those questions and more, as they expanded on the original game, with the aptly named Age of Empires II, and made armchair generals the world over simultaneously ruin their pants in adulation and admiration as they all got to experience their first time all over again.

Well, break out the Depends, friends and neighbors. They're at it again.

Ensemble is working on the next sequel in the popular Age of Empires franchise, Age of Empires III. The latest installment in the series will likely continue where its predecessor left off, concentrating on the period between 1500 and 1850 A.D. The game plays with the subject of the colonization of the New World, allowing you to choose between eight countries and lead a successful colonization of the American continent.

AoE III is the result of Ensemble's rich experience gained from crafting Age of Kings and Age of Mythology. "We've learned that large, bold features are worth dozens of smaller, nuanced ones. We've learned that while recreating history can make a fun campaign, that a good story is even more important in capturing fans' attention. We've also learned that the difference between a good game and a blockbuster is the amount of polish all the various features have received, so we're saving plenty of time for polish," they say.

Age of Empires III will strive to keep the series' reputation by introducing some innovations into this highly acclaimed RTS franchise. The first important innovation is the inclusion of the concept of the Home Country, e.g. the Mother Land. This concept logically assumes that, coming from one of eight European centers of power, you are supposed to receive certain help from your native country. You and your Home Country will stand in a relationship of mutual dependency: while Home Country will be able to send resources and supplies to its American colony, its position will be stronger and its influence more powerful with the growth of the colony. So, if you manage to prove yourself well and form many important alliances with the natives, or manage to successfully destroy your enemies, your Mother Land will be stronger and more influential, which will result in the expansion of your city and better logistical support.

While on one hand you will be developing your colony, you will also have to develop the 'tech tree' in your European homeland, thus enabling new options to your colonists in America. The choice of upgrades is entirely up to you, meaning you will have a lot of freedom to decide about the development of your nation.

This concept does not only make the game more realistic, but also provides you with one more factor to take care of - the said Home Country that can help you prosper and get stronger if you prove to be a worthy successor of your homeland's politics. There are eight playable nations in the game, including the British, the French and the Spanish. There are differences between the nations, so every nation has certain advantages and disadvantages you'll have to take in account. While the Spanish have a large military and rather large income to spend on supplies, their units aren't as strong as the French, nor do they form allies with natives as easily as the French. The British have the best economy allowing them to prosper faster than their enemies.

Of course, every nation also has several unique units: the British top unit is the Musketeer, which represents the Redcoats of the Revolutionary War. On the other hand, the French have the Coureur that doubles as light infantry, while the Spanish have Redoleros, sword and buckler men.

With seven other nations to play against, aiming to control the biggest part of the continent isn't an easy task. Enemies must be destroyed at all costs or turned into allies, establishing a trade route with them and benefiting from the alliance. An alliance with the native tribe allows you to exchange goods with them and provides you with some improvements. The ultimate goal of the game is to be the most powerful nation on the American continent. Your efforts to increase the power of your Mother Land and your influence on the American continent will pass in constant struggle to defend your territory from the opposing nations and attempts to claim their territories for your faction. Waging war is not the only way to win new territories, as the subtle art of diplomacy helps you negotiate and expand through intelligent pursue of your political interests. As you can see, the local tribes such as the Sioux, the Comanche and the Aztecs have an important role in creating America's history. (Yes, the role of the tragic victim, which they unfortunately played till the bitter end. - Ed)

As I've already said, the game takes on where its predecessor left: it deals with the period after the end of the Age of Kings until the industrial age. Ensemble remarks it's basically about maintaining the European power you gained in Age of Kings and sending it to another continent in order to engage in the struggle over the control of the American continent. Lead designer Greg Street and lead programmer Dave Pottinger in an interview try to explain the potential of that particular historical period, which begins with some familiar soldier units like pikemen, crossbowmen and cavalry, which are followed by a 'military revolution' where artillery is used for more than just laying sieges to cities. It becomes an integral part of the battlefield, thus asking for a different tactical approach and significantly changing the concept of warfare. The game will feature both technically 'outdated' units, such as the ones mentioned above, as well as powerful new units, among which are the musketeers and cannons. Ensemble claims the game will however be very balanced and even the technologically older units will be a force to be reckoned with, as the invention of technically advanced units came gradually. Many parts of the military force from the period did not depend on gunpowder, so the 'older' weapons and units were not discarded in the process but used to their full capacity.

There are many reasons why Ensemble opted for this particular historical period. First of all, there was the matter of respecting the chronology, as the game had to be a logical sequel of the Age of Kings. Then again, Ensemble explained that the American continent offered many different locations, containing a large number of interesting and unique settings for the game. Apart from the large number of maps, they also profited with the ever interesting idea of the colonization of the American continent, which often proved to be an exciting subject and an inspiration for many. The New World presented an ideal climate for pitting several European nations against each other in a struggle to expand their influence and gain valuable resources. The richness of diverse geographical and historical themes tied to the colonization of America made the perfect settings for the game.