Having played both AOW and Stellaris extensively I have realized both game are about exploring the unknown and the next AOW can benefit from adopting some systems from Stellaris. Here are a couple ideas, have fun.
Exploring an age of wonders: Events
In stellaris, surveys can trigger various events, from precursor races to something hidden in a blackhole. This paint a picture of a living universe where you can encounter various form of unknown. AOW4 can use this, where exploration events can fire from picking up items or clearing site. For instance, A scout picking up gold could be ambushed by bandits that left the gold out as bait, kicking off a quest chain. Alternatively, An adventuring party clearing a site realizing that the site is on top of an older ruin, transforming it into n cavern entrance of an isolated pockets filled with multiple ruined cities. The possibilities are endless.
Create an empire in your own image: Class as Ethics
Anyone who played stellaris must be familiar with the ethics wheel. In AOW, a hero leads an empire, therefore, ethics of the empire would reflect the hero’s specialization, and vise versa. This incidentally provides an excellent system for multi-classing. Each “class” would be divided into 3 ranks, adapt, expert and master. And some classes are opposed to each other. Each rank cost one point. A hero can have max of 5 points from any combination of classes, but never have points in opposing classes.
For example:
Torchbearer/Keepers (Good) vs Shadowborne (Evil)
Grey Guard (Order) vs Rogue (Chaos)
Theocrat (Reilgious Orthodoxy) vs. Necromancer(Hersey)
Dreadnought (Technology) vs. Arch druid (Nature)
Sorcerer (Arcane) vs. Elementalist (Primal)
Warlord (Offense) vs Chevalier (Defense)
So for instance, a hero can be a dreadnought a warlord, and rogue at the same time, but not a dreadnought and an archdruid.
To clarify, the adapt rank represent T2 units and basic spells, expert unlocks T3 units and mid-game spells, and master unlocks everything for that class.
Not only this system means randomizing NPC empire becomes a matter of randomizing leader heroes, it also can create interesting politics. If a governor system exist, heroes of opposing alignment could be installed as governor of a city to produce units normally not available to the ruler. However this may lead to low morale, or even an event where the city defects or rebels. Assimilating cities conquered cities from rulers with opposing class is slow and difficult. Alliance can gradually form between rulers of the same class. A enforce ideology casus belli could force another ruler to adopt your class. The fun never ends.
Make way for a new age: District and Buildings
Practically every stellaris player had the experience of stuffing 10 labs onto a single planet. Planets could be built with various specializations in Stellaris. Unfortunately cities in AOW series are basically the same, because each building can only be built once there is really no choice in development. Planetfall introduced districts, which made things a little better but it’s still best to build district that had the highest yield on each sector.
AOW4 could allow multiple copies of a single building to exist in a city, in addition allowing buildings to be build inside districts. However the total number of buildings in a district is limited, and there may be additional restrictions for certain buildings. For example, there could be a military district with 5 building spaces. I could put 5 barracks in that district and train 5 swordsman at the same time, alternatively, I could but 3 barrack and 2 arenas and train 3 rank three swordsman at the same time. I could also put one barrack in an agricultural district and train swordsman with extra HP, but agricultural district may have a military building cap of 1, so I want a hall of champion there. Since maps are randomly generated and district layout depends on terrain, there is now a lot more room to optimize economic strategy.
… To rule the next age of wonders: Mega-structures
It is named age of wonders, so it’s not a stretch to allow players to build actual wonders. Like landmarks wonders should take up an entire sector so a district can’t build there. In additional, they are built in multiple stages. These are small drawback because wonders are extremely powerful like Stellari’s megastructures. They could also be found dotting the map in various state of decay, or even be found as quest or archaeology reward. Construction of certain wonders may be linked to classes. Here are a few examples in mind.
Wizard tower (Wizard): Extend vision and casting domain by 10/20/30/40 hexes in all directions. When competed at stage 4, extend a force-field over the city where it’s located and render the city and all armies in the city’s domain invulnerable to strategic spells.
Airship drydocks (Dreadnought): Build unique T4 flying warships. Can construct an additional unit simultaneously at each stage. +1 rank to all airships when completed.
Great Shadow Gate (Restoration only): Summon a random free T3 Shadow demon each turn per each stage of completion. When fully completed summon a free T4 demon lord every 4 turns. These units are not maintenance free and will become hostile if player is bankrupt.
These are just a taste of what wonders can do. There can again be a endless variations of them that provides resources, unique and/or free units, items, or even have unconventional functions like casting random spells at enemies and friendly armies in range.
Here are just a few things AOW4 could learn from Stellaris. Since the teams have same company it’s a golden opportunity for the developers to collaborate on some level.
Exploring an age of wonders: Events
In stellaris, surveys can trigger various events, from precursor races to something hidden in a blackhole. This paint a picture of a living universe where you can encounter various form of unknown. AOW4 can use this, where exploration events can fire from picking up items or clearing site. For instance, A scout picking up gold could be ambushed by bandits that left the gold out as bait, kicking off a quest chain. Alternatively, An adventuring party clearing a site realizing that the site is on top of an older ruin, transforming it into n cavern entrance of an isolated pockets filled with multiple ruined cities. The possibilities are endless.
Create an empire in your own image: Class as Ethics
Anyone who played stellaris must be familiar with the ethics wheel. In AOW, a hero leads an empire, therefore, ethics of the empire would reflect the hero’s specialization, and vise versa. This incidentally provides an excellent system for multi-classing. Each “class” would be divided into 3 ranks, adapt, expert and master. And some classes are opposed to each other. Each rank cost one point. A hero can have max of 5 points from any combination of classes, but never have points in opposing classes.
For example:
Torchbearer/Keepers (Good) vs Shadowborne (Evil)
Grey Guard (Order) vs Rogue (Chaos)
Theocrat (Reilgious Orthodoxy) vs. Necromancer(Hersey)
Dreadnought (Technology) vs. Arch druid (Nature)
Sorcerer (Arcane) vs. Elementalist (Primal)
Warlord (Offense) vs Chevalier (Defense)
So for instance, a hero can be a dreadnought a warlord, and rogue at the same time, but not a dreadnought and an archdruid.
To clarify, the adapt rank represent T2 units and basic spells, expert unlocks T3 units and mid-game spells, and master unlocks everything for that class.
Not only this system means randomizing NPC empire becomes a matter of randomizing leader heroes, it also can create interesting politics. If a governor system exist, heroes of opposing alignment could be installed as governor of a city to produce units normally not available to the ruler. However this may lead to low morale, or even an event where the city defects or rebels. Assimilating cities conquered cities from rulers with opposing class is slow and difficult. Alliance can gradually form between rulers of the same class. A enforce ideology casus belli could force another ruler to adopt your class. The fun never ends.
Make way for a new age: District and Buildings
Practically every stellaris player had the experience of stuffing 10 labs onto a single planet. Planets could be built with various specializations in Stellaris. Unfortunately cities in AOW series are basically the same, because each building can only be built once there is really no choice in development. Planetfall introduced districts, which made things a little better but it’s still best to build district that had the highest yield on each sector.
AOW4 could allow multiple copies of a single building to exist in a city, in addition allowing buildings to be build inside districts. However the total number of buildings in a district is limited, and there may be additional restrictions for certain buildings. For example, there could be a military district with 5 building spaces. I could put 5 barracks in that district and train 5 swordsman at the same time, alternatively, I could but 3 barrack and 2 arenas and train 3 rank three swordsman at the same time. I could also put one barrack in an agricultural district and train swordsman with extra HP, but agricultural district may have a military building cap of 1, so I want a hall of champion there. Since maps are randomly generated and district layout depends on terrain, there is now a lot more room to optimize economic strategy.
… To rule the next age of wonders: Mega-structures
It is named age of wonders, so it’s not a stretch to allow players to build actual wonders. Like landmarks wonders should take up an entire sector so a district can’t build there. In additional, they are built in multiple stages. These are small drawback because wonders are extremely powerful like Stellari’s megastructures. They could also be found dotting the map in various state of decay, or even be found as quest or archaeology reward. Construction of certain wonders may be linked to classes. Here are a few examples in mind.
Wizard tower (Wizard): Extend vision and casting domain by 10/20/30/40 hexes in all directions. When competed at stage 4, extend a force-field over the city where it’s located and render the city and all armies in the city’s domain invulnerable to strategic spells.
Airship drydocks (Dreadnought): Build unique T4 flying warships. Can construct an additional unit simultaneously at each stage. +1 rank to all airships when completed.
Great Shadow Gate (Restoration only): Summon a random free T3 Shadow demon each turn per each stage of completion. When fully completed summon a free T4 demon lord every 4 turns. These units are not maintenance free and will become hostile if player is bankrupt.
These are just a taste of what wonders can do. There can again be a endless variations of them that provides resources, unique and/or free units, items, or even have unconventional functions like casting random spells at enemies and friendly armies in range.
Here are just a few things AOW4 could learn from Stellaris. Since the teams have same company it’s a golden opportunity for the developers to collaborate on some level.
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