Regarding the AOW IV Campaign

[Trunting]

As it seems (but it isnt official as gar as I know), there wont be any more expansions for AOW Planetfall. Hence, they will either start making another game or they will make AOW IV.

Regarding the campaign of a possible AOW IV, I would like to discuss its structure and content here.

As the last event of Forgotten Realms we saw a Shadow Gate open. This leaves us two options: either they start at this point or they canonize the Shadow Realm campaign mod.

What i hope for in the campaign:

- a mix of roleplay and strategy
- maps, which are not randomly generated
- alot of the systemic aspects of Planetfall could be included
- not a Scifi setting
- a story which is told by one or two narrators

What are your ideas and expectations?

 

[Refineus]

With some previous investigation of previous campaigns before I created the custom campaigns for Shadow Realm and Wasteland Expansion mods. I spent time to get a feel what people had for critiques of original campaigns of Aow 3

Well, alot of people were complaining about the introduction of all content in the original campaigns and the lack of depth in story. Another part of complains had general sense of leader and hero changes making it harder to get emotionally attached to them when leaders become heroes in next mission.

Then choices and consequences are extremely lacking in comparison to how Age of Wonders 1 progressed. Eternal Lords has 5 choices in total effecting story in one way or another while the original has 2 story outcomes in each campaign with 1 hidden quest giving some units by the end battle.

I believe a stronger story is necessary over a progress in a campaign with lesser races as leaders. I don't own Planetfall so I do not include that game in my rant.

Cheers

 

[Trunting]

In my opinion, the story should unfold as it was in Shadow Magic with 3 leaders, which are available for 3 scenarios and then one or two leaders for the rest.

Storywise I would like to see community input from Draxinnyc for the campaign since he knows the lore better than the developers.
What I wouldnt like to see is a repetition of the Shadow Magic constellation, featuring everyone fighting against a demonic invasion. Instead, part of the campaign should take place in the new worlds behind the Shadow lands with new races etc.

There could also be wizards appearing without towers and I would like to see leaders from AOW1 returning. What happened to Elric? What happened to the guys from the AOW1 scenarios?

There is mention of a new power behind the Shadow Gates. Wgat could this new power be? Is it a new race, a realm or a magical resource?

Im eagerly awaiting AOW4.

 

[THE-Black-Knight]

I have never been a big fan of the campaigns, I enjoy the most the multiplayer system. Still I believe there should be a way to combine the two. I would really love to see something like the "My Empire" Planetfall mode, available in multiplayer. That would in itself become a sort of campaign for a group of friends to play together.

After playing a game every player would have achieved items and skills to start a new one with small advantages. If one of them starts winning all the times he would become "the emperor", get some mostly "cosmetic" improvement (better looking uniforms, statues with his looks spread all over the map, extra diplomacy...) but he should also get some progressive handicaps (being hated by independent races?) so that the game would always be challenging for everyone.

 

[Trunting]

The campaign is usually the only thing I play in a game. So I'm hoping for a decent story.

 

[THE-Black-Knight]

The campaign is usually the only thing I play in a game. So I'm hoping for a decent story.

I used to play only in single player but once you try multiplayer with a group of friends, each with their own customized leaders; in my opinion you can never go back.

 

[Kronjack Russ]

What I would like to see is a return to an older approach of campaign narration - where instead of you stepping into the boots of heroes, you are actually a general working for a faction. It's strange how modern games take that approach away while simultaneously introducing great options for leader customization. I understand it is done for narrative purposes, but I never had a problem with a faceless hero/general being integrated into a story. Just look at StarCraft and Tiberium series - great story as well as having the player as a separate entity.