| The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | | | Author: | | | IP: | XXXX | | Date: | 10/29/99 11:10 | | Game Type: | Age of Empires Series | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 2, Max: 6, Min: 5
Lifetime Rating for Heartcutter: 7.5238 |   | These are my impressions of the many games that I played in the last 3 days (I was out sick from work).
Map: Random 6 player
Tileset: Coastal
Resources: Normal
4 computer opponents (locked and set teams: 1 teamed with me, 3 teamed against)
Difficulty: Moderate
(Try it yourself. It ain't easy.)
The Good:
Ghengis Khan was the biggest badass when it came to real Earth history. AOK accurately represents this. I would typically castle around the 22 min mark (with a VERY healthy economy), and have the castle up by the 23rd minute. The hunting gathering bonus has actually paid off on occasion.
Castle age force mix: Light Cav + Madugai. Insane mobility. I was able to effectively counter 2 computer rushes at once (3 is always a problem).
Imperial age force mix: Lt Cav(14-16), Madugai(10-20), 6 Monks, 2 trebs. This is starcraft all over again (MMF). The cav have enough HP's to engage and run. The trick is to set one control key as your huge horde (typically on 'D' aggressiveness), one as your trebs and one as your monks. Defend the trebs, and you can work your way into the enemy encampment.
The Bad:
How the hell did William Wallace do it?
The Celts have racial advantages which are pretty cool (faster wood, faster siege engine fire rate), but they have this one paradox...
the Woad Raider and the siege engines. They just don't mix. Well, to be more precise, they mix too often. And don't get me started with the sheep bonus!
Castle age force mix: Woad Raider, skirmisher, pikeman, mangonel
I'd have a group of raiders defending the engines, and when the bad guys came, my Woad Raiders would attack. And get flattend by my mangonel.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Imperial age force mix:
Heavy onager, heavy scorpion, woad raider, skirmisher, pikemen. My major problems stemmed from this:
1) Gold! I generate a lot, but I spend it even faster (woad, upgrades, onagers, the list goes on).
2) No healing. Expensive infantry just end up dead under my own flaming onager shots. Monks cost gold as well.
3) Lack of a breakthrough combo. Unlike the Mongols, you just can't avoid big, costly infantry battles. See reason #1 again.
Will I try Celts again? Yes. Will I get better? Probably. But unfortunately for now, the Celts are Bad.
The Ugly:
What the hell kind of welcoming sound is that, anyway? You know, when you start with the Mongols, you get something like a Mongol Chant. Celts get bagpipes. The Goths, what do they get?
They get something that sounds like an industrial music sample. A stinking screaching noise. What are they, fucking Godzillas?
The Goths lack: good walls, priest upgrades, siege technologies, plate mail upgrade. Their technologies just plain suck. And their boar hunting bonus is only mediocre.
Castle age force mix: Huskarl, Longswordman.
Doesn't sound like much does it?
Here's the twist, though...
They KICK ASS in imperial age! No lie. INCREDIBLE (-25% infantry cost in Imperial age, +10 population max)! This comes back to starcraft. Think of zerg. Think of CRACKLINGS! That's what champions are. Cheap, expendible, easily built, maxxed upgrades (except for that plate mail upgrade. I'm glad they don't have it, to tell you the truth. They would be unstoppable otherwise). My Goths also go Godless (no monastary).
Imperial age force mix: 20-40 champions, 10-20 huskarl, 2 trebs, 3 villagers (offensive hatchery, um... I mean offensive rax).
Teutonic knights? Hehe. Feel the power of the Swarm!
Siege engines? Hehe. Feel the power of the Swarm!
Monks? Hehe. Feel the power of the Swarm!
Hand cannoniers. They work, but you're gonna need a lot of 'em.
They're definitely Ugly, but they're just the way I like 'em. I give the Goths a hearty thumbs up!
Little observations:
I build to 20 peons in the dark age.
Building placement all depends on the triangle that makes up your gold, stone and berries.
Trebs are very good.
Resource 'flow' depends solely on what age you're in. What I mean is that during a given age, this is what my villagers are focused on.
Dark: Food
Feudal: Wood
Late Feudal (while castle is being researched): Stone!!
Castle: Gold/food
Imperial: Gold/food/wood
-HC
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