Since MS didnt gave us a balance patch last time, I thought i take some time and think about balance
Stats from aoestats.io
I put much work into this, so please dont give me a "thank god you aren't in the balance team"
Balance:
General: Steppe lancer Rate of Fire reduced to 2.03 (instead of 2.3)
Debatable:
Light Cavalry upgrade +50f and +50g (from 150f 50g to 200f 100g)
Civ specific:
Aztecs:
Military is now created 10% faster (Tech tree inaccurately states it's 10%, according to the Wiki they are produced 11,1% faster
Britons:
Shepherds work 20% faster (instead of 25%)
Burmese:
Arambai +10 Gold cost
Byzatines: Town Patrol free
Celts:
Siege Units only fire 20% faster (again, Tech tree says 20%, but according to the Wiki its 25%)
Franks:
Knights +25% Hp (instead of 20% on all cavalry)
Forager work 20% faster (instead of 25%)
Goths:
Infantry 20%/25% cheaper in Dark/Feudal Age (instead of 20%/25%/30%/35% in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imp)
Indians:
Villager discount 5%/10%/15%/20% (instead of 10%/15%/20%/25% discount in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imp)
Camels do +4 damage vs buildings (instead of +5)
Italians:
Advances are 20% cheaper (from 15%)
Fishing ships -10%/-15% cheaper in Dark/Feudal Age
New Bonus: Caravan free
Castle Age UT becomes Imp UT and vise versia
Silk Route costs 150 food less (to 350f 250g)
Koreans:
Lose additional Tower Range
New Bonus: Ballistics Free
Stone miners work 25% faster (instead of 20% faster)
Military (except Siege Weapons), cost -25% wood (instead of 20% discount), War Wagons and Turtle Ship cost increase so they are not affected by these changes.
Mayans:
Archer Discount 5%/15%/25% in Feudal/Castle/Imp (instead of 10/20/30%)
Portuguese:
All units cost -25% gold (instead of 20%)
Feitoria Available in Castle Age
Feitoria generates 2 food, 1 wood, 1 gold and 0.5 stone per second (instead of 1.6 food, 1 wood, 0.7 gold and 0.3 stone)
Slavs: Lose Fervor, Lose Elite Skirmisher
Tartars:
Herdables last 75% longer (instead of 50%), giving Sheeps 175 food (if there wouldnt be a decay)
TB gives CA +3 LOS (instead of +2)
Turks:
Gold miners work 25% faster (instead of 20%)
Janissaries -2 Attack (Elite and Non Elite)
Vietnamese:
Foot Archers including Skirms and UU +25% HP, (Elite) Rattan Archer base HP reduced to 30 (35) (37 HP / 43 HP with 25% HP)
Maps:
Nomad has less elevation
Userpatch RMS features added to DE (never going to happen but would be nice)
General:
If more than the half of all player enable "Random Civ option" every player get assigned a random civ, If its 50:50 for/against the option the team with the lower elo average wins. On same average the team with the lowest-ranked player wins, Random if both are the same.
"Random" does no longer give you a civ an ally or enemy has picked (Tooltip of "Random": Click to play a random civilization which hasn't been selected yet
When hovering above the Civ Badge in the statistics and many other appearances, it shows the Civ name
The last statistic panel (Timeline) shows the civ name next to the player (like in the original game)
The Chat tab is not sorted by player number but by Allies and Enemies (so you can see the civs better)
Low CPU mode, just a "stand-by" mode of the game, which uses less CPU, RAM and GPU powers. Aoe games are often long and exhausting, keeping the game open while pauses just takes too much Computing power
Game now remembers your Random Civ Option Choice, as well as the scoreboard toggle, despite game restart
Stats from aoestats.io
I put much work into this, so please dont give me a "thank god you aren't in the balance team"
Balance:
General: Steppe lancer Rate of Fire reduced to 2.03 (instead of 2.3)
Steppe Lancer have been hard nerfed a while ago, while I think Mongols never needed them and prevent them from receiving a major buff, I suggest to simply bring their attack rate on line with other units, such as Swordsmen line, Woad Raiders, Karambits, Eagles and the vast majority of other units
Debatable:
Light Cavalry upgrade +50f and +50g (from 150f 50g to 200f 100g)
The stats increase for such a little price is too much, this change would also buff Turks. Light Cav are the best raiding Unit in Castle and Imp, its one of the reason why slower, immobile civ have lower winrates compared to civs that have an easier time to defend. Personally i think Light Cav raid is one of the few reason why slower gunpowder civ and Imp Powerhouses have lower winrates
Civ specific:
Aztecs:
Military is now created 10% faster (Tech tree inaccurately states it's 10%, according to the Wiki they are produced 11,1% faster
This is just a calculation mistake and probably a bug fix more than anything. Aztecs are dominant in 1v1 among Pro's and according to X-Patch data (a Patch created by the AoC balance initiative who took a deep look into the stats of tournaments), Aztecs performed too well, causing the X Patch to reduce their monk HP to +3 per tech, Villager carrying capacity to +3 and the faster military Creation from 18% to 11% (which is already done). My little nerf won't make Aztecs balanced, but its a start (as there would be a large outcry if the X Patch changes would be 1:1 implemented
This would be X Patch balance, taken from here
This would be X Patch balance, taken from here
Britons:
Shepherds work 20% faster (instead of 25%)
Britons are the second most picked civ, and feel very dominant in TG as flank, or in 1v1 with their strong archers and decent late-game, Rams + Skirms still work wonders against them, but in TG this is just not possible. Especially their smooth and save build orders with this early eco bonus allows them to get strong in Feudal and Castle. Lowering this bonus by just 5% should put them more in line with other civs and reduce their playrate
Burmese:
Arambai +10 Gold cost
Recently the 2 Castle Arambai build has established in higher and lower elo with Arambais being capable of shredding TC's and Gates to the ground while also able to flee when enemy is prepared and just go on the to the next players. This caused them to have the highest winrate on Arena with too few counters, especially when the Burmese player is aided with Light cavalry or Mangonels.
TG winrate in 1650+ range, while having 55% winrate among all TG and 56% winrate among all 1v1's.
TG winrate in 1650+ range, while having 55% winrate among all TG and 56% winrate among all 1v1's.
Byzatines: Town Patrol free
Yes, the forbidden buff is needed. This was suggested so often and i think its that one change that would push Byzantines from a "meh" civ to one that is actually decent. Free Vision is crucial and allows this versatile civ to plan ahead of the enemy. The only thing at the moment that keeps byzatines somewhat playable in TG is their cheaper camels. They needed some buff that underlines this civ: A Defensive, Vision Based, Civ that excels in Building Counterunits to the enemy Army. Byzatines has everything, but isnt good in all.
Byzatines TG rating in all games
Byzatines TG rating in all games
Celts:
Siege Units only fire 20% faster (again, Tech tree says 20%, but according to the Wiki its 25%)
Celts have one of the highest winrates in the game, overall being 52%, in higher elo they have a winrate of 57%, crowing themselves as the statistical best civ. This little nerf with reduce their power while not making them unplayable
1v1 stats in 1650+ elo range
1v1 stats in 1650+ elo range
Franks:
Knights +25% Hp (instead of 20% on all cavalry)
Forager work 20% faster (instead of 25%)
Franks have too much power in their hand and this bonus is needed not only for balance but also because of civ design and historical accuracy.
Franks were well known for their knights, so they should be above average (+5 Hp compared to generic knight with Bloodlines, +10 HP better Cavalier and +20 HP better Paladin (old Franks would be +0, +4, +12 HP), Extra HP on CA is already fulfilled by Vietnamese (or maybe not with my changes) and Turkish Castle UT, while extra HP on Light Cavalry is a Mongol bonus.
A Civ with 2 decent feudal age eco bonuses doesnt need another feudal military bonus +9 HP scouts for free is actually pretty huge). Slower Forager would weaken their Feudal Game in Exchange for a greater Castle Age spike. This change is needed in order to justify the knight buff.
Winrate in 1v1 (among all elo) is 54% and 51% in TG, as seen in the winrate curve, they never really struggle in any time of the game
Franks were well known for their knights, so they should be above average (+5 Hp compared to generic knight with Bloodlines, +10 HP better Cavalier and +20 HP better Paladin (old Franks would be +0, +4, +12 HP), Extra HP on CA is already fulfilled by Vietnamese (or maybe not with my changes) and Turkish Castle UT, while extra HP on Light Cavalry is a Mongol bonus.
A Civ with 2 decent feudal age eco bonuses doesnt need another feudal military bonus +9 HP scouts for free is actually pretty huge). Slower Forager would weaken their Feudal Game in Exchange for a greater Castle Age spike. This change is needed in order to justify the knight buff.
Winrate in 1v1 (among all elo) is 54% and 51% in TG, as seen in the winrate curve, they never really struggle in any time of the game
Goths:
Infantry 20%/25% cheaper in Dark/Feudal Age (instead of 20%/25%/30%/35% in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imp)
The Castle/Imperial Gothic Spam seems to be too strong among all elo, and especially in 1v1 Goths shine the brightest (54% winrate).
1v1 Stats of all Goth games in 1650+ elo range. Simular winrate curve in TG. Their Spam seems to be too hard to handly and with the recent buffs (Free Arson, Free Loom), their winrate skyrocketed.
1v1 Stats of all Goth games in 1650+ elo range. Simular winrate curve in TG. Their Spam seems to be too hard to handly and with the recent buffs (Free Arson, Free Loom), their winrate skyrocketed.
Indians:
Villager discount 5%/10%/15%/20% (instead of 10%/15%/20%/25% discount in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imp)
Camels do +4 damage vs buildings (instead of +5)
Indians are slightly too strong, the villager discount saves them an additional 105 Food in Feudal (21 Vill Scout Rush). Their camels are what they are known for, effectively winning against most knight civs in Castle Age, especially in TG. Camels (compared to knights) are faster, produced faster, cheaper, and the 1 Pierce Armor makes them so tanky vs Archers, arguably making them better than a knight pocket. Their TB is really just another civ bonus, their camels currently do only 1 less damage to building than Long Swordmen, which is slightly too much and allows Indians to do the finish blow way too early (opponent fwd production building wall just melts too fast).
Italians:
Advances are 20% cheaper (from 15%)
Fishing ships -10%/-15% cheaper in Dark/Feudal Age
New Bonus: Caravan free
Castle Age UT becomes Imp UT and vise versia
Silk Route costs 150 food less (to 350f 250g)
Italians suck on Land, lets be real, they are strong on Water and too weak on Land (like any gunpowder civ except Spanish). In 1v1 they struggle but in TG they are even worse. Nerfing their water bonus and improving their Land bonus seems reasonable. Their UT switch makes their Trade a lot better and allows them to compete with other strong TG civs.
The even cheaper Up costs should help them out greatly in 1v1 (allowing them earlier access to Imp + cheaper Gunpowder) and the new early Trade mechanic should give them a smoother transition to Trade in late Castle / Early Imp.
The even cheaper Up costs should help them out greatly in 1v1 (allowing them earlier access to Imp + cheaper Gunpowder) and the new early Trade mechanic should give them a smoother transition to Trade in late Castle / Early Imp.
Koreans:
Lose additional Tower Range
New Bonus: Ballistics Free
Stone miners work 25% faster (instead of 20% faster)
Military (except Siege Weapons), cost -25% wood (instead of 20% discount), War Wagons and Turtle Ship cost increase so they are not affected by these changes.
I think we can all agree on that Koreans are too weak, they are one of the worst civs in 1v1 and TG. The recent Tower tower nerfs blocked their main way of damage. The Wood discount is nice but overall was not able to cut it.
Everyone hates Korean Tower Rushes and with these changes Koreans are not forced to Trush anymore. Free Balistics is Huge and should improve alternative gamestyles outside of their trush.
All these changes should greatly improve their Feudal and Castle Age power, while removing their nasty Imp Towers.
Everyone hates Korean Tower Rushes and with these changes Koreans are not forced to Trush anymore. Free Balistics is Huge and should improve alternative gamestyles outside of their trush.
All these changes should greatly improve their Feudal and Castle Age power, while removing their nasty Imp Towers.
Mayans:
Archer Discount 5%/15%/25% in Feudal/Castle/Imp (instead of 10/20/30%)
Mayans are THE blind pick on every map for every need. With this minor nerf, they should be closer to the 50% winrate than ever.
Mayans in 1v1 1650+ range. In all other Categories they are on 51%
Mayans in 1v1 1650+ range. In all other Categories they are on 51%
Portuguese:
All units cost -25% gold (instead of 20%)
Feitoria Available in Castle Age
Feitoria generates 2 food, 1 wood, 1 gold and 0.5 stone per second (instead of 1.6 food, 1 wood, 0.7 gold and 0.3 stone)
Portuguese are bad, having one the lowest winrate of all civs. With these changes the Feitoria could atleast be considered a Eco Bonus. Having Cheaper Archers and Knights will greatly improve their early power to match other civs.
Out of all Data I could find, this was the highest winrate of all (1650+ TG winrate)
Out of all Data I could find, this was the highest winrate of all (1650+ TG winrate)
Slavs: Lose Fervor, Lose Elite Skirmisher
Slavs are very strong in TG, their Farm bonus is nice, free Supplies is definetly better than free Tracking and the Siege discount allows the very strong pike siege combo. I think a civ with great Siege, great armored monks and decent knights dont need another counter to archers. Additionally their generic Hussar and great Halbadier with Blast Radius makes their Trash war better than any other civ.
Overall Slavs sit on a comfortable 52% winrate throne which I hope to throw back to the 50% winrate peasents :D
Overall Slavs sit on a comfortable 52% winrate throne which I hope to throw back to the 50% winrate peasents :D
Tartars:
Herdables last 75% longer (instead of 50%), giving Sheeps 175 food (if there wouldnt be a decay)
TB gives CA +3 LOS (instead of +2)
Tartars are on the lower half of civs, sitting on around 45% winrate in 1v1 (and 42% in 1650+), in TG they barely reach the desired 50% (about 48%). These bonuses should help them out quite a bit. Since not a lot of Units go CA, their TB needs to be adjusted (its a joke compared to +2 LOS for magyar Foot archers)
Highest winrate is in all TG
Highest winrate is in all TG
Turks:
Gold miners work 25% faster (instead of 20%)
Janissaries -2 Attack (Elite and Non Elite)
Turks need Love, while not making them stronger than we need to on Arena. Turks winrate on Open map is too low, especially in Feudal they offer too little. Janissaries are a strong Unit on Arena but too immobile for TG. These Changes should overall help them in feudal while not buffing them on Arena
Turks have 48%-49% winrate, a tiny buff
Turks have 48%-49% winrate, a tiny buff
Vietnamese:
Foot Archers including Skirms and UU +25% HP, (Elite) Rattan Archer base HP reduced to 30 (35) (37 HP / 43 HP with 25% HP)
Vietnamese are on the same spot as Turks, sitting on a rough 48% winrate spot. With these Changes they should get 50% winrate and become a decent civs. They are less dependent on Rattan Archers anymore (Rattan Archer nerf btw.) and have a better Archery Range. These changes removes the CA buff which is again redunant with the Turk UT.
The new HP for their Archers/X-bow/Arbalest are now: 37/43/50 (instead of 36/42/48)
TG rating in all elo ranges
The new HP for their Archers/X-bow/Arbalest are now: 37/43/50 (instead of 36/42/48)
TG rating in all elo ranges
Maps:
Nomad has less elevation
Userpatch RMS features added to DE (never going to happen but would be nice)
General:
If more than the half of all player enable "Random Civ option" every player get assigned a random civ, If its 50:50 for/against the option the team with the lower elo average wins. On same average the team with the lowest-ranked player wins, Random if both are the same.
"Random" does no longer give you a civ an ally or enemy has picked (Tooltip of "Random": Click to play a random civilization which hasn't been selected yet
When hovering above the Civ Badge in the statistics and many other appearances, it shows the Civ name
The last statistic panel (Timeline) shows the civ name next to the player (like in the original game)
The Chat tab is not sorted by player number but by Allies and Enemies (so you can see the civs better)
Low CPU mode, just a "stand-by" mode of the game, which uses less CPU, RAM and GPU powers. Aoe games are often long and exhausting, keeping the game open while pauses just takes too much Computing power
Game now remembers your Random Civ Option Choice, as well as the scoreboard toggle, despite game restart
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