idea Important Suggestions for Age of History 3

[Banana 90]

@Łukasz Jakowski
Looking at the current state of Age of History III, I feel that these features are key to Age of History III being a masterpiece. I understand that you are a one-man team, but that is not an excuse to neglect certain features and never add them into the game.

1. Navies

Navies in the game would give Age of History III more depth which it is currently lacking. Right now, a powerful france could easily just send 60k troops across the british channel and invade with no problem. This is somewhat immersion breaking. Having navy would give more depth to the game and give island nations the protection which they actually do have in real life. Navy could be implemented by just copying the land combat system with the added addition of troop transports. We are all aware you are a one-man team, but doesn't mean that you can't call on the community to help you implement it and you have already coded an interesting combat system for land combat.

2. Attrition and Frontline system
Currently, I can just zerg rush the enemy capital and quickly win wars without having to occupy other provinces in between. A way to fix this would be to add attrition and supply usage. For example, armies can have a certain supply status and when they are lacking supplies, they start to lose men quite quickly and have combat debuffs. To prevent a lack of supply, one would have to either have supply wagons which would carry supplies for one's army but only last a finite amount of time, one could have secured occupied provinces and have a connection to the capital, or one's army could live off the land, but the enemy could use scorched earth tactics to counter this strategy at a cost of devasation.
Because this attrition system will make it so one basically have to have a connection to one'scapital, one would now have to make sure that the connection exists and cannot be cut off. Now one needs a sort of frontline tool to have one's armies organize along a frontline so the supply chains aren't interrupted.

3. Multiplayer
I have already outlined how I feel Multiplayer could work in a previous post, but incase you did not see that, ill just copy and paste what I said in that post over here.

Here are three ways you could implement Multiplayer

1. You could get the servers, but charge a small monthly subscription fee for multiplayer access. This would also have the added benefit of gauranteed income and would make it so DLCs are less finanically necessary.
2. You could have it so players could host dedicated servers, similar to how a minecraft server can be hosted on one's own computer. The only downside to this is that it would be kind of wierd.
3. You could also implement LAN multiplayer, which would allow you to play with friends on the same network. With LAN multiplayer, one can also use Hamachi to play over the internet.

4. Diplomacy Overhaul Ideas.
Right now, even if the player wrecks the fuck out of literally everyone in a coalition against them, they can only take from the country which declared war on them. Basically, it arbitrarily limits one's expansion through truces, so no fighting against the entire world. Also, when it comes to peace treaties, although this would probably be a bit more difficult to implement, there should be a way to take from enemies allies that are part of the war. This could be done maybe by doubling the warscore cost of making demands from the enemy's allies. Or maybe have it so that like in EU4 the player can declare war on a Nation's ally as a co-belligerent in order to take enemy provinces, which would allow for the allied nation to call in it's other allies

Furthermore, nukes need to be changed a bit. First, countries are literally genocidal maniacs when it comes to their usage of nukes and there is no penalty for using nukes at all. In real life, the use of nukes would be very frowned upon, and to mirror this in game, I think that for every nuke a country drops, that country should gain about 10 aggressive expansion. Nukes thus become a very costly thing to use and will have a reason to avoid their usage. Using nukes could also add to war weariness on the side of both the user and the target as the usage of nukes by the user country would still be a very unpopular decision among the majority of the population.

Finally, since we are on the topic of nukes and war, in peace treaties, maybe a denuclearization option would be nice, in which the victor can demand to dismantle all of a nations nukes.


5. More Vassal types and interactions

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say this, but we need to be able to annex vassals without having to go to war with them. We also need the prompting of the formation of colonial subjects, for the flags of the colonial subjects, just have a generic subset of colonial nations which form when nations have enough colonies in a certain region which is not in their continent or is not connected directly by land.

Basically, there should be a way to annex vassals peacefully. I will elaborate more on this idea later.



6. Revamped Political System for Age of History III (Credit to @MisterT for this amazing idea)

  

On 6/23/2024 at 9:34 PM, MisterT said:

 I think the title speaks for itself, anyway, I want to clarify what I mean by "Non-sovereign Civilization." A non-sovereign civilization would be a country that is in a situation where it has 0 provinces (This does not include occupied provinces), however, its entity continues to exist through the Cores of its former provinces. Having 0 provinces in AOH2 represented a total defeat and there was nothing else to do but become a spectator or change civ, leaving your old civilization in oblivion, but this does not necessarily have to be the case in AOH3.

 

(I want to make it clear that this idea can be executed in multiple ways within the game. What I will talk about from here on out will be MY way of executing this idea)

 

When you start playing as a non-sovereign civilization, your main objective will be to achieve control of your former provinces and complete or partial autonomy. The two main ways to achieve this goal will be through revolutions and a new mechanic called "Surge Level."

 

How to earn gold and manpower

As a non-sovereign civilization, gold will continue to be your greatest ally and it is what will allow you to manage different movements and actions that allow you to achieve freedom, your way of earning gold will be through the population that belongs to your civilization or that are part of the core of your civilization. These populations will allow you to earn gold based on 10% of their taxes and 50% of any other source of income.

Manpower is managed and earned exactly the same as a Sovereign Civilization, however its main change is that it can increase according to its Manpower is managed and gained exactly the same as a Sovereign Civilization, however its main change is that it can increase according to your Surge Level.

 

Surge Level

The Surge Level is the main mechanic of this "Game Mode" and is what will allow you to better manage revolutions, armies, profits and obtain activists. The Surge Level comes in 5 levels, each of these will unlock new options or give more bonuses to help you reach the last level.

This mechanic represents your populations revolutionary feeling for a free nation.

 

Level 0: Oblivion.

• The lowest level of all, representing the almost complete oblivion of your nation. The very idea of your civilization becoming independent is like an old dream and the few people who shout for revolution are ignored or ridiculed. To pass this level you need at least 15% of the Percentage of Cores. This Surge Level grants -25% Gold Gain (any source), -50% Manpower, -25% Propaganda Speed and -100% Rebellion Chance.

Level 1: Conscious.

• Many people dream of the awakening of your civilization, and there are entire groups of civilians dedicated to spreading the sentiment of revolution. This level will allow you to develop propaganda and increase your Cores in their respective provinces. At this level there is still no way to start a revolution but you do not have as many disadvantages unlike the previous level. To pass to the next level, you need at least 25% of the Percentage of Cores. The level "Conscious" grants +5% Gold Gain, -5% Manpower Gain, +15% Propaganda Speed and -100% Rebellion Chance.

Level 2: Awakening .

• There are multiple protests demanding freedom and several political groups dedicated to spreading the idea of a free nation. Level 2 of Surge consists of spreading even more propaganda and will also allow you to gain an Activist and start a Minor-Scale Revolution, however, the revolution start will only be limited to provinces with more than +50% of your Core (Limited to 3 provinces at max). To pass this level you need 50% Percentage of Cores and at least 10% Rebellion Chance. The bonuses for this level are +15% Gold Gain, +10 Manpower Gain, +15% Propaganda Speed and -50% Rebellion Chance.

Level 3: Resurgence.

• Your people enlist in military organizations and create improvised armies to achieve the freedom of your civilization by force. There are multiple political and military activists all looking for a common dream; Freedom. This level is the last one before reaching the complete or incomplete liberation of your country, during this level you will be able to gain Activist Generals and start Large-Scale revolutions (Any province that has over 50% of your Core, this time without limit ). To pass this level you need to win a revolution. During Surge Level 3, there is also the option to become partially independent if you accept a truce (which includes the condition of becoming a vassal) from the civilization you rebel against, if you accept the truce and become a vassal, you will go to Surge level 4 automatically and your government type will change to the same government type that your lord has. This level grants different Bonuses based on the Percentage of Cores, the higher the average of your Cores, the more total bonus you earn. The bonuses (Min-Max) are the following: +20-50% Gold gain, +10-25% Manpower Gain, +15-40% Propaganda Speed -50-0% Rebellion Chance and +0-30% Defense/Attack of Units in provinces with your Cores.

Level 4: Freedom.

• People shout with joy and celebrate in the streets, politicians toast at their tables while they boast about their victory and your civilization achieved what was a dream for a long time; Freedom. This level is the last Surge Level, upon reaching it you will be able to change your Government type to a Sovereign one (If the rebellion you won is linked to a certain government type, then you will have a 75% discount to choose that government ). When you change your government type, the Government, Diplomacy and Council tabs will return to normal and you will be able to play the rest of the game as a normal civilization. This level grants a modifier that lasts 5 years, this modifier gives the following Bonuses: +10% Incoming Gold (all sources) and +10% Stability, If you agreed to be a vassal, this modifier will only grant +5% Incoming Gold .

 

Revolution Management and Gameplay

Revolutions will be another of the main focus of the Gameplay of a Non-sovereign Civilization and there are two types of revolutions: Minor-Scale Revolutions and Large-Scale Revolutions. Both Revolutions can start in provinces that have at least 50% of your Core.

Managing any type of Revolution is quite similar to managing a regular war but has notable differences. To begin with, it should be noted that you will not be able to recruit more soldiers, rebellions similar to AOH2 will start with a limited number of soldiers, the number of soldiers will be determined based on your Manpower. Despite the limited number of soldiers, you will be able to build forts and defenses in the provinces you are occupying. If a large-scale Rebellion is in progress, there is a chance that more soldiers will spawn every 14 days in the middle of the revolution and join your cause, this chance will be the 25% of your Percentage of Cores and they will not be as many as the soldiers who appeared when the revolution began.

Minor-Scale Revolutions will be available from Surge Level 2 and will be extremely limited, you will receive few soldiers and you will also start with a maximum of 3 provinces, these types of revolutions cannot be won, since the civilization you rebel against will never send you a peace treaty during the progress of a Minor-Scale Revolution. It is worth mentioning that Minor-scale Revolutions will be rare in both Surge Level 2 and 3.

Once you reach Surge Level 3 you will begin to be in constant fight against the civilization that you rebel against and minor-scale revolutions will be much less common and Large-Scale Revolutions will be the main focus.

In order to win a Revolution, first thing you need is to occupy all the provinces that contain your Cores (this only applies to the provinces of the civilization where the revolution started, in order to avoid fighting with multiple civilizations at the same time). Once you manage to occupy all the provinces with your Cores, you must hold out long enough for the civilization you are rebelling against to surrender and send a Peace Teatry. When a large-scale revolution occurs, there may be a chance that the civilization you are fighting will send you a peace treaty before you occupy all of your provinces, however that treaty would usually ask you to become a Vassal of that Civ, If you accept, you will obtain the provinces that were decided in the treaty, your type of Government will change to that of your lord and you will automatically be a sovereign civilization. Winning a revolution is much easier if that country is at war, since they will usually be quite busy fighting their enemies, unless they have an army or units prepared against revolutions. 

If you managed to start a Revolution and have a civilization in gIf you managed to start a Revolution and have a civilization protect you or be an ally, you will have to wait for the country you are rebelling against to capitulate to win the revolution.

 

New Council Tab and Activists

As an essential part of the gameplay, your Council Tab will also change if you have a Non-Sovereign Government type. In addition, your "Advisors" will receive the name of "Activists". Activists are politicians who gained the "Activist" trait and this trait allows them to be assigned to your council slots. An Activist can also be an Advisor of the civilization you want to rebel against and they can work as both; an Advisor in that civilization and an Activist in yours, however, If you start a large-scale rebellion, it is very likely that you will be fired from being an Advisor. Activists who are Advisors will have their buffs duplicated. Activist trait have a 10% spawn rate every 30 days from Surge Level 2 and 2.5% for those that are working as an Advisor in the government of the civilization that subjects you.

• Propaganda Activist : This Activist consists of buffs related to Propaganda Speed, Propaganda Discount and increases the Rebellion Chance limit. Only Available from Surge Level 2.
• Cores Activist : This one has buffs related to the speed of Core Increase, Assimilation Resistance and reduces the Core limit for a province to rebel. Only Available from Surge Level 2.
• Militar Activist : Probably the most important Activist, It has buffs related to the defense and offense of your troops in territory with your Cores, increases the manpower and reduces Army Maintenance. Only Available from Surge Level 3.

 

New Government Tab and Non-sovereign Governments

Similar to the Council and Diplomacy Tab, the government tab will noticeably change and show different values if your government is a "Non-sovereign" type.

• Percentage of Cores : The average population percentage of all your cores in their respective provinces. You can slowly increase it through the "Increase" button in Rebellion Chance or interact with a province with your Core and start a more direct propaganda, increasing your Core percentage in that province faster.
• Rebellion Chance : Chance of a new revolution starting every 14 days. This meter will also affect the Surge level. The "Increase" button allows you to start a propaganda campaign and will increase the Rebellion Chance and the Core Percentage until the campaign is over.
• Surge Level : Indicates the current Surge level.
• Ideological Revolutions chance : Indicates the probability that a revolution is linked to a type of ideology. When a revolution linked to a certain ideology or type of government wins, you will reach the last level of Surge and will allow you to choose that same type of government with a 75% discount.

Non-sovereign Governments are types of governments that non-sovereign countries have by default. As long as you have one of these governments, your civilization will be considered Non-sovereign. There are two types of Non-sovereign governments and they depend on the context of each Non-sovereign Civ.

• Unassigned Government : Non-sovereign Government by default, applies to any civilization that has a defined entity but does not directly exist. The ruler's title is: Movement Leader 
• Exiled Government : The second type of Non-sovereign government applies to civilizations that existed at some point but disappeared as a result of war. It can also belong to Non-sovereign Civilizations whose form of organization was linked to the following of a dynasty and that dynasty continues to exist. This type of government changes the name of the "Activists" to "Exiled Advisor". The ruler's title is: Exiled Leader

 

New Diplomacy Tab and Interactions

As a non-sovereign civilization, your way of interacting with other countries will be different and more limited. Including new options to seek support for your revolution or encourage another in a foreign country.

• Start Propaganda Campaign : Starts a public propaganda campaign, allows you to choose a non-sovereign civilization to start spreading propaganda, increasing its Percentage Cores and Rebellion Chance. Only available from Surge Level 1.
• Ask for a Gift : Ask about financial support for a sovereign country. Only available from Surge Level 2.
• Form Alliance : It allows you to start a defensive alliance with a sovereign country, allowing you to fight alongside that civilization to rebel. Only available from Surge Level 3.
• Ask for protection : Ask a sovereign civilization if they can guarantee your independence. Unlike Form Alliance, the guarantee is temporary and will end at some point. Only available from Surge Level 3

 

Okay, so... That's all, if you have questions you can ask. This idea can also be taken as a rework to the revolutions if you wish. I tried my best to make it compatible with AOH3 and I ho pe I didn't make things too complex.

Thanks for reading. Cya 😄

Hopefully this wouldn't cause too much of a performance hit to the game, but I think this is a really good idea and should 100% be implemented. 

 

7. Religion and Culture
Religion right now is quite bare bones and is easy to convert. Basically, it would be better if it was harder to convert provinces, but at the same time, maybe also have a way so that the player doesn't have to necessarily convert a province for it to be stable. Add in tolerance of different religions like in EU4 or Vic3.
Also, instead of civilizations having populations, it should be cultures assosciated with the civilization like how religions are assosciated with the civilizations. Also it would be nice if there war a more indepth system for changing cultures, but it would also be cool if civilizations could change their primary culture or add accepted cultures like in EU4, or something of that sort.

TWEAKS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED EASILY

Here I am going to list a few tweaks which from this can just be implemented quite easily

• Nukes give AE
• Fix the select provinces to occupy tool so that the player can assign the order to multiple armies at once
• Frontline tool, literally this would just make it so armies which the player selects will evenly distribute among the border of a country/countries. Has no other use than this really. (no changes to the combat system would even have to be made to implement this).
• Annex Vassal, needs to have been a vassal for a certain amount of time, and vassal liberty desire needs to be below a certain amount
• Make it so normal mode has it where vassals can declare indpendence against the player and coalitions can form against the player. Either that or just make a custom difficulty menu

Concluding Remarks
This is far from an exhaustive list of change which should be made to Age of History III. As of now, it's a pretty decent game, but there is still a lot more which could be improved. Age of History III really does somewhat feel like Civilization but if it was a grand strategy RTS, and I really like that. I think that if the game goes in that direction, it has almost a limitless amount of potential. 

When I think of something more, i will probably update this list, but for now, these are my suggestions for the game, some fleshed out at the moment, and some I will elaborate on or the community will help elaborate on.

Finally, to the community members reading this, if you want to see any of these changes or have Lukasz see this post, best thing I can recommend you to do is react to this post, comment, and also if you have any changes you want to see in the game, just post them down below as comments.

Sincerely,
Banana

[QuiteCloth 19]

hopefully lukasz sees this, if aoh3 had these it would be amazing

[GöteborgskaKommunisten 1]

More laws, like Collectivized agriculture, LGBTQ rights, security laws and just a generaly more fleshed out government and laws

[MisterT 85]

I love seeing how people actually like my idea

[Banana 90]

20 minutes ago, MisterT said:

I love seeing how people actually like my idea

Yeah, its really good, and provides Lukasz with little excuse to ignore it. It's very well fleshed out. All Lukasz would really have to do is just code it into the game.

[The German Empire 275]

What about a custom filetype for mods, which is universal for both mobile and pc, which can be opened only by aoh3?

 

That way, modders wont have to spend extra effort to port mods over to different devices since the mods would be universally accessible.

 

And also, Lukasz could hire a team of moderators to check for any malicious mods which are malware.

 

 

[Banana 90]

2 hours ago, The German Empire said:

What about a custom filetype for mods, which is universal for both mobile and pc, which can be opened only by aoh3?

 

That way, modders wont have to spend extra effort to port mods over to different devices since the mods would be universally accessible.

 

And also, Lukasz could hire a team of moderators to check for any malicious mods which are malware.

 

 

I definitely agree, though Lukasz should actually try to make the base game better.

[Banana 90]

Oh, one other thing, I think that for mobile, certain game values should be changeable in game or there should be a config file.