Aoe Iii!

[screwtype]

After a few more hours playing the demo I've changed my mind to a degree. There *is* a bit of depth to the game - I think.

It would partly depend on what keyboard commands are available to control your different military units. If there are keys to select the different types of military units, it would be an improvement.

But there are still some astonishing omissions in the game. I can't *believe* that the only way of selecting multiple units with the mouse is to pull a rectangle around them - it hasn't changed from the original game! It's an incredibly clumsy method, making it virtually impossible to select just the units you want without including some unwanted units.

I mean, at least they could give you a rotational rectangle. Or better still, why can't you just hold down the mouse button and draw around the units you want? Or select a number of points around which your selection shape will be completed? Would that really make it too complicated?

A pause button, where you can set commands for your units with the game frozen, as in RTW, would be a great feature too, for those of us who like to plan a bit. IMO that is a very serious omission in a game of this type, especially after so many instalments.

On the plus side, there's an option to slow the pace of the game in "skirmish" mode. But they really need one in the campaign too, and there isn't one in the demo. I wouldn't much fancy playing through an entire campaign at the hectic pace of the default setting.

I also couldn't understand the military unit stats, it would be nice if they'd included a bit more info.

Anyhow, there are lots of different military units, and you can sorta organize them with some frantic clicking. But with just a couple of the most basic improvements, this game could be so much more fun. Why haven't they made them after all this time?