Age of Empires Mobilecontains many of the mainline series' trappings, and that includes the invocation of historical civilizations. In an interview with Game Rant, the art team behindAge of Empires Mobilediscussed how they researched these periods and brought them to life in-game.
In addition to mass-battle strategy aspects,Age of Empires Mobileemphasizes its heroes—champion characters embodied by historical figures. Many of these figures have been represented by the franchise before, while others, such as Miyamoto Musashi, are total newcomers. Game Rant was able to catch up withAoEM’s art team to talk about how these champions were designed, as well as the design behind the civilizations themselves.
How Age Of Empires Mobile Approaches Historical Accuracy
Researching Historical Cultures
There’s a diversity tothe civilizations ofAge of Empires Mobile, allowing historical cultures from around the globe to shine. When it came time to work on one of these civilizations, the art team began with a rigorous research process.
“Whenever we decided to add a new civilization, we spent about two months diving deep into research. We scoured books and movies and even visited historical sites. We also sought help from local friends, colleagues, and partners to deepen our understanding. We had the most communication with World’s Edge, who provided us with artistic development experiences for multicivilizational games and lots of relevant materials extracted from their development experience with the Age of Empires series and the preferences of their fans. They also combined their own multicultural backgrounds and those of player communities to provide us with more emotional suggestions and brainstorm with us.”
The team also divulged that they “consulted experts and scholars from different cultural and academic backgrounds,” while also pursuing player feedback. This level of collaboration is key to any game looking to explore such historical diversity—especially to the levelseen inAge of Empires Mobile; book and site research is crucial, but talking to people with a connection to and/or expertise in a certain culture will help any historical project in the pursuit of authenticity.
Striking A Balance Between Gameplay And History
Age of Empires Mobileisn’t 1:1 with history, as is to be expected. Any depiction of history will have some element of bias, butAge of Empiresspecifically pursues an aesthetic that borders on the fantastical—diving into alternate histories and involving mythological characters like King Arthur. The team mentioned that they “aimed for a balance of 85% historical accuracy and 70% epic,” with their diagram depicting this information calling “15%” of the game “Fantasy.”
When it comes to figures that blur the lines of history and fantasy, King Arthur is perhaps the most obvious example. In this discussionaboutAge of Empires Mobile, the team went into the process behind depicting the central character of Arthurian legend—explicitly setting him apart from the more grounded figures.
“We used his various stories as a starting point for more imaginative interpretations. With King Arthur, we wanted to distill his character from tales that were less historical and more fantastical or mysterious. For example, we looked at his stories and pulled out empathizing keywords like “the leader of chivalry,” “brave,” “righteous,” and “handsome.” And because he was often depicted as a mounted warrior, we gave him a strong, sturdy upper body, a simple yet regal crown, and, of course, Excalibur. We used these elements as a starting point for our design. Since many of our references for King Arthur had a touch of magic, our final design for him has a slightly more fantastical feel compared to other characters.”
Arthur was compared by the art team to the development of Miyamoto Musashi, a newcomer totheAge of Empiresseries. The team stated that they “had more creative freedom” with the mythological King Arthur, but nonetheless found designing their more grounded Musashi a “really fun process.”
WHERE TO PLAY
Age of Empires Mobile combines the familiar elements of Age of Empires with strategic gameplay crafted specifically for the mobile platform to give fans of the genre a brand-new way to enjoy the beloved franchise.Experience exhilarating gameplay with swift and intense battles, rapid resource gathering and military building, defending against waves of enemies, and forming alliances with hundreds of players to aid in your cause to build a dominant empire.Immerse yourself in an epic adventure featuring detailed real-time controls, breathtaking visuals, and legendary historical heroes on grand battlefields. Command your empire, unite allies from around the world, and restore your once radiant glory. Embark on a conquest unlike any other!
