Perhaps one of the defining elements of Age of Kings was the introduction of the Castle defensive structure and how it affected gameplay. AOM continued this tradition by including migdol forts, etc.
Forts played a huge role in the colonization of the new world, pioneered by the Spanish, some of which can still be seen today in Florida. I'm no expert on the subject, but forts back in the day were used as supply posts, trading centers with the native populations, and as barracks. Additionally, these forts had unique designs, some were trapezoidal in shape, with ditches and trenches outside the walls. If I recall correctly, cannons could be strategically placed within the forts, making them formidable structures to attack. Forts were also integral during the French and Indian Wars.
Known examples of forts in AOE3:
(courtesy of Alexandergreat3)So far, we have speculated on the role of forts in AOE3, including the possible functions they might serve, how they could affect gameplay, etc. To summarize, here are some of the general ideas:
Forts play a defensive role, similar to Castles in AOK. We have evidence of wooden and stone forts. It seems that these forts have the ability to garrison soldiers, and the forts also featuring wall mounted cannons, strengthening the theory that forts will serve a defensive purpose. There may be different types of forts. The wooden and stone examples seen so far suggest that there are different "levels" of forts, depending on how much the player wishes to upgrade them. The fort may have the potential to grow over time from a small outpost to a powerful fortress. One forummer took this further with simply outpost towers, garrisoning soldiers inside to increase LOS and increase the firepower of the defensive structure. Whether ES implements this or not has yet to be determined. Another general view is that forts primarily serve an eye candy function within the game, perhaps as campaign or scenario objects. This would be fine, but we want to see some intense fort action. Some far fetched thoughts (mainly reflecting the views of the author) suggest that the fort could serve as a link between the colonizing civlization and the indigenous native populations, serving as a trading post that could produce gold each second (like a relic from AOK), or perhaps the fort may serve as a settlement (like in AOM) The Home City may have some bearing on the strength or "level" of the forts. The more points a player invests into their forts, the more powerful they become. Forts may possibly be captured by players, shifting control once all occupying units have been killed, resulting in another player seizing control of the fort. This would make sense and spice up gameplay.An artists rendering of a Spanish fort in the new world can be seen below:
This is the fort of San Marcos, located in St. Augustine, Florida. (Also the first European city in the Americas). The US flag in the painting is probably after the fort was renovated and turned into a national park?
Speculations, thoughts, opinions, and ideas on the role of forts in AOE3 are appreciated.
[This message has been edited by Rainer (edited 02-19-2005 @ 10:55 PM).]