Ao vs. anno vs. stronghold - expert tells us who wins

The duel of strategy games: Who will win it? We have asked that strategy master Udwin, who has been watching the world of cities, resources and armies for many years. To get the answer, we had to look at the entire battlefield of the strategy-chocolate.

• Who wins the duel of duels? - a difficult question
• The Golden Age of Strategy Games is over: Many developers do not know today, which is good
• Put everything on nostalgia or new ones? There is no guaranteed success
• Age of Empires vs. Anno Vs. Stronghold: Who wins?

UDWIN • Streamer, Youtuber, Strategy Expert • Getty or strict king? - "so kind, that it sometimes harms me" • Wishes for the future: EGO perspective in strategy games, Warcraft 4, a new, classic Stronghold • Best Strategy Experience: Battles in Total was • Best tactics for winning: "_gar do not start first! " Alternatively: "Put it on defensive and let the enemy desperate the lining_" • UDWIN on YouTube

Who wins the duel of duels? - a difficult question

For almost thirty years, the empire of strategy games has growing. Many games came, many went and few occupy the top today. But if you have to make a winner if it really gives the best strategy series, what would that be? A difficult, but also very interesting question we have set strategy expert Udwin.

"The many people ask me. There are many candidates on the market, from Age of Empires to Stronghold. Each series has their own strengths and weaknesses, their own niche and their own charm. The simple answer is of course that depends on the person who has more desire. In general, this can be answered much more difficult, "says Udwin.

We look at the candidates together with UDWIN:

• Age of Empires: "_The real-time strategies. It can approach quickly and crisp, but also take a long time. For all people who like fight-based games. "

• ANNO: "The calm and relaxed starting game. Even if there are fighting, the economy is in the foreground. "

• Civilization: "_The round-based 4x game, after the motto" Construction Your Reich ". Diplomacy, Economy, Military - You can play it as you want. It completely leaves you the choice.

• Stronghold: "_ developer Firefly therefore still exists because it is unrivaled. It's his magic to combine a construction game with a fight game. It is quasi anno and Age in one, especially in the old parts.

Although the question of the best strategy series, according to the expert, is often asked, but wool out of no direct competition. For a genre that has so much to do with war and death, it is very peaceful in the strategy communities itself , notes Udwin. In contrast to the shooter genre, where the fans of Call of Duty and Battlefield repeatedly shriek. "The strategy player live in peace. Most play only one game and even the people who play everything is happy to play everything. There is no beef, all have their niche. "If there are then debates, they will find rather within the franchises.

It is usually the question of which part of the best of the series is and whether a new part can really reach the water for its predecessor. While in the Civilization series, the scepter commutes between CIV 5 and CIV 6, the fans argue at Age of Empires (at the time of the interview) by part 2 and 4, explains UDWIN. But even if the competition between the ranks is not or only subliminated, we want to have an answer to our question. To make a winner in the entire strategy area, we have to overlook the whole battlefield, spatial and time, with UDWIN, so.

The Golden Age of Strategy Games is over: Many developers do not know today, which is good

Strategy games are a difficult genre that has not just on the highly competitive gaming market explains Udwin. Her Golden Age, which is to be prescribed between the late 1990s and the early 2000s, lie far back.

"In the early 2000s a strategy game appeared after another. Her hype was broken by the advent of Mobas as the Dota-Mod (2003) and League of Legends (2009). As a result, strategy games like Dawn of was 3 similar elements and diluted their identity, "he explains. "_Theute dies strategy as the mainstream has long moved. Maybe today, two strategy games per year appear. Since some games do not get any successors anymore, there are logically and less variance. "

Nowadays, the developers of strategy games set "en focus stronger on current trends rather than proven virtues". This harms the sector but more than it uses him, explains Udwin.

"Worst of worst one thinks of it's latest settlers. It is too focused on the broad market and has lost its original focus when it has changed from construction too much to fight. The developers do not really seem to understand what the fans want. They try to make too many fans happy at the same time and thus in the end no more._ "

Put everything on nostalgia or new ones? There is no guaranteed success

For the continuing life of strategy games, developers face a difficult decision: Do you want to put the right to your special quality or rather on mass compatibility? Should you keep the proven formulas or develop new instead? Take advantage of the strength of your niche or leave them to assert yourself in the mainstream? Every further development is risky, so the Youtuber, as in many cases the perfect formula has already been found in the past. So far everything was better?

"_I would say, earlier everything was earlier. Some things were better, some things have developed well as well. However, some strategy games just played fluffy. At Warcraft it is the third part. Age of Empires 2 is better than the first. At Stronghold, the charm was in the 2D engine. When the developer made the leap to 3D, it went downhill. The new warlord was not bad now, but not good.

The expert can observe several trends on the current strategy market: "The primary focus on multiplayer is risky and not necessarily long-lasting. If the multiplayer then flops, the single player can not save it anymore. " The successful genre sizes such as Age of Empires, Anno and Civilization have remained true to their niche and focus on repeating the formulas from the golden time and modernize . By far, no way for convenience, but a well thought-out, notes Udwin. "_The does not always have to work, which can be seen above all at the catastrophe of Warcraft 3: reforged." Only the Indie developers try something new, but rarely take great successes.

"Im unit porridge there are always beautiful exceptions such as the Sample Harvest of Developer King Art Games, which again offers a good singleplayer campaign. Unfortunately, the game went fast (Source: Steam Charts). The setting with Mechs was probably left to people. "

"_The indie developers have little capacity and the big developers do not want to take a risk. Thus, there are few possibilities for new complex games with their own identity. Of course it is also a conflict of interest. On the one hand, we do not want mainstream games, but on the other hand, we also want a special game to reach many people. That bites and you do not really know what you want.

Age of Empires vs. Anno Vs. Stronghold: Who wins?

Even if everything sounds very dystopic, Udwin is not worried.

"No new trend change takes place, strategy games will no longer come to the mainstream. But that's not bad, as the strategy genre has found his own niche. Of course, I still hope the developers dare more. First of all, I wish that a triple-a developer dares a big new step and thus a glowing example of all others creates ._

Ja, we should keep the old time in honor, but also look forward, otherwise you turn into a circle. The larger developers should listen primarily on the regular players and understand what the games account for. To develop a game that is worthy of the series. Just like Age of Empires 4, which does not like all, but has gone the right way. "

UDWINS insider tips • Northgard : "Ein Viking game that the settlers with elements from the settlers of Catan Mix" • Frostpunk : "Ein survival game that uses a similar basic system like Banished. Permanent stress, difficult decisions, incredible atmosphere, a gem of recent years, the dark soul of strategy games " • Iron Harvest : "" Combat-based real-time strategy game in the style of Company of Heroes with Mechs and Dieselpunk-Setting_ "

In the fight of the games, the strategy games seem long ago, but if Udwin would have to make a series that has best beaten, which would be?

"Stronghold unfortunately has hung himself. Civilization and Anno find their strengths in that they continue to expand their complexity. All in all, the Age series was best managed, I think . Part 4 is good and does not want to be like Part 2. Age of Empires goes the Primus way, but it does not have any the same resources as Microsoft. They continue to develop and bring new players with Age 4, but simultaneously publish definitive editions for the old fans . Age of Empires somehow has everyone and plays everyone, this is a fun phenomenon, it is toys in a way of FIFA of strategy games. "

However, Udwin is waiting for the trains of the other developers. Will an indie developer come with a big surprise around the corner? Or will Developer Firefly Studios finally play his trump card?

_ " If Stronghold would get a definite edition, the developers are torn out of hand. The fans want that, the developers know that, but no one knows why they do not do that. It could be that the 2D engine is not so easy to implement today. But if the definitive edition ever should come, that could be very interesting_. "

Which is the best strategy game series? A question to which it answers different answers, but probably not only right. In one way, Age of Empires has the nose in front, but tomorrow it could look different. We thank Udwin for the charming conversation and wish him full grain storage and good views in the fog of the war.