Age of Empires 4 Winter Update Improves Mini-map, Nerfs the French Hulk Ship

Relic Entertainment and World’s Edge have released update 8324 for Age of Empires 4, providing a number of fixes and new features based on feedback from the community. Among these new options is being able to toggle in-game player scores for custom lobbies and skirmish matches. Players can also view the map post-match, thus allowing for a quick glance of what strategies other players employed after a match.

The mini-map changes are perhaps the biggest though with icon sizes reduced, the wonder icon now matching the HUD objective icon, Deer icons being smaller, and Relic icons being gold. In terms of balance changes, the French Hulk ship is now weaker, thus making it easier to fight against, and Spearmen being buffed and now offering a real counter to cavalry.

Check out some of the patch notes below with the full notes here. Age of Empires 4 is currently available for PC via Steam and the Windows Store. It’s also playable on Xbox Game Pass for PC. For details on other upcoming updates, check out the post-launch roadmap here.

UPDATE NOTES:

FEATURES

NEW

• Based on community feedback, we’ve made the decision to implement the ability to enable in-game player scores for those who wish to have them. We know that using this feature can change the way you choose to play the game, and so we want to empower you to make the choice for yourself. Starting today, you’ll be able to enable in-game player score on a match-by-match basis for custom lobby multiplayer and skirmish matches.
• The ability to view the map post-match is something you’ve asked for, and we’ve begun to make changes to allow you to do just that. With this latest update, you’ll be able to pan across the map and get a better view of all players’ strategies after finishing up your game.
• Please note that after pressing the “Continue” button, you’ll be taken to the post-game statistics screen and will no longer be able to switch back to the map. We’ll be providing options that allow you to easily switch back and forth between the completed map view and post-game stats in Spring 2022.

UPDATED

We’ve heard feedback that the mini-map can be difficult to follow at a glance. We’ve made several adjustments to ensure better readability, including the changes detailed below. As always, we’re interested in hearing from you once you’ve spent some time with these updates:

• Icon sizes are noticeably reduced
• New wonder icon matches the HUD objectives icon
• Primary Town Center is now noticeably larger than Landmarks
• Deer icon appears smaller and is not obscuring other resource points even when camera and map are rotated
• Small gold deposit icons match large gold deposit icons but can be told apart from one another on the mini-map
• Relic icons are now gold in color
• Fish icons are now slightly blue in color
• Fish icons no longer appear in shallow streams but remain in deep water
• Maps such as Ancient Spires, Danube River, Confluence, and Mongolian Heights have no Fish icons present on the mini map with fish present in river
• Maps with larger bodies of water retain Fish icons in deep water areas

We’ve moved the Chinese Dynasty button and user interface to a less prominent position on the screen. You’ll now find it in the lower left-hand corner, nearer to the location where you make other selections.

Garrison behavior has seen adjustments to better put you in charge of the decision-making, while also ensuring your economy stays as efficient as possible. You can turn off 1-click Garrison, meaning your villagers will no longer automatically load into a hold when right-clicking and will instead need to be summoned to safety using the command card icon. As well, when you ungarrison villagers, they’ll respond to rally points and immediately get back to work.

We’ve introduced new options to the Campaign mode that’ll allow you to easily jump back into the game and test a new strategy. From the Mission “Fail Screen,” you’ll now be able to select “Load Saved Game” rather pathing back to the Main Menu to select a save game file.