# Age of Wonders 4 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [May 6, 2023, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645 "2023-05-06T00:02:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/21 "2023-05-09T04:00:56Z")
FYI if anyone sees any technical problems with the game, and you are on Steam, opt into the beta patch in the Steam Betas tab for the game. If that doesn’t help give me a ping here, I’m doing support for the game. Or post here: > **[Age of Wonders 4: Bug Reports](https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/forums/age-of-wonders-4-bug-reports.1136/)** ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/22 "2023-05-09T13:37:18Z")
I started into the game. I’m skipping the pre-made stuff, maybe come back to it later. I made my own leader and race, and started into a random world with all-random opponents. It’s interesting so far. Took me a little while to learn the interface. I’ve automated the city; just exploring for now. > [@Babale](#): > > Ooooh, now that I see the Pantheon tree, some of these unlockables are really cool. They aren’t just cosmetics, they are new origins for heroes and new maps. I see why not everyone likes the idea! By searching “pantheon” in the Steam workshop, there’s a mod that reduces the points needed to unlock Pantheon traits. Play a quick map, and unlock all of them. I did so before making my “real” leader. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/23 "2023-05-09T23:01:24Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I made my own leader and race, and started into a random world with all-random opponents. So what have you been playing as? I’ve been enjoying my Kuo Toa game. Evil toads who eat the dead to heal and blast everything with lightning have been a ton of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/24 "2023-05-10T14:23:11Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I’ve been enjoying my Kuo Toa game. Evil toads who eat the dead to heal and blast everything with lightning have been a ton of fun. That is cool! > [@Babale](#): > > So what have you been playing as? _High Lady Helia Lightstriker, Ascendant of the Helioi!_ Nothing exciting: human leader, human people. Going full Order, and picking traits that make vassalizing Free Cities easy and profitable. The map I’m playing is islands with megafauna, and picks that make Free Cities bigger, but rare. Each player gets their own island, which is nice. I got lucky with a Free City on my island, which I’m working on integrating. The sailing part of the game feels very underdeveloped. Apparently every seaborne unit looks like the same boat? Boring and rather against their design goal of distinctive-looking units. Is there a way to create/edit saved leaders besides “starting” a new game and making your way to the leader editor there-in? I don’t have anyone in my pantheon yet. I had one crash. Looked like a problem with my graphics driver. I’ll do an update. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/25 "2023-05-10T16:22:21Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > That is cool! It’s been a blast! I’m a little bummed about the way my picks have been synergising. I really wanted Evokers (battlemages from the Tome of Evocation) because in my first game as a Feudal/Order heavy faction I really lacked in the ranged damage department. But this time around my culture is Dark and I get Warlocks from that, and they are just better than Evokers at the same tier. Regardless, I’m doing alright. I conquered a free city of my own race, and vassalized a free city of evil mole people. I’m growing a few more cities and then I think it will be time for war. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/26 "2023-05-10T16:24:40Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > _High Lady Helia Lightstriker, Ascendant of the Helioi!_ > Nothing exciting: human leader, human people. Going full Order, and picking traits that make vassalizing Free Cities easy and profitable. Nice, that is similar to how I approached my first game on the story map. > [@Pleonast](#): > > The sailing part of the game feels very underdeveloped. Apparently every seaborne unit looks like the same boat? Boring and rather against their design goal of distinctive-looking units. Are you using embarked units? You can also build dedicated naval units in cutues that have a harbor (requires a fishing tile acquired by the city). I haven’t built any naval units but I was assuming they have unique models. > [@Pleonast](#): > > Is there a way to create/edit saved leaders besides “starting” a new game and making your way to the leader editor there-in? I don’t have anyone in my pantheon yet. I don’t think so. Creating races adds them to the Custom tab (even if you don’t start a game), but a godir is only added to the pantheon after they win a game. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/27 "2023-05-11T14:18:50Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Are you using embarked units? You can also build dedicated naval units in cutues that have a harbor (requires a fishing tile acquired by the city). I haven’t built any naval units but I was assuming they have unique models. Ah. I haven’t got to that yet. > [@Babale](#): > > I don’t think so. Creating races adds them to the Custom tab (even if you don’t start a game), but a godir is only added to the pantheon after they win a game. Ah well. My plan is make a leader of each affinity. I’ll probably restart my current map and populate it with them, since it saves them. The whole pantheon system works against my play style. I can’t remember the last time I “won” a strategy game. I always play until I get bored, then start a new one. I’ll have to make my leaders and then cheese them into the pantheon with short games. And then play how I like. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/28 "2023-05-11T14:30:24Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > The whole pantheon system works against my play style. I can’t remember the last time I “won” a strategy game. I always play until I get bored, then start a new one. I’ll have to make my leaders and then cheese them into the pantheon with short games. And then play how I like. I think saved custom leaders will show up in random maps as foreign leaders; being in the pantheon lets them show up as _heroes_ that the various nations can recruit. But I could be wrong about that. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/29 "2023-05-12T15:37:32Z")
Okay, I made all my peoples. Details below if you want to peek. Short summary is one player maximized for each affinity. (I don’t think it’s possible to go 6 Nature or 6 Chaos.) Then one with five out of the six affinities (not possible to start with all six). And the one to go 3 Astral, 3 Materium for something different. I’ll leave one player slot open for something random. > **** > > **High Lady Helia Lightstriker** > _Helioi_ > Affinity: Order 6 > Alignment: +30 > Form: Human > Body: Bulwark > Mind: Defensive Tactics > Culture: High > Society: Chosen Uniters, Devotees of Good > Tome: Faith > Champion > > **Warduke Fruum Headsmasher** > _Fruumish_ > Affinity: Chaos 5, Nature 1 > Alignment: -20 > Form: Orcoid > Body: Strong > Mind: Cold Blooded > Culture: Barbarian > Society: Chosen Destroyers, Ruthless Raiders > Tome: Horde > Wizard King > > **Fayqueen Leyya Dawnsinger** > _Leyad_ > Affinity: Nature 5, Chaos 1 > Alignment: > Form: Elfkin > Body: Keen-Sighted > Mind: Elusive > Culture: Barbarian > Society: Fabled Hunters, Experienced Seafarers > Tome: Beasts > Champion > > **Witchqueen Illith Duskwhisperer** > _Illeyad_ > Affinity: Shadow 6 > Alignment: -10 > Form: Elfkin > Body: Quick Reflexes > Mind: Sneaky > Culture: Dark > Society: Silver Tongued, Shadow Walkers > Tome: Souls > Champion > > **Warlock Annelisaphet Wayspinner** > _Wayfarian_ > Affinity: Astral 6 > Alignment: 0 > Form: Feline > Body: Resistant > Mind: Arcane Focus > Culture: Mystic > Society: Gifted Casters, Mana Channelers > Tome: Evocation > Wizard King > > **Kinlord Yorand Fellhammer** > _Hammerfolk_ > Affinity: Materium 6 > Alignment: 0 > Form: Dwarfkin > Body: Resilient > Mind: Overwhelm Tactics > Culture: Industrious > Society: Perfectionist Artisans, Great Builders > Tome: Enchantment > Champion > > **Everking Immeric Longrule** > _Immerish_ > Affinity: Materium 2, Order 1, Chaos 1, Nature 1, Shadow 1 > Alignment: 0 > Form: Human > Body: Fast Recuperation > Mind: Adaptable > Culture: Feudal > Society: Prolific Swarmers, Powerful Evokers > Tome: Rock > Champion > > **Pharaoh Qah Fouromen** > _Qahim_ > Affinity: Astral 3, Materium 3 > Alignment: 0 > Form: Human > Body: Hearty > Mind: Tenacious > Culture: Industrious > Society: Ancient Wise Ones, Wonder Architects > Tome: Warding > Wizard King I’ll play a full game with each as myself. Should be fun! Once through them all, I’ll reassess whether to make more or replay. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645/30 "2023-05-13T03:35:14Z")
Nice! I like that list. A diverese bunch of civs to play around with. I used to do similar stuff in Stellaris, create a bunch of NPC civs to use. I’ll very likely do the same in AOW4 eventually. Maybe I will create characters loosely based on the leaders from the Civ 4 mod Fall from Heaven, for nostalgia’s sake. But not until after my Kuo-Toa game. It’s going pretty well - I’ve gone into the Astral tomes, Nature tomes, and Shadow tomes; my frogs cause fear and weakness in an area around them, become far more likely to score critical hits as spells get cast around them, and soon will become undead. I’m not sure where I’ll go from here, probably a dip into some Chaos tomes before I head into higher tier tomes. I’ve gotten control of my island, including conquering a nearby free city and vassalizing a neighboring island’s free city. I’ve also colonized a second island, and conquered the local size 11 free city when it declared war on me. I’m currently engaged in a war with a neighboring godir that didn’t like my whole “being evil” shtick. And the free city I am currently trying to ally has asked me to wipe out their neighboring free city (which is directly under them, in the underground layer). So I have plenty on my plate, militarily speaking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-wonders-4/983645.md?page=1)