I thought AoE III was disappointing as well. I know it was to be expected given the leap in pc power from the late 90s to mid 00s, but I far prefer the pre-rendered sprites of AoEII to the real time models in III. I would have preferred if Ensemble used pre-rendering again, just utilising the extra space of DVDs in order for each nation to have their own styled units/buildings and things like that.
I also would've preferred it if they changed and extended the time period/setting. I personally found the American colonisation theme too narrow and slightly boring. I was personally hoping for the game to cover all of the early-mid colonial and Napoleonic period, probably up to and including the Franco-Prussian war. I wanted AoEII-esque campaigns featuring Bismark, The Duke of Wellington, Lord Chelmsford, Ulysses S Grant, Oliver Cromwell, Napoleon I, etc. That was the AoEIII I desired
