I like AoE better than AoK, although I've played
both a lot.
Not sure exactly why.
I only play singleplayer, maybe that has something
to do with it.
* AoK: siege is almost essential. So maybe it's that
the game becomes about the siege equipment, & the troops
are there to protect your trebs/rams while they pound
the enemy's buildings to rubble.
The powerful defensive structures (castle) also make the
computer's attacks something of a joke - since it's
not very adept at deploying siege (or counterattacking
it, even.)
In AoK the computer always walls in, and it's a matter
of piercing the walls, guarding the breach so some
villie doesn't repair the walls, and finding a good
place to set up your trebs.
* In AoE you are basically hosed if a good enemy force
gets inside your walls. So there's more tension in AoE.
* I think AoE has a lot more atmosphere. Maybe
because the historical time is so distant and therefore
has a haze of romance over it.
* AoE has much better goldfree units. AoK goldfree units
are counters only, except for light-cav, which is
unexciting.
* AoK has pikemen; it's good to have a cav counter.
Perhaps I would like AoK better if I did it mplayer,
then perhaps it would be more dynamic and there wouldn't
be such an emphasis on siege vs strongpoints.
Matt