Why Age of Empires Games Actually Lack Real Empires

Why Are There No Empires in Age of Empires? (2019)

I argue that games like Age of Empires and Civilization fail to simulate actual empires because they rely on total annihilation rather than resource extraction from distinct populations. Real empires thrive by controlling peripheral peoples, whereas these games force players to destroy rivals entirely, creating a fantasy of murderous nation-states instead of historical imperial mechanics.

"There has never been an age without empires. We are certainly not living in an age without empires even now – ask the Tibetans, the Uighyrs, the Chechens how 'ended' imperialism is!"