I’ve been playing this since Jan 2021 and reached rank 25 but am now quitting because of how messed up things have become. Since introducing hero units the game has become very much a case of the strongest heroes win. This of course costs real money, a lot. Not only this but also the two factions have large differences in units, both regular and hero, that tends to skew things in the higher ranks to the confederation’s favour. This isn’t just a small imbalance, it’s very significant yet despite complaints the developers ignore the issue - who cares as long as suckers keep spending the $$$ right? It was fun for a while but it stopped being fun and now is just a race to see who can get the strongest heroes out first (hint, Seraphim in the first 4 minutes wins every time). Enjoy playing it but don’t waste your $$$, you’ll come to regret it.Update: Predictably Gear Games responded with the message: “it’s not us, it’s you..” (paraphrasing a bit). They claim you can upgrade units for free through earning in game items. This is true to some extent however in high ranks the number of upgrades needed, especially for heroes, means you would need to wait literally years for incremental upgrades. As an example, a class 9 Leviathan costs 1650 blueprints - taking the free option you’ll be lucky to get maybe 5 a week, you do the math… Alternatively you can buy them in the store at a cost of $20 AUD (about $12 US) for 5 blueprints at a time - again you do the math… So ignoring the fact one faction has way stronger units than the other, you are still either going to wait a long time to upgrade or pay big bucks. If you do still want to play, choose confederation, you’ll get stronger units and a feeling of superiority from winning more battles - you’ll still have to spend big $$$ though.
We're saddened to see a veteran Commander departing. Our matchmaking aims for fair engagement, ensuring a leveled field for all players. There are plenty of ways to earn in-game items (including Hero Blueprints) actively, no purchase necessary. Art of War 3 thrives on strategy, and success in battle isn't dictated by money spent. True balance in the game is achievable when players fully utilize their units' potential. No faction is designed to outshine another, the perceived imbalance may simply be a tactical opportunity yet to be discovered. We invite you to delve deeper into the AOW3 strategies and hope your future battles prove more rewarding.