Game PC Age of Empires User Manual

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ContentsContents

Contents

ContentsContents

Chapter 1: Playing the game......................................................... 1

About Age of Empires ..................................................................................... 2

Installing Age of Empires ............................................................................. 3

Starting Age of Empires ................................................................................ 4

Getting started .............................................................................................. 4

Choosing a game .............................................................................................. 7

Winning a game ................................................................................................ 8

Choosing a civilization ................................................................................ 1 2

Playing a random map, death match, or scenario .................................... 12

Playing a campaign ....................................................................................... 14

Playing a saved game ................................................................................... 15

Playing a multiplayer game ........................................................................ 15

Using the interface ..................................................................................... 2 0

Chapter 2: Exploring the map ..................................................... 23

Exploring ....................................................................................................... 24

Grouping villagers, military units, and boats ......................................... 24

Moving villagers, military units, and boats ............................................. 25

Transporting units across water .............................................................. 26

Terrain ........................................................................................................... 26

Chapter 3: Building your civilization ....................................... 27

Gathering resources ................................................................................... 28

Villager tasks .............................................................................................. 30

Creating villagers, military units, and boats ......................................... 31

Constructing buildings ............................................................................... 32

Repairing buildings and boats .................................................................... 33

Trading ........................................................................................................... 34

Chapter 4: Researching Technology ......................................... 35

About technology ......................................................................................... 36

Advancing through the ages ....................................................................... 37

Researching technology ............................................................................. 39

Upgrading military units, boats, walls, and towers ............................... 40

Chapter 5: Engaging in combat ................................................... 41

Engaging in combat ....................................................................................... 42

Diplomacy ....................................................................................................... 43

Allied victory ............................................................................................... 43

Tribute ........................................................................................................... 44

Healing villagers and military units ........................................................ 45

Converting enemy units ............................................................................... 45

Unit attributes ............................................................................................. 46

Chapter 6:

Creating and customizing scenarios and campaigns .......... 47

Using the scenario builder ......................................................................... 48

Using the campaign editor ........................................................................... 62

Chapter 7: Ancient Cultures ...................................................... 63

Assyrian culture (1800 to 600 BC) ............................................................ 64

Babylonian culture (1900 to 539 BC) ....................................................... 67

Ancient Choson culture (2333 to 108 BC) ................................................ 71

Egyptian culture (5000 to 30 BC) .............................................................. 74

Greek culture (2100 to 146 BC) ................................................................. 77

Hittite culture (2000 to 1200 BC) ............................................................. 82

Minoan culture (2200 to 1200 BC) ............................................................. 85

Persian culture (700 to 332 BC) ................................................................ 88

Phoenician culture (1200 to 146 BC) ........................................................ 9 2

Shang culture (1800 to 1000 BC) ............................................................... 95

Sumerian culture (5000 to 2230 BC) ......................................................... 99

Yamato culture (300 to 800 AD) ............................................................... 103

Appendix ....................................................................................... 107

Unit Attributes Table ................................................................................ 108

Technology Costs & Benefits Table ......................................................... 109

Building Attributes Tables ....................................................................... 110

Assyrian Technology Tree ........................................................................ 111

Babylonian Technology Tree .................................................................... 112

Ancient Choson Technology Tree ............................................................ 113

Egyptian Technology Tree ......................................................................... 114

Greek Technology Tree ............................................................................. 115

Hittite Technology Tree ............................................................................ 116

Minoan Technology Tree ............................................................................ 117

Persian Technology Tree .......................................................................... 118

Phoenician Technology Tree ..................................................................... 119

Shang Technology Tree ............................................................................. 120

Sumerian Technology Tree ........................................................................ 121

Yamato Technology Tree ........................................................................... 122

Index ............................................................................................. 123

Credits ......................................................................................... 126

To play the learning campaign

1 On the Age of Empires menu, click Single Player.
2 Click Campaign.
3 Type your player name, or click a player name in the Name list.
4 Click OK to display the list of campaigns.
5 Select the Ascent of Egypt Learning Campaign. Only the first scenario

is displayed. After you complete a scenario, the next scenario in the campaign
appears at the end of the list.

6 Select the Difficulty Level (the skill of civilizations controlled by the

computer). The levels range from easy to hardest.

7 Click OK to start the scenario.

After the cinematic plays, the scenario instructions are revealed. To display the
scenario instructions while you are playing the game, click the Menu button
on the menu bar, and then click Scenario Instructions.

Setting up a game

Before you start a game, you must choose which type of game to play—single
player or multiplayer, and random map, scenario, or campaign, as explained in
“Choosing a game” in this chapter.

The type of game you choose determines what you must do to win the game, as
explained in “Winning a game” in this chapter.

You can play one of twelve mighty civilizations, each with different strengths and
weaknesses, as explained in “Choosing a civilization” in this chapter.

Starting on an unexplored map

The slow gradual

process of human

evolution and

technological

advance brought

our human

ancestors safely

to the end of the

last Ice Age

10,000 years ago.

As the ice

receded, the land

reentered a cycle

of gradually

increasing plant

and wildlife

abundance.

Humans by this

point had spread

around the world

and were

sufficiently

advanced to begin

dominating instead

of just surviving.

You start the game with a few villagers and a Town Center on an unexplored (black)
map. Moving a villager into the black area reveals the map terrain. To move a
villager, click the villager, and then right-click the location to move to. Enemy
buildings and walls are not visible until you explore the area of the map where they
are located. For more information, see “Exploring,” and “Moving villagers, military
units, and boats” in Chapter 2.

As you explore the map, you discover resources to increase your stockpile of food,
wood, stone, and gold. Villagers can chop trees for wood, forage berry bushes,
hunt animals, and fish for food, as well as mine for stone and gold. To assign a

5

The first

archaeological

evidence of

human culture is

stone tools. The

oldest

discovered so far

date back 2.5

million years

and initiate the

period called

the Old Stone

Age

(Paleolithic).

villager a task, click a villager, and then right-click a work site, such as a tree,
animal, or stone mine. For more information, see “Villager tasks” in Chapter 3. You
can also increase your stockpile by trading with or receiving tribute from other
civilizations, as explained in “Trading” in Chapter 3 and “Tribute” in Chapter 5.

Building your civilization

You use the resources (food, wood, stone, gold) in your stockpile to construct
buildings, as explained in “Constructing buildings” in Chapter 3. You must build
enough Houses to support the population of your civilization. Each House supports
four villagers, boats, or military units. Each civilization can create a maximum of 50
villagers, military units, and boats, as explained in “Creating villagers, military units,
and boats” in Chapter 3.

Advancing through the ages

The resources in your stockpile are also used to advance your civilization through
the different ages. There are four ages: Stone Age, Tool Age, Bronze Age, and Iron
Age. You typically start the game in the Stone Age and strive to advance to the
Iron Age. To advance to the next age, you must have a Town Center and build two
different buildings from the current age. Then click the Town Center, and click the
Advance to Next Age button. For more information, see “Advancing through
the ages” in Chapter 4.

As you advance through the ages, you can build new buildings and military units
and research new technologies that benefit your civilization. For example,
researching Leather Armor decreases the damage your military units receive in
combat. The buildings, military units, and technologies that are available depend on
which civilization you are playing. The technology trees for each civilization are in
the Appendix.

Engaging in combat

Military units and villagers can engage in combat
on land. War ships can engage in combat at sea.
To win a game by military conquest, your
civilization (or team) must destroy all enemy
villagers, military units, war ships, and
buildings. You do not need to destroy trade
vessels, transport vessels, fishing vessels,
Artifacts, Ruins, or walls. You can pursue an
allied victory with other civilizations as explained in
“Allied victory” in Chapter 5.

Wounded villagers and military units can be healed by a
Priest as explained in “Healing villagers and military units”
in Chapter 5. Enemy villagers, military units, buildings, and
boats can be converted by a Priest, as explained in
“Converting enemy units” in Chapter 5. Damaged
buildings and boats can be repaired by a villager as
explained in “Repairing buildings and boats” in Chapter 3.

6 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

Choosing a game

You can play single player and multiplayer games based on randomly generated
maps, scenarios, or campaigns.

• Campaign – Single player – A predesigned series of related scenarios that

chronicle the rise of one of the mighty civilizations of antiquity. New players
should play the Ascent of Egypt learning campaign to learn the basics of Age
of Empires. For information about campaigns, see “Playing a campaign” in this
chapter.

• Scenario – Single player or multiplayer – A predesigned game that is not part

of a campaign. For information about single player scenarios, see “Playing a
random map, death match, or scenario” in this chapter. For information about
multiplayer scenarios, see “Playing a multiplayer game” in this chapter.

• Random map – Single player or multiplayer – A game based on a randomly

generated world map. You can change the game settings and the victory
condition. For information about random maps, see “Playing a random map,
death match, or scenario” in this chapter.

• Random map (death match) – Single player or multiplayer – A variation of

a random map in which players start with stockpiles of 20,000 food, wood,
stone, and 10,000 gold and then fight to the death. For information about
death matches, see “Playing a random map, death match, or scenario” in this
chapter.

• Random map (score) – Single player or multiplayer –

A variation of a random map in which the victory condition
is based on the players’ scores. For information about
random maps, see “Playing a random map, death match,
or scenario” in this chapter.

• Random map (time limit) – Single player or

multiplayer – A variation of a random map in
which the victory condition is based on who
earns the highest score within the time limit. For
information about random maps, see “Playing a
random map, death match, or scenario” in this

chapter.

• Cooperative game –

Multiplayer – A random
map, death match, or
scenario in which two or
more human players share
control of a single
civilization. Each player can
give unrestricted (and even
conflicting) orders to all
units. For information about
cooperative games, see
“Playing a multiplayer
game” in this chapter.

Although the

oldest surviving

tools are made of

stone, it is

possible that

tools of organic

materials were in

use earlier and

have not survived.

Animal bones,

feather quills,

claws, and

objects of wood

or fiber could

have all been

used as tools

before stone.

7

Weapons are

technology.

They can be the

difference

between

survival and

extinction for

an individual, a

tribe, or a

culture. Human

predecessors

were clearly

advanced and

competing well

before they

developed the

first tools, but

the growing

technological

sophistication of

humans has been

the means of our

dominance over

all other

species, at least

so far.

Winning a game

In a random map or death match, you can win the game by achieving any one of the
standard victory conditions: Artifacts (the first player to control and hold all
Artifacts wins), Ruins (the first player to control and hold all Ruins wins), Wonders
(the first player to build and hold a Wonder wins), or Conquest (the first player to
conquer all enemies). Players can pursue any of the standard victory conditions to
win. For example, player 1 might try to control all Artifacts, player 2 might try to
build a Wonder, and player 3 might try to achieve military conquest. The first player
to be successful wins the game.

Or, if you do not want to use the standard victory conditions, you can choose your
own victory condition: Conquest (all players must try to achieve military conquest),
Score (all players compete to achieve the specified score) or Time Limit (all players
compete to achieve the highest score within the time limit).

To change the victory condition in a single player game, see “Playing a random
map, death match, or scenario” in this chapter. To change the victory condition in a
multiplayer game, see “Playing a multiplayer game” in this chapter.

Artifacts

Artifacts are objects akin to the Ark of the Covenant that were crafted by now-lost
cultures and bring prestige to the civilization that possesses them. They can be
captured from other civilizations in a game and carried away. Control of Artifacts
counts toward your score. A random map contains five Artifacts or none.

In a random map with standard victory conditions, the first civilization (or team) to
control all Artifacts for 2000 years wins the game. An Artifact is controlled by the
last civilization to move a villager, military unit, or boat nearby. The color of an
Artifact indicates which civilization controls it. The owner of the Artifact can move it
on land or on a transport vessel. Artifacts cannot be destroyed. For example, if a
transport vessel sinks with an Artifact on board, the Artifact appears on a nearby
shore.

When a civilization controls all Artifacts, the other civilizations are notified and a
countdown clock appears in the upper-right corner of the game screen. The color of
the clock indicates which civilization controls the Artifacts. The first civilization to
control all Artifacts for 2000 years (until the clock reaches zero, approximately 15
minutes), wins the game. If an Artifact changes ownership before 2000 years have
passed, the countdown is terminated.

Ruins

Ruins are ancient structures resembling Stonehenge that were built by now-lost
cultures and bring prestige to the civilization that controls them. Ruins cannot be
moved. Ownership may be taken away by another civilization. Control of Ruins
counts toward your score. A random map contains five Ruins or none.

8 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

In a random map with standard victory conditions, the first civilization (or team) to
control all Ruins for 2000 years wins the game. Ruins are controlled by the last
civilization to move a villager, military unit, or boat nearby. The color of a Ruin
indicates which civilization controls it. Ruins cannot be destroyed.

When a civilization controls all Ruins, the other civilizations are notified and a
countdown clock appears in the upper-right corner of the game screen. The color of
the clock indicates which civilization controls the Ruins. The first civilization to
control all Ruins for 2000 years (until the clock reaches zero, approximately 15
minutes), wins the game. If a Ruin changes ownership before 2000 years have
passed, the countdown is terminated.

Wonders

A Wonder is the crowning achievement of civilizations who build one. Examples of
historic ancient Wonders that have become icons for their civilization are the
Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, and the Athenian Acropolis. A
civilization can build a Wonder after advancing to the Iron Age.

In a random map with standard victory conditions, the first civilization to build a
Wonder that stands for 2000 years wins the game. When a civilization begins to
build a Wonder, the other civilizations are notified and shown its location on the
diamond-shaped map in the lower-right corner of the game screen. When the
Wonder is completed, the other civilizations are again notified and a countdown
clock appears in the upper-right corner of the game screen. The color of the clock
indicates which civilization owns the Wonder. The first civilization to build a Wonder
that stands for 2000 years (until the clock reaches zero, approximately 15
minutes), wins the game. If a Wonder is destroyed before 2000 years have passed,
the countdown is terminated.

The earliest

preserved human

tools are fine-

grained stones

that have been

struck apart to

create sharp

edges.

A civilization can build more than one Wonder. Wonders standing at the end of the
game (even if they were not the first Wonder to stand for 2000 years) provide the
owning civilization with points, as explained in the Score section in this chapter.

9

The pace of

technological

change has

gradually

accelerated

over time,

although there

have been

periods of

relative

quickness and

slowness, or

even decline,

and a few

junctures where

the rate of

acceleration

shifted into a

higher gear.

There have been

at least two

dark ages in the

West where

technology and

knowledge

declined or was

lost  the first

beginning

around 1200 BC

and the second

around 400 AD.

The destruction

of the great

library in

Alexandria in

391 AD by

religious zealots

may alone have

set back our

knowledge by

several hundred

years.

Conquest

In a random map with standard
victory conditions, you can win the
game by achieving military conquest even if the other players are
pursuing one of the other standard victory conditions (Artifacts, Ruins, or
Wonders). If you do not want to play the standard victory conditions, you can set
the victory condition to Conquest.

To win a game by military conquest, your civilization (or team) must destroy all
enemy villagers, military units, war ships, and buildings. You do not need to destroy
trade vessels, transport vessels, fishing vessels, Artifacts, Ruins, or walls.

Time Limit

If you do not want to play the standard victory conditions, you can set the victory
condition to Time Limit. In a time limit game, you select the time limit after which
the game automatically ends. A countdown clock is displayed in the upper-right
corner of the game screen. The civilization (or team) with the highest score when
the clock reaches zero wins the game. The team score is the average of all team
members scores.

Score

If you do not want to play the standard victory conditions, you can set the victory
condition to Score. In a score game, the game creator chooses the score to
achieve. The first civilization (or team) to achieve the score or military conquest
wins the game. In a score game, constructing Wonders and owning Artifacts and
Ruins provides points but does not automatically end the game. The team score is
the average of all team members scores. Score can be set as a victory condition
or used simply as a measure of achievement.

10 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

The great civilizations of antiquity were those that achieved a high
level of cultural and technological development. Greatness was also
measured by influence over distance and over time. The Sumerian
civilization, for example, was never particularly large but the
importance of the wheel and writing, for which they are credited, was
enormous. The Greeks, more than any other ancient culture, had the
greatest impact on the modern world.

Greatness was somewhat dependent on military prowess. Most of

the important ancient civilizations were military powers at one

time and spread their culture by conquest. Those

cultures that did not develop a strong military did
not usually last long enough to have a significant

impact on world events. A strong military ensured

longevity and the opportunity to become great.

Great civilizations left a lasting legacy of architecture, literature,

language, ideas, and technological innovation that influenced those

that followed. Age of Empires encompasses this definition of civilization

with its score system. The greatness of your civilization is measured by the

points you earn for a variety of achievements during the play of a game. The
civilization score for your civilization can be compared to that of others in your
game during play and at game end. Civilization scores are calculated for all players
(human and computer) as the game progresses.

The first stone

tools may have

allowed humans

to butcher fresh

kills instead of

searching for

carrion.

To display civilization scores

The civilization scores are shown in the lower-right corner of the game screen.

➤ To turn the display on or off, click the S button above the diamond-

shaped map in the lower-right corner of the game screen.

The scores are shown as civilization score/team score. The list of players is
ranked by team score and then by civilization score. The team score is the
average of all team members scores.

➤ To display the details of your score, click the Menu button on the

menu bar, and then click Achievements.

For information about how scores are calculated, refer to the Technology Tree
Foldout. The bonus points (such as most military units) can change ownership
throughout the game. For example, if player 1 has 30 military units and player 2 has
35 military units, player 2 receives the 25-point bonus. However, if player 1 builds 6
more military units (or kills 6 of player 2s military units), player 1 receives the 25­point bonus.

11

Hunter-

gatherers were

probably not

unsettled

wanderers

taking what

came their way.

Their existence

and survival

depended on

systematically

exploiting the

resources

around them

according to

what has been

called an

optimal

foraging

strategy. They

moved to the

seashore to

harvest oysters

in season, near

the nut trees in

the fall, and

elsewhere to be

present when

fruits were ripe.

Choosing a civilization

Play one of historys twelve mightiest
civilizations! Command the Greek
phalanx, the worlds best infantry for
hundreds of years. Lead the chariots
of the Hittites, or Assyrians. Build up
the vast agricultural empire of Egypt,
Babylon, or Sumeria. Guide the
Persians from their small enclave to
prominence as a world power.
Guide the Shang (China), Ancient
Choson (Korea), or Yamato
(Japan) for control of Asia. Dominate world sea trade
as the Phoenicians or Minoans.

Each civilization has strengths and weaknesses and can research different
technologies. For information about the special attributes of each civilization, refer
to the Technology Tree Foldout. The technology trees for each civilization are in the
Appendix and in the Docs folder on the Age of Empires disc.

The civilization you choose to play depends on the victory conditions of the game
and the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents. For example, if a world has
extensive seas, choose to play a civilization with advantages in ship building or
speed (Yamato, Phoenician, Minoan). If you are competing with the Persians,
prepare for eventual clashes with War Elephants. More than one player can choose
the same civilization. In a multiplayer cooperative game, two or more players can
choose the same player number and share control of a single civilization.

Playing a random map,
death match, or scenario

A random map is a single player or multiplayer game based on a randomly
generated world map. You can win the game by achieving any one of the standard
victory conditions, or you can set the victory condition to Conquest, Score, or Time
Limit.

A death match is a random map in which players start with stockpiles of 20,000
food, wood, stone, and 10,000 gold. You can win the game by achieving a military
conquest, building a Wonder, or achieving the highest score.

A scenario is a predesigned game that is not part of a campaign. The victory
conditions are revealed when you start the scenario. You can create custom
scenarios using the scenario builder and share them with other players.

For information about playing a multiplayer random map, death match, or scenario
see Playing a multiplayer game in this chapter.

12 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

To play a random map,
death match, or scenario

1 On the Age of Empires menu, click Single Player.

2 Click Random Map, Death Match, or Scenario.

If you are playing a scenario, select the scenario to play, and then click OK.

3 Select the player settings:

• Civ  Each civilization has special skills and can

research different technologies, as explained in
Choosing a civilization in this chapter. More than
one player can choose the same civilization.

• Player  Starting position on the game map. To

change the setting, click the player number. The color
of the player number corresponds to the color of the
civilization.

• Team  Players who want to start the game as allies

can select a team by clicking the Team number. A
dash () in the Team box indicates no team. Players
on the same team automatically have their diplomatic
stance set to Ally and Allied Victory set. To
change these settings during the game, click
Diplomacy on the menu bar.

• Number of Players  In a single player game, your opponents are

computer players.

4 If you want to change the scenario settings, click Settings. You can change

the following settings:

• Map Size  (random map and death match only) The size of the map.

The larger the map, the longer the game.

• Map Type  (random map and death match only) The distribution of land

and water on the map.

• Victory Condition  The first civilization (or team) to achieve the

victory condition wins the game. For information about the victory
conditions, see Winning a game in this chapter. Some scenarios contain
individual victory conditions, which cannot be changed.

• Starting Age  The age at which the game begins. For example, if the

game begins in the Bronze Age, the Bronze Age has just begun and all
Stone Age and Tool Age technology has been completed. Nomad starts in
the Stone Age and lets you choose where to build your Town Center. The
default setting for a random map is Stone Age. To use the starting age a
scenario was designed with, select Default.

Metal tools were

first made from

raw copper found

on the Earths

surface and

hammered into

useful or artistic

shapes.

13

The creation of

writing was one

of those

junctures after

which the

increase of

knowledge was

permanently

and rapidly

accelerated.

Writing greatly

expanded the

preservation,

spread, and

pass-through of

information.

Computers have

increased the

rate of

acceleration in

a similar

manner.

• Difficulty Level  The skill of civilizations controlled by the computer.

The levels range from easy to hardest.

• Resources  Determines the quantity of resources (food, wood, stone,

gold) in each players stockpile. The default setting for a random map is
the lowest level of resources. To use the resource setting a scenario was
designed with, select Default.

• Fixed Positions  Determines whether civilizations in a random map

game begin the game in random positions on the map or in fixed
(clockwise) positions based on their player number. Team members with
consecutive player numbers are located adjacent to each other if you
select Fixed Positions.

• Full Tech Tree  Allows

all civilizations to research
all technologies in the
game. The special
attributes usually
associated with each
civilization are removed.

• Reveal Map 

Determines whether the
map terrain is visible at the
beginning of the game or
revealed as you explore it.

5 Click Start Game.

Playing a campaign

A campaign is a predesigned series of related scenarios that chronicle the rise of
one of the mighty civilizations of antiquity. You must play the scenarios in a
campaign in sequence, using the settings and victory conditions with which each
scenario was designed. New players should play the Ascent of Egypt learning
campaign to learn the basics of Age of Empires.

You can create your own campaigns using the campaign editor, as explained in
Using the campaign editor in Chapter 6.

To play a campaign

1 On the Age of Empires menu, click Single Player.

2 Click Campaign.

3 Type your player name, or click a player name in the Name list.

To add a new name to the list, click New, and then type a name.

To delete a name from the list, click the name to delete, and then click
Remove.

4 Click OK to display the list of campaigns.

14 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

5 Select the campaign to play.

The scenarios in the campaign are displayed in the
Select Scenario list. If you have not previously
played the campaign using your current player
name, only the first scenario is displayed. After
you complete a scenario, the next scenario in the
campaign appears in the list.

6 If more than one scenario is listed, select the

scenario you want to play.

7 Select the Difficulty Level (the skill of

civilizations controlled by the computer). The levels
range from easy to hardest.

8 Click OK to start the scenario.

After the cinematic plays, the scenario instructions are revealed. To display
the scenario instructions while you are playing the game, click the Menu
button on the menu bar, and then click Scenario Instructions.

The map that appears before a campaign scenario shows the area where the
current scenario takes place and the area(s) where previous scenarios in the
campaign have taken place.

Playing a saved game

To play a saved game

1 On the Age of Empires menu, click Single Player,

and then click Saved Game.

-or-

From within the game, click the Menu button on the menu bar,
and then click Load.

2 Select the saved game to play, and then click OK.

Playing a multiplayer game

You can play a random map or scenario with up to eight players connected across
a network or the Internet and two players across a modem or serial connection. For
information about sharing Age of Empires discs in a multiplayer game, see
Starting Age of Empires in this chapter. The player with the most powerful
computer should host the game.

Two or more players can play a cooperative game in which they share control of a
single civilization. Each player can give unrestricted (and even conflicting) orders to
all units. To play a cooperative game, players must select the same player number
before starting a multiplayer game.

If a players connection is lost during a multiplayer game, the player cannot rejoin
the game.

15

The conversion

by our

predecessors

from hunter-

gatherer to

herder-farmer,

circa 8000 BC, is

the great

dichotomy of the

human

experience. From

that point on,

the dominance of

our species, at

least to the

present, was

assured.

To select a multiplayer connection

1 On the Age of Empires menu, click Multiplayer.

2 Type your player Name.

3 Select the Connection Type. The connection types listed depend on the

hardware, software, and services you are using. Common connection types
include:

••

• IPX Connection for DirectPlay  Connect using a network that uses

••

the IPX protocol. If you do not know which protocol your network uses,
check with your network administrator.

••

• Internet TCP/IP Connection for DirectPlay  Connect using the

••

Internet or a network that uses the TCP/IP protocol. If you do not know
which protocol your network uses, check with your network administrator.

••

• Modem Connection for DirectPlay  Connect two computers using

••

a modem. Age of Empires requires a modem speed of 28.8 Kbps or faster.

••

• Serial Connection for DirectPlay  Connect two computers using a

••

null-modem cable.

••

• Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone  Selecting this option exits Age of

••

Empires, launches your Web browser, and connects to Microsofts
Internet Gaming Zone. The Internet Gaming Zone is a quick and easy way
to find other Age of Empires players. For information about creating and
joining games on the Internet Gaming Zone, see the documentation
provided on the Internet Gaming Zone.

4 Click OK, and then join or create a multiplayer game as explained in the

following sections.

Joining a multiplayer game

To join a multiplayer game

1 Select a multiplayer connection, as

explained in the previous section.

2 Click Show Games to update

the list of multiplayer games.

3 Follow the instructions that appear

on the screen for the connection
type you are using.

If you are making a TCP/IP
connection across a Local Area
Network, in most cases you can
click OK instead of entering an IP
address.

4 Select the game to join, and then

click Join.

16 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

5 Select the player settings:

• Civ  Each civilization has special skills and can

research different technologies, as explained in
Choosing a civilization in this chapter. More
than one player can choose the same
civilization.

• Player  Starting position on the map and

color of civilization. To change the setting, click
the player number. To play a cooperative game,
two or more players can select the same player
number and share control of a single civilization.
Each player can give unrestricted (and even
conflicting) orders to all units.

• Team  Players who want to start the game as

allies can select a team by clicking the Team number. A dash () in the
Team box indicates no team. Players on the same team automatically
have their diplomatic stance set to Ally and Allied Victory set. To
change these settings during the game, click Diplomacy on the menu
bar.

17

Agriculture

removed much of

the uncertainty

in obtaining

food. People no

longer had to

search it out

over large areas

 they found

places where it

could be

produced in

abundant

quantities year

after year and

fixed themselves

there.

6 The game creator controls the other game settings shown on the screen.

You can discuss the game settings with the game creator and other players by
typing in the Chat box. To send your message, press ENTER. To chat with
other players during a game, press ENTER or click the Chat button on the
menu bar. For information about chatting, see Using the interface in this
chapter.

7 When you are ready to begin the game, click Im Ready! The names of

players who are ready are shown in green. If you change your mind before the
game starts, click the button again. The game does not begin until all players
are ready and the creator starts it.

Creating a multiplayer game

To create a multiplayer game

1 Select a multiplayer connection, as explained at the beginning of this section.

2 Click Create.

3 Type a name for the game.

4 Follow the instructions that appear on the screen for the connection type you

are using.

5 Select the player settings:

• Name  If you want to limit the number of players that can join the game,

close some of the positions. Closing a position that is filled by a player
ejects the player from the game. Open indicates that the position is
available for a human player. Computer indicates that the position is
played by the computer. Closed indicates that position is not available.

• Civ  Select a civilization for yourself and each computer player. Human

players choose their own civilization. Each civilization has special skills and
can research different technologies, as explained in Choosing a
civilization in this chapter. More than one player can choose the same
civilization.

• Player  Starting position on the map and color of

civilization. To change the setting, click the player
number. To play a cooperative game, two or more
players can select the same player number and
share control of a single civilization. Each player
can give unrestricted (and even conflicting)
orders to all units.

• Team  Players who want to start the game

as allies can select a team by clicking the
Team number. A dash (-) in the Team box
indicates no team. Players on the same
team automatically have their diplomatic
stance set to Ally and Allied Victory
set. To change these settings during the
game, click Diplomacy on the menu
bar.

18 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

6 To display your IP address, click the IP button. Other

players can type in your IP address to connect to your
game.

7 Click Settings to select a game to play (random map,

death match, or scenario). A list of scenarios appears
showing the name and number of players for each
scenario. Select the scenario to play. A description of the
scenario appears in the Scenario Instructions window.

You can change the following settings:

• Map Size  (random map and death match only) The

size of the map. The larger the map, the longer the
game.

• Map Type  (random map and death match only) The

distribution of land and water on the map.

• Victory Condition  The first civilization (or team) to achieve the

victory condition wins the game. For information about the victory
conditions, see Winning a game in this chapter. Some scenarios contain
individual victory conditions, which cannot be changed.

• Starting Age  The age at which the game begins. For example, if the

game begins in the Bronze Age, the Bronze Age has just begun and all
Stone Age and Tool Age technology has been completed. Nomad starts in
the Stone Age and lets you choose where to build your Town Center. The
default setting for a random map is Stone Age. To use the starting age a
scenario was designed with, select Default.

• Difficulty Level  The skill of civilizations controlled by the computer.

The levels range from easy to hardest.

• Resources  The quantity of resources (food, wood, stone, gold) in each

players stockpile. The default setting for a random map is the lowest level
of resources. To use the resource setting a scenario was designed with,
select Default.

• Enable Cheating  Determines whether players can use the cheat

codes.

• Fixed Positions  Determines whether civilizations in a random map

game begin the game in random positions on the map or in fixed
(clockwise) positions based on their player number. Team members with
consecutive player numbers are located adjacent to each other if you
select Fixed Positions.

• Full Tech Tree  Allows all civilizations to research all technologies in

the game. The special attributes usually associated with each civilization
are removed.

• Reveal Map  Determines whether the map terrain is visible at the

beginning of the game or revealed as you explore it.

8 When you are finished changing the settings, click Im Ready! so players

know the game settings will not change. All players must click the Im
Ready! button before you can click Start Game. The names of players who
are ready are shown in green.

The first

domesticated

grain is believed

to have been a

wild wheat that

grew in southern

Turkey. To make

the step of

domesticating this

plant, the early

gatherers had to

learn how to

harvest the grain

seeds, extract

the wheat kernel,

grind it, and bake

it, all before

they learned how

to grow the plant

and select it so

that it increased

in kernel size.

19

Stockpile counters 
Display the quantity of
resources (wood, food,
gold, stone) in your
stockpile.

Game map  To
scroll the map, move the
pointer to the edge of
the game screen in the
direction you want to
scroll, or use the arrow
keys.

Status line 
Displays label for
buttons with hot key,
cost, and benefit
(if applicable). Also
displays roll-over Help
for items on the screen.

Using the interface

Diplomacy button 
Displays the Diplomacy
dialog box so you can
choose your diplomatic
stance toward other

Age indicator  Displays the
current age (Stone Age, Tool Age,
Bronze Age, or Iron Age).

Next button 
Displays more
buildings that you
can construct.

players.

Menu button 
Displays the game
menu so you can save
a game, change game
settings, display online
Help, display your
achievements, etc.

Chat button 
Displays the Chat
interface so you
can send messages
to other players.

S button 
Displays player
scores.

Status box  Displays
hit points, attack, armor,
piercing armor, and range
of the selected unit.
Also displays Priest
rejuvenation percentage.

20 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

Command/Build/
Upgrade/Research
Buttons  Displays

commands, buildings
you can construct,
units you can upgrade,
and technologies you
can research.

Diamond-shaped map  Displays
the game map in smaller scale. Click a
location, or drag the white box to
display a location on the game map.

? button 
Displays popup
Help for items on
the game screen.

Chatting

To chat during a multiplayer game

1 Click the Chat button on the menu bar, and then select which players should

receive the message: allies, enemies, everyone, or a particular player.

-or-

To display only the chat text box, press ENTER.

2 Type a message. To taunt your opponents with a

recorded message, type a number from 1 to 25.

3 Press ENTER to send the message.

Changing the game settings

You can change the game speed, music volume, sound volume, screen size,
mouse interface, and roll-over Help used in the game.

To change the game settings

1 Start a game.

2 Click the Menu button on the menu bar.

3 Click Game Settings. You can change the following settings:

••

• Speed  The higher the game speed, the faster villagers, military units,

••

and boats move. Game time also elapses more quickly than real time.
Changing the game speed affects all civilizations.

••

• Music Volume  Move the slider down to decrease the music volume.

••

••

• Sound Volume  Move the slider down to decrease the volume of

••

sound effects.

••

• Screen Size  The default screen size is 800 x 600.

••

••

• Mouse Interface  The default setting is Two Buttons, which means

••

that the left mouse button is used to select a unit, and the right mouse
button is used to execute a command.

For example, to instruct a villager to hunt using Two Buttons, you would
left-click the villager and then right-click the animal to hunt. To instruct a
villager to hunt using One Button, you would left-click the villager and
then left-click the animal to hunt.

••

• Roll-over Help  The default setting is On, which displays tips on the

••

status line when you move the cursor over items such as trees, foraging
sites, buildings, etc.

Cattle are

considered the

most significant

domestication. In

addition to

providing meat,

milk, and hides,

they were also

valuable as

beasts of burden.

They pulled

wagons, greatly

improving land

transport. They

pulled plows,

greatly improving

agriculture. The

existence of

domesticated

cattle is thought

to have been

primarily

responsible for

the doubling of

population in the

Near East

between 4000 and

5000 BC.

21

Getting Help

Age of Empires provides online and popup Help.

To display online Help

The

agricultural

revolution made

possible the

first towns and

cities.

Dependable

local food

supplies

allowed

permanent

settlement, and

these

settlements

grew. People

built permanent

homes,

permanent

structures for

the production

and storage of

food, and an

entirely new

infrastructure

of civic

institutions

such as courts,

religious

centers, and

marketplaces as

the need for

these arose.

➤ On the Age of Empires menu, click Help.

-or-

From within a game, press F1 or click the Menu button on the menu bar, and
then click Help.

To return to the game from online Help, click the Game button.

To display popup Help

➤ Click the ? button in the lower-right corner of the game

screen, and then click an item on the screen.

To display the online Help from popup Help, click the
More Help button.

Saving and exiting

To save a game

1 Click the Menu button on the menu bar.

2 Click Save.

3 Type a name for the game, or select the game

to save.

Saved games are located in the Savegame folder where
Age of Empires is installed.

To exit a game

1 Click the Menu button on the menu bar.

2 Click Quit Game.

To resign a multiplayer game

1 Click the Menu button on the menu bar.

2 Click Resign.

All units on the map become visible so you can observe the game,
but you can no longer participate.

Hot keys

A list of hot keys is provided on the Technology Tree Foldout and in the Gameplay
section of the online Help.

22 Chapter 1: Playing the Game

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Exploring the map

Exploring the map

Exploring

As the great ice sheets receded, humans followed in their wake, exploring and
settling newly uncovered lands modified by the changing climate. The world
changed dramatically in a short period. Human populations multiplied, coalesced
into groups, and began competing among each other, rather than with other
species, for the best food and resources. The foundations of the first great
civilizations were laid in some part by those groups that found and controlled the

best areas. Discovery and control of the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates River valleys
determined which of the wandering tribes in those regions would become Egypt,
Sumeria, and Babylonia.

At the start of a typical Age of Empires game, exploration is vital. Sources of food
and wood need to be found quickly. Artifacts and Ruins that are nearby should be
controlled. Nearby geography may suggest where defenses should be built to
stave off potential attackers. More distant resources should be noted for your
eventual expansion. And learning the location of enemies helps you plan your
attacks.

Unexplored areas of the map are black. Moving a villager, military unit, or boat into
a black area reveals the map. You cannot explore beyond the edge of the map.
Enemy buildings and walls are not visible until you explore the area of the map
where they are located. Once an area has been explored, buildings and walls
remain visible. However, changes to the buildings, such as age upgrades, damage,
and destruction are not visible unless the building or wall is within the sight of a

villager, military unit, or boat from your civilization. Enemy villagers, military units,
and boats are only visible when they attack or are within the sight of a unit from
your civilization.

Researching Writing lets allies share exploration.

Grouping villagers,
military units, and boats

Grouping lets you command several villagers, military units, or boats at the same
time.

To select a group

➤ Drag the pointer over the villagers, military units, or boats you want to group.

Or hold down the CTRL key and click each unit.

To create a group

➤ Select a group (as described above), then click the Group button. When you

click one member of the group, the other members are also selected.

To ungroup units

➤ Click a member of the group, and then click the Ungroup button.

24 Chapter 2: Exploring the map

To assign a number to a group

1 Select a group.

2 Press CTRL and the number to assign to the group. For example, to assign the

number 2 to a group, press CTRL+2. The number appears in the lower-left
corner of each unit in the group.

3 To select the group, press the number assigned to it. For example, to select

group 2, press the 2 key.

Moving villagers,
military units, and boats

How quickly villagers, military units, and boats move depends on the speed of the
unit and the game speed, as explained in Using the interface (Changing the game
settings) in Chapter 1.

Units near each other move in formation unless they are ordered to move to or
attack an object, in which case they converge on the object. You can use
waypoints to make units follow a defined path to their goal.

Researching the Wheel increases the speed of villagers. Polytheism increases the
speed of Priests, and Aristocracy increases the speed of Academy units.

The first

important

breakthrough in

metallurgy was

the discovery of

smelting, the

process of

extracting metals

from ore under

high

temperatures.

This greatly

expanded the use

of copper,

because ore was

much more common

than raw copper

that could be

hammered. By

4000 BC, small,

simple copper

objects were

widespread in the

Middle East.

25

The earliest

archeological

evidence of

rafts and water

craft comes

from the upper

Nile in Egypt and

dates about 4000

BC. This evidence

is primarily

pictures on

pottery

fragments and

on walls within

ancient tombs.

Prior to 4000 BC,

there is no

direct evidence

of human water

travel.

To move a villager, military unit, or boat

➤ Click a villager, military unit, or boat (or select a group), and then right-click a

location.

To move a villager, military unit, or boat using waypoints

1 Click a villager, military unit, or boat (or select a group).

2 Press SHIFT, and then right-click each point along the path. A waypoint marker

appears.

3 Release the SHIFT key, and then right-click the last point in the path. The unit

or group moves along the path you created.

Transporting units
across water

Villagers, military units, and Artifacts can be loaded aboard a transport vessel and
moved across water. Allied units can also be transported. Each transport vessel
can carry a limited number of villagers, military units, and Artifacts in each trip.

To load a transport vessel

1 Build a Light Transport or Heavy Transport at the Dock.

2 Click a villager, military unit, or Artifact (or select a

group), and then right-click the transport vessel to load.
The units are loaded onto the transport.

To unload a transport vessel

1 Click the transport vessel.

2 Click the Unload button.

3 Click a location on shore or in shallows.

Terrain

Terrain provides resources and has tactical or strategic uses in
combat. The types of terrain include:

• Water  Impassable to villagers and military units.

• Shallows  Water that is passable to villagers, military units, and boats.

• Forest  Impassable to villagers and military units.

• Cliff  Impassable to villagers and military units. Provides a 25 percent chance

that the attacking unit will cause triple damage on each hit when the target is
on the low side of the cliff.

• Elevation  Provides a 25 percent chance that the attacking unit will cause

triple damage on each hit when the target is at a lower elevation.

26 Chapter 2: Exploring the map

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Building your civilization

Building your civilization

The scattered

foraging groups

within a large

region may have

come together

regularly,

perhaps during

the bountiful

summer or fall

seasons, to

celebrate,

select mates,

and trade. Such

gatherings

would have been

also a likely

time for new

technologies to

be shared.

Gathering resources

Stone Age humans obtained the basic necessities of life (food, shelter, and
clothing) by gathering food and raw materials or by killing animals. Providing the
basics of life was a full-time job. Native Americans on the northern plains, for
example, had several hundred different uses for parts of a slain buffalo. We can
presume that Siberian hunters made similarly extensive use of slain woolly
mammoths.

Advances in Stone Age tools and techniques gradually improved the lot of humans
by making it easier to acquire resources (better weapons and skills), to make more
efficient use of them (better tools), and to make it easier to store them (pottery,
drying, salting) for later use. The advent of animal domestication and agriculture
increased the rate of technological innovation by reducing the time needed for
providing basics. Some of the new-found leisure time was spent developing even
more innovations that led in turn to food surpluses, more efficient techniques, more
leisure, and more innovation.

In Age of Empires, the four resources of food, wood, stone, and gold are the
building blocks of your civilization. Stockpiles of these items are converted into
buildings and people. Most importantly, resources are expended to advance to new
technological ages and achieve new technology. The use of these resources
represents the costs in time and innovation required to take an important step
forward.

The resources in your stockpile are used to create villagers, train and upgrade
military units and boats, construct buildings, research technologies, and advance
through the ages. Villagers increase your stockpile of resources by farming, fishing,
hunting, etc., as explained in the following section. You can also increase your
stockpile by trading (as explained in Trading in this chapter) and by receiving
tribute from other civilizations (as explained in Tribute in Chapter 5).

28 Chapter 3: Building your civilization

The resources in your stockpile are shown in the upper-left corner of the game
screen. They include:

• Wood  Used to construct buildings, boats, and some military units. You

increase your stockpile of wood by assigning villagers to chop trees.

• Food  Used to create villagers, train and upgrade military units, research

technologies, and advance to the next age. You increase your stockpile of food
by assigning villagers to hunt, forage, farm, and fish. Fishing Boats and Fishing
Ships also fish for food. Berry bushes represent foraging sites, where ancient
man collected fruits, nuts, roots, and wild grains.

• Gold  Used to research technologies in later ages, create some military

units, advance to the Iron Age, and pay tribute to other civilizations. You
increase your stockpile of gold by trading with other civilizations and by
assigning villagers to collect gold from gold mines. In Age of Empires, gold
represents all types of precious metals, including gold, silver, bronze, and
copper.

• Stone  Used to build and upgrade towers and walls and research some

technologies. You increase your stockpile of stone by assigning villagers to
collect stone from stone mines. In Age of Empires, stone represents both
stone and clay.

To display the resources at a work site

➤ Click the work site. For example, to display the amount of gold a gold mine

contains, click the gold mine. The quantity of resources is displayed in the
status box in the lower-left corner of the game screen.

Sources of food, wood, stone, and gold are depleted as the resources are
gathered. For example, when a stone mine is depleted, it disappears. Researching
Coinage increases gold mine production. Domestication, the Plow, and Irrigation
increase Farm production.

29

The dense

populations of

towns increased

the incidence of

disease and

epidemics.

Measles, mumps,

smallpox, and

influenza spread

easily through

new towns. These

diseases are

thought to be

evolved versions

of diseases that

originally

afflicted animals

6000 to 8000

years ago.

Irrigation

incidentally

spread the

mosquito and the

diseases it

carried.

Villager tasks

Villagers perform a variety of tasks, including constructing and repairing buildings
and increasing your stockpile of resources by hunting, chopping wood, mining, etc.
Researching the Wheel increases the speed of villagers.

Villagers perform the following tasks:

• Builder  Constructs buildings.

• Farmer  Gathers food from a Farm. Food from farming is deposited at the

Town Center or Granary, whichever is closer. Researching Domestication, the
Plow, and Irrigation increases Farm production.

• Fisherman  Gathers food from fishing sites (jumping fish) near the shore in

streams and oceans. Food from fishing is deposited at the Town Center or
Storage Pit, whichever is closer. Fishing Boats and Fishing Ships also fish for
food, which they deposit at the Dock.

• Forager  Gathers food from foraging sites (berry bushes). Food from

foraging is deposited at the Town Center or Granary, whichever is closer.

• Gold Miner  Gathers gold from gold mines. Gold is deposited at the Town

Center or Storage Pit, whichever is closer. Researching Gold Mining increases
gold mining efficiency, and Coinage increases gold mine production.

• Hunter  Kills wild game (gazelles, elephants, lions, and alligators) for food.

Food from hunting is deposited at the Town Center or Storage Pit, whichever
is closer. Military units can also kill animals, but food cannot be gathered from
the carcass.

• Repairman  Repairs buildings and boats damaged in combat.

• Stone Miner  Gathers stone from stone mines. Stone is deposited at the

Town Center or Storage Pit, whichever is closer. Researching Stone Mining
and Siegecraft increases stone mining efficiency.

• Villager  Engaged in combat or not assigned a task. Researching Siegecraft

allows villagers to destroy walls and towers, and Jihad increases their combat
ability.

• Woodcutter  Chops trees for wood. Wood is deposited at the Town Center

or Storage Pit, whichever is closer. Researching Woodworking, Artisanship,
and Craftsmanship increases woodcutting efficiency.

To assign a villager a task

1 Click a villager.

2 Right-click a work site. For example, to assign a villager to mine for gold, right-

click a gold mine.

The villager goes to the work site, gathers as much of the resource as he can
carry, and deposits it at the Town Center, Granary, or Storage Pit (where it is
added to your stockpile), and returns to the work site to gather more. Fishing
Boats and Fishing Ships deposit food at the Dock.

30 Chapter 3: Building your civilization

The villager continues to perform a task until you assign a different task or until the
resource is depleted. If a resource is depleted, he searches for a new work site of
the same type within his sight and continues working. If the villager does not find a
new work site, he becomes idle.

Creating villagers,
military units, and boats

With new techniques and an improving tool kit, humans were able to expand into
more demanding climates as the Ice Age ended. As humans spread and adapted,
the need arose for better shelter from the elements as the seasons changed.
Where natural caves and other sources of shelter did not exist, humans
improvised. In ancient Russia, for example, large multifamily dwellings were framed
with mammoth bones and covered with mammoth skins. As humans became more
agricultural and sedentary, shelter became more elaborate and long-lasting.

Creating villagers, military units, and boats costs resources (food, wood, stone,
and gold). You must also have enough Houses to build a new villager, military unit,
or boat (one House supports four units). The Town Center also supports four units.
If a House is destroyed, you do not lose the units it supported, but you must build
new housing to support any new units.

Each civilization can support up to 50 villagers, military units, or boats. For
descriptions of the villagers, military units, and boats you can build, refer to the
Units section of the online Help.

To create a villager

1 Click the Town Center.

2 Click the Create Villager button.

After a brief training period, the villager appears beside the Town Center.

To train a military unit

1 Build a Barracks, Archery Range, Stable, Siege Workshop, Academy, or

Temple.

2 Click the building.

3 Click the button of the military unit to train. For example, to train a Clubman (at

the Barracks), click the Train Clubman button.

After a brief training period, the military unit appears beside the building.

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