Difference between revisions of "Age of Empires"
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+ | {{disambig|the original game|the 2018 re-release|[[Age of Empires: Definitive Edition]]}} | ||
{{Infobox game | {{Infobox game | ||
|cover = Age of Empires Box.jpg | |cover = Age of Empires Box.jpg | ||
|developers = | |developers = | ||
{{Infobox game/row/developer|Ensemble Studios}} | {{Infobox game/row/developer|Ensemble Studios}} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/porter|MacSoft|Mac OS}} | ||
|publishers = | |publishers = | ||
− | {{Infobox game/row/publisher|Microsoft | + | {{Infobox game/row/publisher|Microsoft}} |
+ | {{Infobox game/row/publisher|Ubisoft|Re-releases}} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/publisher|MacSoft|Mac OS}} | ||
|engines = | |engines = | ||
{{Infobox game/row/engine|Genie}} | {{Infobox game/row/engine|Genie}} | ||
|release dates= | |release dates= | ||
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|October 15, 1997}} | {{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|October 15, 1997}} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/date|Mac OS|July 1, 1999}} | ||
+ | |reception = | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/reception|Metacritic|age-of-empires|83}} | ||
+ | |taxonomy = | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | None }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing | Real-time }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/perspectives | Bird's-eye view, Isometric }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/controls | Multiple select, Point and select }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/genres | RTS }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/sports | }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/vehicles | }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/art styles | }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/themes | Africa, Europe, Classical }} | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series | Age of Empires }} | ||
|steam appid = | |steam appid = | ||
− | |gogcom | + | |gogcom id = |
+ | |official site= https://web.archive.org/web/20011110043103/http://www.microsoft.com/games/age/ | ||
+ | |hltb = 266 | ||
+ | |lutris = age-of-empires | ||
+ | |strategywiki = Age of Empires | ||
+ | |mobygames = 384 | ||
|wikipedia = Age of Empires (video game) | |wikipedia = Age of Empires (video game) | ||
+ | |winehq = 762 | ||
+ | |license = commercial | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{Introduction | ||
+ | |introduction = | ||
+ | |||
+ | |release history = The game received '''''The Rise of Rome''''' expansion pack in October 1998 with new civilizations and campaigns. Both titles received [[#Patches|a single patch]] applied from the same installer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |current state = On modern systems, the unofficial patch [[#UPatch|UPatch]] is needed to resolve color palette issues caused by a broken [[Glossary:DirectX/DirectDraw troubleshooting|DirectDraw]] renderer, as well as resolving save corruption problems, adding widescreen support and balance changes which would later be the basis for the ''[[Age of Empires: Definitive Edition|Definitive Edition]]''. The [https://www.voobly.com/ Voobly] community multiplayer service is the ''de facto'' option after the official servers were shut down. | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | |||
'''General information''' | '''General information''' | ||
− | {{mm}} [ | + | {{mm}} [https://discordapp.com/invite/ageofempires Official Discord server] for the series |
− | {{mm}} [ | + | {{mm}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20090220032645/http://microsoft.com/games/empires/default.htm Microsoft's Official game page (archived)] |
− | {{mm}} [ | + | {{mm}} [https://aoe.heavengames.com Age of Empires Heaven] is an active fan website and forum that offers support and extra game content. |
− | |||
− | |||
==Availability== | ==Availability== | ||
− | {{Availability | + | {{Availability| |
− | {{Availability | + | {{Availability/row| Retail | | Disc | | | Windows, Mac OS }} |
+ | {{Availability/row| Retail | | DRM-free | Collector's Edition re-releases. | | Windows }} | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{ii}} Free demos are available for the [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/274-age-of-empires-demo/ base game] and [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/275-age-of-empires-the-rise-of-rome-demo/ The Rise of Rome] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Version differences=== | ||
+ | {{ii}} '''Age of Empires: Gold Edition''' contains the base game and The Rise of Rome expansion, first released in 1999. | ||
+ | {{ii}} '''Age of Empires: Collector's Edition''' contains [[Age of Empires]] and Age of Empires II with their respective expansion packs. The later DVD-ROM releases include the latest patches and are DRM-free, but are missing Red Book CD audio. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Monetization== | ||
+ | {{Monetization | ||
+ | |ad-supported = | ||
+ | |dlc = | ||
+ | |expansion pack = The expansion pack includes new civilizations, units, technologies and campaigns. | ||
+ | |freeware = | ||
+ | |free-to-play = | ||
+ | |one-time game purchase = The game requires an upfront purchase to access. | ||
+ | |sponsored = | ||
+ | |subscription = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{DLC| | ||
+ | {{DLC/row| The Rise of Rome | | Windows }} | ||
}} | }} | ||
==Essential improvements== | ==Essential improvements== | ||
===Patches=== | ===Patches=== | ||
− | + | {{ii}} This patch updates both Age of Empires (to 1.0c) and The Rise of Rome (to 1.0a): [https://web.archive.org/web/20150619114323/https://download.microsoft.com/download/aoe/Patch/1.0c/W9X/EN-US/AOEPATCH.exe English, German, and French] or [https://web.archive.org/web/20160809023805/http://download.microsoft.com/download/aoe/Patch/1.0c/W9X/PT-BR/AOEPATCH.exe Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese]. | |
− | The | + | {{ii}} Alternately, the latest official patch is available at [https://soggi.org/misc/game-patches.htm soggi.org]. |
− | {{ii}} | + | {{--}} The Rise of Rome 1.0a suffers from a serious bug in saved games. If a projectile (arrow from archers, ships, towers, siege weapons) is flying through the air while saving a game, the saved game becomes corrupted; loading it will crash the game. This can be fixed however with the use of RockNRor or UPatch HD. |
+ | |||
+ | ===[https://aoe.heavengames.com/dl-php/showfile.php?fileid=2464 RockNRor]=== | ||
+ | {{ii}} Allows for numerous fixes and quality-of-life tweaks for the Rise of Rome executable, and some of the base game as well. | ||
+ | {{++}} Has fixes for the save game corruption bug for both the base game (1.0c) and Rise of Rome (1.0a) | ||
+ | {{--}} "Unfixed" saves will not be compatible with the "Fixed" executables.<ref>https://aoe.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/aoecgi/display.cgi?action=st&fn=4&tn=6576&st=227#post228</ref> | ||
+ | |||
− | === | + | ===[https://upatch-hd.weebly.com/ UPatch HD]=== |
− | + | {{ii}} Requires The Rise of Rome expansion | |
− | {{ | + | {{++}} Unofficial patch that contains bug fixes and improvements for modern operating systems. Does not require any previous patches. |
+ | {{++}} Fixes the color problem caused in newer systems | ||
+ | {{++}} Fixes the save game corruption bug of version 1.0a | ||
+ | {{--}} UPatch installer requires Age of Empires' installation to be noted in Windows' registry; if the game's installation fails to run or you're using a portable install of the game, a [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/2902-age-of-empires-the-rise-of-rome-registry-fix/ registry patch] is required. | ||
− | ===Skip | + | ===Skip intro videos=== |
− | + | {{Fixbox|description=Use the <code>NoStartup</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]].|ref=<ref>Available from the game's readme file; alternatively viewable at http://aoe.heavengames.com/academy/hotkeysandcommands/cmdline.shtml</ref>|fix=}} | |
==Game data== | ==Game data== | ||
===Configuration file(s) location=== | ===Configuration file(s) location=== | ||
{{Game data| | {{Game data| | ||
− | {{Game data/ | + | {{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|hkcu}}\Software\Microsoft\Games\Age of Empires\1.00\}} |
+ | {{Game data/config|Mac OS|}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
===Save game data location=== | ===Save game data location=== | ||
{{Game data| | {{Game data| | ||
− | {{Game data/ | + | {{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|game}}\savegame|{{p|game}}\game0.nfo}} |
+ | {{Game data/saves|Mac OS|}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | {{ii}} Campaign progress is stored in | + | {{ii}} Campaign progress is stored in {{file|{{p|game}}\game0.nfo}} |
− | {{ii}} Custom scenarios are stored in | + | {{ii}} Custom scenarios are stored in {{file|{{p|game}}\scenario|folder}} |
− | {{ii}} Custom campaigns are stored in | + | {{ii}} Custom campaigns are stored in {{file|{{p|game}}\campaign|folder}} |
− | |||
− | == | + | ==Video== |
− | {{ | + | {{Image|Age Of Empires Options.png|In-game options menu.}} |
− | + | {{Video | |
− | + | |wsgf link = https://www.wsgf.org/dr/age-empires | |
− | + | |widescreen wsgf award = limited | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | | | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | {{Video | ||
− | |wsgf link = | ||
− | |widescreen wsgf award = | ||
|multimonitor wsgf award = unsupported | |multimonitor wsgf award = unsupported | ||
|ultrawidescreen wsgf award = unsupported | |ultrawidescreen wsgf award = unsupported | ||
|4k ultra hd wsgf award = unsupported | |4k ultra hd wsgf award = unsupported | ||
− | |widescreen resolution = | + | |widescreen resolution = hackable |
− | |widescreen resolution notes= | + | |widescreen resolution notes= Use [[#UPatch|UPatch]]. |
|multimonitor = false | |multimonitor = false | ||
|multimonitor notes = | |multimonitor notes = | ||
Line 85: | Line 137: | ||
|fov = n/a | |fov = n/a | ||
|fov notes = | |fov notes = | ||
− | |windowed = | + | |windowed = hackable |
− | |windowed notes = | + | |windowed notes = Use [[#UPatch|UPatch]]. |
|borderless windowed = false | |borderless windowed = false | ||
|borderless windowed notes = | |borderless windowed notes = | ||
Line 93: | Line 145: | ||
|antialiasing = n/a | |antialiasing = n/a | ||
|antialiasing notes = | |antialiasing notes = | ||
+ | |upscaling = unknown | ||
+ | |upscaling tech = | ||
+ | |upscaling notes = | ||
|vsync = false | |vsync = false | ||
|vsync notes = | |vsync notes = | ||
− | | | + | |60 fps = true |
− | | | + | |60 fps notes = Animations play at 20 FPS |
+ | |120 fps = true | ||
+ | |120 fps notes = | ||
+ | |hdr = unknown | ||
+ | |hdr notes = | ||
|color blind = unknown | |color blind = unknown | ||
|color blind notes = | |color blind notes = | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | ==Input | + | ==Input== |
− | {{Input | + | {{Input |
|key remap = true | |key remap = true | ||
|key remap notes = The only option available is to use one or both mouse buttons. | |key remap notes = The only option available is to use one or both mouse buttons. | ||
|acceleration option = false | |acceleration option = false | ||
|acceleration option notes = | |acceleration option notes = | ||
+ | |mouse sensitivity = true | ||
+ | |mouse sensitivity notes = For scroll speed. | ||
|mouse menu = true | |mouse menu = true | ||
|mouse menu notes = | |mouse menu notes = | ||
|invert mouse y-axis = false | |invert mouse y-axis = false | ||
|invert mouse y-axis notes = | |invert mouse y-axis notes = | ||
+ | |touchscreen = unknown | ||
+ | |touchscreen notes = | ||
|controller support = false | |controller support = false | ||
|controller support notes = | |controller support notes = | ||
Line 117: | Line 180: | ||
|controller remap = unknown | |controller remap = unknown | ||
|controller remap notes = | |controller remap notes = | ||
+ | |controller sensitivity = unknown | ||
+ | |controller sensitivity notes= | ||
|invert controller y-axis = unknown | |invert controller y-axis = unknown | ||
|invert controller y-axis notes= | |invert controller y-axis notes= | ||
− | | | + | |xinput controllers = unknown |
− | | | + | |xinput controllers notes = |
+ | |xbox prompts = unknown | ||
+ | |xbox prompts notes = | ||
+ | |impulse triggers = unknown | ||
+ | |impulse triggers notes = | ||
+ | |dualshock 4 = unknown | ||
+ | |dualshock 4 notes = | ||
+ | |dualshock prompts = unknown | ||
+ | |dualshock prompts notes = | ||
+ | |light bar support = unknown | ||
+ | |light bar support notes = | ||
+ | |dualshock 4 modes = unknown | ||
+ | |dualshock 4 modes notes = | ||
+ | |tracked motion controllers= unknown | ||
+ | |tracked motion controllers notes = | ||
+ | |tracked motion prompts = unknown | ||
+ | |tracked motion prompts notes = | ||
+ | |other controllers = unknown | ||
+ | |other controllers notes = | ||
+ | |other button prompts = unknown | ||
+ | |other button prompts notes= | ||
+ | |controller hotplug = unknown | ||
+ | |controller hotplug notes = | ||
+ | |haptic feedback = unknown | ||
+ | |haptic feedback notes = | ||
+ | |simultaneous input = unknown | ||
+ | |simultaneous input notes = | ||
+ | |steam input api = unknown | ||
+ | |steam input api notes = | ||
+ | |steam hook input = unknown | ||
+ | |steam hook input notes = | ||
+ | |steam input presets = unknown | ||
+ | |steam input presets notes = | ||
+ | |steam controller prompts = unknown | ||
+ | |steam controller prompts notes = | ||
+ | |steam cursor detection = unknown | ||
+ | |steam cursor detection notes = | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | ==Audio | + | ==Audio== |
− | {{Audio | + | {{Audio |
|separate volume = true | |separate volume = true | ||
|separate volume notes = | |separate volume notes = | ||
|surround sound = false | |surround sound = false | ||
|surround sound notes = | |surround sound notes = | ||
− | |subtitles = | + | |subtitles = n/a |
|subtitles notes = | |subtitles notes = | ||
|closed captions = false | |closed captions = false | ||
|closed captions notes = | |closed captions notes = | ||
− | |mute on focus lost = | + | |mute on focus lost = always on |
|mute on focus lost notes = | |mute on focus lost notes = | ||
|eax support = | |eax support = | ||
|eax support notes = | |eax support notes = | ||
+ | |royalty free audio = always on | ||
+ | |royalty free audio notes = | ||
+ | |red book cd audio = true | ||
+ | |red book cd audio notes = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{L10n|content= | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = English | ||
+ | |interface = true | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = | ||
+ | |fan = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = French | ||
+ | |interface = true | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = | ||
+ | |fan = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = German | ||
+ | |interface = true | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = | ||
+ | |fan = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = Hungarian | ||
+ | |interface = hackable | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = Fan translation by .:i2k:. [https://magyaritasok.hu/magyaritasok/age-of-empires/age-of-empires-rise-of-rome/292 link #1], [http://users.atw.hu/jatekhonositas/hun_aoe1.html link #2] | ||
+ | |fan = true | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = Italian | ||
+ | |interface = true | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = | ||
+ | |fan = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = Portuguese | ||
+ | |interface = true | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = | ||
+ | |fan = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = Brazilian Portuguese | ||
+ | |interface = true | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = [https://web.archive.org/web/20011030014724/http://www.microsoft.com/brasil/games/empires/ Microsoft Brasil.] | ||
+ | |fan = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{L10n/switch | ||
+ | |language = Spanish | ||
+ | |interface = true | ||
+ | |audio = n/a | ||
+ | |subtitles = n/a | ||
+ | |notes = | ||
+ | |fan = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Network== | ||
+ | {{Network/Multiplayer | ||
+ | |local play = | ||
+ | |local play players = | ||
+ | |local play modes = | ||
+ | |local play notes = | ||
+ | |lan play = true | ||
+ | |lan play players = 8 | ||
+ | |lan play modes = Versus | ||
+ | |lan play notes = | ||
+ | |online play = hackable | ||
+ | |online play players = 8 | ||
+ | |online play modes = Versus | ||
+ | |online play notes = The official MSN Gaming Zone service has been shut down; use [https://www.voobly.com Voobly]. | ||
+ | |asynchronous = | ||
+ | |asynchronous notes = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{Network/Connections | ||
+ | |matchmaking = false | ||
+ | |matchmaking notes = MSN Gaming Zone support has been discontinued.<ref>{{Refurl|url=http://zone.msn.com/en/general/article/aoferetiring|title=Age of Empires matchmaking has been retired from MSN Games - MSN Games - Free Online Games|date=May 2023}}</ref> | ||
+ | |p2p = true | ||
+ | |p2p notes = | ||
+ | |dedicated = false | ||
+ | |dedicated notes = | ||
+ | |self-hosting = true | ||
+ | |self-hosting notes = | ||
+ | |direct ip = true | ||
+ | |direct ip notes = | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{Network/Ports | ||
+ | |tcp = 2300-2400, 47624 | ||
+ | |udp = 6073, 2300-2400 | ||
+ | |upnp = unknown | ||
}} | }} | ||
==Issues fixed== | ==Issues fixed== | ||
− | === | + | ===Color issues=== |
− | Playing the game on | + | {{ii}}Playing the game on modern versions of Windows may cause it to use strange colors. Repetitive red and purple specks in water and marsh areas are the common issue. |
− | {{Fixbox| | + | {{ii}} See [[Glossary:DirectX/DirectDraw troubleshooting|DirectDraw troubleshooting]] for further information. |
− | {{Fixbox | + | {{Fixbox|description=Install [[#UPatch|UPatch]] (The Rise of Rome only)|fix= |
− | {{ | + | }} |
− | # Download and extract the DirectDrawFix zip file. | + | |
− | # Run | + | {{Fixbox|description=Legacy fix|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix= |
− | # Use the browse button to locate and select | + | # Download and extract the [https://aok.heavengames.com/blacksmith/showfile.php?fileid=11108 DirectDrawFix] zip file. |
+ | # Run {{file|DirectDrawFix.exe}}. | ||
+ | # Use the browse button to locate and select {{file|EMPIRES.exe}}. | ||
# Press the apply button. | # Press the apply button. | ||
− | # Repeat for < | + | # Repeat for {{file|EMPIRESX.exe}}. |
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{Fixbox|description=Could not initialize graphics system error<ref name="CNIgraphs">[https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_other-gaming/age-of-empires-ii-could-not-initialize-graphics/06569ca3-7e06-4fd9-a378-714c7f756176 Age of Empires II - "could not initialize graphics system. make sure that your video card and driver are compatible with DirectDraw"]</ref>|fix= | ||
+ | #Run the game in Compatibility mode for Windows XP Service Pack 2 | ||
+ | #Disable Visual Themes | ||
+ | #Disable Desktop Composition | ||
+ | #Run this program as an Administrator | ||
}} | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Wrong in-game music - Gold Edition=== | ||
+ | {{ii}} On the Gold Edition of the game, all of Age Of Empires soundtrack is replaced by Rise Of Rome soundtrack. | ||
+ | {{ii}} This is due to the disc check DRM and the Gold Edition disc having redbook CD-Audio data for Rise Of Rome but none for Age Of Empires. | ||
+ | {{ii}} Both games use CD-Audio for the soundtrack by default | ||
+ | {{Fixbox|description=Force the game to use music from the game files instead of CD-Audio|ref=<ref>Reference</ref>|fix= | ||
+ | Launch Age Of Empires with the <code>/midimusic</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line arguments]]. | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==Other information== | ||
+ | ===API=== | ||
+ | {{API | ||
+ | |direct3d versions = | ||
+ | |direct3d notes = | ||
+ | |directdraw versions = 5 | ||
+ | |directdraw notes = | ||
+ | |opengl versions = | ||
+ | |opengl notes = | ||
+ | |glide versions = | ||
+ | |glide notes = | ||
+ | |software mode = | ||
+ | |software mode notes = | ||
+ | |mantle support = | ||
+ | |mantle support notes = | ||
+ | |vulkan versions = | ||
+ | |vulkan notes = | ||
+ | |dos modes = | ||
+ | |dos modes notes = | ||
+ | |shader model versions = | ||
+ | |shader model notes = | ||
+ | |windows 32-bit exe = true | ||
+ | |windows 64-bit exe = false | ||
+ | |windows arm app = false | ||
+ | |windows exe notes = | ||
+ | |mac os x powerpc app = unknown | ||
+ | |macos intel 32-bit app = | ||
+ | |macos intel 64-bit app = | ||
+ | |macos arm app = unknown | ||
+ | |macos app notes = | ||
+ | |linux 32-bit executable= | ||
+ | |linux 64-bit executable= | ||
+ | |linux arm app = unknown | ||
+ | |linux executable notes = | ||
+ | |mac os powerpc app = true | ||
+ | |mac os 68k app = true | ||
+ | |mac os executable notes= | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Middleware=== | ||
+ | {{Middleware | ||
+ | |physics = | ||
+ | |physics notes = | ||
+ | |audio = | ||
+ | |audio notes = | ||
+ | |interface = | ||
+ | |interface notes = | ||
+ | |input = | ||
+ | |input notes = | ||
+ | |cutscenes = | ||
+ | |cutscenes notes = | ||
+ | |multiplayer = MSN Gaming Zone | ||
+ | |multiplayer notes= Discontinued.<ref>{{Refurl|url=http://zone.msn.com/en/general/article/aoferetiring.htm|title=Age of Empires matchmaking has been retired from MSN Games - MSN Games - Free Online Games|date=May 2023}}</ref> | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===[[Glossary:Command line arguments|Command line arguments]]=== | ||
+ | {| class="wikitable" | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! Command<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://aoe.heavengames.com/academy/hotkeysandcommands/cmdline.shtml|title=Age of Empires Command Line Parameters - Age of Empires Heaven|date=May 2023}}</ref> !! Description | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | NoStartup || Skips the intro | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 640 || Forces the 640x480 resolution | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 800 || Forces the 800x600 resolution | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1024 || Forces the 1024x768 resolution | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Mfill || Fixes horizontal line issue related to contemporary Matrox video adapters | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | NormalMouse || Replaces the ingame cursor with the standard Windows one | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | NoSound || Disables game audio with the exception of cinematics | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | NoTerrainSound || Disables ambient audio | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | NoMusic || Disables music | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | MidiMusic || Forces the use of MIDI music instead of the Red Book CD music | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Msync || Fixes lockups related to contemporary SoundBlaster AWE configurations | ||
+ | |} | ||
==System requirements== | ==System requirements== | ||
Line 156: | Line 466: | ||
|OSfamily = Windows | |OSfamily = Windows | ||
− | |minOS = 95, NT | + | |minOS = 95, NT 4.0 SP3 |
− | |minCPU = Pentium 90 or higher | + | |minCPU = Intel Pentium 90 or higher |
− | | | + | |minRAM = 16 MB |
|minHD = 80 MB | |minHD = 80 MB | ||
|minGPU = Local SVGA bus video display | |minGPU = Local SVGA bus video display | ||
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|minDX = 5 | |minDX = 5 | ||
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+ | {{System requirements | ||
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+ | |minCPU = 120 MHz 604 | ||
+ | |minCPU2 = 150 MHz 603 | ||
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{{References}} | {{References}} |
Revision as of 02:18, 23 April 2024
This page is for the original game. For the 2018 re-release, see Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.
Developers | |
---|---|
Ensemble Studios | |
Mac OS (Classic) | MacSoft |
Publishers | |
Microsoft | |
Re-releases | Ubisoft |
Mac OS | MacSoft |
Engines | |
Genie | |
Release dates | |
Windows | October 15, 1997 |
Mac OS (Classic) | July 1, 1999 |
Reception | |
Metacritic | 83 |
Taxonomy | |
Monetization | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack |
Microtransactions | None |
Modes | Singleplayer, Multiplayer |
Pacing | Real-time |
Perspectives | Bird's-eye view, Isometric |
Controls | Multiple select, Point and select |
Genres | RTS |
Themes | Africa, Europe, Classical |
Series | Age of Empires |
Age of Empires is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view and isometric RTS game in the Age of Empires series.
The game received The Rise of Rome expansion pack in October 1998 with new civilizations and campaigns. Both titles received a single patch applied from the same installer.
On modern systems, the unofficial patch UPatch is needed to resolve color palette issues caused by a broken DirectDraw renderer, as well as resolving save corruption problems, adding widescreen support and balance changes which would later be the basis for the Definitive Edition. The Voobly community multiplayer service is the de facto option after the official servers were shut down.
General information
- Official Discord server for the series
- Microsoft's Official game page (archived)
- Age of Empires Heaven is an active fan website and forum that offers support and extra game content.
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Retail | ||||
Retail | Collector's Edition re-releases. |
- Free demos are available for the base game and The Rise of Rome
Version differences
- Age of Empires: Gold Edition contains the base game and The Rise of Rome expansion, first released in 1999.
- Age of Empires: Collector's Edition contains Age of Empires and Age of Empires II with their respective expansion packs. The later DVD-ROM releases include the latest patches and are DRM-free, but are missing Red Book CD audio.
Monetization
Type | Notes |
---|---|
Expansion pack | The expansion pack includes new civilizations, units, technologies and campaigns. |
One-time game purchase | The game requires an upfront purchase to access. |
DLC and expansion packs
Name | Notes | |
---|---|---|
The Rise of Rome |
Essential improvements
Patches
- This patch updates both Age of Empires (to 1.0c) and The Rise of Rome (to 1.0a): English, German, and French or Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
- Alternately, the latest official patch is available at soggi.org.
- The Rise of Rome 1.0a suffers from a serious bug in saved games. If a projectile (arrow from archers, ships, towers, siege weapons) is flying through the air while saving a game, the saved game becomes corrupted; loading it will crash the game. This can be fixed however with the use of RockNRor or UPatch HD.
RockNRor
- Allows for numerous fixes and quality-of-life tweaks for the Rise of Rome executable, and some of the base game as well.
- Has fixes for the save game corruption bug for both the base game (1.0c) and Rise of Rome (1.0a)
- "Unfixed" saves will not be compatible with the "Fixed" executables.[1]
UPatch HD
- Requires The Rise of Rome expansion
- Unofficial patch that contains bug fixes and improvements for modern operating systems. Does not require any previous patches.
- Fixes the color problem caused in newer systems
- Fixes the save game corruption bug of version 1.0a
- UPatch installer requires Age of Empires' installation to be noted in Windows' registry; if the game's installation fails to run or you're using a portable install of the game, a registry patch is required.
Skip intro videos
Use the NoStartup command line argument.[2]
|
---|
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Games\Age of Empires\1.00\ |
Mac OS (Classic) |
Save game data location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | <path-to-game>\savegame[Note 1] <path-to-game>\game0.nfo[Note 1] |
Mac OS (Classic) |
- Campaign progress is stored in
<path-to-game>\game0.nfo
- Custom scenarios are stored in
<path-to-game>\scenario
- Custom campaigns are stored in
<path-to-game>\campaign
Video
Graphics feature | State | WSGF | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Widescreen resolution | Use UPatch. | ||
Multi-monitor | |||
Ultra-widescreen | |||
4K Ultra HD | |||
Field of view (FOV) | |||
Windowed | Use UPatch. | ||
Borderless fullscreen windowed | See the glossary page for potential workarounds. | ||
Anisotropic filtering (AF) | |||
Anti-aliasing (AA) | |||
Vertical sync (Vsync) | See the glossary page for potential workarounds. | ||
60 FPS and 120+ FPS | Animations play at 20 FPS |
Input
Keyboard and mouse | State | Notes |
---|---|---|
Remapping | The only option available is to use one or both mouse buttons. | |
Mouse acceleration | ||
Mouse sensitivity | For scroll speed. | |
Mouse input in menus | ||
Mouse Y-axis inversion | ||
Controller | ||
Controller support |
Controller types |
---|
Audio
Audio feature | State | Notes |
---|---|---|
Separate volume controls | ||
Surround sound | ||
Subtitles | ||
Closed captions | ||
Mute on focus lost | ||
Royalty free audio | ||
Red Book CD audio | On Windows, CD music might not play correctly; see the troubleshooting guide for solutions. |
Localizations
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | ||||
French | ||||
German | ||||
Hungarian | Fan translation by .:i2k:. link #1, link #2 | |||
Italian | ||||
Portuguese | ||||
Brazilian Portuguese | Microsoft Brasil. | |||
Spanish |
Network
Multiplayer types
Type | Native | Players | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
LAN play | 8 | Versus |
||
Online play | 8 | Versus The official MSN Gaming Zone service has been shut down; use Voobly. |
Connection types
Type | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Matchmaking | MSN Gaming Zone support has been discontinued.[3] | |
Peer-to-peer | ||
Dedicated | ||
Self-hosting | ||
Direct IP |
Ports
Protocol | Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
---|---|
TCP | 2300-2400, 47624 |
UDP | 6073, 2300-2400 |
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.
Issues fixed
Color issues
- Playing the game on modern versions of Windows may cause it to use strange colors. Repetitive red and purple specks in water and marsh areas are the common issue.
- See DirectDraw troubleshooting for further information.
Install UPatch (The Rise of Rome only) |
---|
Legacy fix[citation needed] |
---|
|
Could not initialize graphics system error[4] |
---|
|
Wrong in-game music - Gold Edition
- On the Gold Edition of the game, all of Age Of Empires soundtrack is replaced by Rise Of Rome soundtrack.
- This is due to the disc check DRM and the Gold Edition disc having redbook CD-Audio data for Rise Of Rome but none for Age Of Empires.
- Both games use CD-Audio for the soundtrack by default
Force the game to use music from the game files instead of CD-Audio[5] |
---|
Launch Age Of Empires with the |
Other information
API
Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
---|---|---|
DirectDraw | 5 |
Executable | PPC | 16-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows | |||||
Mac OS (Classic) |
Middleware
Middleware | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Multiplayer | MSN Gaming Zone | Discontinued.[6] |
Command line arguments
Command[7] | Description |
---|---|
NoStartup | Skips the intro |
640 | Forces the 640x480 resolution |
800 | Forces the 800x600 resolution |
1024 | Forces the 1024x768 resolution |
Mfill | Fixes horizontal line issue related to contemporary Matrox video adapters |
NormalMouse | Replaces the ingame cursor with the standard Windows one |
NoSound | Disables game audio with the exception of cinematics |
NoTerrainSound | Disables ambient audio |
NoMusic | Disables music |
MidiMusic | Forces the use of MIDI music instead of the Red Book CD music |
Msync | Fixes lockups related to contemporary SoundBlaster AWE configurations |
System requirements
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 95, NT 4.0 SP3 | |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Pentium 90 or higher | |
System memory (RAM) | 16 MB | 32 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 80 MB | |
Video card (GPU) | Local SVGA bus video display 1 MB of VRAM DirectX 5 compatible |
Mac OS | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 7.5.3 | |
Processor (CPU) | 120 MHz 604 150 MHz 603 |
150 MHz 604 |
System memory (RAM) | 32 MB | |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 70 MB |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below
%PROGRAMFILES%
,%PROGRAMDATA%
, or%WINDIR%
might be redirected to%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore
on Windows Vista and later (more details).
References
- ↑ https://aoe.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/aoecgi/display.cgi?action=st&fn=4&tn=6576&st=227#post228
- ↑ Available from the game's readme file; alternatively viewable at http://aoe.heavengames.com/academy/hotkeysandcommands/cmdline.shtml
- ↑ Age of Empires matchmaking has been retired from MSN Games - MSN Games - Free Online Games - last accessed on May 2023
- ↑ Age of Empires II - "could not initialize graphics system. make sure that your video card and driver are compatible with DirectDraw"
- ↑ Reference
- ↑ Age of Empires matchmaking has been retired from MSN Games - MSN Games - Free Online Games - last accessed on May 2023
- ↑ Age of Empires Command Line Parameters - Age of Empires Heaven - last accessed on May 2023