Difference between revisions of "Age of Empires III"
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{{disambig|the original release|the Definitive Edition|[[Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition]]}} | {{disambig|the original release|the Definitive Edition|[[Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition]]}} | ||
− | |||
{{Infobox game | {{Infobox game | ||
|cover = AOE3_Boxart.jpeg | |cover = AOE3_Boxart.jpeg | ||
Line 12: | Line 11: | ||
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Ubisoft|Re-releases}} | {{Infobox game/row/publisher|Ubisoft|Re-releases}} | ||
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|MacSoft|OS X}} | {{Infobox game/row/publisher|MacSoft|OS X}} | ||
+ | |reception = | ||
+ | {{Infobox game/row/reception|Metacritic|age-of-empires-iii|81}} | ||
|engines = | |engines = | ||
{{Infobox game/row/engine|BANG!}} | {{Infobox game/row/engine|BANG!}} | ||
Line 19: | Line 20: | ||
|taxonomy= | |taxonomy= | ||
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack }} | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack }} | ||
− | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | }} | + | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | None}} |
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }} | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }} | ||
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing | Real-time }} | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing | Real-time }} | ||
Line 42: | Line 43: | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | ''' | + | {{Introduction |
− | + | |introduction = | |
+ | |||
+ | |release history = After its release, the game received '''''The War Chiefs''''' expansion in October 2006 and '''''The Asian Dynasties''''' in October 2007 (the latter by [[Company:Big Huge Games|Big Huge Games]]), with new civilizations, campaigns and mechanics. The latest [[#Patches|official patches]] developed by [[Company:Robot Entertainment|Robot Entertainment]] (founded by some of the ex-Ensemble staff after its closure) also removed the {{Removed DRM|SmarteSECURE}}, leaving only a serial key requirement. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |current state = The game runs stable on modern systems. ''Age of Empires III'' is the only Ensemble-era game in the series with official servers still online, but as of 2021 an [[#Patches|official patch]] is required to change the domain lookup as Microsoft no longer controls the original domain. These servers are no longer actively supported and account loss can not be remedied. The [https://eso-community.net/ ESOCommunity] fansite maintained interest in this iteration of the game with its [[#Unofficial patches|community patch]] until the release of the ''[[Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition|Definitive Edition]]'', which has replaced the original in competitive play, and with ESOCommunity retaining its position as a community hub and frequent event host. | ||
+ | }} | ||
'''General information''' | '''General information''' | ||
Line 57: | Line 63: | ||
==Availability== | ==Availability== | ||
{{Availability| | {{Availability| | ||
− | {{Availability/row| Retail | | Disc, Key | {{Removed DRM|SmarteSECURE}} - removed in latest | + | {{Availability/row| Retail | | Disc, Key | {{Removed DRM|SmarteSECURE}} - removed in [[#Patches|latest patches (1.14/1.06/1.03)]]. | |Windows, OS X}} |
{{Availability/row| Humble | age-of-empires-iii-complete-collection | Steam | Complete Collection. | | Windows}} | {{Availability/row| Humble | age-of-empires-iii-complete-collection | Steam | Complete Collection. | | Windows}} | ||
− | {{Availability/row| Steam | 105450 | | + | {{Availability/row| Steam | 105450 | key | Complete Collection. Steam DRM check is present only on first launch while the serial key for the entire collection is applied to the registry; the game can be run without Steam afterwards by launching from any of the executables.<ref name="AoE3Steam">{{Refcheck|user=Plok|date=21 November 2022}}</ref><br>Renamed to '''Age of Empires III (2007)'''{{note|2007 being the release date of The Asian Dynasties, not the original Age of Empires III.}} on October 15, 2020 due to the release of the [[Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition|Definitive Edition]]. | | Windows }} |
{{Availability/row| Amazon | B00AR05D78 | Steam | Non-Steam version also available. | | Windows | unavailable }} | {{Availability/row| Amazon | B00AR05D78 | Steam | Non-Steam version also available. | | Windows | unavailable }} | ||
{{Availability/row| Games for Windows Marketplace | GFWL | GFWL | Was marketed as ''Age of Empires Complete Edition'', for unknown reasons.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/games-for-windows-marketplace-launches-nov-15/1100-6282798/|title=Games for Windows Marketplace launches Nov. 15|date=19 August 2022}}</ref> | | Windows | unavailable }} | {{Availability/row| Games for Windows Marketplace | GFWL | GFWL | Was marketed as ''Age of Empires Complete Edition'', for unknown reasons.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/games-for-windows-marketplace-launches-nov-15/1100-6282798/|title=Games for Windows Marketplace launches Nov. 15|date=19 August 2022}}</ref> | | Windows | unavailable }} | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{ii}} Online features require an Ensemble Studios Online (ESO) Account (registered in-game). | {{ii}} Online features require an Ensemble Studios Online (ESO) Account (registered in-game). | ||
− | {{++}} Retail CD keys for the Complete Edition can be activated on Steam (US version only).<ref> | + | {{++}} Retail CD keys for the Complete Edition can be activated on Steam (US version only).<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-wusf-3601|title=Retail / Digital CD Keys - CD-Key - Knowledge Base - Steam Support|date=May 2023}}</ref> |
− | |||
===Version differences=== | ===Version differences=== | ||
{{ii}} The '''Gold Edition''' is includes the base game and The War Chiefs expansion pack. | {{ii}} The '''Gold Edition''' is includes the base game and The War Chiefs expansion pack. | ||
{{ii}} The '''Complete Collection''' is includes the base game and both expansion packs. It is the only digital release. | {{ii}} The '''Complete Collection''' is includes the base game and both expansion packs. It is the only digital release. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Demo versions=== | ||
+ | {{ii}} Free demo versions are available from GameFront: [https://www.gamefront.com/games/age-of-empires-iii/file/aoe3-trial-demo-1-1-reviewed base game (Windows)], [https://www.gamefront.com/games/age-of-empires-iii/file/age-of-empires-iii-mac-demo-1-0 base game (OS X)] [https://www.gamefront.com/games/age-of-empires-iii-the-warchiefs/file/age-of-empires-iii-the-warchiefs-trial-version The War Chiefs], [https://www.gamefront.com/games/age-of-empires-iii-the-asian-dynasties/file/age-of-empires-iii-the-asian-dynasties-trial-version The Asian Dynasties]. | ||
==Monetization== | ==Monetization== | ||
Line 90: | Line 98: | ||
==Essential improvements== | ==Essential improvements== | ||
===Skip intro videos=== | ===Skip intro videos=== | ||
− | {{Fixbox|description=Use the <code>+noIntroCinematics</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]]|ref={{ | + | {{Fixbox|description=Use the <code>+noIntroCinematics</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]]|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://aoe3.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=ct&f=1,33864,3840,all|title=No Intro Cinematics - Age of Empires III Heaven Forum|date=2024-03-31}}</ref>}} |
===Patches=== | ===Patches=== | ||
Line 151: | Line 159: | ||
|multimonitor notes = | |multimonitor notes = | ||
|ultrawidescreen = true | |ultrawidescreen = true | ||
− | |ultrawidescreen notes = HUD is partially stretched.<ref> | + | |ultrawidescreen notes = HUD is partially stretched.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-JatP_vELE|title=Age Of Empire III 21:9 Review (2560x1080) (60fps) (Ultrawide) - YouTube|date=May 2023}}</ref> |
|4k ultra hd = true | |4k ultra hd = true | ||
|4k ultra hd notes = Some in-game texts becomes small. | |4k ultra hd notes = Some in-game texts becomes small. | ||
Line 427: | Line 435: | ||
==="MSXML4.0 is not installed correctly" on startup=== | ==="MSXML4.0 is not installed correctly" on startup=== | ||
{{Fixbox|description=Reinstall MSXML 4.0. Use the installer on the disc, the {{file|{{p|game}}\msxml|folder}} subdirectory on Steam, or [https://web.archive.org/web/20210328145444/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15697 official download]|ref=|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=Reinstall MSXML 4.0. Use the installer on the disc, the {{file|{{p|game}}\msxml|folder}} subdirectory on Steam, or [https://web.archive.org/web/20210328145444/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15697 official download]|ref=|fix= | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ii}} This error may appear as a blank error message/dialog box, with no text and just an error icon. | ||
}} | }} | ||
Latest revision as of 22:52, 2 June 2024
This page is for the original release. For the Definitive Edition, see Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition.
Developers | |
---|---|
Ensemble Studios | |
The Asian Dynasties | Big Huge Games |
Last patch set[1] | Robot Entertainment |
macOS (OS X) | Westlake Interactive |
Publishers | |
Microsoft Game Studios | |
Re-releases | Ubisoft |
OS X | MacSoft |
Engines | |
BANG! | |
Release dates | |
Windows | October 18, 2005 |
macOS (OS X) | September 29, 2006 |
Reception | |
Metacritic | 81 |
Taxonomy | |
Monetization | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack |
Microtransactions | None |
Modes | Singleplayer, Multiplayer |
Pacing | Real-time |
Perspectives | Bird's-eye view |
Controls | Multiple select, Point and select |
Genres | RTS |
Themes | Asia, North America, South America |
Series | Age of Empires |
Warnings
- The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.
Age of Empires III is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view RTS game in the Age of Empires series.
After its release, the game received The War Chiefs expansion in October 2006 and The Asian Dynasties in October 2007 (the latter by Big Huge Games), with new civilizations, campaigns and mechanics. The latest official patches developed by Robot Entertainment (founded by some of the ex-Ensemble staff after its closure) also removed the SmarteSECURE DRM, leaving only a serial key requirement.
The game runs stable on modern systems. Age of Empires III is the only Ensemble-era game in the series with official servers still online, but as of 2021 an official patch is required to change the domain lookup as Microsoft no longer controls the original domain. These servers are no longer actively supported and account loss can not be remedied. The ESOCommunity fansite maintained interest in this iteration of the game with its community patch until the release of the Definitive Edition, which has replaced the original in competitive play, and with ESOCommunity retaining its position as a community hub and frequent event host.
General information
- Official website for the series
- Official Discord server for the series
- Age of Empires Wiki
- Official support knowledgebase
- ESOCommunity home to the ESOC Patch and the competitive multiplayer community
- HeavenGames.com Large file database with lots of custom content
- RTS-Sanctuary.com File database with many game replays
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Retail | SmarteSECURE DRM - removed in latest patches (1.14/1.06/1.03). | |||
Humble Store | Complete Collection. | |||
Steam | Complete Collection. Steam DRM check is present only on first launch while the serial key for the entire collection is applied to the registry; the game can be run without Steam afterwards by launching from any of the executables.[2] Renamed to Age of Empires III (2007)[Note 1] on October 15, 2020 due to the release of the Definitive Edition. |
|||
Amazon.com (unavailable) | Non-Steam version also available. | |||
Games for Windows Marketplace (unavailable) | Was marketed as Age of Empires Complete Edition, for unknown reasons.[3] |
- Online features require an Ensemble Studios Online (ESO) Account (registered in-game).
- Retail CD keys for the Complete Edition can be activated on Steam (US version only).[4]
Version differences
- The Gold Edition is includes the base game and The War Chiefs expansion pack.
- The Complete Collection is includes the base game and both expansion packs. It is the only digital release.
Demo versions
- Free demo versions are available from GameFront: base game (Windows), base game (OS X) The War Chiefs, The Asian Dynasties.
Monetization
Type | Notes |
---|---|
Expansion pack | The expansion packs include new civilizations, units, mechanics and campaigns. |
One-time game purchase | The game requires an upfront purchase to access. |
DLC and expansion packs
Name | Notes | |
---|---|---|
The WarChiefs | Added 8 maps, 3 civilizations, 2 plot acts, warchief units, revolutions and stealth. | |
The Asian Dynasties | Added 3 Asian Civilizations, each one with a campaign, wonder and the new export resource. As well as 6 new native civilizations. |
Essential improvements
Skip intro videos
Use the +noIntroCinematics command line argument[5]
|
---|
Patches
- The latest official patch for the base game is v1.14
- The latest official patch for The Warchiefs expansion is v1.06
- The latest official patch for The Asian Dynasties expansion is v1.03
- For macOS (OS X), see the archived patch page
- The Windows patches are also available from the official support knowledge base.
- As of 2021, an official patch is available for fixing a connection issue caused by the official ESO multiplayer server domain change. Note that it causes an version mismatch with players who do not have it installed.
Unofficial patches
- The unofficial ESOCommunity (ESOC) patch for The Asian Dynasties includes a wide range of balance changes and bug fixes, as well as additional maps for skirmish and multiplayer. Its development ended after the release of the Definitive Edition, but its balance changes were used as a reference for this edition's balancing at launch.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\Users\ |
macOS (OS X) | $HOME/Documents/Age of Empires III/Users/ |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/105450/pfx/[Note 2] |
Save game data location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\Savegame\ |
macOS (OS X) | $HOME/Documents/Age of Empires III/Savegame/ |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/105450/pfx/[Note 2] |
Save game cloud syncing
System | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
OneDrive | Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers. | |
Steam Cloud | Homecities can be saved on the official ESO multiplayer platform (effectively in a cloud). |
Video
Graphics feature | State | WSGF | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Widescreen resolution | |||
Multi-monitor | |||
Ultra-widescreen | HUD is partially stretched.[6] | ||
4K Ultra HD | Some in-game texts becomes small. | ||
Field of view (FOV) | |||
Windowed | |||
Borderless fullscreen windowed | Game has no borders at max resolution when in windowed mode. | ||
Anisotropic filtering (AF) | |||
Anti-aliasing (AA) | |||
Vertical sync (Vsync) | |||
60 FPS and 120+ FPS | |||
High dynamic range display (HDR) | See the glossary page for potential alternatives. |
Input
Keyboard and mouse | State | Notes |
---|---|---|
Remapping | ||
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 | Stereo only.[7] | |
Subtitles | ||
Closed captions | ||
Mute on focus lost | ||
Royalty free audio |
Localizations
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | ||||
French | ||||
German | ||||
Hungarian | A fan translation by kds: base game, videos, The WarChiefs, Complete Edition | |||
Italian | ||||
Korean | ||||
Polish | Retail only. | |||
Brazilian Portuguese | Retail only. | |||
Spanish |
Network
- Online features require an ESO Account (registered in-game).
Multiplayer types
Type | Native | Players | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
LAN play | 8 | |||
Online play | 8 |
Connection types
Type | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Matchmaking | ||
Peer-to-peer | ||
Dedicated | ||
Self-hosting | ||
Direct IP | Enter in-game or use OverrideAddress= and hostPort= parameters.[8] |
Ports
Protocol | Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
---|---|
TCP | 80, 2300 |
UDP | 2300-2310 |
- This game supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for automatic port configuration.
VR support
3D modes | State | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
vorpX | G3D User created game profile (Complete Collection); see vorpx forum profile introduction. |
Issues fixed
Game crashes on startup
Run the game as administrator and/or in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP2 |
---|
"MSXML4.0 is not installed correctly" on startup
Reinstall MSXML 4.0. Use the installer on the disc, the <path-to-game>\msxml subdirectory on Steam, or official download
|
---|
|
ESO servers inaccessible
Apply the official ESO patch |
---|
As of September 1, 2021, Microsoft no longer owns the eso.com domain. To make sure the multiplayer mode of Age of Empires III points to a backend that is under their control, they have released a patch (requires the latest retail patch or the Steam version).[9] Note that this patch causes a version mismatch with players who do not have it installed. |
ESO account support
- Problems with ESO accounts like lost passwords are handled through the Account Management Tool on the official site.
- Microsoft and associated parties are unable to provide support for these accounts,[10] despite reports of stolen or otherwise inaccessible accounts over the years.[11] [12]
Failed to join in multiplayer
This is the most common error suffered with Age of Empires III multiplayer. This error can be caused by many problems, and consequently, there are many methods to try to repair it. After each of the numbered solutions, attempt connecting to several games in multiplayer; only proceed to the next if you are still experiencing issues.
1. Allow ESO server more time to load |
---|
|
2. Try power cycling network hardware |
---|
|
3. Ensure the game executables are listed in the firewall's exception list |
---|
4. Switch from wireless Internet connection to a wired one (if applicable) |
---|
5. Toggle UPnP on/off |
---|
6. Try port forwarding UDP and TCP ports 80, 2300-2310 or 2300-2340 |
---|
7. Override the port to 2300 by using the OverridePort="2300" command line argument
|
---|
8. Override the game to use the correct IP address by using the OverrideAddress= command line argument
|
---|
9. Set the router to DMZ mode |
---|
Other information
API
Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
---|---|---|
Direct3D | 9.0c | |
OpenGL | 2 | OS X only. |
Shader Model support | 3.0 |
Executable | PPC | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Windows | ||||
macOS (OS X) | 32-bit only. |
Middleware
Middleware | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Audio | DirectSound | [1] |
Cutscenes | Bink Video | |
Multiplayer | Ensemble Studios Online (ESO) |
System requirements
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | XP | |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Pentium 4 1.4 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz |
System memory (RAM) | 256 MB | 2 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 4 GB | 12 GB |
Video card (GPU) | Nvidia GeForce FX 5500 ATI Radeon X300 series 64 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible | Nvidia GeForce 6800 ATI Radeon X1300 |
- Windows 98SE, ME, and 2000 have found to work with the game with few issues, but they are not officially supported.
macOS (OS X) | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 10.3.9 | 10.4.7 |
Processor (CPU) | IBM PowerPC G4/G5 1.4 GHz Intel 1.4 GHz |
IBM PowerPC G5 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo |
System memory (RAM) | 512 MB | 1 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 2 GB | |
Video card (GPU) | 64 MB of VRAM | 128 MB of VRAM |
Notes
- ↑ 2007 being the release date of The Asian Dynasties, not the original Age of Empires III.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (105450) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.
References
- ↑ Shown in the latest patch changelogs. Worth noting is that the company was founded by some former Ensemble Studios staff immediately after its closure.
- ↑ Verified by User:Plok on 21 November 2022
- ↑ Games for Windows Marketplace launches Nov. 15 - last accessed on 19 August 2022
- ↑ Retail / Digital CD Keys - CD-Key - Knowledge Base - Steam Support - last accessed on May 2023
- ↑ No Intro Cinematics - Age of Empires III Heaven Forum - last accessed on 2024-03-31
- ↑ Age Of Empire III 21:9 Review (2560x1080) (60fps) (Ultrawide) - YouTube - last accessed on May 2023
- ↑ How do I enable surround sound? - Age of Empires III Heaven Forum
- ↑ Direct IP? Is it working? - Age of Empires III Heaven Forum
- ↑ Age of Empires III: CC ESO Patch - Age of Empires Support - last accessed on 2022-11-26
- ↑ FAQ - ESO and Multiplayer - Age of Empires Support - last accessed on 2022-11-26
- ↑ Stolen account!!! - Age of Empires III Heaven Forum - last accessed on 2022-11-26
- ↑ My Account Back : aoe3 - last accessed on 2022-11-26