Warnings
- SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see Availability for affected versions).
- 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.
This page is for the original game. For the re-release, see Age of Empires II HD.
Key points
- UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update adds support for widescreen/multi-monitor resolutions.
General information
- Age of Empires II Official Microsoft Site (archived)
- Age of Empires Wiki Wikia for the entire series
- Age of Kings Heaven Community Site and Map Archive
- AoCZone Community Site for competitive gaming
- /r/aoe2 Age of Empires 2 Subreddit
Availability
- The "Age of Empires Collector's Editon" can often be found on store shelves. It is the most cost effective way of acquiring the game, as it contains the following games on a single DVD-ROM:
- NoCD version; DVD only necessary for installation.
- All games are already fully patched.
- However, it should be noted that the DVD re-release of these games does not feature the Red Book audio stored as separate audio tracks on the original games' discs. As such, the game music will not be played while the DVD is in the drive.
Demos
DLC and expansion packs
Name |
Notes |
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Age of Empires II: The Conquerors |
Windows version is sold separately, Mac OS version only in Gold Edition. |
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Essential improvements
Skip intro videos
Patches
- The latest patch for the base game is Version 2.0a.
- The latest patch for The Conquerors is Version 1.0c.
Unofficial Patch 1.0e (The Conquerors)
The unofficial patch for Conquerors, which includes NoCD is Version 1.0e.
UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update
The unofficial UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update patch for The Conquerors adds many fixes including widescreen support, UPnP port forwarding, and various optional tweaks. Although it doesn't include a NoCD, it will not remove a valid NoCD. If it is installed on top of Version 1.0e, no CD is required.
Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires
Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires is an unofficial expansion which adds new civilizations, maps and other fixes.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
Save game data location
- Player settings are saved in
<path-to-game>\Player.nfp
(determines unlocked scenarios etc.)
- Custom campaigns are saved in
<path-to-game>\Campaign\
- Custom scenarios are saved in
<path-to-game>\Scenario\
- No save game cloud syncing information; you can edit this page to add it.
Video settings
Template:Video settings
Install UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update then set your resolution in-game. Your chosen resolution is used during gameplay; menus are letterboxed 4:3.
Install UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update then set your resolution in-game. Your chosen resolution is used during gameplay; menus are letterboxed 4:3. The main game interface is shown on the far left.
Install UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update and select Windowed mode support, then set your resolution in-game. Your chosen resolution is used during gameplay; menus are windowed 4:3.
Install UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update and select Windowed mode support, then set the in-game resolution to the same as your desktop resolution. Your chosen resolution is used during gameplay; menus are windowed 4:3.
Input settings
In-game key map settings.
Template:Input settings
Audio settings
Template:Audio settings
Localizations
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
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French |
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German |
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Italian |
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Japanese |
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Korean |
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Spanish |
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Traditional Chinese |
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Network
Multiplayer types
Connection types
Ports
Protocol |
Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
TCP |
2300-2400, 47624 |
UDP |
2300-2400 |
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.
Issues unresolved
Dell laptop compatibility issues
On some older Dell laptop models (e.g. the M1530) an issue occurs where the OS crashes and a blue-screen of death is displayed. This issue occurs after a seemingly random amount of gameplay time (from <30 seconds to 10 or 20 minutes). Many things have been tried to fix the issue including changing graphics card drivers, limiting the frame rate to mitigate overheating and running on virtual machines of different OSs (e.g. windows 98). As far as can be seen, this issue has never been resolved nor will it be, rendering AoE2 unplayable on the affected models of laptop. This issue can be mitigated by playing through Voobly.com game client and selecting 32-bit DirectX mode in the lobby options. It is actually caused by an unterminated loop in the graphic card driver. However, Age of Empires II HD (the re-mastered version of the game released in 2013) is unaffected by this problem.
Issues fixed
Windows Vista and 7 colours
- Windows Vista and 7 can have issues with displaying true colours in Age of Empires II correctly.
- This issue does not occur on Windows 8 and later.
- See rainbow color problems in older games for further details.
LAN connectivity with Windows Vista/7/8
MIDI music
- The
-midimusic
parameter is no longer supported in UserPatch, however its m3u playlist system allows any audio format to be used for in-game music, including WAV, MP3, WMA, AAC, and FLAC, as long as the required DirectShow codecs are installed.
Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
DirectDraw |
6.1 |
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OpenGL |
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Mac OS only. |
Executable | PPC | 16-bit |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
Windows | | |
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Mac OS (Classic) | | | |
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Middleware
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Middleware |
Notes |
Multiplayer |
MSN Gaming Zone |
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System requirements
Windows |
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Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
95 |
98 |
Processor (CPU) |
166 MHz
| 450 MHz |
System memory (RAM) |
32 MB |
64 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
300 MB |
300 MB |
Video card (GPU) |
2 MB of VRAM DirectX 6.1 compatible
| Nvidia TNT2 ATI Rage 128 16 MB of VRAM |
References