Difference between revisions of "Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings"
From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
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(HTTPS. Merged redundant SafeDisc key points. Replaced direct referencing of the reader. Removed duplicate "issue". Replaced the dead DirectDrawFix link. Added "citation needed" to extremely untrustworthy statements.) |
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| Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
'''Key points''' | '''Key points''' | ||
| − | + | {{++}} [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]] adds support for widescreen/multi-monitor resolutions and fixes SafeDisc issues. | |
| − | {{++}} [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]] adds support for widescreen/multi-monitor resolutions. | ||
'''General information''' | '''General information''' | ||
| Line 84: | Line 83: | ||
===Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires=== | ===Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires=== | ||
| − | [ | + | [https://www.forgottenempires.net Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires] is an unofficial expansion which adds new civilizations, maps and other fixes. |
| − | ===[ | + | ===[https://voobly.com Voobly.com]=== |
Adds Online Matchmaking and automatic UserPatch installation. | Adds Online Matchmaking and automatic UserPatch installation. | ||
| Line 126: | Line 125: | ||
|fov notes = | |fov notes = | ||
|windowed = hackable | |windowed = hackable | ||
| − | |windowed notes = Install [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]]. Select Windowed mode support, then select a resolution lower than | + | |windowed notes = Install [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]]. Select Windowed mode support, then select a resolution lower than the desktop resolution. Menus will be windowed 4:3. |
|borderless windowed = hackable | |borderless windowed = hackable | ||
| − | |borderless windowed notes = Install [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]]. Select Windowed mode support, then set the in-game resolution to | + | |borderless windowed notes = Install [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]]. Select Windowed mode support, then set the in-game resolution to the desktop resolution. |
|anisotropic = n/a | |anisotropic = n/a | ||
|anisotropic notes = | |anisotropic notes = | ||
| Line 323: | Line 322: | ||
{{Network/Connections | {{Network/Connections | ||
|matchmaking = true | |matchmaking = true | ||
| − | |matchmaking notes = MSN Gaming Zone support has been discontinued.<ref>[http://zone.msn.com/en/general/article/aoferetiring Age of Empires matchmaking has been retired from MSN Games - MSN Games - Free Online Games]</ref> Community has moved to | + | |matchmaking notes = MSN Gaming Zone support has been discontinued.<ref>[http://zone.msn.com/en/general/article/aoferetiring Age of Empires matchmaking has been retired from MSN Games - MSN Games - Free Online Games]</ref> Community has moved to https://voobly.com{{cn|date=November 2015}} |
|p2p = true | |p2p = true | ||
|p2p notes = | |p2p notes = | ||
| Line 342: | Line 341: | ||
==Issues unresolved== | ==Issues unresolved== | ||
===Dell laptop compatibility issues=== | ===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 operating systems (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 graphics card driver. However, Age of Empires II HD (the re-mastered version of the game released in 2013) is unaffected by this problem. | + | 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 operating systems (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 graphics card driver. However, Age of Empires II HD (the re-mastered version of the game released in 2013) is unaffected by this problem.{{cn|date=September 2021}} |
==="Access Denied - Please login with administrator privileges and try again" error on launch (Windows 10)=== | ==="Access Denied - Please login with administrator privileges and try again" error on launch (Windows 10)=== | ||
| − | {{ii}} Install [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]] to fix this for The Conquerors (this does not fix the issue for the base game). | + | {{ii}} Install [[#UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update|UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update]] to fix this for The Conquerors (this does not fix the issue for the base game).{{cn|date=September 2021}} |
==Issues fixed== | ==Issues fixed== | ||
| Line 358: | Line 357: | ||
{{Fixbox|description=DirectDrawFix|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix= | {{Fixbox|description=DirectDrawFix|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix= | ||
| − | Use [ | + | Use [https://aok.heavengames.com/blacksmith/showfile.php?fileid=11108# DirectDrawFix] to apply the required compatibility fixes to the registry. |
}} | }} | ||
| Line 369: | Line 368: | ||
#Right-click on the LAN adapter and open "Properties". | #Right-click on the LAN adapter and open "Properties". | ||
#Highlight "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click on "Properties". | #Highlight "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click on "Properties". | ||
| − | #Check "Use the following IP address:" and enter an address which is not currently being used | + | #Check "Use the following IP address:" and enter an address which is not currently being used by the network (such as 192.168.1.[1-253] e.g. 192.168.1.11 ). Also change the Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 and leave the default gateway blank. |
While in use, internet connection will be lost until the settings are switched back to "Obtain an IP address automatically", but LAN will function in-game. | While in use, internet connection will be lost until the settings are switched back to "Obtain an IP address automatically", but LAN will function in-game. | ||
| Line 385: | Line 384: | ||
{{ii}} The <code>-midimusic</code> 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. | {{ii}} The <code>-midimusic</code> 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== | ==Other information== | ||
Revision as of 14:10, 8 September 2021
This page is for the original game. For the 2013 HD Edition, see Age of Empires II (2013). For the 2019 Definitive Edition, see Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.
 |
|
| Developers | |
|---|---|
| Ensemble Studios | |
| Mac OS, Mac OS X | Westlake Interactive |
| Publishers | |
| Microsoft | |
| Mac OS, Mac OS X | MacSoft |
| Engines | |
| Genie | |
| Release dates | |
| Windows | October 10, 1999 |
| Mac OS (Classic) | October 2001 |
| macOS (OS X) | October 2001 |
| Taxonomy | |
| Monetization | Expansion pack |
| Modes | Singleplayer, Multiplayer |
| Pacing | Real-time |
| Perspectives | Bird's-eye view, Isometric |
| Controls | Multiple select, Point and select |
| Genres | RTS |
| Themes | Asia, Europe, Middle East, Pre-Columbian Americas, Medieval |
| Series | Age of Empires |
 |
|
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.
Key points
- UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update adds support for widescreen/multi-monitor resolutions and fixes SafeDisc issues.
General information
- Official Discord server for the series
- Age of Empires II Official Microsoft Site (archived)
- Age of Kings Heaven Community Site and Map Archive
- AoEZone Community site for competitive gaming
- /r/aoe2 Age of Empires 2 Subreddit
Availability
- SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
- Demos are available for The Age of Kings and The Conquerors Expansion.
Version differences
- The "Age of Empires Collector's Edition" first released in 2000 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 (although initial releases supplied separate CDs for each game):
- Age of Empires
- Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome
- Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
- Age of Empires II: The Conquerors
- No-CD patches are already applied; the DVD is only necessary for installation - which ensures compatibility with modern operating systems; and all games are fully patched to their latest versions.
- 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.
DLC and expansion packs
| Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Age of Empires II: The Conquerors | Windows version is sold separately, Mac OS version only in Gold Edition. | |
Essential improvements
Skip intro videos
| Start game with -nostartup parameter[3] |
|---|
Patches
- The latest patch for the base game is Version 2.0a.
- The latest patch for The Conquerors is Version 1.0c.
- Alternately, the latest official patches are available at soggi.org.
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.
Voobly.com
Adds Online Matchmaking and automatic UserPatch installation.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
| System | Location |
|---|---|
| Windows | <path-to-game>\config.xml[Note 2] |
| Mac OS (Classic) | |
| macOS (OS X) |
Save game data location
| System | Location |
|---|---|
| Windows | <path-to-game>\SaveGame\[Note 2] |
| Mac OS (Classic) | |
| macOS (OS X) |
- 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\
Video settings
In-game options menu.
Input settings
In-game key map settings.
Audio settings
Localizations
| Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | ||||
| Traditional Chinese | ||||
| French | ||||
| German | ||||
| Hungarian | Fan translation by .:i2k:. and kds link #1, link #2 | |||
| Italian | ||||
| Japanese | ||||
| Korean | ||||
| Spanish |
Network
Multiplayer types
| Type | Native | Players | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAN play | 8 | |||
| Online play | 8 | |||
Connection types
| Type | Native | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Matchmaking | MSN Gaming Zone support has been discontinued.[4] Community has moved to https://voobly.com[citation needed] | |
| Peer-to-peer | ||
| Dedicated | ||
| Self-hosting | ||
| Direct IP |
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 operating systems (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 graphics card driver. However, Age of Empires II HD (the re-mastered version of the game released in 2013) is unaffected by this problem.[citation needed]
"Access Denied - Please login with administrator privileges and try again" error on launch (Windows 10)
- Install UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update to fix this for The Conquerors (this does not fix the issue for the base game).[citation needed]
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.
| UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update[citation needed] |
|---|
|
Install UserPatch: Conquerors Feature Update. This includes a color fix for Vista and 7, and will also set a registry flag, allowing Windows 8+ to emulate the 256-colour modes, required by the game. It will also optionally provide support for loading the windowed mode plugin, which, apart from its direct purpose, also performs software palette conversion to 32-bit, resolving said issues. |
| DirectDrawFix[citation needed] |
|---|
|
Use DirectDrawFix to apply the required compatibility fixes to the registry. |
LAN connectivity
- This method allows gaming over LAN on modern versions of Windows.
| Setting the IP address to Static and the Default Gateway to nothing[citation needed] |
|---|
While in use, internet connection will be lost until the settings are switched back to "Obtain an IP address automatically", but LAN will function in-game. |
MIDI music
| Copy files from demo version[citation needed] |
|---|
Notes
|
Other information
API
| Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DirectDraw | 6.1 | |
| OpenGL | Mac OS only. |
| Executable | PPC | 16-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | |||||
| macOS (OS X) | Intel support was added with the 1.0.6 patch, which converts the game to a universal binary. Still 32-bit only. |
||||
| Mac OS (Classic) |
Middleware
| Middleware | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplayer | MSN Gaming Zone |
System requirements
| Windows | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Mac OS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | ||
| Operating system (OS) | 8.6 | |
| Processor (CPU) | PowerPC G3 300 MHz | |
| System memory (RAM) | 128 MB | |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) | 750 MB | |
| Video card (GPU) | ATI Rage 128 | |
- 500 MHz is required for online play.
| macOS (OS X) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | ||
| Operating system (OS) | 10.0.5 | |
| Processor (CPU) | PowerPC G3 300 MHz | |
| System memory (RAM) | 128 MB | |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) | 750 MB | |
| Video card (GPU) | ATI Rage 128 | |
- 500 MHz is required for online play.
- When applying the UB patch, the minimum supported OS is 10.3.9.
Notes
- ↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[2]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 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%\VirtualStoreon Windows Vista and later (more details).
References
- ↑ Not Loading in Windows 10; this will break thousands of - Microsoft Community - last accessed on 2017-01-16
- ↑ Microsoft - MS15-097: Description of the security update for the graphics component in Windows: September 8, 2015 - last accessed on 2018-02-16
- ↑ Known video issues in Age of Empires II
- ↑ Age of Empires matchmaking has been retired from MSN Games - MSN Games - Free Online Games
Categories:
- Invalid template usage (infobox game)
- Windows
- Mac OS
- OS X
- Expansion pack
- Singleplayer
- Multiplayer
- Real-time
- Bird's-eye view
- Isometric
- Multiple select
- Point and select
- Strategy
- RTS
- Asia
- Europe
- Middle East
- Pre-Columbian Americas
- Medieval
- Games
- Invalid section order
- Pages needing references
- Self-hosting
- Invalid template usage (API)
- Missing section (Video)
- Missing section (Input)
- Missing section (Audio)