Age of Empires III
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| Age of Empires III<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;">Image:Aoeiii-cover.jpg</td></tr> | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Ensemble Studios
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)</th><td>Microsoft Game Studios (PC), MacSoft (Mac)</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Designer(s)</th><td>Bruce Shelley</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Series</th><td>Age of Empires</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Engine</th><td>Havok physics</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Latest version</th><td>1.09<ref>Patch 1.09 released 19 September 2006. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref></td></tr> |
| Release date(s) | Image:Flag of Canada.svg Image:Flag of the United States.svg October 18, 2005 (NA) |
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player, MP over IPX, TCP/IP, Modem or Ensemble Studios Online 2 (ESO2).
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)</th><td>BBFC: Universal (U) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows XP (workaround available for Windows 2000), Mac OS X
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media</th><td>CD (3), DVD (1)</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">System requirements</th><td>Windows XP, 1.4 GHz Processor that supports Streaming SIMD Extensions, 256 MB RAM, 64 MB video card capable of Hardware TnL (PC)</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Input</th><td>Keyboard, mouse</td></tr> |
Age of Empires III (AoE III) is the direct sequel to Age of Empires II and the third title <ref>(Age of Empires, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, Age of Empires III). Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> of the history-based real-time strategy Age of Empires series of computer games. The game was developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft, and was officially released on October 18, 2005. The game is mostly set in the New World, with some early single player scenarios taking place in Malta, and covers the European colonization of the Americas between approximately AD 1500 and 1850.
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[edit] System requirements
Age of Empires III runs on the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. On Windows, only Windows XP is supported, although there is a workaround for Windows 2000. Age of Empires III requires <ref>System requirements from Microsoft games website. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> 256 MB of RAM and more than 2 GB of hard drive space. Officially, the game requires a 64 MB graphics card supporting hardware transform and lighting, and a sound card. Multiplayer gaming supports both LAN and Internet play.
The game is very graphics-intensive <ref>Graphics in Age of Empires III from the official website. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> at its higher quality settings, and higher-end graphics adapters are required for optimal performance.<ref>Tips on improving performance. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>
[edit] Technical features
Age of Empires III builds upon and introduces new features to the Age of Mythology engine. One new feature is the inclusion of the Havok physics simulation middleware engine <ref>Havok's press release regarding Age of Empires III. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> (used in other recent popular games, including Half-Life 2<ref>Havok's list of games that use its technology. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>) on the PC version and the similar PhysX engine on Mac OS X. This means that many events such as building destruction and tree falls will not be pre-created animations, but rather will be calculated according to the physics engine. Other graphical features of the game include bloom lighting and support for pixel shader 3.0. <ref>Press release from the official website regarding technology in the game. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>
[edit] Gameplay
[edit] Overview
Age of Empires III, in the style of previous incarnations of the series and the genre, requires the player to develop a nation from a basic settlement with a few villagers to a mighty civilization, progressing through 'Ages,' or stages of technology, that provide more powerful tools for the player's empire. There are two main branches to game play, the nation's military and economy, and winning a battle depends on a mastery of both of these. A battle consists of a conflict between one or more players and teams. The teams race to create a powerful nation by creating and upgrading units and buildings with one eventually defeating the other in combat. There are three modes of game play: a story-based campaign, single player skirmishes (with a random map), and an online multiplayer version.
[edit] Game Modes
The story-based campaign mode consists of a number of related scenarios that consist of a battle with given objectives, for example to destroy a given object or to stockpile a certain amount of resources. In Age of Empires III, the campaign lets the player follow the story of three generations of the Black family in a series of 'Acts' (which divide the story arc into the generations) called 'Blood,' 'Ice' and 'Steel.'
Skirmishes are perhaps the most common mode of gameplay, and take place between a specified numbers of human players and a specified number of computer characters, conforming to rules that are set up before the game. The location, difficulty of the AI and amount of resources can all be changed.
There are two forms of multiplayer. The first can be played by a group of computers through a LAN connection, or directly using a TCP/IP connection. The second makes use of a packaged matchmaking service called Ensemble Studios Online (see below).
[edit] History
[edit] Release History
Following the announcement <ref>Announcement of the game on the Microsoft website. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> of the game on January 4, 2005, a demo version was released on September 7, 2005. This contained a cut-down version of the game, introducing some of the new features, such as two campaign scenarios, a random map scenario and access to two civilizations. A variety of modifications have been created <ref>Examples of modifications can be found here. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> but, as with the full edition, the demo was heavily criticised for only installing on Windows XP. An updated demo version was made available with the game's release on September 22, 2005.
The release of the game on September 22, 2005 saw two separate editions being made available. The standard edition included the game and manual, whilst a collector's edition version in a presentation box also provided the official soundtrack, extra documentation, a hardback book entitled "Art of Empires" that contained concept art and 3D renders from the game and a DVD entitled 'The Making of Age of Empires III.' The release of the game has been followed by a series of patches that have fixed minor bugs in the software or added new features.
Ensemble Studios has released<ref>“Age of Empires III” Expansion Pack to Storm Windows PCs in 2006. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> an expansion for AOE3 named "Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs" which was released on October 17, 2006. It contains 3 new native civilizations that can be completely controlled: The Iroquois Confederation, the Great Sioux Nation, and the Aztecs. New content for existing European civilizations, as well as new maps and gameplay additions (such as the new "revolution feature", in which players can "revolt from their mother country and start an active military coup in the game) was also added.
A Mac OS X port of the game was released on 13 November 2006 by MacSoft. <ref>Mac release announcement on MacSoft website. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>
[edit] Reception
General reception was good, though not as positive as its predecessor, Age of Kings. The game received a respectable 90% from the United States version of PC Gamer and 87% from PC Gamer UK.
The game was presented with two awards by GameSpy in 2005: 'Real-time strategy game of the year'<ref>GameSpy RTS game of the year award. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> and 'Best Graphics'<ref>GameSpy Best Graphics award. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> It was also given an 'honourable mention' in the 'Best Music' category<ref>GameSpy honourable mention for 'Best Music'. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>. GameSpy was highly praising of the game overall, giving it 5 stars in its review<ref>GameSpy review of Age of Empires III. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>, which was particularly positive about the graphics and multiplayer experience.
Other awards<ref>Other awards listed on the agecommunity.com website. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>, including an 'Outstanding' from GameZone<ref>GameZone review and 'Outstanding' award. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref>, reflected the positive critical reception of the game.
Yahoo!'s report<ref>Yahoo!'s review on Age of Empires III. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> also had many positive features. They praised the effort put into the graphics and physics but maintain that these are essentially eye-candy. They are disappointed by the traditional economics-based strategy of the game and believe that this, coupled with the lack of useful formation and tactics mean that the game does not stand up to other modern real-time strategy games.
According to this review, the best feature of the game is the sound, which provides an effective ambiance to the game, particularly during combat. They are also impressed by the new persistent home city concept and the variety of gameplay styles that are required for the different civilizations.
[edit] Scenery
Battles are fought on various real world maps, which can be selected from a list of "seeded", or predefined maps. Players also have the option of using the Unknown map which is a map that is never the same. There are a number of variables meaning that each seeded map is different, creating a unique gameplay experience with each new game. Each map has several features which are always present (such as trade routes or a particular number of islands), as well as several characteristics such as a paucity of trees. A large number of potential treasures are scattered about the map, which can be claimed for various prizes: a certain amount of resources, a bonus to explorer hitpoints, units (settlers, natives, fattening animals or tamed animals), or an XP reward. The resources which are available include trees which can be used for Wood, silver/gold mines which can be used for Coin, and herds of animals which can be hunted for Food. Grazing animals (such as cows, llamas and sheep) fatten up over time, and can also be tamed or slaughtered for food. The oceans contain patches of fish which fishing boats can collect for Food, and occasionally whales, which can be harpooned for an inexhaustible amount of Coin.
[edit] Ages
[edit] Scenarios
Age of Empires contains seven possible starting scenarios, five of which are ages.
| Starting scenario | Annotations |
|---|---|
| Nomad | A style of gameplay, all players start off with a single Covered Wagon and an explorer. Players are free to select where their town shall be. |
| Discovery Age | This is the first age in this game. The players can explore the map and develop their economy. The player's explorer can be used to scout the map and find treasure. Some civilizations start with a scout which helps the Explorer to explore the map. An example of this is the Dutch's Envoy who can run over the map. |
| Colonial Age | Players are able to train infantry and cavalry, and limited numbers of artillery are available. |
| Fortress Age | Upon reaching the Fortress age, players can upgrade their military units and buildings. Artillery units are available to all civilizations; also, the fort wagon shipment card is available. |
| Industrial Age | This is the fourth age in the game, where all military units are unlocked to every civilization. All Home City shipments placed on a deck are now available. |
| Post-Industrial Age | A mode of gameplay where all payers begin in the Industrial Age, with all researches limited to this age completed. However, only players playing with a Supremacy home city can still advance to the next age. |
| Imperial Age | The last age only available to players in Supremacy match mode. The Imperial Age brings about the construction of the Capitol, which grants powerful upgrades to the player. Most Home City shipments can be sent again. |
| Post-Imperial Age | A mode of gameplay where all players start in the Imperial Age, with all technologies researched, except Spies and Blockade. |
[edit] Politician System
Similar to Age of Mythology, Age of Empires III utilises the Politician system as a method of granting bonuses upon a successful advancement to another age. Each civilization has a maximum of 4 politicians to choose from each time they advance through the ages, from the Colonial to the Industrial. Two politicians are available to choose from when advancing to the Imperial Age. Initially, all civilizations have two politicians as their choice while advancing; the other policitians are unlocked at the rate of 1 every 10 levels of the home city (meaning that all choices open up when the player's homecity reaches level 60). Also, note that the unlocking of politicians follows a pre-set order; they are NOT unlocked according to Age.
[edit] Civilizations
Age of Empires III allows the player to play as 8 different civilizations:<ref>Official website page on civilizations. Accessed November 26, 2006.</ref> Britain, France, Spain, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Holland, Portugal and Germany. Each of the eight civilizations has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Each civilization also has a varying amount of unique units available only to that civilization. In addition, specific units for each civilization are designated Royal Guard units, receiving greater bonuses on the Guard upgrade in the Industrial Age, but at an increased price. The player can change the name of his/her Home City, and is given a prenamed leader from part of the period (for example Napoleon Bonaparte for the French and Suleiman the Magnificent for the Ottoman Empire).
Each civilization also receives a unique bonus that provides them with an advantage in the game, affecting different aspects of the gameplay experience. The British, for example, receive a free villager whenever they build a 'manor house' population-supporting building, whilst the Russians always create units in small groups rather than individually.
Note that these are just some of the greater changes between the different civilizations. There are other Civilizations playable via the campaign, which include: The Knights of St. John's, John Black's Mercenaries, and the Falcon Railroad Company which are played as the Spanish, German and British civilizations, respectively, with slight modifications. Non-playable campaign civilizations include Pirates, The Circle of Ossus, and the Native Americans.
Twelve different tribes of Native Americans are in the game as well: the Aztec, the Carib, the Cherokee, the Comanche, the Cree, the Incas, the Iroquois, the Mayans, the Nootka, the Seminole, the Lakota (Sioux), and the Tupi. These are not playable factions, but players can gain access to trade and unique units by forming an alliance with the tribes (building a trading post at their camps). However, three of the tribes are now playable in the expansion pack Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs: Iroqouis Confederacy, the Sioux and the Aztec.
[edit] The Home City concept
[edit] Home Cities
Image:AOE3 RussianHomeCity.jpg Age of Empires III is the first game in the Age of Empires series to introduce the Home City.
The Home City functions as a second city, a powerhouse that is separated from the active game. It cannot be attacked or destroyed, although an Imperial Age upgrade called "Blockade" stops the player's opponents from receiving Home City shipments. Its selling feature is its persistence between games, meaning that upgrades gained through many games can be applied and stay applied for as long as that particular city exists (Cities only cease to exist when they are deleted by the user from the game menu).
Players access the Home City between games, and can customize their city, choose new cards, and organize their card deck. Customizations to the Home City change the visual aspects of the city, but do not affect gameplay whatsoever. In customizing the home city, players can add unique people to the city (for example, a fruit vendor, or a musician), change and upgrade the colour schemes of buildings, or place objects/decorations throughout the city.
Players can also access the Home City within a game (or battle) by clicking on the "Home City" button represented on the HUD as the nation's flag. The home city functions differently inside of a game. Instead of customizing a home city or choosing cards, a player can apply cards chosen before the game (and added to a deck). See below.
Multiple Home Cities can be created and maintained, although each Home City supports only one civilization.
[edit] Game cards
Between games, players keep a portfolio of cards that can be used throughout the game. A card acts as a shipment from the home city to your settlement, and can consist of a group of units, buildings, resources or improvements to technologies.
During the course of a game, players gain experience through actions done, such as: Constructing buildings, training units, killing enemy units, collecting treasures, and many more. With the exception of the Spanish, who require 200 experience points to send their first card, 300 experience points are required to send the first shipment. Players can enter the Home City menu and use a card. Shipments slow down as the game goes on with every consecutive shipment requiring 50 more experience points to send.
Every time a game is finished, experience points gathered throughout the game add to a value dictated as "Total Experience". Once a certain number of experience points are collected (through multiplayer and skirmish games), a new "level" is reached, and players are allowed to choose a new unique card to add to their deck. Players start off at level 1, and have 15 cards in their deck to begin with. This creates the impression of a persistent character for the player, in the style of a role-playing game.
It is worth noting that a deck may contain only 20 cards, and there are approximately 120 cards that can be obtained. Players can gear their cards for different play strategies, for example:
- Booming (The use of many resource and villager cards)
- Rushing (The use of many military unit cards)
- Turtling (The use of many defensive cards).
Each civilization has a different stock of cards that can be chosen. For example, the French can receive an additional fort upon reaching level 25, whereas every other civilization can receive only one.
For every home city, players can also have different decks. The deck to be used is chosen when the first shipment is sent. For the duration of that game, players cannot switch to other decks. This feature encourages players to build decks that are customised for the map being played on or counters against other civilizations.
[edit] Explorers
Every home city features a different "explorer" unit, which is present in every game played with that home city. The explorer is used to explore surrounding territory and to claim treasures. It is also capable of building Trade Posts or Town Centers, as well as killing treasure guardians in one shot with a special attack. The explorer unit is immortal, and can never be killed, although he can be rendered unconscious if enough damage is taken. At this point, he must await rescue by a friendly unit (for example, when a soldier approaches within a certain proximity, the explorer will revive). Alternatively, a small sum of Coin may be paid to retrieve the explorer instantly. Cards are available to be placed in the player's deck which will increase the power of the player's explorer in various ways: increased hitpoints, increased attack, special attacks which damage multiple units, or the ability to launch hot-air balloons to scout unknown areas. Different upgrades are available to different explorers; for example, the explorer character Amelia Black in the single-player campaign can gain the card upgrade "Fisticuffs," which increases her attack.
[edit] Buildings
The buildings portrayed in Age of Empires III resemble the architectural design of that era. All of the games in the series share a number of buildings, including the Town Center and Docks. It is also important to mention that the buildings change continuously through the game as a player advances from one age to the next, in addition to this each civilization has its own unique buildings.
[edit] Units
The units of Age of Empires III are based, as in previous iterations of the game, around military classes of the historic time period. The majority of infantry utilize ranged gunpowder weapons (Musketeers, Skirmishers), although there are units that continue to make use of mêlée weapons or bows. There are also a number of ships, all of which make use of cannons with the exception of the fishing ship, which has no ranged attack, and the Native American canoe, which has a musket attack against ground troops and a torch attack against ships and buildings. In some cases, a selection of Native American tribes populate game maps, and support their own brand of military units that can be trained once an alliance has been formed. Units are divided into categories that follow a "rock, paper, scissors" principal, meaning that some units are deadly to another type, but in turn are also vulnerable to a third type (i.e. cannons like the falconet can mow down groups of infantrymen, but are extremely vulnerable to fast moving cavalry like the Hussar).
[edit] Ensemble Studios Online
Bundled with all versions of the game is a free subscription to the game's multiplayer gaming service, hosted by Ensemble Studios. Similar in function to Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net, Ensemble Studios Online (ESO) allows players to create and join games, as well as chat with other players outside of the game. On ESO, the player is given a home city level, as in the single player parts of the game. You also get a military rank. You start off as a conscript. This ranking system was based on a win to lose ratio. However, ESO has recently introduced the new Power Rating system that determines rank based on the difficulty of matches and activity in the game.
An Internet connection (equal to or greater than 56k) is required for connection to ESO. A high-speed connection is encouraged to reduce network latency, or lag.
Each copy of Age of Empires III contains one CD key, which can be used to register one account on the gaming service. As of November 2006, multiple accounts and username changes are not supported.
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
[edit] Official
- Age of Empires III Official Website
- Age of Empires III Demo on Microsoft website
- Age of Empires III Community site
- Ensemble Studios website
[edit] Previews and Reviews
- Age Of Empires III Review at BytePress.com
- Gamer Within Preview of Age of Empires III
- Age of Empires III at GameFAQs
- Age of Empires III at MobyGames
| Age of Empires series | |
|---|---|
| Age of Empires | Age of Empires | Rise of Rome | Age of Empires II | The Conquerors | Age of Empires III | The War Chiefs |
| Age of Mythology | Age of Mythology | The Titans |
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