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''Age of Empires III'' ('''''AoE III''''') is the sequel to '''' and the third title of the history-based Real-time Strategy Age Of Empires Series of Computer Game s. 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 . The game was announced by Ensemble Studios on January 4 , 2005 . A demo version was released on September 7 , 2005 and the game "went gold" (entered Mass Production ) on September 22 , 2005 . SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Age of Empires III only runs on the Microsoft Windows Operating System . Officially only Windows XP is supported, although there is a workaround for Windows 2000 . It requires 256 MB or RAM and more than 2 GB of Hard Drive space (the demo only requires 620 MB). It has been tested on a 32 MB Video Card but officially it requires a 64 MB card supporting hardware Transform And Lighting , as well as a Sound Card . Multiplayer gaming requires a LAN connection, a 56kbps Dial-up Modem or at least that fast an Internet connection. The game is very graphics-intensive, and higher-end graphics cards are required for optimal performance and image quality. 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, the physics package included in other recent popular games, including '' Half-Life 2 ''. This means that many events such as building destruction and tree falls will not be pre-created Animation s, but rather will be calculated according to the physics engine. Other graphical features of the game include HDR lighting and support for Pixel Shader 3.0 . GAMEPLAY ''Age of Empires III'' is the first ''Age of Empires'' game to introduce Gunpowder weapons on a large scale (there were gunpowder weapons in ''Age of Empires II'', but they appeared late in the game and were not widely used). However, Cavalry with Melee weapons, Samurai Mercenaries , and other non-gunpowder units appear in the game as well. Combat in ''Age of Empires III'' places greater emphasis on the use of formations than in previous ''Age of Empires'' games. Depending on the formation that a group of units is put in, they may gain bonuses to melee or ranged attack, or be less vulnerable to enemy fire. One of the new features in ''AoE III'' is the home city system, which gives players a persistent character. Home cities provide both Military and economic support to Colonies , though they are separate from combat, and can be improved by earning Experience Points (XP). Players can spend XP on acquiring cards for their nation, and customizing the appearance of the home city. These can then be subsequently used to obtain special shipments during a game. These shipments may be units, special technologies, or resources. Up to 20 different cards may be used in one game; however, these must be pre-selected in groups of custom-built decks. (See ''The Home City Concept'' ) There are five different '' featured a Titan Age which allowed players to summon a powerful Titan unit, and ''Age of Empires III'''s Imperial Age is similarly very expensive and difficult to reach, but features powerful technologies that could lend one player the advantage in an extended game. Borrowing from the Minor Gods feature of '' Age Of Mythology '', ''Age of Empires III'' also has a toned-down " Politician s" feature, which provides different units or resources upon advancing an age in the game. ''Age of Empires III'' incorporates a new Trade Route system, where players have to build and upgrade pre-existing Trading Post s in order to receive trade income. This differs from the previous system, where players could establish routes anywhere on the map. Trading posts begin with Travois on a dirt path, upgrade to a Stagecoach , and, by the end of the game, to a Railroad route. Unlike the first two Age of Empires games, ''AoE III'' has three types of resources for players to gather: '' game, which allows training of units indefinitely, as long as resources are available, does not appear in ''AoE III''. ''Age of Empires III'' features a single-player campaign, as did all previous Age of Empires games. The campaign follows the descendants of an Immigrant named ''Morgan Black'' and their struggle with a fictional organization named the ''Circle of Ossus'', and is divided into 3 "acts". It provides about 16 hours of gameplay in 24 scenarios, though the length of time which it takes to complete each scenario can vary greatly. Several prominent historical figures (such as a certain Colonel Washington ) are encountered throughout the campaign, and it touches on many other historical details, though the story itself is fictional. SCENERY .]] Battles are fought on various maps, which are randomly selected from a list of "seeded", or predefined maps. 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 s, Llama s 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. Note that only four fishing boats or Caravals or a combination of both can fish at a whale site at a time. CAMPAIGNS The campaign lets the player follow three generations of the family Black. Act I: Blood The single-player campaign begins in the 16th century with the player in the role of Morgan Black of the Knights Of Saint John , defending the last stronghold on Malta from Sahin "The Falcon" of the Ottoman Empire. The player must light a signal fire to call in supporting cavalry led by Morgan's superior, Alain Magnan, who fend off the Turks. Morgan and Alain drive the Ottomans from Malta, and when they detonate Ottoman weapon caches in the nearby caves, they discover a hidden stone library telling the story of the "Lake of the Moon" and the secret society called the "Circle of Ossus" who seek it out. Morgan travels to the New World seeking the lake, but on his way he experiences a small intermezzo with Lizzie, a pirate queen who attacks Morgan's fleet. At Yucatan , the player runs into Sahin once again, and must destroy the Ottoman Fort , though Sahin claims he just wants to keep the "The Circle of Ossus" from reaching the lake. While Morgan's troops are resting, a scout is chased by a pure white animal. Morgan explains that he saw this kind of beast on the stone library. Morgan Black and his men continue into the Rainforest s to protect the Aztec temples from the Spanish Conquistador s, and Morgan finds a large stone map in the village which directs him to Florida where the Lago Del Luna (The Lake of the Moon) resided. When a hurricane drives Morgan and his men off course to Lizzie's stronghold on Cuba , she promises to transport the Knights of Saint John to Florida if Morgan and his men prove themselves by helping the beleaguered settlement. Once at Florida, the player meets up with Alain Magnan, and while Alain travels inland, Morgan is assigned the task to capture the Spanish treasure galleys. Once the conquistadors are defeated, Morgan Black finds Sahin a prisoner of the Spaniards. Alain gives the order to kill Sahin and the Inca prisoners. Sahin tells Morgan that the "Circle of Ossus" believe the lake to be the " Fountain Of Youth " which grants eternal life, and that he has been tricked by Alain, who is the actual leader of the circle. Seeing Alain with Boneguard, the Circle's elite soldiers, it was enough to convince Morgan that Alain had betrayed the Knights of St. John. With Fire Ship s and a great cannon, the player sets out to destroy the "Lake of the Moon". As the story ends, Sahin knew that the Europeans would make empires in the New World. He also knew that the Ottomans were relics of the past as well as the Knights of St. John. Lizzie had lost all of her Spanish gold, and it will be several years before she really forgave Morgan. The female narrator, a descendant of Morgan Black, tells that Lizzie might be her ancestor as well, as she has the temper of a pirate. Morgan began drinking but his canteen was empty. He looked at the ruined Fountain. He then walked to the water's edge as a leaf fell. Was the Fountain's water really important and special? The Circle will return to find out. Act II: Ice Morgan's grandson, John Black, and his Indian friend Kanyenke are hunting when they hear that their fort is being attacked by the Chrerokee. When the fort is saved, they attack the Chrerokee war camps and arranged a peace settlement. when they reached the village, they were attacked by British who also took the fort. They planned a counter attack and found that John's uncle Stuart was kidnapped. John concluded that the Circle of Ossus had returned. Kanyenke realized that his sister was in danger too. They save the Iroquois village where Kanyenke´s sister lives in New England, and it was revealed that she and John were secretly in love. John's army fights alongside France against Warwick in the Seven Years War. They meet the English Colonel Washington, who says Warwick is a traitor to England. Later they defeat them at the Great Lakes who had Boneguard stationed there. John found the corpse of his uncle there, with his head on a long stick stuck into the ground. After then, the voyage is too dangerous for Kanyenke´s sister. John and Kanyenke travel across the Great Plains and build an army at some Lakota villages. They must gain the respect of the Great Plains Indians before all their chiefs are killed. The duo then steal resources from wagons heading towards Warwick's fort. They see a Russian army traveling through the mountains directed by the Boneguard and realise this was the Circle's idea: to conquer the New World with the British and French at war and the colonies defenseless. Helpful miners cast down bridge to redirect the Russians while John places explosives on the mountain. He is confronted by Warwick but manages to dentonate the explosives, blowing up part of the mountain and starting an avalanche. The Russian army was buried under the snow. Unfortunately, John is also killed in the blast. Warwick was also killed in the blast. By spring Kanyenke returned to his village. Life went on for the Iroquois. However, Kanyenke´s sister gives birth to John's son. Even though the Russians were gone, other white men would follow. But until then, Kanyenke will help raise his sister's son, Nathaniel. Act III: Steel ''Amelia Black'', granddaughter of John Black, says that now comes her part of the story. She owns a railroad company left by her father Nathaniel, The Falcon Company (possibly in honour of the Turk, Sahin), which wants to build the new railroads in the USA . Unfortunately, the fortune given by the British and Americans from John Black's sacrifice had dried up. They must build Trading Posts at a number of sites to get the contract. One is already built, but the enemies also have one which must be destroyed. After that, Amelia and the leader of the work, Major Cooper, come into a fort that is attacked by the Mexicans. There are not many resources in the Region , so the Player must build Trading Posts, improve them, and choose which resource they shall gather. Amelia meets a French prospector called Pierre Beaumont, who tells her he has a mine in the North that she can buy. When they come to it Amelia's granduncle, Kanyenke comes with a group of Major Cooper's men and tells Amelia that Beaumont leads the Circle of Ossus. Beaumont escapes into the caves and they hunt for him. When he is gone, they seek and find a map showing the way. On their way, they come to the old site Lake of Moon, which has become a vast swamp. The player must destroy some Spanish outposts and collect Spanish gold from ships. Later in the swamp, Cooper meets Beaumont, and gets killed when one of Beumonts wolves jumps on top of him and bites his neck. After learning from the Seminoles that during the time of the knight Morgan, Inca prisoners took many barrels of the Fountain's water to their last city in Pacamayo Valley. Amelia and Kanyenke come to South America, in Bolivar's Revolution against the Spanish. They help him to free villages and he gives them men for their journey. The way across the Andes is cold, so the men constantly lose a trickle of hitpoints. They must go into warm caves along the way to survive. They are followed by the Circle's army and if a riding scout comes to them, they move closer. In the last Inca City, eight artillery weapons must come to the base before the three Inca temples are destroyed. After that, Amelia, Kanyenke and some men travel to Havana, Cuba, where the Circle's base with the temple-styled Ossuary Fort. They cannot sail past the Circle's navy so they land on the south side and must walk through the land. The leader of Havana says they have lived in the shadow of the Circle for a long time. They agreed to help Amelia. Eventually, three big ships come from the USA to help Amelia. The Circle's fort has double walls and three big cannon that must be destroyed, and the Ossuary too. The story ends, and Amelia and Kanyenke walk into the fort. However, Beaumont jumps down from the roof. Kanyenke pushes Amelia out of the way. She kicked Beaumont but he comes back. Amelia manages to roll over, grab her gun and shoot Beaumont. They find out there were a lot of treasures in the Ossuary. Kanyenke says they shouldn't profit from the Circle, but most of the gold came from the Spanish treasure fleet. Finally, Amelia is at a train station and meets an old man she met in the beginning of her journey. He told her that her family must have been so proud. The New World belongs to her and others like her. He speaks with a heavy Scottish accent much like Morgan Black's and tells her that she defeated the Circle of Ossus, "and in just one lifetime too." Amelia is startled and asks what he means, he then just walks away and says: "Don't miss your train." The Circle of Ossus The Circle is a secret society. They were thought to be alchemists and scientists; others say they are the most powerful men in Europe. They seek a means for eternal life. The Circle has enclaves in many parts of Europe. They are looking for a structure in the New World called the Lake of the Moon, in other words, The Fountain of Youth. An Ottoman named Sahin the Falcon was trying to stop the Circle from reaching the lake. In the New World, the Circle had tamed pure white animals. They had control of the Lake thanks to Alain Magnan. But they were defeated when Morgan Black of the Knights of St. John destroyed the Fountain. A few generations later, the Circle returned, their new leader Warwick kidnapped Morgan's descendant, Stuart Black, to find out the location of the Lake of the Moon. But Stuart didn't know so they were going to question his nephew John. They failed and when they had Russian army marching towards the colonies, it was buried by a mountain. Another few generations later, the leader of the Circle, Pierre Beaumont, was going to question Amelia Black, the owner of Falcon Company, but failed when her granduncle, Kanyenke, came to the rescue. He and his minions fled to Florida, where the old site of the Fountain had turned into a swamp. After digging up much Spanish gold, the Circle learned from the Seminoles that Incas took many barrels of the water to their last city. The Circle's army was behind Amelia's forces through the Andes. Most of their scouts didn't make it back. When they reached the city, Beaumont took many barrels of the water and fled back to Cuba at the infamous Ossuary near Havana. After being betrayed by Havana the Circle was overwelmed by both Amelia's and Havana's forces. Beaumont took one last strike at Amlia but met his end at her rifle. The most notable members of the Circle were Alain Magnan, Warwick and Pierre Beaumont. AGES In the ''Skirmish'' menu, the player can choose witch age the competers shall start in. "Nomad", where you only start with a Town Center Wagon and an Explorer (for some civilizatons also a scout, envoy, or war dog) is an included option. In the "Post-Imperial Age", all improvements have already been researched. ;Discovery Age :This is the first age in this game, the players can only explore the map and develop their economy. Your Explorer can be used to scout the map and find treasure.
;Colonial Age (800 food) : This is the second age in the game. As it name tells, the player shall colonize the map through constructing of infantry, cavalry, and, for most civilisations, Grenadiers, which can be classed as an artillery unit. The exception to this is the Ottomans, which receive the artillery that most civilisations receive in the Fortress Age. Trade Routes can upgrade to Stagecoaches. ;Fortress Age (1200 food, 1000 gold) : This is the third age in the game, with advances to existing military units and buildings. Artillery options open up for most civilizations. A Fort can be sent from the home city and outposts can upgrade to Frontier Outposts.
;Industrial Age (2000 food, 1200 gold) :This is the fourth age in the game, with more upgrades to units and buildings. Higher end Home City Cards are unlocked, such as the Factory . Trade Routes can be upgraded to trains, and Frontier Outposts to Fortified Outposts.
;Imperial Age (4000 food, 4000 gold) :The fifth age in the game; players may choose to research more powerful technologies by building the Capitol . Also, nearly every Home City shipment may be sent again. Most games do not reach this stage.
POLITICIANS Each civilization has a maximum of 4 politicians to choose from each time they advance through the ages, from the Colonial to the Industrial (All civilizations have only 2 politicians to choose from when advancing to the Imperial Age.). Initially, all civilisations only have 2 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 you will open up all choices when your homecity reaches level 60). Also, note that the unlocking of politicans follows a pre-set order; they are NOT unlocked according to Age. 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. This explorer unit is immortal, and can never be killed, although it can be rendered useless if it takes enough damage. At this point, it must await rescue by a friendly unit (when one of your soldiers 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 your deck which will increase the power of your explorer in various ways: increased hitpoints, increased attack, special attacks which damage multiple units, or the ability to launch Hot-air Balloon s to Scout unknown areas. Different upgrades are available to different explorers; for example, the explorer character Amelia Black in Act 3 of the single-player campaign can gain the card upgrade "Fisticuffs," which increases her attack. Also, Spanish explorer can train dogs, maximum of 5 (or 8 with the Conquistador shipment), and Portuguese explorer can use a telescope (spyglass) to peek at an area and see what your enemies are doing for a short amount of time. CIVILIZATIONS Age of Empires III allow you to play as 8 different Civilization s. Each of the eight civilizations have their 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 (1000 of each resource as opposed to 600). The names of the Home City can be changed by the player. 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. Twelve different , but only the Iroqouis Confederacy has been confirmed as one of the three. THE HOME CITY CONCEPT Home Cities 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 your 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. Game Cards Between games, players keep a Portfolio of cards that can be used throughout the game. A card can be a grouping of units (13 Longbowmen, 1 Caravel), improvements (Faster woodcutting, Increase to Musketeer/Grenadier Attack), buildings (1 Covered Wagon, or 1 Factory Wagon), or resources (300 Food, or 600 Wood) 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 requires less than 200 experience points to send their first card, 200 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 more experience points to send. In a sense, you could be an explorer calling on the home city, arranging reinforcements or resources to be sent, to aid in your conquest of the New World . When cards are used in a game, the delivery takes approximately a minute before the object arrives in the New World, simulating a "shipment" from the Old World . 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 multiple 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. 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:
Each civilization has a different stock of cards that can be chosen. For example, only the French can receive two forts, whereas every other civilization 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 civilisations. BUILDINGS ; Town Center (600 wood, Covered Wagon ) :The center of a colony. Settlers are trained and Minutemen can be Drafted (though only once, a specific upgrade enables the player to call out Minutemen for a second time) here. Also, shipments from the Home City arrive at this location unless otherwise specified (See Section 9.1 - Game Cards ). The Town Center can garrison civilian units, which give the building a weak ranged attack. It is the first building to appear in any game, and does not need to be built; however, should the need arise, they can be built by the Explorer in Age 3. ; House (100 wood) :A small building that supports 10 population slots. Up to 20 houses can be built per game (with a corresponding maximum population of 200). Like the Town Center, the house can be built from the Discovery Age onwards. Note that the British build Manor House s instead, which are more expensive, at 150 wood, but spawn a settler upon completion and later on, a shipment evolves them into Estates , which can train settlers as well. ; Market (100 wood) :An economic building. Resources can be bought and sold, with corresponding effects to the world market. Players can also research settler improvements from this building. ; Mill (400 wood) :A farm which allows food to be harvested at a slow rate. A maximum of ten Settlers can work at a single Mill. The Mill can be built in the Discovery Age. Mill gather rates can be improved at the mill, and through home city cards. ; Livestock Pen (200 wood) :An economic building available in the Colonial Age, the Livestock Pen allows herdable animals (Cows, Sheep) to fatten at quicker rate. The livestock pen can hold up to 10 animals at one time, and can build sheep for 100 food each. Also, a technology is available at the Livestock Pen to dramatically increase the fattening rates of animals. ; Dock (200 wood) :A building that can only be built on water, the Dock builds both economic ships (fishing boats) and Naval Vessels (Caravels, Frigates). They automatically heal nearby ships cand can garrison fishing boats. When having a garrison, they gain an attack. Available in the Discovery Age, the dock can improve ships' attack and armor plating, starting from the Colonial Age. ; Outpost (250 wood, Outpost Wagon) :A tower equipped with an attack. Available from the Discovery Age, the Outpost can also act as a receiving point for Home City Shipments. ; Trading Post (250 wood) :An economic building that can be built at both Trade Routes and Native Encampments. Building Trading Posts along trade routes allow resources to be imported over time, while a Trading Post at a Native Village allows the player to train native military units and research improvements. The Trading Post can be built in the Discovery Age. The Advanced Trading Post card enables Trading Posts to attack. ; Wall (5 wood) : Palisade s which are erected to keep out intruders. Available in the Discovery Age, they can be upgraded to Bastion s (stone walls) at the Church in later ages. ; Bank (350 food, 350 wood) :An economic building available only to the Dutch. The Bank supplies a steady stream of coin (base rate= 5.6 coin/second), and can be built during the Colonial Age onwards. ; Church / Mosque (250 wood) :An economic building available in the Colonial Age, the Church trains Priests and allows the player to improve building attributes (such as Line Of Sight and Training Rate). When a specific card (Royal Decree To Colonize The New World/Treaty) is sent, unique and often double-edged improvements become available. ; Barracks (250 wood) :A basic military building available to all civilizations. The Barracks can train and upgrade infantry. ; Stable (250 wood) :A military building similar to a barracks, the Stable trains and upgrades mounted units. ; Artillery Foundry (250 wood) :An advanced military building available in either the Colonial (for the Ottomans) or Fortress Age (for everyone else). The Artillery Foundry builds high-power cannon units such as Falconets and Mortar s, which are later upgraded to Field Gun s and Howitzer s. Grenadiers and Abus Guns, which are foot soldiers that use artillery- like weapons, are also built here, as are cannon counter units, culverins. ; Arsenal (250 wood) :A research building available in the Fortress Age, the Arsenal provides upgrades to infantry, cavalry, and artillery units. The card Advanced Arsenal unlocks even more powerful upgrades. ; Plantation (800 wood) :An economic building that allows Settlers to gather Coin at a slow rate. A maximum of ten Settlers can gather from a single Plantation. The Plantation is available in the Fortress Age. ; Capitol (400 wood) :A late-game building that can only be built in the Imperial Age (Age V). The Capitol allows the player to research powerful improvements (such as Spies and Blockade) at an exorbitant cost. ; Fort (Fort Wagon) :A specialized military building that can only be sent from the Home City. The Fort defends a large area of land and can train units. The Fort can be sent during the Fortress Age (Age III). The French can send a second fort in the Industrial (IV) Age. ; Factory (Factory Wagon) :An advanced economic building that can specialize in high production output of any resource or produce powerful artillery units. The Factory can only be built via a Factory Wagon, which can be sent from the Home City in the Industrial (IV) Age. UNITS See Also: Age of Empires III military 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 utilise 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. 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. 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. 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 April 2006, multiple accounts and username changes are not supported. EXPANSION See Also: Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs Ensemble Studios has announced an expansion for AOE3 that is named "Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs" and is expected to be released in the Fall of 2006. It will contain 3 new native civilizations that can be completely controlled. Only the Iroquois Confederation has been confirmed for the expansion, although many fans have speculated that the Incas will also appear. Aztecs are a high probability and logical choice. New content for existing European civilizations, as well as new maps and gameplay additions will be added as well. The second civilization and more information on the X-pack has been set to be announced at the E3 of this year. DEMO Age of Empires III's Demo was released on September 7, 2005, quickly being criticized due to the fact that it was designed to only install on Windows XP . However, it has been discovered that the installed folder can be copied over to a Windows 2000 computer and it will still work. The demo version contains two scenarios from the campaign, two random maps (New England & Texas), two playable civilizations (British & Spanish) and the ability to upgrade your Home City up to level 9. All ages and buildings (except banks) are available, but some units (mercenaries and units which can only be created by other civilizations) are missing. There are also many user created Modifications which change some aspects of the trial version. An updated demo version 1.1 was made available with the game's release on October 18, 2005. COLLECTOR'S EDITION A limited edition version of the game was also released that included:
The package was contained within a large decorative box which measured approximately 1.5'x1'. KNOWN ISSUES
HISTORICAL ERRORS
EXTERNAL LINKS Official:
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