This game rules in my opinion. I haven't played Age of Empires I, but II rules. Everything from the Brits and the Franks to the Mongols and the Japanese. And with the expansion you get Aztecs, Mayans, Huns and Koreans. It's basically like Starcraft, except that there's alot more units, and usually instead of having to, say, build an Archery Range to make Archers at a barracks you make the Archers at the Archery Range. With the expansion set each civilization has a unique technology it can research and they have their own unique unit (British Longbowmen, Spanish Conquistadors). It's a really cool game

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Greetings from your friendly local cannibal, put in your town by the federal government to keep the human population in check.
If I were to face him now, I'm pretty confident he would beat me into the ground—Goku
I am now more powerful than you can possibly imagine—Armondo Guitierrez
Yes but can you dance?—Freakazoid

That's cool. I knew that the screenshots looked cool, but I've never heard anybody say anything about. Very cool.

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The Mac port comes out next month, and the expansion pack will be bundled with it!
Cool, one of the scenarios is based on William Wallace

find out more here

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"You call that a knife? This is a knife!"
"That's not a knife, that's a spoon."

Civ III will be better, IMHO, but this will still be nice.

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Visit my EVO web site at http://www.evoverride.com!
"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure." -- Samuel Johnson

As an avid player of AoEII, in my biased opinion it rocks. I have found some annoying tendancies in the game though, such as the near impossibility of quick rushes (when you're attacked you can just garrison all your villagers inside your town center and watch them fill the nme with arrows), and the overstrength of some of the civilisations (read: Byzantine 8100 hp castles and elite cataphracts). However, the variety of unit capabilities is very nice, and the use of formation tactics is done superbly. The AI is also much better than other RTS games I've played, the hard difficulties being very challenging indeed.

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Beneath the "s" key on your keyboard is a miniature telescreen. I am watching you.

Don't all the castles get 8100 hp with Hoardings, or is that only Byzantines? Oh well. I like to get some Arbalests in formation with a pair of Trebuchets or Bombard Cannons and make the Trebuchets/Bombard cannons demolish buildings while the Arbalests destroy any pesky infantry units trying to destroy your bombardeers. Or if I'm in the mood just make about 20 Archers as soon as I can in the Feudal age and sic them on the enemy, upgrading their weapon/armor and upgrading them to Crossbowman and Arbalests. Caveliers, Paladins, Hussars and the Huns' Tarkan are pretty cool cavalry units too. Not to mention the Conquistadors, which are cavalry Hand-Cannoneers.

The William Wallace campaign is actually the tutorial campaign that tells you what to do and how the game works. I find the Battles of the Conquerors scenarios in the expansion set fun to play. Important historical battles like Tours, Agincourt, Hastings, and others are included. And the geographically correct terrains for certain areas that the civilizations lived in rule. For some reason I like the turkeys and Jaguars of the South American terrain more than the sheep and Wolves of the other terrains

Oh BTW, I own a copy of the expansion set. It rulez.

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Greetings from your friendly local cannibal, put in your town by the federal government to keep the human population in check.
If I were to face him now, I'm pretty confident he would beat me into the ground—Goku
I am now more powerful than you can possibly imagine—Armondo Guitierrez
Yes but can you dance?—Freakazoid

[This message has been edited by ESPilot (edited 09-30-2001).]

Eveyone else can only get up to 5600 hp on their castles... The byzantines get that 40% extra hp to all their buildings.....

Oh, and ph33r my Elite Longbowmen (mmmmm range of 12....outranging everyones castles except Teutons...). Conquistadors with their pitiful range of 6 and inherent inaccuracy just don't stand up,

Also ph33r Turkish gunpowder units. (Range 17 Cannon Galleons and range 10 Bombard Towers hurt, not to mention jannisaries {sp?}).

The expansion is fun The Aztecs may be totally hopeless at most things, but 95 hp Monks and Jaguar Warriors that do 20 damage are not fun to run up against without ranged support.

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Beneath the "s" key on your keyboard is a miniature telescreen. I am watching you.

Hmm. I seem to have thought Conquistadors had longer range. Oh well. The Elite Longbowman thing is cool, but try dealing with Harold Hadraade! Viking Berserk, 250 HP, 13 damage, 5 range (yes RANGE; he's like a combo Berserk-Axethrower) and Berserker regeneration powers and real fast attack. Not to mention the speed of an upgraded Woad Raider.

But when dealing with an AI I like to get Mayans and get a horde of Plumed Archers with full upgrades and loose 'em on the enemy. Turkish Elite Janissaries and range 12 Bombard Cannons also hurt alot. Of course, Bombard Cannons/Cannon Galleons only do well against buildings. Everything else just moves out of the way. Also, against your Longbowmen, a bunch of fully-upgraded Elite Huskarls garissonned in advancing Siege Rams.....

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Greetings from your friendly local cannibal, put in your town by the federal government to keep the human population in check.
If I were to face him now, I'm pretty confident he would beat me into the ground—Goku
I am now more powerful than you can possibly imagine—Armondo Guitierrez
Yes but can you dance?—Freakazoid

[This message has been edited by ESPilot (edited 10-02-2001).]

Actually, the easiest way to crush my archer tactics to to use Korean Seige Onagers. (OW, but REALLY expensive to upgrade to)

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Beneath the "s" key on your keyboard is a miniature telescreen. I am watching you.

[quote]Originally posted by Evil Homer:
The Mac port comes out next month, and the expansion pack will be bundled with it!
Cool, one of the scenarios is based on William Wallace   Can't wait for the Mac version...

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