Ages of Empires II

MooShop

just installed it last night on my laptop, looks like an incredible game. what do other people think of it?? any tips?

Raiser

AOE II & Conquerors (the expansion) are responsible for many lost days evenings and nights in my lifetime. Can't say enough good things. Campaigns are all v. good & the random game is excellent over and over if you make the settings just right to keep you challenged....

Enjoy.

Pugsley

Superb game, the AI is w*nk to say the least in skirmish, but apart from that its a superb game, particularly multiplayer if you can get some decent players.

MooShop

any hints/tips for the game??

Johnerr

its pretty ****, gets pretty boring, UNLESS you play it over the internet, then it is more better, computer is so predicatble, they do the same thing all the time, Play it over www.zone.com it's much better!!!

Pugsley

Best hints I can give is build a lot of villagers, and I mean, a LOT! 100+ between villagers and trade carts. And get to the castle age pretty quickly, dont rush to the Imperial Age, get it when money is dripping out your ears, as its of no use anyway until you have the money for the research. Build a lot of unit production centres too, aswell as town centres, having 4 town centres can be wise to help finish off your villager army once you hit the castle age, and to replenish any you lose to shock raids etc, 8 of each barracks/stable/archery is healthy to have, so if the time comes an army can be made in 2 seconds flat. When you need to seal an area off, 1 thick walls simply wont do, to block off thin ridges buildign a wall several layers thick provides one hell of an advanced warning, that a single thick wall simply doesnt provide. House's make for inexpensive walls for inside your city, they can be used to block the enemy away from where your farms are, lines of houses with gates dotted around them can stop a shock attack in its tracks until reinforcements arrive.

MooShop

cheers that sounds cool, it looks like a game that can become really addictive, im only starting off and im finding it addictive

GaMMoN

Age Of Empires III

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/ageofempiresiii/index.html?q=age+of+empires

Ri_Nollaig

the Age of Empire series are all brillant look forward too AoE 3 and yeah its much better online then single player but u cud say that alot games really :S

MooShop

ya it is but playing the computer gives you basic skills, a friend of mine has started a LAN every weekend so its really cool playing against friends and great craic. only have a standard 64k modem connection so it would be useless for playing online :mad:

Ivan

Nice job guys, ye're only 4 years behind the trend.
AoE and AoE 2 were both great games, but they are so completely outdated, that its not even funny. Try finding a more recent (and naturally better) RTS.

bounty

MooShop, aoc is fine on 56k

Ivan, you judge a rts by its release date? :rolleyes: this is strategy section, graphics don't mean **** here

Ivan

I'm sorry, you seem to have misconstrued my meaning, I dont mean its outdated graphically, although it is. I mean that it in terms of both gameplay, and pretty much anyway that counts, the games have been surpassed. Starcraft, Dawn of War, the Command and Conquer series', all show AoE(I & II) up for the hasty and not to mention assembly-line like, games that they are.

I really didnt mean to flame anyone, I'm just pointing out that ye're (seemingly new found) appreciation for RTS games, is appreciated, but somewhat misplaced.

MooShop

ya there probably are but i got a new laptop recently so put it on i've been dying to play it cos it wouldnt run on my ****ty home computer, its still an excellent game, cant wait for aoeIII, have to finish aoeII first though

BadCharlie

I agree with IVAN AOE is old and time for people to move on from that game, the game i would play any day over AOE2 would be Rise Of Nations.

Dont get me wrong AOE was and is a great game but i just would not play it when you c the games that are around now.

IANOC

yup great game.

bounty

Ivan wrote:

I'm sorry, you seem to have misconstrued my meaning, I dont mean its outdated graphically, although it is. I mean that it in terms of both gameplay, and pretty much anyway that counts, the games have been surpassed. Starcraft, Dawn of War, the Command and Conquer series', all show AoE(I & II) up for the hasty and not to mention assembly-line like, games that they are.

im talking about online aoc

Ivan wrote:

I really didnt mean to flame anyone, I'm just pointing out that ye're (seemingly new found) appreciation for RTS games, is appreciated, but somewhat misplaced.

iavn attempting to be patronising :rolleyes:

Johnerr

yea it is outdated, but still a very good game, i can't play it on my pc anymore coz it just shuts down when i open it, tink it graphics card, try to get to castle asap or you can rush in fudel, i can get to castle in 13min well used to be able to anyway, and yea 56k is fine

Ivan

bounty wrote:

im talking about online aoc



iavn attempting to be patronising :rolleyes:

No seriously, not trying to be patronising at all.
As was said, Rise of Nations is a vastly superior, while still similarly styled, RTS game. And thats just the tip of the iceberg. When I hear people praise AoE or even AoE II (AoC) I automatically imagine someone who is relatively new to RTS, as they are some of the first RTS games' I played, multiplayer.

No offense intended, I'll just crawl back under my rock

Pugsley

Rise of Nations is w*nk, dont compare AoC to that dribble :eek:

Ivan

rofl, 'nuff said.

Griffon

It is a great game. You should not need any tips if you work your way through all the tutorials you should be able to play easily!

Cremated

MooShop wrote:

just installed it last night on my laptop, looks like an incredible game. what do other people think of it?? any tips?

very good game, and overall i never lose the wanting to play it


the ai as someone else said is not the best, has anyone got in Dublin area a copy of Conquerors?

Ishindar

Ivan wrote:

No seriously, not trying to be patronising at all.
As was said, Rise of Nations is a vastly superior, while still similarly styled, RTS game. And thats just the tip of the iceberg. When I hear people praise AoE or even AoE II (AoC) I automatically imagine someone who is relatively new to RTS, as they are some of the first RTS games' I played, multiplayer.

No offense intended, I'll just crawl back under my rock

RON was abandoned by hardcore RTS players, AOC still has some of the best RTS players ever playing it. I played all the series online as they came out in the shops over the last 7 years and am currently playing AOT. AOC is "old" but it is a very skillfull and enjoyable RTS game and not too badly balanced. There are still a lot of people playing AOE online 7 years after its release. Dont knock a game because its old, AOC is still a great game and it is a better game than RON for many reasons, graphics isnt that important in RTS games its merely cosmetic, gameplay is everything and AOC has fantastic game play.

Ivan

Ok, perhaps Rise of Nations was a bad example, I barely played it myself, although I quite enjoyed it, i've no idea of balance etc.

As for hardcore RTS players, still playing AoC, well.. I would consider myself a hardcore RTS player and I wouldnt touch the thing. I might be persuaded to reinstall it and have a few quick games with someone, purely for nostaligia's sake. The fact is, there are way more recent and better, RTS games that are played more. I'm sure AoC and the like, have quite the few players left online, but do you think it compares to the amount of people, still playing starcraft? I know I still play it.

I dont quite understand this discussion, I gave an opinion, hoping to encourage people to try other games, it seems to have the oppositte effect.

Oh, and just one comment on balance. Cant be too sure if this is the same game your talking about, Ishindar, but the game I remember playing had a unit called the mameluke. The saracens or someone, had them. Little camels with ranged fighters on the back.

Well, given their speed, damage and rate of fire, they can take equal numbers (and most of the time, even more than equal numbers) of any other unit, if used correctly.

Now, mamelukes are a special unit, so I would hardly class that, as balanced...
This is just one in a long line of problems... this being the most obvious and therefore easiest for me to remember.

Pugsley

Mameluke were far from overpowered, especially when pitted against the likes of Teutonic knights, they done a whopping 3 damage a hit to them I think, and not to mention Mamelukes range is about 3 or 4, halbearder's rip them down with great efficiency also, and their price in gold is phenomenal for their actual stats, their main power is that their a melee unit that have all 4 ranks deep attacking. Also last I checked saracens were also quite weak in the infantry and archer catagory? They are a powerful unit no doubt, but you get what you pay for, and for them you pay a lot.

And comparing any older RTS is starcraft is pointless, we all know its the top of the food chain ^_^

However if you still have AoC lieing around, I recommend you install it and go looking for some demo's of games, theres some superb players out there for it, and the demo's for that game are very fun to watch, particularly if you get a good 3v3 demo or something, hectic doesnt begin sum it up.

loz

aegis
robin hood
cheese steak jimmy's
rock on
lumberjack

OTliddy

Ivan wrote:

Now, mamelukes are a special unit, so I would hardly class that, as balanced...
This is just one in a long line of problems... this being the most obvious and therefore easiest for me to remember.

OMG you must have no decent knowledge of the game. The post below said all there is to be said about mamelukes. On the zone(where the game should be played), not many people choose the Saracens. AOE is a very well balanced game. There is not "a long line of problems". It is a superbly engrossing game; I have been playing it for about 4 years now, and I consider myself to be quite an accomplished player(just so you know that I know what i'm talking about).
For every strategy there are several counter-strategies in aoe. For example, you may consider Paladins to be "unbalanced". They are indeed a potentially good unit but CAN be a waste of gold because they are easily countered by the much cheaper camel and pikeman.
There is one downside-scorpions are too powerful. However, this is overcome on the zone. NS(no scorpions) is a rule used enforced in almost any game you play on the zone.
Also, somebody said that aoc is hardly ever played by anyone online. There is constantly about 1000 people playing it, and about 700 playing aoe(1000 on a good weekend night)

I do have an open mind; I am not completly oblivious to other RTS games. I own others and have played quite a few. I only like aoe for the right reasons, however. Along with Gran Turismo 2 for the PS, aoe is one of the best games to grace the earth.

Pugsley

Scorpions? never had much of a problem with them in the small group of folks I played with, had more trouble with the occassional surprise team of 3 onagers that cropped up every now and again (koreans especially with their 12 range siege onagers if memory serves.). However one of us was quite fond of the chinese, and with their +4 pierce damage on the scorpions, they were indeed a force to be reckoned with (not to mention the Cho Ku Nu)

Ivan

OTliddy wrote:

OMG you must have no decent knowledge of the game. The post below said all there is to be said about mamelukes

NS(no scorpions) is a rule used enforced in almost any game you play on the zone.

Pot; Kettle?
NS, I'm afraid that must be a recent addition to the game, as I've never come across it in the countless games I've played. I'll take your word for it, it really says a lot though when you need to stop people from using a unit, because it is too powerful. Ah right, it says something about the games balance...

Pugsley wrote:

Mameluke were far from overpowered, especially when pitted against the likes of Teutonic knights, they done a whopping 3 damage a hit to them I think, and not to mention Mamelukes range is about 3 or 4, halbearder's rip them down with great efficiency also, and their price in gold is phenomenal for their actual stats, their main power is that their a melee unit that have all 4 ranks deep attacking.

Rofl, thats about all I needed to hear...
Mamelukes are the best unit in the game, simply because they cannot be caught by any unit, they have a ranged attack, and they do crazy (good) damage.

Saying they suck against teutonic knights, is irrelevant, becaue the teutonic knights will never catch them to even hit them.

Also, Saracens get pikemen, siege onagers, scorpions and mamelukes everything else is redundant.

When a game comes down to Saracen vs. Saracen, and then who could get mass mamelukes first, then it isnt very balance.

Anyway, I've said enough on this subject.

Pugsley

The thing your missing is, for a perfect player, yes their hard to kill, but the amount of micro required not to get them hit when they have a range of 3 (ie: f*ck all) is not going to happen with more than about 10 of them, mounted ranged units arent the end all win unit, and dont even bring the spanish into it, Conquistadors not only out damage mamelukes, they have the vastly superior range. Granted in a mameluke vs Conquistador battle mameluke will win (on the damage bonus).

Of all the AoC demo's I have seen, if the Saracans were the all mighty unstoppable behemoth, then why are they rarely played in high end games? the spanish and mongol's are far more common. Pikemen are ultimately the end all for cavelry units, as their price and damage to cavelry are simply rediculous. Now which is it easier to micro, 7 range cavelry, or 3 range? for your mameluke you wont be firing until their right ontop of you, you will need to do laps of the map to take them all down. And the price of Pikeys is negligable compared to Mameluke, given the market rates on gold, a mameluke would cost easily as much as 10 pikeys after the gold supplies are thin.

OTliddy

Ivan wrote:

countless games I've played

You are undoubtedly a newbie. This means that you are not only bad, but you are unaware of it.

Mamelukes are the best unit in the game, simply because they cannot be caught by any unit, they have a ranged attack, and they do crazy (good) damage.

They are owned by several units. The cheap and very effective pikeman and archer combination, for example. Mamelukes have no pierce armour. In order to get close to the archers, they would have to get through pikemen, which also own mamelukes.

Saying they suck against teutonic knights, is irrelevant, becaue the teutonic knights will never catch them to even hit them.

you cannot simply keep running away from teutonic knights. Archers would follow. Did you not read the other posts in this thread explaining why mamelukes are not so good. and you still insist after reading them?

When a game comes down to Saracen vs. Saracen, and then who could get mass mamelukes first, then it isnt very balance.

ITS NOT LIKE THAT ATALL. Could you at least admit that you have no concept of the game? Here are some ways to counter a mameluke rush:
-flush them. a good 11 minute chinese/persian flush should do the trick.
-a krush. 17 mins
-wall off. then when the mameluks come, you have a couple of mangonels/onagers on "stand ground" ready to annihalate them over the walls.
-make alot of archers and pikemen...cheaper than making mamelukes.

One mameluke costs 55food and 85gold. To make a decent army of 40 mamelukes, it would take 2200 food and a whopping 3400gold! You're takling about 35minutes+ untill you finally attack.

Anyway, you clearly will never change your mind,no matter what anybody says. I tire of arguing. I'd be more than pleased to play you though

Co33iE

#rvr.aok
on quakenet pm |end| he is always getting games going at the weekends

Pugsley

You lot still playing Co33? 0_o may be up for a game one of these weekends.

bounty

I must agree with the other, Ivan comes across as a noob.

Manulukes... pff so many counters, archers, siege, t.knights, hals, even skirms beat them. Watch a few 2k+ recorded games, and you'll see no one bothers with them

saracens are not in the top5 civs anyway

Ivan

bounty wrote:

I must agree with the other, Ivan comes across as a noob.

Manulukes... pff so many counters, archers, siege, t.knights, hals, even skirms beat them. Watch a few 2k+ recorded games, and you'll see no one bothers with them

saracens are not in the top5 civs anyway

Fair enough, if the only reason you can propose, that my opinion would differ to yours, is that "I'm a noob", then so be it.

I'm a noob. I just like to reply on threads about games I've (hardly) never played before, posting drivel about how unbalanced they are, purely so more people will play the games that I like.

Get a clue, mate. Keep playing the stupid game, see if I give a shít.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

ahaha

haha, my god

Ivan is not a noob. I think he was born knowing useless ****e about a couple of hundred computer games, and he's added a lot more to his repetoire(?) over the years.

believe it bitches, you got nothing on him.

bounty

Fair enough, if the only reason you can propose, that my opinion would differ to yours, is that "I'm a noob", then so be it.

if you had read my previous post correctly, you would see that i pointed out that if you watched a few 2k+ recorded games, and you'll see people don't bother with Mamelukes for many reasons. therefore it is not just my opinion yours differs to, but experts of aoc

disagreeing with experts of a game on strategy, generally makes you a noob. but hey, maybe mamelukes are useful in noob games, i wouldn't know

Ba_barbaraAnne

bounty wrote:

if you had read my previous post correctly, you would see that i pointed out that if you watched a few 2k+ recorded games, and you'll see people don't bother with Mamelukes for many reasons. therefore it is not just my opinion yours differs to, but experts of aoc

disagreeing with experts of a game on strategy, generally makes you a noob. but hey, maybe mamelukes are useful in noob games, i wouldn't know

From reading this I wish we had broadband and could go online to play strategy games.

I like converting mamelukes to my cause. The 'hoyohoyohoyo' cheat plus lots of priests is a great way to convert, rather than wipe out opponents for a laugh!

Anyone play Stronghold? Fantastic graphics and battles and economic strategies to keep anyone busy for hours.

Co33iE

Pugsley wrote:

You lot still playing Co33? 0_o may be up for a game one of these weekends.

just got me new pc so i'll be around for more games now :P

btw a villiger/swordsmen rush beats all

Gazza22

So did anyone play this on the zone recently? My last game on the zone was about a year ago

bounty

ive played lots of games, im on the zone right now as Jack_D_Rusher