Microsoft® Age of Empires® II: The Conquerors Expansion Version 1.0B

Readme File

June 2001

© Microsoft Corporation, 2001. All rights reserved.

Microsoft Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion 1.0B is an update of Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion 1.0 that includes several enhancements and bug fixes.

CONTENTS

A. Version Compatibility

B. Balance Changes

C. Enhancements

D. Bug Fixes

E. Uninstalling The Conquerors Expansion 1.0B

A. Version Compatibility

If you are playing a multiplayer game, all players must be using the same version of Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion. For example, you cannot play a multiplayer game between The Conquerors Expansion 1.0 and The Conquerors 1.0B update.

Recorded games can only be played using the same version of The Conquerors Expansion that was used to record the game. For example, you cannot play a Conquerors Expansion 1.0 recorded game using The Conquerors Expansion 1.0B update.

To play a Conquerors Expansion 1.0 recorded game after installing the Conquerors Expansion 1.0B update, you must temporarily revert to The Conquerors Expansion 1.0.

To play a Conquerors Expansion 1.0 recorded game:

1.              In the Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II folder (or wherever you installed the game), create a Conquerors folder.

2.              Copy the following files from your Conquerors 1.0 disc to the new Conquerors folder:

·         00000409.016

·         00000409.256

·         CLCD16.DLL

·         CLCD32.DLL

·         CLOKSPL.EXE

·         DPLAYERX.DLL

·         DRVMGT.DLL

·         AGE2_X1.EXE

·         AGE2_X1.ICD

3.              Create a shortcut to Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II\Conquerors\Age2_X1.EXE, with the Start In folder set to Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II.

4.              Start The Conquerors Expansion 1.0 using the new shortcut, then play The Conquerors Expansion 1.0 recorded game.

B. Balance Changes

Civilizations

·                      Aztecs get free Loom.

·                      Byzantines get free Town Watch.

·                      Chinese start with 50 less food (for a total of -200 food).

·                      Franks now get the Halberd technology.

·                      Goth infantry cost 25% less starting in the Feudal Age.

·                      Japanese infantry get 25% attack speed bonus starting in the Feudal Age.

·                      Koreans –

·         Shinkichon increases Onager range by +1 instead of +2.

·         Turtle Ships have Heated Shot and additional armor vs. Galley-line ships.

·         Korean villager LOS increased by +1.

·         Turtle Ship artwork is changed to be more realistic.

·         War Wagon and Elite War Wagon range is reduced.

·                      Spanish Hand Cannoneer and Bombard Cannons fire 15% faster. Fire rate for Conquistadors and Elite Conquistadors is also improved.

Units

·                      All archery range units (except Hand Cannoneers) now do +1 additional damage to Spearman-line units.

·                      Camels are now as quick to train as spearmen.

·                      Viking Berserks now move as fast as pikemen.

·                      Celtic Woad Raiders now move faster (they run faster than Eagle Warriors who lack Squires).

·                      Bombard Cannons cause +80 additional damage to buildings.

·                      Training time for Teutonic Knights, Longboats, Tarkans, and Samurai is significantly reduced.

·                      Cavalry Archers now have equal range to Heavy Cavalry Archers.

·                      Scout Cavalry get +2 attack in the Feudal Age.

·                      Galleys now take 60 seconds to produce (War Galleys & Galleons still take 45 seconds).

·                      Fireships & Fast Fireships have additional armor vs. Galley-line ships.

·                      Fireships cause additional damage vs. Turtle Ships.

·                      Korean War Wagon cost increased to 120 wood 60 gold.

Buildings

·                      Castles now take longer to build.

·                      Bombard Towers now do piercing damage instead of normal damage (the major effect is vs. rams).

Technologies

·                      Loom provides +1 additional Pierce armor.

·                      Palisade walls get +3 additional Pierce armor.

·                      Treadmill Crane, Masonry, Architecture, Hoardings, Fortified Wall, Guard Tower, and Keep have had their stone cost replaced with wood or food. Now these technologies only cost food & wood.

·                      Theocracy only costs 200 gold.

·                      Shipwright now also decreases ship build time.

·                      Parthian Shot increases Cavalry Archer and Mangudai attack vs. spearman-line units.

·                      Heated Shot now increases tower attack and Castle attack vs. ships.

·                      Capped Ram & Battering Ram upgrades no longer cost gold.

Resources

Fish traps now provide food at a faster rate.

C. Enhancements

·                      Open ground is always green on the mini map, even on snow or sand terrain.

·                      Black Forest is no longer an option if you select Random Map or Land Random.

·                      Farms can be queued to 40.

·                      Blind Random Map – Multiplayer only. Selects randomly between a number of different map types, and you are not told what kind of map you are playing on.

·                      Turbo Random Map -- In this mode, all buildings work 2.5 times faster except when building econ units (fishing boats, trade ships & carts, villagers). All economic units gather 2.5 times faster and carry 2.5 times as many resources. All trade units work 2.0 times faster. Villagers construct buildings 2.5 times faster except for castles, towers, & wonders. To play this new Turbo style, select "Turbo Random Map" from the Game Type menu in either single player or multiplayer mode.

·                      Custom Random Maps -- New ES Custom Maps are in the patch. To select one, go to Map Style and click "Custom." Note that these maps are NOT guaranteed to work effectively vs. a computer opponent or for certain game types. The computer opponents assume that all Custom maps are Coastal, so a map type that is quite different may hinder the computer opponents’ typical skill level. Also, if you play Regicide on ES@Pilgrims_v2, you do not receive a starting castle. If you play Regicide on ES@Metropolis_v2, you get three kings and three castles. If you have 7-8 players on ES@Pilgrims_v2, some players may instantly resign. The following maps are included. For full descriptions, go to http://www.ensemblestudios.com/aoeiix/docs/rms.shtml.

·         ES@Canals_V2.rms -- A network of canals creates a spider web effect as they try to connect every player's starting town.

·         ES@Capricious_V2.rms -- Starting food, gold and stone might be at normal levels, in short supply, or in abundance.  Starting trees will always be the same.

·         ES@Dingos_V2.rms -- Villagers shepherd their flocks while avoiding rampaging wild animals. Lots of sheep, lots of wolves, no Scout.

·         ES@Graveyards_V2.rms -- Control weed-choked graveyards packed with scary trees and abandoned buildings that conceal resources and ancient relics.

·         ES@Metropolis_V2.rms -- Control three Town Centers, three sets of villagers, three Scouts and three sets of resources!

·         ES@Moats_V2.rms -- Each player's town is surrounded by a narrow body of water with several land bridges for access and moats narrow enough for ranged units to fire across.

·         ES@Paradise_Island_V2.rms -- Start on a tropical island with your enemies. The map is loaded with fish, boars, and berries. Find the three relics at the base of the volcano in the center, but beware of the guardians!

·         ES@Pilgrims_v2.rms -- Your starting island may be small, but there is a whole new world to discover! Hop in your Transport and race your enemies to the new world!

·         ES@Prairie_V2.rms -- Food is often scarce and there aren't a lot of natural defenses, but your two Scouts can cover a lot of ground.

·         ES@Seasons_V2.rms -- Based on the 4 seasons in a year, with a 25% chance of loading up a Winter map, Spring map, Summer map, or Autumn map.

·         ES@Sherwood_Forest_V2.rms -- Multiplayer only. Your town is surrounded by forests, yet you can walk freely through them. Use your hunting wolf to scout the terrain or for sneak attacks on your enemy’s villagers.

·         ES@Sherwood_Heroes_V2.rms -- Single player version of Sherwood Forest. Start out with some familiar heroes.

·         ES@Shipwreck_V2.rms -- A few bruised villagers and their waterlogged sheep stranded on a desert island.

·         ES@Team_Glaciers_V2.rms -- In the frozen north, each team must defend its own hunk of ice and snow against frequent enemy raids. Bad weather makes ships and walls rare, though strangely, this has led to a bumper crop of deer.

·         ES@The_Unknown_V2.rms -- Everything is random. Everything. From the moment the game starts, you have to scout (with a random number of Scouts, of course) to figure out whether you are on an island, a mainland, or inside a clearing of trees.

D. Bug Fixes

·                      Male Mayan farmers are now as good as females.

·                      Imperial Age Houses now have normal house armor.

·                      Villagers now walk around farms normally if stopped and started again (the infamous "Farm bug").

·                      Monks no longer heal garrisoned units.

·                      Computer opponents no longer always switch to attack the opponent with the highest score. That is, they initially attack that opponent, but then they keep attacking for some time afterwards, even if that opponent’s score drops.

·                      Teuton Monk Resistance now works properly, so researching Faith is beneficial to them.

·                      On Nomad maps, Chinese, Persians, Huns, and Mayans now get the correct starting resources.

·                      Computer opponents now build lumber camps next to bamboo.

·                      Town centers now always take damage from Bombard Towers.

·                      The Team Glaciers map no longer starts players on ice terrain.

...