Microsoft Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion
Readme File
June 2000
© Microsoft Corporation, 2000. All rights reserved.

Welcome to Microsoft® Age of Empires® II: The Conquerors Expansion!

This file contains information to help you install The Conquerors Expansion. It also includes late-breaking information not included in the manual or in-game Help.

CONTENTS
A. Installing The Conquerors Expansion
B. Starting The Conquerors Expansion
C. Getting Help
D. What's on the CD
E. Manual Corrections
F. DirectX Troubleshooting
G. Gameplay Troubleshooting
H. Video Troubleshooting
I. CD-ROM Drive Troubleshooting
J. Audio Troubleshooting
K. Performance Troubleshooting
L. Multiplayer Troubleshooting
M. Map Editor Troubleshooting
N. The Conquerors Expansion Information

A. Installing The Conquerors Expansion

To install The Conquerors Expansion, you must be using Microsoft Windows® 95 or later (this includes Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition) or Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or later (this includes Microsoft Windows 2000). (For information about how to get Service Pack 5, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/).

To install The Conquerors Expansion

1. Turn on your computer and start Microsoft Windows 95 or later or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or later.
2. Place The Conquerors Expansion CD in the disc holder (if required), and insert it into your CD-ROM drive.
3. If AutoPlay is enabled, click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
 -or-
 If AutoPlay is disabled, double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, double-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, and then double-click the AOCSetup.exe icon. When the Setup screen appears, click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

B. Starting The Conquerors Expansion

You must have The Conquerors Expansion CD in your CD-ROM drive to play.

You cannot launch or join a Conquerors Expansion multiplayer game from the MSN™ Gaming Zone lobby if you do not have The Conquerors Expansion CD in the CD-ROM drive. All players must have a CD inserted at launch time.

You can connect only to multiplayer games created with the same Age of Empires version you are using. For example, if you are playing The Conquerors Expansion, only Conquerors games appear in the multiplayer list. Games created with Age of Empires, Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion, or Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings do not appear in the list.

To start The Conquerors Expansion

· Place The Conquerors Expansion CD in the disc holder (if required), insert it into your CD-ROM drive, click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Games, point to Age of Empires II - The Conquerors Expansion, and then click The Conquerors.

You can skip the opening cinematics by clicking the mouse or pressing ENTER, SPACEBAR, or ESC.

C. Getting Help

You can find information about The Conquerors Expansion in the game manual, the in-game Help, and in the TechTree.pdf file in the Docs folder on The Conquerors Expansion CD.

To display in-game Help

· Pause your pointer over any button or interface item in the game and Help text automatically appears on the screen. (To turn off in-game Help, click the Help button near the mini-map in the lower-right corner of the screen.)

The game manual and the technology trees for all 18 civilizations are available in .pdf format in the Docs folder on the CD. You can view and print the files using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

To install Adobe Acrobat Reader

· Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, right-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, and then click Install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

D. What's on the CD

The Conquerors CD contains some additional information that you may find interesting or useful.

To access the information on the CD

· Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, right-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, click Open, and then double-click either the Docs or Goodies folder.

Docs folder

· Cpsb.doc - Computer Player Strategy Builder Guide - For advanced players who want to learn how to write scripts to customize the artificial intelligence (AI) that controls the behavior of computer players. There is also a sample AI script in the Goodies folder on the CD.

· Rmsg.doc - Random Map Scripting Guide - For advanced players who want to learn how to write scripts to customize the terrain of random maps. There are also sample random map scripts in the Goodies folder on the CD.

· Manual.pdf - Conquerors Expansion Manual - An online version of the manual, which you can view or print using Adobe Acrobat Reader. To install Adobe Acrobat Reader, see Getting Help earlier in this Readme file.

· Techtree.pdf - Conquerors Expansion Tech Trees - Lets you view or print the tech trees for all 18 civilizations in the game (only the tech trees for the five new civilizations are in the manual). To view or print the tech trees, you must install Adobe Acrobat Reader as explained in Getting Help earlier in this Readme file.

Goodies folder

· Aiscript folder - Contains samples of the two files required to customize the artificial intelligence of computer players (SampleAI.ai and SampleAI.per). To learn how to write custom AI scripts, see Cpsb.doc in the Docs folder on the CD.
· Machine folder - Provides configuration information about your computer for easy troubleshooting if you require product support.
· Mszone folder - Lets you install the Zone.com software so you can connect to multiplayer games from the MSN™ Gaming Zone.
· Rmscript folder - Contains samples of two different random map scripts (Hallowed.rms and TradeRts.rms). To learn how to write scripts to customize the terrain of random maps, see Rmsg.doc in the Docs folder.
· Scenario folder - Contains the fan-designed scenario that won the Age of Empires II scenario design contest. See the instructions in this folder to find out what you need to do to play the scenario.
· Aocdemo.scx - Conquerors Expansion Demo Scenario - To play the scenario, copy Aocdemo.scx to the Scenarios folder where The Conquerors Expansion is installed.
· Ar405eng.exe - Adobe Acrobat Reader - Adobe Acrobat Reader lets you view or print the Manual.pdf and Techtree.pdf files in the Docs folder. For installation instructions, see Getting Help earlier in this Readme file.

E. Manual Corrections

Manual corrections and clarifications are as follows:

Pages 4 & 5: Bombard Cannons, Mangonels, Onagers, and Siege Onagers fire faster because the speed of the trajectory increased, not because they fire more often.

Page 5: The Patrol command has been changed so that units on patrol do not attack during the first several seconds of the patrol.

Page 7: If you play a Defend the Wonder game using a Real World Map, you do not begin the game with walls.

F. DirectX Troubleshooting

DirectX® 6.1 or later must be installed on your computer before you can play The Conquerors Expansion. If you have correctly installed Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, you should already have DirectX installed. If you experience problems with DirectX, see the Readme file on the Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings CD.

If you experience sound or video problems using DirectX, go to http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx/ for the latest troubleshooting information.

You should also check with your video or sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible drivers.

G. Gameplay Troubleshooting

· Saving games - You cannot name a saved game using certain operating system terms, such as COM1, LPT1, etc.

· Recording games - If you run out of hard disk space while recording a game, the recording stops but the game continues uninterrupted. However, if you are inserting a chapter marker into a recorded game and you run out of hard disk space, the game may crash.

· Moving campaigns and scenarios to a different computer - You can move the files for your Conquerors Expansion games to another computer. Conquerors Expansion files have a .gax file extension - for example, Age2.gax.

To transfer your campaigns, move the *.cpx files from the Campaign folder where The Conquerors Expansion is installed to the same location on another computer. Then transfer all of the scenarios in that campaign and the Player.nfx file as explained below.

To transfer your scenarios, move the *.scx files from the Scenario folder where The Conquerors Expansion is installed to the same location on another computer.

To transfer your player name and progress through the campaigns, move Player.nfx from the folder where The Conquerors Expansion is installed to the same location on another computer. If you are moving the Player.nfx file to a computer that already contains a Player.nfx file, you may want to rename the file on the computer to which you are moving files so you do not overwrite the existing Player.nfx and lose the campaign information it contains.

H. Video Troubleshooting

· 9FX Motion 531 - If you are running Windows 95, you may experience screen corruption of the main menu and New Player dialog box, screen corruption during gameplay when scrolling from left to right and from right to left, and screen corruption as you select different objects on the game screen. If this occurs, contact the video card manufacturer for the latest drivers (http://www.nine.com/), or download the S3 Vision 868 reference drivers for the card at http://www.s3.com/.

· ATI 3D Rage Pro - You may experience brief pauses or decreased game performance. If this occurs, contact ATI for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.ati.com/.

· ATI Rage Pro Turbo 2X - Rage Pro Turbo 2X video cards may only allow you to use a 640 x 480 screen resolution. The minimum Conquerors Expansion in-game resolution is 800 x 600. If this occurs, contact ATI for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.ati.com/.

· Creative Labs Graphics Blaster Exxtreme - Creative Labs Graphics Blaster Exxtreme video adapters may cause screen corruption when you change the in-game screen resolution or press ALT+TAB to enter or leave the game. If this occurs, contact Creative Labs for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.creative.com/.

· Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 - You may experience a black screen when starting the game (you may still hear game sounds and be able to click buttons). If this occurs, contact Diamond for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.diamondmm.com/.

· Diamond Monster Fusion - You may experience stability problems when starting the game. If this occurs, contact Diamond for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.diamondmm.com/. For the latest drivers to function properly, you may need to update your video bios. You can find information about how to do this on the Diamond Web site.

· Hercules Stingray 128/3D - If your in-game screen resolution is set to 1024 x 768, you may experience screen corruption and your computer may lock up if you restore a game using ALT+TAB. If this occurs, contact Hercules for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.hercules.com/.

· Hercules Terminator Beast - You may not be able to view the opening video using the retail drivers for this card (although you may be able to hear the sound). If this occurs, press the ESC key to bypass the opening videos and display the main menu. Contact Hercules for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.hercules.com/.

· Intergraph Intense 3D 100 - Intergraph Intense 3D 100 video adapters cause the game to crash during the opening video. If this occurs, add the command line parameter Nostartup in your Conquerors Expansion shortcut. For information about adding parameters to the command line, see Command Line Parameters under Performance Troubleshooting later in this Readme file.

· Intergraph Intense 3D 100 - During gameplay, the bottom game screen border may be corrupt and pink in color. Also, the in-game custom mouse pointer may not be visible. If this occurs, contact Intergraph for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.intergraph.com/. You may not be able to view the game in 1024 x 768 resolution.

· Matrox Millennium II PowerDesk - Your computer may lock up when you change the in-game screen resolution to 1024 x 768. If this occurs, contact Matrox for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.matrox.com/.

· Matrox MGA Millennium - You may experience screen corruption when playing with an in-game resolution of 1024 x 768 or when using ALT+TAB in this resolution. If this occurs, contact Matrox for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.matrox.com/.

· Permedia 2 Chipset-based video card with latest 3D Labs reference drivers - You may experience screen corruption when playing The Conquerors Expansion using this configuration. If this occurs, uninstall the reference drivers and contact your video card manufacturer for the latest driver written specifically for your card. Many reference drivers are not supported, and may cause problems with certain applications.

· Sierra Screaming 3D - Your computer may lock up when you exit the game. If this occurs, contact Sierra for the latest video drivers, or download them at http://www.sierra.com/.

· Sierra Screaming 3D (Rendition Verite 1000) - You may experience screen corruption when your in-game screen resolution is set to 1280 x 1024. If this occurs, exit the game using ALT+F4. Restart the game, and in the Options screen set your in-game resolution to a lower resolution.

· STB Velocity 4400 - You may experience blue screens or instability when launching The Age of Kings or The Conquerors Expansion. If this occurs, contact the video card manufacturer for the latest drivers, or download them at http://www.stb.com/. or download the reference drivers from http://www.nvidia.com/. If your video card is AGP, you may also want to lower the AGP aperture size in the bios. A good rule of thumb is to set your AGP aperture size to half of your total system RAM.

· Voodoo 3 - If you are running Windows 2000, your mouse pointer may blink during gameplay. If this occurs, try a lower screen resolution. If this doesn't work, contact the video card manufacturer for the latest drivers, or download them at http://www.3dfx.com/.

· Black screen after video - A black screen may appear at the conclusion of the opening video. If this occurs, press ESC or click the mouse button. You may also want to add the command line parameter Nostartup to The Conquerors shortcut. For information about adding parameters to the command line, see Command Line Parameters under Performance Troubleshooting later in this Readme file.

· Black screen areas - Some video adapters may cause black areas on the game screen. If this occurs, you can add the Mfill parameter to the command line in The Conquerors shortcut. For information about adding parameters to the command line, see Command Line Parameters under Performance Troubleshooting later in this Readme file.

· Screen corruption - If you experience problems such as a black screen after starting the game, black areas on the game screen, screen corruption when you press ALT+TAB to enter/leave the game, or other screen problems while playing the game, contact your video card manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· Screen flickering - Certain second-party applications may cause a brief flickering of the Conquerors Expansion video palette. Disabling all non-vital applications before running The Conquerors Expansion will increase stability, performance, and visual quality. This problem may occur on some systems with the Creative SBLive! sound card with the Creative LiveWire 2.0 and 2.1 driver sets for this sound card.

· Mouse pointer - Some video adapters may cause the mouse pointer to disappear if you change the in-game screen resolution or reenter the game by pressing ALT+TAB. If this occurs, contact your video card manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· Monitors and lower-end video cards - You may see brief screen corruption or flashing when switching screens in the game. This is a limitation of some older video cards and will not affect game performance or stability. If you notice screen corruption when switching to a high in-game resolution, this may be due to the limitation of certain monitors or some older, lower-end video cards that do not support higher resolutions. Use ALT+F4 to exit the game, restart The Conquerors Expansion, and then use the Options screen to switch to a lower in-game resolution.

· DirectX - If you experience video problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information, as explained in DirectX Troubleshooting earlier in this Readme file.

I. CD-ROM Drive Troubleshooting

The Conquerors Expansion uses Safedisc encryption technology. Some CD-ROM drives may not be compatible with this technology.

· Acer 44X - You may experience problems with this drive during installation. There are no known solutions.

· Acer CD-624a - If you experience problems with this drive when using read-mode drivers, install protected-mode drivers.

· Memorex 2224 - You may experience problems with this drive. The drive may take up to 3 minutes to load from the CD.

· Plextor - If you experience problems with these drives, contact Plextor for an upgraded version of Plextor Manager 2000, which includes a "No Read Slowdown" option that may prevent the drive from slowing to 2X speed.

· Sanyo CRD-256P - If you experience problems with this drive, do not load the game multiple times in one session. Also, you may try ejecting the CD.

· Sony CDU77E 2X - If you experience problems with this drive, make sure it is configured as a master, and then run the game again.

· Yamaha 2216E and CDR6416S - You may experience problems with these drives. There are no known solutions.

· Yamaha 4416SX - If you experience problems with this drive, contact Yamaha for a firmware upgrade.

· Error requesting CD insertion - When launching a multiplayer game from the Zone, you may receive an error message asking you to insert the CD although the CD is already in the drive. If this occurs, exit and relaunch from the Zone.

J. Audio Troubleshooting

· DirectX - If you experience audio problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information, as explained in DirectX Troubleshooting earlier in this Readme file.

K. Performance Troubleshooting

There are several ways to improve the game's performance. For example, the game will run faster if you use the least demanding game settings, such as setting the screen resolution to 800 x 600, setting the detail of graphics to Low, setting the game speed to Slow, and setting the difficulty level to Easy. Most of these improvements can be made from within the game (on the main menu, click Options, or if you are playing a game, click the Menu button, and then click Options). You can also set some of these variables by adding parameters to the command line.

Command Line Parameters

You can add parameters to The Conquerors Expansion command line to improve performance, customize startup, or resolve problems with certain hardware configurations.

To add parameters to the command line in The Conquerors shortcut

1. Right-click The Conquerors shortcut, click Properties, and then click Shortcut.
2. In the Target box, type the name of the parameter after the existing command line text. For example, if you add the parameters NoStartup and NoTerrainSound, the command line will read "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II\Age2_x1\Age2_x1.exe" Nostartup Noterrainsound. Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important.

To add parameters to the Age of Empires II registry for multiplayer games using the MSN Gaming Zone

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
3. Double-click Hkey_local_machine/Software/Microsoft/DirectPlay/Applications/Age of Empires II - The Conquerors Expansion/CommandLine.
4. In the Value data box, type the name of the parameter after the existing command line text. For example, if you add the parameters NoStartup and NoTerrainSound, the command line will read "Lobby NoStartup NoTerrainSound." Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important. Do not remove the word "lobby" from the command line.

The command line parameters include:

· NoStartup - Skips all cinematic sequences before the game starts.

· 800, 1024, 1280 - Sets the screen resolution to 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, or 1280 x 1024. For example, 800 sets the screen resolution to 800 x 600, 1024 sets the screen resolution to 1024 x 768, and 1280 sets the screen resolution to 1280 x 1024. You can also set the screen resolution by clicking the Menu button during gameplay and then clicking Options. If you use a command line parameter to set the screen resolution, the game always starts at that resolution, even if you use Options to choose another resolution. Note that the interface screens before the game will always be displayed in 800 x 600 mode.

· Autompsave - Automatically saves a multiplayer game every few minutes. Saved games are located in the Savegame/Multi folder.

· Mfill - Fixes horizontal line problems and black screen areas that may occur with some video adapter configurations.

· NormalMouse - Replaces the custom mouse pointer with a standard mouse pointer.

· NOSC - Turns off detection of the Microsoft Strategic Commander game controller.

· NoSound - Turns off all sounds, except those played in cinematics.

· NoTerrainSound - Turns off all terrain sounds.

· NoMusic - Turns off all music.

· Msync - Fixes lock-up problems that may occur with some SoundBlaster AWE configurations.

Performance problems with VIA chipset-based motherboards

If you experience blue screens or instability with Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion on a system with a VIA chipset-based motherboard, contact your OEM dealer, hardware manufacturer, or motherboard manufacturer to acquire and install the appropriate AGP miniport driver. This will fix all known issues. If problems persist, contact your OEM dealer, hardware manufacturer, or motherboard manufacturer for further assistance.

L. Multiplayer Troubleshooting

· Age of Empires versions - In a multiplayer game, all players must be using the same version of Age of Empires. For example, if you are using The Conquerors Expansion, only Conquerors Expansion games appear in the multiplayer list. Games created with Age of Empires, Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion, or Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings are not listed.

· Best performance - For best performance, connect to the Internet before starting an Internet multiplayer game.

· Connection type - Always select Internet TCP/IP Connection for DirectPlay when starting a multiplayer game over the Internet. (Select the Local (LAN) TCP/IP Connection if you are playing on a private or home network.) If you choose LAN and you are playing on the Internet, the game may hang. If this occurs, restart The Conquerors Expansion and select Internet TCP/IP Connection for DirectPlay.

· Different modem speeds - If two players have different modem speeds, they will be unable to play with each other. If this occurs, use the same modem speed as your opponent.

· Home networks and dial-up connections - If you have a network card and you dial in to the Internet via modem, you may have trouble launching multiplayer games. If this occurs, unplug the network cable from your network card before connecting to the Internet.

· Computer Players in multiplayer games - It is not recommended that computer players play in a multiplayer game over the Internet as it may slow the game. If you would like to add computer players to a multiplayer game, make sure the player with the fastest computer and fastest connection hosts the game.

· Multiplayer performance - If you experience performance problems during a multiplayer game, try playing at a lower screen resolution or have the host set the game speed to Slow in the Multiplayer Game screen.

· Multiple IP addresses - If other players are not able to connect to a game you have created by typing the IP address that appears when you click the IP button on the Multiplayer Game screen, you may have multiple IP addresses. You can display all of your IP addresses by running Winipcfg.

To run Winipcfg

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
2.  Type Winipcfg, and then click OK.
3.  Select PPP Adapter. The correct IP address is displayed in the IP Address box.

· Disconnection from ISP - If you are disconnected from your ISP and quickly reconnect, you and the host may be dropped from the game if your ISP assigns a new IP address because the game will not recognize you. If this occurs, restart the game.

· Random map versions - If your version of a random map does not match the host's, you must go to the Random folder where you installed The Conquerors Expansion and rename the map so the host can transfer the correct version.

· Hard disk space - If you join a multiplayer game but do not have enough hard disk space to download the scenario, you will receive a message that you must quit the game, clear space on your hard disk, and then rejoin the game. You must also delete the partially downloaded scenario from the Scenario folder where you installed The Conquerors Expansion or the game will crash after you reconnect.

M. Map Editor Troubleshooting

· Scenario names - You cannot name a scenario using certain reserved terms, such as AUX, CLOCK, COM1, CON, LPT1, NUL, PRN, etc.

· Palette problems - You may experience problems when creating your own background art for campaigns in the Map Editor. If this occurs, do not use the first or last 10 colors in the color palette.

N. The Conquerors Expansion Information

· For more information about Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion, visit our Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/conquerors/.
· If you'd like to play against opponents over the Internet, check out the MSN Gaming Zone at http://www.zone.com/.

Microsoft Age of Empires II Readme File
September 1999
© Microsoft Corporation, 1999. All rights reserved.

Welcome to Microsoft® Age of Empires® II: The Age of Kings™!

This file contains information to help you install Age of Empires II. It also includes late-breaking information not included in the manual or in-game Help.

CONTENTS
A. Installing Age of Empires II
B. Starting Age of Empires II
C. Getting Help
D. Changes to Formations and Manual Corrections
E. DirectX Troubleshooting
F. Gameplay Troubleshooting
G. Video Troubleshooting
H. Audio Troubleshooting
I. Performance Troubleshooting
J. Multiplayer Troubleshooting
K. Map Editor
L. Age of Empires II Information

A. Installing Age of Empires II

To install Age of Empires II, you must be using Microsoft Windows® 95 or later or Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or later. (For information about how to get Service Pack 5, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/).

To install Age of Empires II

1. Turn on your computer and start Microsoft Windows 95 or later or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or later.
2. Place the Age of Empires II CD in the disc holder (if required), and insert it into your CD-ROM drive.
3. If AutoPlay is enabled, click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
 -or-
 If AutoPlay is disabled, double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, double-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, and then double-click the AOESetup.exe icon. When the Setup screen appears, click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

B. Starting Age of Empires II

You must have the Age of Empires II CD in your CD-ROM drive to play Age of Empires II.

Age of Empires II will not launch or join a multiplayer game from the MSN™ Gaming Zone lobby if the player does not have the Age of Empires II CD in the CD-ROM drive. All players must have a CD inserted at launch time.

You can connect only to multiplayer games created with the same Age of Empires version you are using. For example, if you are playing Age of Empires II, only Age of Empires II games appear in the multiplayer list, not Age of Empires or Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion games.

To start Age of Empires II

· Place the Age of Empires II CD in the disc holder (if required), insert it into your CD-ROM drive, click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Games, point to Age of Empires II, and then click Age of Empires II.
 
 You can skip the opening cinematics by clicking the mouse or pressing ENTER, SPACEBAR, or ESC.
 
 C. Getting Help
 
 Information about Age of Empires II is in the in-game Help, in the printed manual, and on the foldout provided with the retail version of the game.
 
 To display in-game Help
 
· Pause your pointer over any button or interface item in the game and Help text automatically appears on the screen. (To turn off in-game Help, click the Help button near the mini-map in the lower-right corner of the screen.)

The manual is also available on the CD in the Docs folder in .pdf format. You can view and print the file using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

To install Adobe Acrobat Reader

· Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, right-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, and then click Install Adobe Acrobat Reader.
 
D. Changes to Formations and Manual Corrections

The following changes were made to improve gameplay in Age of Empires II after the manual was printed:

· Page 42: There is no longer a Select Formation button.
· Page 43: There is no longer a Horde formation. You cannot control or disband a custom formation.

Manual corrections and clarifications are as follows:

· Page 107: Building Attributes table, Bombard Tower – 25W should be 100G.
· Page 108: Non-upgraded Pikemen receive 0/0 armor (not 1/0 armor); Berserks have 55 hit points (not 48); Huskarls cost 68, 34G (not 80F, 40G); Elite Huskarls cost 60F, 30G (not 80F, 40G) Elite Berserks have 72 hit points (not 60); Janissaries have 53 hit points (not 35); Elite Janissaries have 60 hit points (not 40).
· Page 109: Non-upgraded Elite Mamelukes receive 10 attack (not 8 attack).
· Page 131 and on foldout: Saracen Transport Ships can carry 10, 15, and 20 units depending on technologies researched (not double (2X) the number with each technology researched – for example, the Dry Dock technology).
· Page 137 and on foldout: Viking Docks cost 25% less, not 33% less.

 E. DirectX Troubleshooting
 
 DirectX® 6.1 or later must be installed on your computer before you can play Age of Empires II. If you do not have DirectX installed on your computer and you chose not to install DirectX when you installed Age of Empires II, you will receive the message "A required .dll file, Dplayx.dll, was not found." To fix this problem, reinstall Age of Empires II and install DirectX 6.1.
 
 If Age of Empires II installed DirectX but could not update your video drivers to be compatible with DirectX 6.1, when you restart your computer you will receive the message "Age of Empires II could not initialize DirectX. Make sure that DirectX 6.1 or higher is installed and contact your hardware manufacturer for a video driver update." To fix this problem, either get updated video drivers from your video adapter manufacturer or install DirectX in safe mode, which will replace the video drivers.
 
 To install DirectX in safe mode
 
 1. Copy the DirectX directory from the Age of Empires II CD to your desktop.
 2. Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.
 3. Select Restart, and then click OK.
 4. When your computer restarts, press and hold down the F8 key until you see a Windows Startup Menu.
 5. When you are prompted to enter a choice, select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.
 6. After Windows starts in Safe Mode, open the DirectX folder on your desktop, and then double-click Dxsetup.exe to install DirectX.
 
 If you experience sound or video problems using DirectX, go to http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx/ to get the latest troubleshooting information.
 
 You should also check with your video or sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible drivers.
 
 F. Gameplay Troubleshooting
 
· Saving Games – You cannot name a saved game using certain operating system terms, such as COM1, LPT1, etc.
 
· Uninstalling Age of Empires II – If you uninstall Age of Empires II (to save disk space, for example), but you want to save your Age of Empires II campaigns and scenarios, you must click No when the uninstall program asks "Do you want to delete all user-created files?”
 
· Moving Campaigns and Scenarios to a Different Computer – You can move the files for your Age of Empires II games to another computer. Age II files have a .gam file extension – for example, Age2.gam.
 
 To transfer your campaigns, move the *.cpn files from the Campaign folder where Age of Empires II is installed to the same location on another computer. Then transfer all of the scenarios in that campaign and the Player.nfo file as explained below.
 
 To transfer your scenarios, move the *.scn files from the Scenario folder where Age of Empires II is installed to the same location on another computer.
 
 To transfer your player name and progress through the campaigns, move Player.nfo from the folder where Age of Empires II is installed to the same location on another computer. If you are moving the Player.nfo file to a computer that already contains a Player.nfo file, you may want to rename the file on the computer to which you are moving files so you do not overwrite the existing Player.nfo and lose the campaign information it contains.
 
 G. Video Troubleshooting
 
· Intergraph Intense 3D 100 Video Adapters – Intergraph Intense 3D 100 video adapters cause the game to crash during the opening cinematic. To resolve this problem, add the command line parameter Nostartup in your Age of Empires II shortcut. For information about adding parameters to the command line, see "Command Line Parameters," under "Performance Troubleshooting," later in this Readme file.
 
· Intergraph Intense 3D 100 Video Adapters – During gameplay, the bottom game screen border may be corrupt and pink in color. Also, the in-game custom mouse pointer may not be visible. Upgrading to the latest video driver (v. 4.3.0.3133 at the time of this writing) will fix these problems. You may not be able to view the game in 1024 x 768 resolution. To fix this problem, contact your video card manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
· Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 – You may experience a black screen when starting the game (you may still hear game sounds and be able to click buttons). If this occurs, contact the video card manufacturer for the latest drivers, or download them at http://www.diamondmm.com/.
 
· Diamond Monster Fusion – You may encounter stability problems when starting a game using this card. If this occurs, contact the video card manufacturer for the latest drivers, or download them at http://www.diamondmm.com/. For the latest drivers to function properly, you may need to update your video bios. You can find information about how to do this on the Diamond Web site.
 
· 9FX Motion 531 – If you are running Windows 95, you may experience any or all of the following: screen corruption of the main menu and New Player dialog box, screen corruption during gameplay when scrolling from left to right and from right to left, and screen corruption as you select different objects on the game screen. If this occurs, contact the video card manufacturer for the latest drivers (http://www.nine.com/), or download the S3 Vision 868 reference drivers for the card at http://www.s3.com/.
 
· Hercules Terminator Beast – You may not be able to view the opening video using the retail drivers for this card (although you may be able to hear the sound). If this occurs, contact the video card manufacturer for the latest drivers, or download them at http://www.hercules.com/.

· Hercules Stingray 128/3D – If your in-game screen resolution is set to 1024 x 768, you may experience screen corruption and your computer may lock up if you restore a game using ALT+TAB. If this occurs, contact your video card manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
· Matrox Millennium II PowerDesk Video Adapters – Your computer may lock up when you change the in-game screen resolution to 1024 x 768. To fix this problem, contact your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
· Matrox MGA Millennium – You may experience screen corruption when playing with an in-game resolution of 1024 x 768 or when using ALT+TAB in this resolution. To fix this problem, contact your hardware manufacturer for updated drivers.

· Permedia 2 Chipset-based Video Card with Latest 3D Labs Reference Drivers – You may experience screen corruption when playing Age of Empires II using this configuration. To fix this problem, uninstall the reference drivers and contact your video card manufacturer for the latest driver written specifically for your card. Many reference drivers are not supported, and may cause problems with certain applications.
 
· Sierra Screaming 3D Video Cards – Your computer may lock up when you exit the game. To fix this problem, contact your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
· Sierra Screaming 3D Video Cards (Rendition Verite 1000) – You may experience screen corruption when your in-game screen resolution is set to 1280 x 1024. If this occurs, exit the game using ALT+F4. Restart the game, and in the Options screen set your in-game resolution to a lower resolution.
 
· Rage Pro Turbo 2X Video Cards – Rage Pro Turbo 2X video cards may only allow you to use a 640 x 480 screen resolution. The minimum Age of Empires II in-game resolution is 800 x 600. Contact ATI for the latest drivers for your video card.
 
· Creative Labs Graphics Blaster Exxtreme – Creative Labs Graphics Blaster Exxtreme video adapters may cause screen corruption when you change the in-game screen resolution or press ALT+TAB to enter or leave the game. To fix this problem, check with your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
 · Voodoo 3 Video Cards – If you are running Windows 2000, your mouse cursor may blink during gameplay. If this occurs, try a lower screen resolution. If this doesn't work, contact your video card manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
· Screen flickering – Certain second-party applications may cause a brief flickering of the Age II video palette. Disabling all non-vital applications before running Age of Empires II will increase stability, performance, and visual quality. This problem may occur on some systems with the Creative SBLive! sound card with the Creative LiveWire 2.0 and 2.1 driver sets for this sound card.

· Black Screen After Video – A black screen may appear at the conclusion of the opening cinematic. To resolve this problem, press ESC or click the mouse button. Another workaround is to add the command line parameter Nostartup in your Age of Empires II shortcut. For information about adding parameters to the command line, see "Command Line Parameters," under "Performance Troubleshooting," later in this Readme file.
 
· Screen Corruption – If you experience problems such as a black screen after starting the game, black areas on the game screen, screen corruption when you press ALT+TAB to enter/leave the game, or other screen problems while playing the game, contact your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
· Black Screen Areas – Some video adapters may cause black areas on the game screen. To fix this problem, you can add the Mfill parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires II shortcut. For information about adding parameters to the command line, see "Command Line Parameters," under "Performance Troubleshooting," later in this Readme file.
 
· Mouse Pointer – Some video adapters may cause the mouse pointer to disappear if you change the in-game screen resolution or reenter the game by pressing ALT+TAB. To fix this problem, contact your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· DirectX – If you experience video problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information, as explained in "DirectX Troubleshooting," earlier in this Readme file.
 
· Monitors and Lower-End Video Cards – You may see brief screen corruption or flashing when switching screens in the game. This is a limitation of some older video cards and will not affect game performance or stability.

If you notice screen corruption when switching to a high in-game resolution, this may be due to the limitation of certain monitors or some older, lower-end video cards that do not support higher resolutions. Use ALT+F4 to exit the game, restart Age of Empires II, and then use the Options screen to switch to a lower in-game resolution.

 H. Audio Troubleshooting
 
· Aztech Direct Sound Driver – You may experience choppy sound on this driver. If this occurs, contact the manufacturer for an updated driver.

· DirectX – If you experience audio problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information, as explained in "DirectX Troubleshooting," earlier in this Readme file.
 
 I. Performance Troubleshooting
 
 CD-ROM Drive Issues
 
 Age of Empires II uses Safedisc encryption technology. Some CD-ROM drives may not be compatible with this technology.

· Sanyo CRD-256P – If you experience problems with this drive, do not load the game multiple times in one session. Also, you may try ejecting the CD.

· Sony CDU77E 2X – If you experience problems with this drive, make sure it is configured as a master, and then run the game again.

· Acer CD-624a – If you experience problems with this drive when using read-mode drivers, install protected-mode drivers.

· Memorex 2216 – You may experience problems with this drive. There are no known solutions.

· Memorex 2224 – You may experience problems with this drive. The drive may take up to 3 minutes to load from the CD.

· Plextor – You may experience problems with this drive. The drive may be slowed to 2X speed. There are no known solutions.

· Yamaha 2216E and 4416SX – You may experience problems with this drive. There are no known solutions.

· Error requesting CD insertion – When launching a multiplayer game from the Zone, you may receive an error message asking you to insert the CD although the CD is already in the drive. If this occurs, exit and relaunch from the Zone.
 
 Command Line Parameters
 
 You can add parameters to the Age of Empires II command line to customize startup or resolve problems with certain hardware configurations.
 
 To add parameters to the command line in the Age of Empires II shortcut
 
 1. Right-click the Age of Empires II shortcut, click Properties, and then click Shortcut.
 2. In the Target box, type the name of the parameter after the existing command line text. For example, if you add the parameters NoStartup and NoTerrainSound, the command line will read "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires\Empires2.exe" Nostartup Noterrainsound. Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important.
 
 To add parameters to the Age of Empires II registry for multiplayer games using the MSN Gaming Zone
 
 1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
 2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
 3. Double-click Hkey_local_machine/Software/Microsoft/DirectPlay/Applications/Age of Empires II/CommandLine.
 4. In the Value data box, type the name of the parameter after the existing command line text. For example, if you add the parameters NoStartup and NoTerrainSound, the command line will read "Lobby NoStartup NoTerrainSound." Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important. Do not remove the word "lobby" from the command line.
 
 The command line parameters include:
 
· NoStartup – Skips all cinematic sequences before the game starts.
 
· 800, 1024, 1280 – Sets the screen resolution to 800 ´ 600, 1024 ´ 768, or 1280 x 1024. For example, 800 sets the screen resolution to 800 ´ 600, 1024 sets the screen resolution to 1024 ´ 768, and 1280 sets the screen resolution to 1280 x 1024. You can also set the screen resolution by clicking the Menu button during gameplay and then clicking Options. If you use a command line parameter to set the screen resolution, the game always starts at that resolution, even if you use Options to choose another resolution. Note that the interface screens before the game will always be displayed in 800 x 600 mode.
 
· Mfill – Fixes horizontal line problems and black screen areas that may occur with some video adapter configurations.
 
· NormalMouse – Replaces the custom mouse pointer with a standard mouse pointer.
 
· NoSound – Turns off all sounds, except those played in cinematics.
 
· NoTerrainSound – Turns off all terrain sounds.
 
· NoMusic – Turns off all music.
 
· Msync – Fixes lock-up problem that may occur with some SoundBlaster AWE configurations.
 
 Poor Frame Rate
 
· Voodoo 3 Video Cards – If you are running Windows 2000, you may experience poor frame rate. If this occurs, contact your video card manufacturer for the latest drivers.
 
 J. Multiplayer Troubleshooting
 
· Best performance – For best performance, connect to the Internet before starting an Internet multiplayer game.

· Age of Empires Versions – In a multiplayer game, all players must be using the same version of Age of Empires. For example, if you are using Age of Empires II, only Age of Empires II games appear in the multiplayer list, not Age of Empires or Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion games.
 
· Serial or Modem Connections – You may have difficulty joining a multiplayer game or you may be dropped from a game before it starts when playing over a serial connection or a modem connection. To fix this problem, all players should install DirectPlay® 6.1A.

· Computer Players in Multiplayer Games – It is not recommended that computer players play in a multiplayer game over the Internet as it may slow the game. If you would like to add computer players to a multiplayer game, make sure the player with the fastest computer and fastest connection hosts the game.
 
· Connection Type – Always select Internet TCP/IP Connection for DirectPlay when starting a multiplayer game over the Internet. (Select the Local (LAN) TCP/IP Connection if you are playing on a private or home network.) If you choose LAN and you are playing on the Internet, the game may hang. If this occurs, restart Age of Empires II and select Internet TCP/IP Connection for DirectPlay.

· Joining a restored game – If you attempt to join a restored game via direct IP and the game was launched from the Zone, you will not be able to join the game. If a Zone restored game fails, all players should exit the game and rejoin through the Zone.

· Different modem speeds – If two players have different modem speeds, they will be unable to play with each other. To fix this problem, use the same modem speed as your opponent.

· Home networks and dial-up connections – If you have a network card and you dial in to the Internet via modem, you may have trouble launching multiplayer games. To fix this problem, unplug the network cable from your network card before connecting to the Internet.

 K. Map Editor
 
 You may experience problems when creating your own background art for campaigns in the Map Editor. If this occurs, do not use the first or last 10 colors in the color palette.
 
 L. Age of Empires II Information
 
· For more information about Age of Empires II, visit our Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/age2/.
· If you'd like to play against opponents over the Internet, check out the MSN Gaming Zone at http://www.zone.com/.

Microsoft Age of Empires Expansion Readme File
September 1998
© Microsoft Corporation, 1998. All rights reserved.

Welcome to Microsoft Age of Empires Expansion!

This file contains information to help you install Age of Empires Expansion. It also includes late-breaking information not included in the manual or online Help.

CONTENTS
A. Hardware and System Requirements
B. Installing Age of Empires Expansion
C. Starting Age of Empires Expansion
D. Getting Help
E. DirectX Troubleshooting
F. Gameplay Troubleshooting
G. Video Troubleshooting
H. Audio Troubleshooting
I. Performance Troubleshooting
J. Head-to-Head Play Troubleshooting
K. Age of Empires Expansion Information
L. Welcome to the Best in Online Gaming!

A. Hardware and System Requirements

· Multimedia PC with Pentium 90 or higher processor (Pentium 120 for Gigantic maps).
· Microsoft Windows 95 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later.
· Microsoft Age of Empires 1.0 or later.
· 16 megabytes (MB) of RAM for Windows 95 or later, or 24 MB for Windows NT (and for Windows 95 or later for an 8-player multiplayer game).
· 30 MB of available hard disk space.
· Local bus SVGA, 256-color video display with at least 1 MB of VRAM.
· Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device.
· 2X CD-ROM drive (4X recommended).
· Windows-compatible sound card with speakers or headphones to hear audio.
· 28.8 Kbps (or faster) modem and Internet access for head-to-head play.

B. Installing Age of Empires Expansion

To install Age of Empires Expansion, you must be using Microsoft Windows 95 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later. (For information about how to get Service Pack 3, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads).

Before you can install Age of Empires Expansion, you must have Age of Empires 1.0, 1.0A, or 1.0B installed. When you install Age of Empires Expansion, your version of Age of Empires is automatically upgraded to 1.0B.

To install Age of Empires Expansion

1. Turn on your computer and start Microsoft Windows 95 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later.
2. Place the Age of Empires Expansion CD in the disc holder (if required), and insert it into your CD-ROM drive.
3. If AutoPlay is enabled, click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
 -or-
 If AutoPlay is disabled, double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, double-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, and then double-click the AOESetup.exe icon. When the Setup screen appears, click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

C. Starting Age of Empires Expansion

You must have the Age of Empires Expansion CD or Age of Empires CD in your CD-ROM drive to play single player games or use the scenario builder. Both versions of the game work with either CD. If you start Age of Empires Expansion without a CD in the CD-ROM drive, you must exit the game, insert the CD, and then restart Age of Empires Expansion.

If you do not have a CD, you can play only multiplayer games. A multiplayer game requires the following number of CDs: 2-3 players (1 CD); 4-6 players (2 CDs); 7-8 players (3 CDs).

You can connect only to multiplayer games created with the same Age of Empires version you are using. If you are playing Age of Empires Expansion, only Expansion games appear in the multiplayer list. However, if you are playing the original Age of Empires, version 1.0, 1.0A, and 1.0B games appear in the multiplayer list. Remember that installing Age of Empires Expansion automatically upgrades your version of Age of Empires to 1.0B, so you can only join version 1.0B games if you play the original Age of Empires.

To start Age of Empires Expansion

Place the Age of Empires Expansion CD in the disc holder (if required), insert it into your CD-ROM drive, and then click Play.
-or-
If the Age of Empires Expansion CD is already in your CD-ROM drive, click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Games, point to Age of Empires Expansion, and then click Age of Empires Expansion.

You can skip the opening cinematics by clicking the mouse or pressing ENTER, SPACEBAR, or ESC.

D. Getting Help

Complete information about Age of Empires Expansion is in the manual. You can also use the Manual.pdf file in the Docs folder on the CD to view and print the complete manual using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

To install Adobe Acrobat Reader

Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, right-click the icon for your CD-ROM drive, and then click Install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Note: Age of Empires Expansion includes the online Help for Age of Empires 1.0, but it has not been updated with the new features and changes in Age of Empires Expansion.

E. DirectX Troubleshooting

DirectX 5.0 or later must be installed on your computer before you can play Age of Empires Expansion. If you do not have DirectX installed on your computer and you chose not to install DirectX when you installed Age of Empires, you will receive the message "A required .dll file, Dplayx.dll, was not found." To fix this problem, reinstall Age of Empires and install DirectX 5.0.

If Age of Empires installed DirectX but could not update your video drivers to be compatible with DirectX 5.0, when you restart your computer you will receive the message "Age of Empires could not initialize DirectX. Make sure that DirectX 5.0 or higher is installed and contact your hardware manufacturer for a video driver update." To fix this problem, either get updated video drivers from your video adapter manufacturer or install DirectX in safe mode, which will replace the video drivers.

To install DirectX in safe mode

1. Copy the DirectX directory from the Age of Empires 1.0 CD to your desktop.
2. Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.
3. Select Restart, and then click OK.
4. When "Starting Windows 95" appears on the screen, press and hold down the F8 key until you see a Windows Startup Menu.
5. When you are prompted to enter a choice, select Safe Mode (number 3), and then press ENTER.
6. After Windows starts in Safe Mode, open the DirectX folder on your desktop, and then double-click Dxsetup.exe to install DirectX.

If you experience sound or video problems using DirectX, go to http://www.microsoft.com/directx, click Pavilion, and then click Games to get the latest troubleshooting information.

You should also check with your video or sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible drivers.

F. Gameplay Troubleshooting

· Saving Games -- You cannot name a saved game using certain operating system terms, such as COM1, LPT1, etc.

· Uninstalling Age of Empires -- If you uninstall Age of Empires (to save disk space, for example), but you want to save your Age of Empires Expansion campaigns and scenarios, you must select No when the uninstall program asks "Do you want to remove saved games? This includes scenario and campaign files."

· Saving Age of Empires Campaigns and Scenarios -- If you save changes to Age of Empires campaigns and scenarios using Age of Empires Expansion, you can only play the campaigns and scenarios using Age of Empires Expansion. If you want the changes to appear using Age of Empires, you must save the changes using Age of Empires.

· Moving Campaigns and Scenarios to a Different Computer -- You can move the files for your Age of Empires Expansion games to another computer. Expansion files have an "x" in the file name extension; for example, Rise.scx.

To transfer your campaigns, move the *.cpx files from the Campaign folder where Age of Empires is installed to the same location on another computer. Then transfer all of the scenarios in that campaign and the Game0.nfo file as explained below.

To transfer your scenarios, move the *.scx files from the Scenario folder where Age of Empires is installed to the same location on another computer.

To transfer your player name and progress through the campaigns, move Game0.nfo from the folder where Age of Empires is installed to the same location on another computer. If you are moving the Game0.nfo file to a computer that already contains a Game0.nfo file, you may want to rename the file on the computer to which you are moving files so you do not overwrite the existing Game0.nfo and lose the campaign information it contains.

G. Video Troubleshooting

· Screen Corruption -- If you experience problems such as a black screen after starting the game, black areas on the game screen, screen corruption when you press ALT+TAB to enter/leave the game, or other screen problems while playing the game, contact your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· Black Screen Areas -- Some video adapters may cause black areas on the game screen. To fix this problem, you can add the Mfill parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires Expansion shortcut. For information about adding parameters to the command line, see "Command Line Parameters" under "Performance Troubleshooting" later in this Readme file.

· Mouse Pointer -- Some video adapters may cause the mouse pointer to disappear if you change the in-game screen resolution or re-enter the game by pressing ALT+TAB. To fix this problem, contact your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· Intergraph Intense 3D 1000 Video Adapters -- Intergraph Intense 3D 1000 video adapters may not allow you to view the game in 1024 x 768 resolution. To fix this problem, check with your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· Matrox Millennium II PowerDesk Video Adapters -- Matrox Millennium II PowerDesk video adapters may cause your computer to lock up when you change the in-game screen resolution to 1024 x 768. To fix this problem, check with your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· Sierra Screaming 3D Video Adapters  -- Sierra Screaming 3D video adapters may cause your computer to lock up when you exit the game. To fix this problem, check with your video adapter manufacturer for the latest drivers.

· Rage Pro Turbo 2X Video Adapters -- Rage Pro Turbo 2X video adapters may only allow you to view the game in 640 x 480 screen resolution.

· DirectX -- If you experience video problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information, as explained in "DirectX Troubleshooting" earlier in this Readme file.

H. Audio Troubleshooting

· DirectX -- If you experience audio problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information, as explained in "DirectX Troubleshooting" earlier in this Readme file.

I. Performance Troubleshooting

Command Line Parameters

You can add parameters to the Age of Empires Expansion command line to customize startup or resolve problems with certain hardware configurations.

To add parameters to the command line in the Age of Empires Expansion shortcut

1. If you are using Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Taskbar, click Start Menu Programs, click Advanced, and then double-click Programs.
 -or-
 If you are using Windows NT, right-click the Start button, select Open All Users, and then double-click Programs.
2. Double-click Microsoft Games, and then double-click Age of Empires Expansion.
3. Right-click the Age of Empires Expansion shortcut, click Properties, and then click Shortcut.
4. In the Target text box, type the name of the parameter after the existing command line text. For example, if you add the parameters NoStartup and NoTerrainSound, the command line will read: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires\Empiresx.exe" Nostartup Noterrainsound. Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important.

To add parameters to the Age of Empires Expansion registry for multiplayer games using the Internet Gaming Zone

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
3. Double-click Hkey_local_machine/Software/Microsoft/DirectPlay/Applications/Age of Empires Expansion/CommandLine.
4. In the Value data text box, type the name of the parameter after the existing command line text. For example, if you add the parameters NoStartup and NoTerrainSound, the command line will read: "Lobby NoStartup NoTerrainSound." Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important. Do not remove the word "lobby" from the command line.

The command line parameters include:

· NoStartup -- Skips all cinematic sequences before the game starts.

· 640, 800, 1024 -- Sets the screen resolution to 640 ' 480, 800 ' 600, or 1024 ' 768. For example, 640 sets the screen resolution to 640 ' 480, 800 sets the screen resolution to 800 ' 600, and 1024 sets the screen resolution to 1024 ' 768. You can also set the screen resolution using the Game Settings option on the Menu button. If you use a command line parameter to set the screen resolution, the game always starts at that resolution, even if you use Game Settings to choose another resolution.

· Mfill -- Fixes horizontal line problems and black screen areas that may occur with some video adapter configurations.

· NormalMouse -- Replaces the custom mouse pointer with a standard mouse pointer.

· NoSound -- Turns off all sounds, except those played in cinematics.

· NoTerrainSound -- Turns off all terrain sounds.

· NoMusic -- Turns off all music.

· Msync -- Fixes lock-up problem that may occur with some SoundBlaster AWE configurations.

· MidiMusic -- Plays midi music instead of Redbook Audio music from the Age of Empires Expansion CD.

J. Head-to-Head Play Troubleshooting

· Age of Empires Versions -- In a multiplayer game, all players must be using the same version of Age of Empires. For example, if you are using Age of Empires Expansion, only Expansion games appear in the multiplayer list. However, if you are playing the original Age of Empires, version 1.0, 1.0A, and 1.0B games appear in the multiplayer list. Remember that installing Age of Empires Expansion automatically upgrades your version of Age of Empires to 1.0B, so you can only join version 1.0B games if you play the original Age of Empires.

· Multiplayer Chat -- The chat commands !mute and !nomute now affect only your computer, not all players' computers.

· Serial or Modem Connections -- You may have difficulty joining a multiplayer game or you may be dropped from a game before it starts when playing over a serial connection or a modem connection. To fix this problem, all players should install DirectPlay 6.0A.

 To install DirectPlay 6.0A

 1. Open My Conputer, and then right-click the Age of Empires Expansion CD.
 2. Click Install DirectPlay 6.0A.
 2. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

K. Age of Empires Expansion Information

· For more information about Age of Empires Expansion, visit our Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/aoeexpansion

· If you'd like to play against opponents over the Internet, check out the Internet Gaming Zone at http://www.zone.com

L. Welcome to the Best in Online Gaming!

This CD includes free software you can use to install the Internet Gaming Zone.

Check out the Internet Gaming Zone, and play games online against friends from around the world! We feature the best in free multiplayer card and board games, like spades and backgammon, and matchmaking support for popular retail CD-ROM titles. Build a great army from a lowly tribe in the award-winning Age of Empires. Race a motorcycle across desert dunes in Motocross Madness. Or dogfight other WWII pilots in the spectacular Fighter Ace. With thousands of members online at any time of day, you'll always find a worthy opponent on the Zone!

To install Zone software

1. On the Age of Empires Expansion CD, double-click AOESetup.exe. When the Setup menu  screen appears, click Previews.
2. Click Internet Gaming Zone, and then click Install Software.

You can also find the Zone software on the CD in Sampler\Demos\Zone\ZoneA501.exe.

Microsoft Age of Empires 1.0b Readme File
April 1998
© Microsoft Corporation, 1998

Microsoft Age of Empires 1.0b is an upgrade of Age of Empires 1.0 that includes several enhancements and bug fixes.

Version Compatibility

· If you are playing a multiplayer game, all players must be using the same version of Age of Empires.

· If you are playing a saved game, it must be from the same version of Age of Empires you currently have installed. For example, you cannot save a game using version 1.0b, then revert to version 1.0 and play the game saved in version 1.0b.

Microsoft Age of Empires 1.0b includes the following changes:

Enhancements

· Population Limits -- If you are playing a multiplayer game, the game host can increase or decrease the 50-unit population limit by adding the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires command line. For more information about this feature, see "Changing the Population Limit" later in this Readme file.

· Stand Ground -- The Stand Ground button prevents Stone Throwers, Catapults, Heavy Catapults, Catapult Triremes, and Juggernaughts from firing. For all other units, the Stand Ground button causes the unit to remain in its location and fire at military units, boats, buildings, and walls within its range.

· Attack Response -- When a unit is attacked, all units and allied units within two tiles of the unit under attack respond, even if the attacking unit is out of their sight. Villagers that have been assigned a task but are no longer working now react to attacks.

Bug Fixes

· Infinite Resources During High Latency -- Buildings no longer return more resources than they originally cost if you press the DELETE key several times during high latency.

· Multiple Town Centers During High Latency -- You can no longer build multiple Town Centers if you delete your Town Center in the Tool Age or Stone Age and then quickly build several new ones during high latency.

· Way Points -- Villagers no longer complete tasks at a way point that is not at a work site. The way point or villager must be at the actual work site (fishing spot, building site, etc.) before they can work. For example, you can no longer use way points to construct a building on the other side of a wall.

· Group Movement -- Grouped units no longer stop when they bump into each other. Also, movement has been improved so a group of units can move through narrow passages more efficiently.

· Pathing Options -- There is now an option to choose how many pathing possibilities your units calculate when moving a long distance across the map. The higher the pathing setting, the more paths a unit considers. Higher values also require faster computers. To change the unit pathing in a single player or multiplayer game, click the Settings button before you start the game. Or, from within the game, click the Menu button, and then click Game Settings.

Note: This feature is primarily designed to improve pathing performance on high-end computers. The problems listed under Group Movement (above) significantly improve pathing, so you might want to get a feel for these improvements before you change the pathing settings.

· Difficulty Level -- The difficulty level is restored if you save a campaign game, exit to Windows, and then restart the game.

· Town Centers -- If your Town Center is destroyed before the Bronze Age, you can no longer use the SHIFT key to build multiple Town Centers until you advance to the Bronze Age and build a Government Center.

· Multiplayer Games -- Several fixes were made to increase the stability of multiplayer games. Players are dropped from games less often.

· Allied Transport Loading and Boat Repair -- In order to use allied transports and repair allied boats, both players must set diplomacy to Ally (click the Menu button, and then click Diplomacy). You can no longer attack enemy boats by selecting the player as an ally, luring the boat to shore to repair or load units onto it, and then changing the diplomacy setting to enemy so you can attack.

Changing the Population Limit

Note: Changing the default population limit is not recommended or supported.

Increasing the population limit decreases game performance. For example, with a 50-unit population limit, the potential number of concurrent units in an 8-player game is 400. With a 200-unit population limit, the potential number of concurrent units in an 8-player game is 1600. This increase in the number of units can seriously degrade overall game performance.

If you are playing a multiplayer game, the game host can increase or decrease the 50-unit population limit by adding the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires command line. If you are playing a multiplayer game through Microsoft's Internet Gaming Zone, the game host must also add the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires registry. Players can check the population limit of a multiplayer game by looking for the Population Limit setting that appears in the Settings list after they join a game.

To add the Limit= parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut

1. In Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Taskbar, click Start Menu Programs, click Advanced, and then double-click Programs.
 -or-
 In Windows NT, right-click the Start button, select Open All Users, and then double-click Programs.
2. Double-click Microsoft Games, and then double-click Age of Empires.
3. Right-click the Age of Empires shortcut, click Properties, and then click Shortcut.
4. In the Target text box, type Limit=x after the existing command line text. Type the population limit instead of the letter "x." For example, to set the population limit to 65, type Limit=65. You can type any number from 25 to 200. The default setting is 50. Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important.

To add the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires registry for multiplayer games using the Internet Gaming Zone

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
3. Double-click Hkey_local_machine/Software/Microsoft/DirectPlay/Applications/Age of Empires/CommandLine.
4. In the Value data text box, type Limit=x after the existing command line text. Do not remove the word "lobby" from the command line. Type the population limit instead of the letter "x." For example, to set the population limit to 65, type Limit=65. You can type any number from 25 to 200. The default setting is 50. Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important.

Uninstalling Age of Empires version 1.0b

To uninstall Age of Empires 1.0b and restore version 1.0

1. Go to Program Files/Microsoft Games/Age of Empires (or where you installed Age of Empires), and then delete the files Empires.exe and Language.dll.
2. Install version 1.0 from the Age of Empires disc.

菜鸟秘籍：
在游戏中按回车
输入：WOOF WOOF=飞行的狗
FURIOUS THE MONKEY BOY= 得到9999金钱
POLO =去除迷雾
MARCO= 显示地图
AEGIS =建造速度加快
ROCK ON= 得到1000 石头
LUMBERJACK= 得到1000 木头
ROBIN HOOD =得到1000 黄金
CHEESE STEAK JIMMY’S= 得到1000 食物
NATURAL WONDERS =控制自然生物
RESIGN= 死亡
WIMPYWIMPYWIMPY= 死亡
I LOVE THE MONKEY HEAD= 得到VDML车
HOW DO YOU TURN THIS ON =得到一个Cobera
TO SMITHEREENS= 得到一个破坏者
TORPEDO8 杀死对手 #8
TORPEDO7=杀死对手 #7
TORPEDO6 =杀死对手 #6
TORPEDO5 =杀死对手 #5
TORPEDO4=杀死对手 #4
TORPEDO3 =杀死对手 #3
TORPEDO2=杀死对手 #2
TORPEDO1=杀死对手 #1
BLACK DEATH= 胜利
I R WINNER= 胜利

怀念帝国时代

（转载）

我是一个农夫 ，作为 meet帝国最低等的人 ，我们是没有名字的 ，由由于我是第 9个出生的 ，所以我就被叫做9号。我的任务就是每天和 7号 8号一起去森林里伐木 ，然后送回首都。

我永远忘不了那一天：帝国二年九月初九 ，那天我第一次遇上了她。当时我正抱着一捆木头低着头在匆匆赶路，突然一阵银铃一般的笑声传入了我的耳中 ，我抬头 ，于是我看见了她 ，她正和一群女友在采果子 ，她那靓丽的身影从此永远凝固在我的记忆中。

后来 ，我从别人的口中知道她叫 6号。 帝国三年 ，我们终于有足够的木材在森林旁边建了一个储藏场 ，从此以后 ，我们就不用每次都往首都跑了 ，可以节省不少体力，同伴们都很高兴。我更高兴 ，因为储藏场离她们工作的谷仓很近 ，我可以经常看见她了。

作为一个农民 ，我们是没有休息时间的 ，每天要不停的劳动 ，为了能和她多接触 ，我就经常装作迷路的样子 ，在谷仓附近原地踏步，这时我往往会听到天空中有骂声传来：微软的算法真烂。那一定是神的声音。 2号告诉过我 ，我们所在的世界是一个叫 meet的神创造的。我想，微软一定欠了 meet很多钱 ，所以才老被骂。

接触渐渐多了 ，我们成了朋友 ，于是我知道了她的男朋友叫 3号。要知道 ，帝国前三号是伴随着帝国一起诞生的 ，我们现在所住的房子，还是他们三个给盖的呢。因此我对他的景仰犹如滔滔江水。但是我来到帝国以前 ，他已经被派往边界去勘探地形去了 ，所以我从没见过他。她告诉我，她很喜欢他 ，于是我明白 ，我和她只能做朋友。

她经常会心情不好 ，因为她经常思念他 ，每当这时 ，我就尽量安慰她 ，她会跟我谈他们在一起的日子 ，她时而喜笑颜开，时而又愁眉紧锁。我知道 ，这笑颜、这愁眉都是为他而开、为他而锁。每当这时我都很难受 ，可是看着她慢慢高兴起来 ，我又感到很愉快。

帝国九年 ，由于我们的辛勤劳动 ，我们的帝国升级了 ，现在我们进入了工具时代。可是由于帝国的扩张 ，我们和邻近的rolly帝国关系紧张起来 ，一场大战看来已不可避免。她告诉我 ，现在边界上我们已修了三个兵营 ，这自然是他告诉她的。我知道，他们经常写信。

这些天 ，随着边界空气的紧张 ，我被改派为打猎 ，因为制造士兵需要大量的食物。她告诉我 ，我们已经造了20个投石兵了。看来大战很快就要爆发了。

帝国十一年八月初十 ，大战正式爆发了 ，一批批的投石兵被送到了前线 ，可是没一人回来 ，因为死人是不会回家的。战争进入相持阶段。

帝国十二年七月，我被派去开采金矿，于是我知道，我们很快就要进入青铜时代了，因为到时需要大量的金子。幸运的是，金矿离我们原来工作的地方并不太远，用的仍然是同一个储藏场，所以我仍然可以经常看见她。现在果子早已被采完了，她和同伴们正在谷仓附近开荒种地。她告诉我，他现在正在边界修建第三个箭厂。我们大家都很忙碌，为了我们的帝国。

有一天我在储藏场遇上了被留下来继续伐木的7号，他向我抱怨，由于过度的开采，森林的外围已经离储藏场越来越远了，每次他们都要比我们当年多跑很远的路。我对他说：这算不了什么，其实世上最远的距离是“我在你面前，你却不知道我爱你”。他用惊恐的眼神看着我，然后吓得调头就跑，木头扔了一地。我心中骂道，笨蛋，我又不是对你说的。我知道，我是永远不会在她面前说出这句话的，因为我不想让她烦恼。我只希望她能幸福。

帝国十三年正月初二，我国率先进入了青铜时代。一批批的车骑兵代替原来的投石兵被送到了前线，胜利的天平开始向我们倾斜了。

由于表现优异，我的工作岗位又调动了，这次我和几个人被派往帝国的边缘去抢采金矿。如果敌人攻入我国，我们几个是首当其冲，而我们又毫无防御能力，遇上敌军只能是死路一条，所以同伴们都很害怕。只有我是很难受，因为我要离开她了。

繁重的劳动很快就让同伴们把害怕忘记了，只有我依然难受如昔，因为思念远比恐惧顽强。 这天 8号被派来支援我们，他带来了好消息，我们的大军已经攻入敌国的大本营 ，看来战争很快就要结束了。但是 ，他又告诉我们 ，要小心，因为敌人有一支小部队失踪了，很有可能被派出来偷袭我们的总部。大伙都很兴奋，很快就可以回家了，至于他的警告，没人当回事，总不会那么巧让我们遇上吧。我也很高兴，因为很快又可以看见她了。为了能早回家，大伙干的更加卖力了。

这天，金子终于采完了，大伙收拾行装上路了。我却离开大伙，偷偷地去采一朵野花，那很漂亮，我想送给她。我千辛万苦爬上山顶，把花采到了手中，这时我却看见了七八个弓箭兵正鬼鬼祟祟地在山下向我们首都的方向走去，我的脑子嗡的一声大了起来，天啊，是那支漏网的敌军。我知道 ，我们的士兵都在前线 ，首都只剩下了象我一样的手无寸铁的农民

，如果让他们给找到的话，那只能意味着一场屠杀，而她，是无法幸免的。我听神骂过什么南京大屠杀，禽兽不如之类的话，南京是哪里，我不知道，可能在南边吧。不过，我知道，我不能让她受到伤害。

时间已不容我多做考虑，我飞快地冲下山去，然后迎着他们走了过去。很快，他们发现了我，嗷嗷叫着向我冲了过来，我装作害怕的样子，调头往偏离首都的方向跑去。

是的 ，只有我去引开他们 ，她和我的伙伴们才能平安无事。 这帮傻大兵，一边追我，一边向我射箭，弓箭嗖嗖地从我身边飞过，我想，他们的训练一定很差劲。突然，我背上一阵剧痛，我一个踉跄栽到在地。看来我错了，他们的训练并不是太差。我一咬牙，又站了起来，继续向前跑。我知道，我跑的越远，她就越安全。更多的箭射中我，奇怪的是我已感受不到疼痛，我只是不停地跑。我又摔倒了，这次我却怎么也站不起来了，我只能在地上一寸寸地向前挪动。我觉得很累，可是我不能停下来。

恍惚中我听到了马蹄声与车轮声，那是我们的车骑兵来了，我松了一口气，突然就感到无比的轻松。我又听到了那银铃般的笑声，看到了她挎着一篮果子，分开树丛向我走来。我从怀中掏出那朵花，给她戴到头上。

死，原来是这么美的。

怀念《帝国时代》

不记得是99还是2000年了，那时迷上玩红警，当时还觉得自己玩游戏的水平不错。有一回在学校的机房见一位老师在玩游戏，有幸听见了战马的嘶叫、猫头鹰的‘咕咕’声，看到了古典的游戏画面，也知道《帝国时代》。

　　后来有机会玩过几回《帝国时代》，感觉像是很简单，就没有过多研究，转而继续玩红警和星际，那时接触到的游戏圈子里《帝国时代》还是默默无名，没见有什么人玩过。偶然的机会再遇一位老同学，闲聊之时谈起了游戏，从他那里真正体会到了《帝国时代》的魅力，老同学自言师从玩《帝国时代》全省排前三之内的高手，我也从跟老同学的对战中见识到了‘黑暗快攻’、‘封快’、‘城快’，了解了开局怎样合理根据地形和附近资源情况去分配农民才能以最快的速度升级，了解了兵种相克，了解了世界各大文明的特色，了解了怎样去更快的抢占资源，了解了怎么样合理的出兵、合理的防守、合理的进攻等等等等~~~，沉浸其中，不可自拔。

　　然，生活继续，环境改变，CS的时代到来，当时新到一个城市，年轻人都为CS疯狂，我也在CS之余有些怀念《帝国时代》，可惜却找不到对手，偶尔自己杀杀两名最难的电脑玩玩，挑战一下一直很难打过的三名最难电脑玩家，自娱自乐。一次在网吧见有一群人玩《帝国时代》，欣喜不已，向前约战，一试这下失望不已，他们几人都还算没有入门级玩家，众多网吧无对手，灰心之下，也放手了，不再玩帝国。

　　时间流逝，ADSL宽带流行，真正的进入了互联网时代，认识了‘浩方对战平台’，经常上去玩CS。一位同事妹妹经常跟我一起玩CS，也从我这学去了所有《帝国时代》的战法，一日，她有些兴奋的跟我说，她加入了浩方一个玩《帝国时代》的女战队，说他们的队长，一位非常漂亮的妹妹水平非常高，要我去跟她试试，单挑一把，我也有些兴奋，第一次在浩方玩上了《帝国时代》，结果是我输得很惨，不管是不适应浩方对战的速度，还是其他种种原因，反正我是输得心服口服，那美女非常之厉害，可见一山还有一山高。

　　以后的日子，生活中没有了一起玩游戏的朋友，又受不了‘浩方对战平台’玩战略游戏的麻烦，慢慢的淡忘了对游戏的感情。现在回忆起来，玩过的战略游戏中，我还是最爱《帝国时代》。

　　看多了网络小说，也找不到很喜欢的作品了，自己练练文笔，准备写本小说玩玩，将最爱的《帝国时代》拿出来，穿插自己幻想的世界，经历一番自己的旅程。