To install DirectPlay 6.1A
 
  1. Open My Computer, and then right-click the Age of Empires II CD.
  2. Click Install DirectPlay 6.1A.
  3. Follow the instructions that appear on the 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.
 
· 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.

· 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.