Frequently
Asked Questions
This section
answers questions that are commonly asked by Agers. If you're not
sure on something this is the place to check.
Table of Contents
[ 1 ]
Game Features
[ 2 ]
Technical Issues
[ 3 ]
Game Issues
1.1 How do I take a
screenshot?
If playing Age of
Empires or Rise of Rome, press the Control and F12 keys simultaneously.
You should see a short pause in gameplay. If playing Age of Kings
simply press the Print Screen key and you will hear a beep. 
1.1.1 How do I edit
screenshots?
After you exit the
game, you can view or edit your screenshots by opening up your Age of
Empires or Age of Kings directory and clicking on the shot you want.
The shots' filenames are always "AoE000x.bmp" where
"x" is the number of the shot taken.
1.2 How do I install
taunts?
If you downloaded
taunts they're probably contained in a zip file. Simply extract the
full contents of the zip to your \Sounds folder if playing Age of Empires
or \Taunts if playing Age of Kings.
1.2.1 How do I use
taunts?
Taunts can be activated
in the pre-game chat or during the game by typing in the number of the
taunt. For example if you wanted to use taunt one, type
"1" in the chat box.
1.2.2 Does the other
person have to have the taunts?
The other people must
have the taunts if they are to hear them. All players have 1-25 but
if you use taunts above those, the other player must have them.
1.2.3 How do I mute
taunts?
In order to squelch
those newbies whom use taunts excessively, type "!mute" in the
chat box. This will block all taunt sounds. To undo this, type
"!nomute".
1.3 How do I record a
game?
The host of the game is
the only one whom can record a game. In the pre-game settings the
host can put a check in "record game" and the rest is done
automatically.
1.3.1 How do I watch
a recording?
To watch a recorded
game first place the game in your "Age of Kings\Saved games"
folder. Next run the game, click on single-player, saved games, and
pick from the list the game you wish to watch.
1.3.2 Is the
recording placed on every player's hard drive?
Yes, when the recording
option is on, each player in the game will have the recording in his/her
saved games folder after the game. It is not just the host who gets
the game.
1.3.3 Does recording
slow games down?
No, not noticeably
though. It might make a marginal difference but gameplay should be
as smooth and fast as it normally would be without recording. Don't
let people use the excuse "I won't record because it causes
lag".
1.3.4 Why do some
recordings say "wrong exe version"?
If you come across a
game which says "wrong exe or dll version" when you attempt to
watch it, the reason for this is that it was recorded by someone whom used
the CD crack. People with the full version cannot watch these games
unless they also install the crack.
1.3.5 What if
someone drops from the game?
It depends on whether
they drop or resign early. If they are dropped/disconnected their
copy of the recording probably won't load. If the player resigns
early the recording will be up to the point at which they resign,
therefore they don't get to see what happens after they leave.
1.4 How do I install
scenarios or campaigns?
Scenarios and campaigns
are usually downloaded in zip form, so extract the contents to your
\Scenario or \Campaign folders. Next run the game and select
Scenario or Campaign and select the one you want from the list.
1.4.1 Why does my
system run slow when playing scenarios?
Some scenario authors
place a lot of units on the map for big battles or other purposes.
If you play a scenario like this your computer has to load each unit.
If gameplay is unbearable at the beginning it won't get much better.
1.4.2 Why do some
scenarios boot me back to the desktop?
This usually means the
scenario or campaign file is corrupt and won't work properly.
1.5 How do I use cheat
codes?
Press enter to bring up
the chat box and enter in the cheat. In multiplayer games you can
only use cheats if the hosts turns them on, which is rare.
1.5.1 Are cheats
case sensitive when I enter them in?
Cheats are not case
sensitive. For example, entering "marco" is the same as
"MARCO". Both occurrences would work.
2.1 What are the basic
system requirements for the Age games?
It is recommended that
you have at least a 166 MHz processor. It will run on less but
performance will be poor.
2.1.1 How much RAM
is recommended?
32MB is recommended and
64 or 128 is even better. The game will run with 16MB of RAM but
performance will be poor.
2.1.2 What processor
is recommended?
At least a 166MHz
processor is recommended. Pentiums, AMD, Cyrix, and any others are
supported.
2.1.3 How much hard
drive space should I have?
Have about 50MB set
aside for the game. Your Age of Empires and Age of Kings folders
will grow as you add more scenarios, campaigns, recorded games, etc..
2.2 How fast should my
internet connection be to play on the Zone?
A 14.4 modem is the
bare minimum. A 56k connection is recommended to have decent ping
times. Cable, DSL, and T1 lines will result in very low pings.
2.3 What is lag?
Lag or latency is the
discrepancy between your connection and the other players in the game.
Every game played on the internet has lag and every player experiences at
least some of it.
2.3.1 Are the bars
beside my Zone name associated with lag?
Yes, the bars are an
indicator of how fast your's and every other player's connection is.
2.3.2 What do the
different bar colors mean?
The different colors
represent your latency. A player with green bars has a fast
connection and low ping. One with yellow bars has a decent
connection and red bars means a bad ping. You'll often see games
labeled "Green only" and this is to filter out players with slow
connections.
2.3.3 If I lag, do
the other players get ahead of me?
No, the other players
experience the lag as well. If your units can't move that means they
probably can't move their's either.
2.4 What is ping?
Many players will ask
for their pings in games. The "ping" is the time it takes
your computer to communicate with the host computer or server. It is
measured in milliseconds and anything under 400 is considered to play
smoothly.
2.5 When I load the
game, why does it boot me back to the desktop?
This could be a variety
of things. It usually is connected with your video drivers or
Direct-X drivers. Check out the readme file included on the CD and
see if your particular card has errors playing the game.
2.5.1 Where can I
get video card and Direct-X drivers?
Check your video card
manufacturer's site and you can find the latest version of Direct-X on
Fileplanet, www.fileplanet.com .
2.6 Is the trial
version compatible with the full in multiplayer?
No, someone with the
trial version cannot play someone with the full version. There is a
room on the Zone where people with the trial version can meet and play.
2.7 I'm afraid of
copying my Age of Kings CD, can I copy it?
Microsoft really
cracked down on CD copying with Age of Kings. They have branded the
CD with anti-pirating precautions. A copied CD of Age of Kings will
give you a "wrong language .dll" error and will not install the
game.
2.8 Do I need a 3D
card to play the Age games?
The games are not 3D
and don't require a 3D card. It is recommended you have one to
improve game performance.
2.9 Are there
multi-lingual versions of the game available?
The game is shipped
around the world and language specific games are made in French,
German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and many more versions.
3.1 What is the best
civ?
Once again, there is NO
best civ. If there was a best civ there wouldn't be a point for the
others because everyone would play that one best civ. Each civ is
designed with unique bonuses.
3.1.1 Are there
raider civs in Age of Kings?
Raider civs were only
an idea proposed for Age of Kings in its beta form. In the full
version, there are no raider civs.
3.1.2 Are the rumors
about a cheat civ true?
There is no secret civ.
3.2 Why does the
computer resign so early?
The early resign issue
with Age of Kings AI was a bug and has been fixed by a patch. You
can find the patch in our patches section.
3.3 How can I beat the
computer?
The computer is quite
easy to beat after you watch and play against it a few times. You
will find that it follows the same steps each game. It usually sends
a pack of militia or man-at-arms to attack you very early. Fend this
off, get to castle or imperial, and you should win.
3.4 How many villagers
should I make in the dark age?
It really depends on
what you are going to do. If rushing you should make less villagers,
20-25 depending on the rush. Most players make around 30.
3.5 What is a good
castle time?
Again, this varies.
It depends if you are making an early castle attack or preparing to boom
to imperial. Most players get in the 18-20 minute range.
3.5.1 Should I get
any upgrades before castle?
There's one upgrade you
should always get before castle and that's the loom. In fact, get it
early in dark before you send your villagers too far out. Some
players will wheelbarrow in feudal and then castle, others do not. A
majority of players will get the economy upgrades while castling, such as
gold mining, wood cutting, and the farm upgrade.
3.6 Should I build
outposts?
No, they are a waste of
stone and can't fire at the enemy.
3.7 What are counter
units?
Counter units are
spearmen/pikemen, which take out mounted units, and skirmishers/elite
skirmishers, which take out archers. They are very cheap and are
usually produced in large groups. Know when to use them or you will
lose.
3.8 Why does spies
cost 50,000 gold?
The cost of the spies
technology is dependant upon how many enemy units exist. This
prevents you from getting spies too early in the game. Spies is
usually used to find the enemy's remaining villagers or buildings.
3.8.1 Do my
opponents know I got spies?
Yes, they will be given
the message "Your empire has been intruded by spies".
3.8.2 Is there a spy
unit I can make?
There is not a spy unit
you can make. Spies is only a technology gotten at the castle.
Once you click on it you can see everything your enemy can. There is
not research time.
3.9 Does a castle
count for two castle age buildings?
Yes, if you build a
castle and have enough resources, you can imperial. For example,
building a castle is the same as building a monastery and siege workshop
to meet the requirement of two castle age buildings to imperial.
3.9.1 How much does
a castle add to my population count?
The castle adds twenty
to your population count, giving you room to build twenty more villagers
or units.
4.0 Why do castles and
towncenters not fire sometimes?
Many players forget to
get the murder holes technology in the university. Without this, any
type of unit could hack away as long as it wanted to at the base of the
castle and not be touched.
4.1 Why are the
Teutons considered banned on the Zone?
The Teutons are banned
for one reason, that being their faster firing and longer ranged TCs.
The smart player will build these TCs in unison with each other so their
fire can take down any units challenging them. The Teuton TC
prevents early rushes and the longer the game goes the more of the map
they control. I suggest labeling your games "no teutons".
4.2 Should I use trade
carts or cogs?
Don't use trade cogs
because they're easily dismissed by enemy ships. Carts however, are
useful much later in the game when all of the gold is mined.
4.3 Why do the market
prices change over the course of the game?
The more the market is
used the more expensive it is to use it. If one player sells wood
heavily it will drive the amount of gold you get in return down.
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