Age of Empires 1.0a: Contents of Readme.doc

PSS ID Number: Q178615 Article last modified on 05-25-1999

WINDOWS:1.0a

WINDOWS

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The information in this article applies to:

== Microsoft Age of Empires, version 1.0a ==

SUMMARY

The following information is contained in the Microsoft Age of Empires, version 1.0a Readme.doc file. This file is located in the root folder on the Age of Empires CD-ROM. This text has not been modified and appears as is.

README.DOC

Microsoft Age of Empires 1.0a Readme December 1997 (c) Microsoft Corporation, 1997

Welcome to Microsoft Age of Empires!

This file contains information to help you install Age of Empires on your computer, as well as late-breaking information not included in the manual or online Help.

CONTENTS

Hardware and System Requirements
Installing Age of Empires
Starting Age of Empires
Learning to Play
Getting Help
Startup Troubleshooting
DirectX Troubleshooting
Gameplay Troubleshooting
Scenario Builder Troubleshooting
Video Troubleshooting
Audio Troubleshooting
Performance Troubleshooting
Head-to-Head Play Troubleshooting
Age of Empires Tips

A. Hardware and System Requirements

Personal computer with a Pentium 90 or higher processor. Microsoft Windows 95 operating system, or Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with Service Pack 3. 16 megabytes (MB) of RAM for Windows 95, or 24 MB of RAM for Windows NT (or Windows 95 for an 8-player multiplayer game). 80 MB of available hard disk space. 50 MB of free disk space for swap file. Local Bus SVGA video display (with 1 MB of VRAM). Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device. Double-speed CD-ROM drive for gameplay (quad-speed CD-ROM drive for cinematics). Windows-compatible sound card with speakers or headphones to hear audio. 28.8-Kbps (or faster) modem for head-to-head play.

B. Installing Age of Empires

To install Age of Empires, you must be using Microsoft Windows 95 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3.

For information about how to get Service Pack 3, connect to the following Microsoft Web site

http://www.microsoft.com/ntserversupport/content/servicepacks/cdsp.htm

or call (800) 370-8758.

To install Age of Empires, follow these steps:

Turn on your computer and start Microsoft Windows 95 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3. Place the Age of Empires disc in the disc holder (if required), and insert it into your CD-ROM drive. If Auto Insert Notification is enabled, click Install Age of Empires, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

  -or-

If Auto Insert Notification is disabled, double-click My Computer, double-click the CD-ROM drive icon, and then double-click Aoesetup.exe. When the Setup screen appears, click Install Age of Empires, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

C. Starting Age of Empires

You must have an Age of Empires CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive to play single-player games or to use the scenario builder. If you installed Age of Empires but do not have the CD-ROM, you can only create and join multiplayer games. A multiplayer game requires the following number of discs per player: 2-3 players (1 disc), 4-7 players (2 discs), 8 players (3 discs).

To start Age of Empires:

Place the Age of Empires disc in the disc holder (if required), insert it into your CD-ROM drive, and then click Play Age of Empires.

-or-

If the Age of Empires disc is already in your CD-ROM drive, click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Games, point to Age of Empires, and then point to and click Age of Empires.

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

D. Learning to Play

The best way to learn the basics of Age of Empires is to play the Ascent of Egypt learning campaign provided with the game. You will learn how to hunt, stockpile resources, construct buildings, and engage in combat.

To play the learning campaign, follow these steps:

On the Age of Empires menu, click Single Player. Click Campaign. Type your player name, or click a player name in the Name list. To display the list of campaigns, click OK. Select the Ascent of Egypt Learning Campaign. Only the first scenario is displayed. After you complete a scenario, the next scenario in the campaign appears at the end of the list. Select the Difficulty Level (the skill of civilizations controlled by the computer). The levels range from easiest to hardest. To start the scenario, click OK.

After the cinematics play, the scenario instructions are revealed. To display the scenario instructions while you are playing the game, click the Menu button on the menu bar, and then click Scenario Instructions.

E. Getting Help

Age of Empires provides online and popup Help.

To display online Help:

On the Age of Empires menu, click Help. Or, from within the game, press F1, or click the Menu button on the menu bar and then click Help. To return to the game from online Help, click the Game button.

To display popup Help:

Click the ? button in the lower-right corner of the game screen, and then click an item on the screen. To display online Help from popup Help, click the More Help button.

F. Startup Troubleshooting

You must have an Age of Empires compact disc in the CD-ROM drive to play single player games of Age of Empires or use the scenario builder. If you installed Age of Empires but do not have a disc, you can only create and join multiplayer games. A multiplayer game requires the following number of compact discs per player: 2-3 players (1 disc), 4-7 players (2 discs), 8 players (3 discs). If you start Age of Empires without a compact disc in the CD-ROM drive, you must exit Age of Empires, insert the disc, and then restart Age of Empires.

G. DirectX Troubleshooting

DirectX 5.0 must be installed on your computer before you can play Age of Empires. If you do not have DirectX 5.0 installed on your computer and you chose not to install DirectX when you installed Age of Empires, you 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 you experience sound or video problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information. To do this, follow these steps:

Connect to the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/directx/default.asp

Click the DirectX Pavilion button. On the left side of the Web page, click Games. Click DirectX Games FAQ.

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

H. Gameplay Troubleshooting

Technology Trees – The technology trees for each civilization are in the Appendix of the Age of Empires manual and in the Docs folder on the Age of Empires disc. The technology trees on the Age of Empires compact disc have been provided primarily for you to print and may be difficult to read online. Each technology tree should print on a single page. If you are using WordPad to print, you may need to reduce the width of the margins to fit each technology tree on a single page.

Difficulty Levels – If you are playing a random map or death match, you can fine-tune the Difficulty Level of the game even further according to the Map Type you select. Maps with a lot of water are less difficult than maps with a lot of land. For example, if the Difficulty Level is Moderate, the game will be more difficult if you set the Map Type to Highlands than if you set the Map Type to Small Islands.

Tribute – You must build a Market before you can Tribute resources to other civilizations. For more information about the Market and how to pay Tribute, see Age of Empires online Help.

Phoenician Villagers – Phoenician villagers can carry more wood than other civilizations.

Unit Range – The range of Elephant Archers, Watch Towers, Sentry Towers, Guard Towers, Ballista Towers, and Priests is slightly higher than documented on the Technology Tree Foldout and in online Help.

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.

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).

Pathing Options – The pathing option lets you choose how many pathing possibilites your units calculate when you move a long distance across the map. The higher the pathing setting, the more paths are considered. Higher values also require faster computers. To change the unit pathing in a single or multiplayer game, click the Settings button before you start the game. Or, while inside the game, click the Menu button, and then click Game Settings.

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 additional information about this feature, see “Command Line Parameters” under “Performance Troubleshooting” later in this Readme file.

Multiplayer Scenarios – The multiplayer scenarios provided with the game are designed for human players only. Performance decreases if you include computer players in a multiplayer game or if you play the multiplayer scenarios in single-player mode. To play against computer players in a single or multiplayer game, you should play a random map or death match game.

Glory of Greece Campaign/Wonder Scenario – In the Wonder scenario of the Glory of Greece campaign, the Greek civilization starts the scenario with Composite Bowmen. However, as the technology tree for the Greek civilization does not include Composite Bowmen, the Greek civilization is not allowed to train additional Composite Bowmen. Technology trees for each civilization are in the Appendix of the Age of Empires manual and in the Docs folder on the Age of Empires compact disc.

I. Scenario Builder Troubleshooting

Full Tech Tree Option – If you create a custom scenario with a check in the Full Tech Tree check box of the Options tab, the check does not automatically appear in the Full Tech Tree check box of the Settings screen before the scenario is played. To fix this problem, be sure to tell other players whether or not a scenario uses the full technology tree, or use the edit scenario option in the scenario builder to check whether a scenario uses the full technology tree.

One-Player Scenarios – If you create a custom scenario with only one player selected in the Players tab and the Map Type of the Map tab set to small or large islands, an extra Town Center with three villagers automatically appears when you generate the map. You can leave the extra Town Center in the scenario as a bonus (if the player finds the extra Town Center, it automatically belongs to the player), or you can delete the extra Town Center using the Delete option of the Units tab.

Custom Global Victory Conditions – If you create a custom scenario with Custom victory conditions in the Global Victory tab, and you specify the custom victory condition Conquest and one or more other custom victory conditions (Ruins, Artifacts, etc.), and a check mark appears in the All check box, a player is not required to achieve military conquest over all other civilizations in order to win the game. For example, if the custom global victory conditions are Ruins, Artifacts, and Conquest. The first player to control all Ruins and Artifacts wins the game without achieving military conquest over the other civilizations.

Individual Victory Conditions/Other Attributes/Technologies – If you create a custom scenario with an individual victory condition of Other Attributes/Technologies, the number of technology nodes that must be researched to win the game includes the technologies that have already been researched if a civilization begins the game in an age other than the Stone Age. For example, if Player 1 starts the game in the Bronze Age with the individual victory condition to research 14 technologies, the player starts the game with 13 technology nodes already researched and needs only to research one additional technology to achieve the victory condition.

CTRL+A – If you press CTRL+A to see how much space each unit occupies on the game map, and then press CTRL+A again to turn off the display, a white box appears around selected objects. To resolve this issue, save the scenario, exit Age of Empires, and then restart Age of Empires.

J. Video Troubleshooting

Screen Resolution – The default screen resolution is 800 x 600. If you are unable to start the game in this resolution, you can change the screen resolution by adding the 640 or 1024 parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut. For more information about adding parameters to the command line, see “Command Line Parameters” under “Performance Troubleshooting” later in this Readme file.

Horizontal Line – Matrox video adapters may cause a horizontal line to appear in Age of Empires. To fix this problem, you can add the Mfill parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut. For more 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 not display the custom mouse cursor correctly. To resolve this problem, you can add the NormalMouse parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut. For more information about adding parameters to the command line, see “Command Line Parameters” under “Performance Troubleshooting” later in this Readme file.

Mouse Pointer – If you are using Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 with ATI Mach 64 driver version 3.1.76, the mouse cursor may not appear when you start Age of Empires. To resolve this problem, add the NormalMouse parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut. For more information about adding parameters to the command line, see “Command Line Parameters” under “Performance Troubleshooting” later in this Readme file.

Diamond-Shaped Map – If you are using Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 with ATI Mach 64 driver version 3.1.76, the diamond-shaped map may not appear correctly as you scroll to different map locations. To fix this problem, you can open any dialog box to repaint the diamond-shaped map so it is displayed correctly.

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.

K. Audio Troubleshooting

Music/Sound Volume – If you are playing a multiplayer game without an Age of Empires compact disc, some hardware configurations may cause the Sound Volume to control the volume of both the Age of Empires music and sound effects.

To turn off the music and change the volume of the sound effects, follow these steps:

Click Menu on the menu bar, and then click Game Settings. Set the Music Volume to the Off position. Adjust the Sound Volume to set the sound effects to the preferred volume.

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.

L. Performance Troubleshooting

IDE CD-ROM Drives – IDE CD-ROM drives may cause Age of Empires to run slowly. To fix this problem, start a game, click Menu on the menu bar, click Game Settings, and then turn off the music volume.

Sound Blaster AWE 64 Adapters – Sound Blaster AWE 64 adapters in certain hardware configurations may cause Age of Empires to lock up after several minutes of gameplay. To fix this problem, be sure you are using the latest drivers. If Age of Empires continues to lock up, add the Msync parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut and to the Age of Empires registry for multiplayer games using MSN Gaming Zone. For more information about how to add parameters to the command line, see “Command Line Parameters” under “Performance Troubleshooting” later in this Readme file.

Game Performance:

The following items affect overall game performance (listed from most to least impact):

The more computer players, the greater the impact on game performance. Like humans, each computer player needs time to think. In a multiplayer game, the host runs the computer players; therefore, the person with the fastest computer should host the game.

The higher the screen resolution, the greater the impact on game performance. For example, a game might be twice as fast at 640 x 480 than at 1024 x 768.

The more moving units (villagers, military units, and boats) on the map, the greater the impact on game performance. Combat, particularly with missile weapons, such as archers, Ballistas, and catapults, also affects performance.

The faster the game speed, the greater the impact on game performance.

The larger the map, the greater the impact on game performance.

The faster the scroll speed, the greater the impact on game performance. In a multiplayer game, scroll speed does not affect overall game performance, except on the slowest computer.

Music is played from the disc and has a slight impact on game performance. You can turn the music off using the Game Settings option of the menu, or you can add the NoMusic parameter to the command line (see “Command Line Parameters” under “Performance Troubleshooting” later in this Readme file).

Long, ambient sounds (such as crickets, the ocean, and birds) have a slight impact on game performance. You can turn off these sounds by adding the NoTerrainSound parameter to the command line (see “Command Line Parameters” under “Performance Troubleshooting” later in this Readme file).

Other applications running while you are playing Age of Empires decreases game performance. Close other applications before you start Age of Empires.

Multiplayer Game Performance:

The following items should be noted in addition to the preceding list to improve game performance in multiplayer games:

The fewer players in the game, the faster the game will run. Game performance is slower in an 8-player game than in a 2-player game.

The player with the fastest computer should be the host, even when there are no computer players. A little extra work is done on the host machine.

When playing a multiplayer game over the Internet using a dial-up connection, adding computer players to the game is not recommended when more than three human players are in the game. In low-bandwidth situations, computer players can have an adverse effect on game performance.

Multiplayer games can run no faster than the slowest machine in the game. To see which players are experiencing Internet latency or frame rate problems, click the S button in the lower-right corner of the game screen to display the player scores and the following information:

If a player’s frame rate drops below 15 frames per second, a turtle appears beside the name of the player with the slowest system. If the frame rate of more than one player drops below 15 frames per second, a turtle is shown only beside the name of the player with the slowest system. The player can try to improve performance, as explained throughout this section, or drop out of the game.

If you are connected to a multiplayer game across the Internet, a yellow or red symbol appears beside the names of players with whom you have a slow connection (yellow = latency of 300 milliseconds to one second; red = latency greater than one second). To decrease the latency problem, the player can try to reestablish the Internet connection and restart the game.

Other applications running while you are playing Age of Empires decreases game performance. If you are connected to a multiplayer game through MSN Gaming Zone, once the game starts, you can press ALT+TAB to display and close your Web browser. Your Web browser does not need to be running after you are connected to a game through the MSN Gaming Zone.

Command Line Parameters:

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

To add parameters to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut, follow these steps:

If you are using Windows 95, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Taskbar. On the Start Menu Programs tab, click Advanced, and then double-click Programs.

  -or-

If you are using Windows NT, right-click Start, click Open All Users, and then double-click Programs. Double-click Microsoft Games, and then double-click Age of Empires. Right-click the Age of Empires shortcut, click Properties, and then click Shortcut. 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:Gamesof Empires.exe” Nostartup Noterrainsound.

Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is unimportant.

To add parameters to the Age of Empires registry for multiplayer games using MSN Gaming Zone, follow these steps:

Click Start, and then click Run. Type Regedit, and then click OK. Double-click the following Registry entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEof Empires

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 unimportant. 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 x 480, 800 x 600, or 1,024 x 768. 640 sets the screen resolution to 640 x 480, 800 sets the screen resolution to 800 x 600, and 1024 sets the screen resolution to 1,024 x 768. You can also set the screen resolution using the Game Settings option on the Menu button.

Mfill – Fixes horizontal line problem that may occur with some Matrox 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 disc.

Limit= – Lets the host of a multiplayer game increase or decrease the 50-unit population limit. 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. If you are playing a multiplayer game using the Microsoft MSN Gaming Zone, the game host must also add the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires registry key.

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

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

M. 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.

Multiplayer with Eight Players – If you are playing a multiplayer game with eight players, performance is best with the minimum system requirements of a Pentium 90 processor and 24 MB of RAM for each player. The game creator should have the most powerful computer and the most RAM.

Multiplayer Performance – If you experience performance problems during a multiplayer game, see “Performance Troubleshooting” earlier in this Readme file.

Modem Connections – You do not receive a busy signal if you join a multiplayer game using the connection type Modem Connection for DirectPlay and the phone line of the host computer is busy.

Microsoft MSN Gaming Zone – The Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone currently supports only Microsoft Internet Explorer but is in the process of adding support for other Web browsers.

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

To run Winipcfg, follow these steps:

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

N. Age of Empires Tips

If you would like to hear tips and strategies for Age of Empires, call our automated Hints Line at (900) 786-HINT, 24 hours/day. Calls are $0.95/minute. You must be 18 years or older or have parental permission.

For more information about Age of Empires, connect to the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/games/empires

If you would like to play against opponents over the Internet, connect to MSN Gaming Zone at the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://zone.msn.com

Additional query words: 1.00a aoe ages ageofempires empire installation read me

====================================================================== Keywords : aoe Version : WINDOWS:1.0a Platform : WINDOWS Issue type : kbinfo ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.

Microsoft KB Archive/178615

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SUMMARY