Age of Empires 1.0: Contents of Readme.doc
  
PSS ID Number: Q174665
Article last modified on 05-27-1999
 
WINDOWS:1.0
 
WINDOWS
 

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The information in this article applies to:
 
 - Microsoft Age of Empires, version 1.0 
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SUMMARY
=======
 
The following information is contained in the Microsoft Age of Empires, version
1.0 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
 
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
 
A. Hardware and System Requirements
B. Installing Age of Empires
C. Starting Age of Empires
D. Learning to Play
E. Getting Help
F. Startup Troubleshooting
G. DirectX Troubleshooting
H. Gameplay Troubleshooting
I. Scenario Builder Troubleshooting
J. Video Troubleshooting
K. Audio Troubleshooting
L. Performance Troubleshooting
M. Head-to-Head Play Troubleshooting
N. 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, go to
 
http://www.microsoft.com/ntserversupport/content/servicepacks/cdsp.htm,
or call (800) 370-8758.)
 
To install Age of Empires:
 
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 AutoPlay is enabled, click Install Age of Empires, 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 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 disc in your CD-ROM drive to play single-
player games or use the scenario builder. If you installed Age of Empires
but do not have the disc, 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 the Start
button, 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'll learn how to hunt,
stockpile resources, construct buildings, and engage in combat.
 
To play the learning campaign:
 
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 easy 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 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
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 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 version 5 must be installed on your computer before you can play
Age of Empires. 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.
 
If you experience sound or video problems using DirectX, connect to the
DirectX Web site for the latest troubleshooting information. To do this:
 
Connect to http://www.microsoft.com/directx/default.asp
At the Web site, 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 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 paying
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.
 
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. If you want 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, the technology tree for the Greek civilization
does not include Composite Bowmen, so the Greek civilization is not allowed
to train additional Composite Bowmen. 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.
 
Ascent of Egypt Learning Campaign/River Outpost Scenario -- In the River
Outpost scenario of the Ascent of Egypt Learning campaign, you must build
two Guard Towers on the island to win the game. The Hints incorrectly state
that you can build any type of tower.
 
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 (when 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 appears in the All check
box, a player does not need 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 map, and then press CTRL+A again to turn off the display, a white box
appears around selected objects. To fix this, 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
cannot start the game in this mode, you can change the screen resolution by
adding the 640 or 1024 parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires
shortcut. For 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
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 fix this problem, you can add the NormalMouse
parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut. For
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 drv 3.1.76, the mouse cursor may not appear when you start Age of
Empires. To fix this problem, you can add the NormalMouse parameter to the
command line in the Age of Empires shortcut. For 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 drv 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 disc, certain 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:
 
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
information about adding 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 decrease
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 if 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 run only as fast as 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 1 second; red = latency
greater than 1 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 decrease
game performance. If you are connected to a multiplayer game through the
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 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:
 
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.
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:\Programs\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires\Empires.exe" Nostartup
   Noterrainsound.
 
   Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not
   important.
 
To add the Msync parameter to the Age of Empires registry for multiplayer
games using MSN Gaming Zone:
 
Click the Start button, and then click Run.
Type Regedit, and then click OK.
Double-click
 
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectPlay\Applications\Age of
   Empires\CommandLine
 
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. Be sure not to 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. For example, 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.
 
M. Head-to-Head Play Troubleshooting
 
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 MSN Gaming Zone
currently supports only Microsoft Internet Explorer but is in the process
of adding support for other 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:
 
Click the Start button, and then click Run.
Type Winipcfg, and then click OK.
Select PPP Adapter. The correct IP address is displayed in the IP
   Address box.
 
N. Age of Empires Tips
 
If you'd like to hear frequently updated 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, visit our Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/games/empires
 
If you'd like to play against opponents over the Internet, check out the
MSN Gaming Zone at http://zone.msn.com
 
Additional query words: 1.00 aoe read me setup install installation hints howto empire
 
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Keywords          : aoe 
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbinfo
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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.