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 
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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
 
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, 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:\Programs\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires\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_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectPlay\Applications\Age of
   Empires\CommandLine
 
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.