Last August on Gamescom 2017 Microsoft announced a nice suprise for the aoe2 fans: Microsoft is working on Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition! I collected all the information I could find and made the complete guide. Let’s dive into aoe2de.

A look at Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition gameplay in 4K from Gamescom 2019.Subscribe to IGN for more!http://www.youtube.com/user/IGNentertainment?subco.

• Definitive Edition: Single Player Campaigns; Definitive Edition: Single Player Scenarios. 8 real world maps, Version 2 BrainlessAOKH's set of maps from 2002 (fixed by Rakovsky) 11/01/20 by rakovsky - 222: 0: 0. Age of Empires Heaven best viewed with a HTML 4.0 / CSS 2.0 compatible browser.
• Dec 15, 2020 Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Lords of the West is now available for pre-order on the Microsoft Store and Steam! Coming January 26th! 👑 Coming January 26th!

Age of Empires @ Gamescom Live

Lets walk you through the Age of Empires @ Gamescom Live show. As teased in June during the E3 there was a big Age of Empires event on the first night of Gamescom 2017. The one hour event was setup to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the franchise this year. The show was a balance of pleasing the aoe fans and also introducing it to new people. Dozens of fans showed up for the live show. The spotlight was on the already announced Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. The streaming fans also saw some familiar faces when they interviewed the casters ZeroEmpires and Killer B. Followed by gameplay example videos, some lan action, an interview with the Forgotten Empires team, some promotion for the Microsoft sponsored Escape Euro Cup finals on Gamescom and giveaways until finally they started the announcements!

First up was the new Age of Empires: Definitive Edition trailer with new game details, the release date (later postponed to Februari 20th) and the start of the closed beta. Followed by the quick note that they will also do Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition (Wow!) and Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition. Closing of the show with the teaser for new installment: Age of Empires 4 (Wow!!).

Overall I found it a positive and energetic event to watch. The hosts did a good job to move the show along for the casual viewers, but there was enough room with new details for the aoe fans. That they worked with ZeroEmpires and involved the community in the show is a big plus. Microsoft #clearly invested in the show and have big plans for the series.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

To understand the plan for aoe2de we first have to look at Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. The game was announced in June 2017 at the E3 event from PC Gamer. Maybe with a little push from Bill Gates.

The developer: Forgotten Empires

Microsoft Studios can no longer work with Ensemble Studios, because they closed the studio ten years ago. The developer for the remaster is Forgotten Empires. A group of former fanmods that were the creative force behind three popular aoe2hd dlc’s. Last summer they announced that former Ensemble Studios lead engineers Matt Pritchard and Rich Geldreich had joined there team. Nothing more then a dream team to work on Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

Definitive Edition

“Sticking with the spirit of the Age series, the Definitive Edition will have a map editor and mod support.” Via Mashable

The definitive edition is a remaster of the original Age of Empires game from 1997. Microsoft Studios announced new 4k graphics, improved balance based on UserPatch, different zoom modes, a classic mode, multiplayer, a map editor and mod support. The new graphics look closer to aoe2. Because both aoe1 and aoe2 are build on the Genie engine the Forgotten Empires had experience to improve the game with new features formerly only available in aoe2. Nothing game changing, but improvement we come to espect in modern games like the ability to queue multipe unites and a hotkey to find idle villagers. The multiplayer uses Xbox Live framework, but like with other pc games you don’t need the Xbox Live Gold console subscription to play the multiplayer. If you don’t like the graphics or the new features you can still play the original game in classic mode.

The game will be released on Microsoft’s own Windows Store for Windows 10. Because of some missing features like mod support the release of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition was postponed from the original October 19th 2017 to Februari 20th 2018.

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition

There is not much known about Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. In the Gamescom announcement Adam Isgreen from Microsoft Studios only mentioned that they want to take the the same care of aoe2de as they did with aoe1de. That sounds like Forgotten Empires is also involved, but Bert Beeckman aka Cysion cannot confirm this. They are only the graphics and creative support for aoe2hd, but the full developer of aoe1de. I think more details will follow soon after the release of aoe1de.

“I can’t deny, nor confirm” CysionBE on reddit

If we follow the details from aoe1de we could expect new 4k graphics, zoom modes and exclusive Windows Store and Windows 10 release. However I don’t think that will happen.

Age of Empires II HD

The big difference between aoe1 and aoe2 is that the latter had an incredible successful release on Steam. Since 2013 the hd edition sold around five milion copies, has more then 400.000 active players every two weeks and a review score of 92%. Even if Microsoft wants to release the definitive editions only to build hype the next few years for aoe4 they cannot discard this playerbase of milions of fans. A release exclusive on Windows Store could potential splinter the community that the Forgotten Empires team nurtured to growth the last five years.

My hope is that they upgrade Age of Empires II HD on Steam with a dlc to Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. Just like with Rise of Nations: Extended Edition Microsoft Studios could release it on Windows Store and Steam simultaneous with crossplay. This would please the active players on Steam and get them the Windows Store release and promotion for aoe4 they want. And if I’m right it could be possible that there is a team of Forgotten Empires already working on it for the last ten months. This unknown dlc for aoe2 on SteamDB could very well be Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition.

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition

Just like aoe2de there is not much known about Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition. A graphic overhaul and a release on Windows Store seems most likely. Just like aoe2hd this game is successful on Steam. With 2.5 milion sales and 150.000 active players every two weeks it’s most likely to need crossplay between Steam and Windows Store to keep the community together.

Age of Empires 4

There has been much discussion about the meaning of the Age of Empires 4 teaser. The narrator and graphics reference all the old games and artwork. Even the logo is in the familiar style. It ends with the calling for a new age. Unlike the old booklet there is no reference of World War I, World War II or a future setting. I think that they will stick with the timeframe that made the franchise most successful: the aoe2 timeframe.

Microsoft also announced the new developer: Relic Entertainment. A seasoned rts developer that has a successful franchise based in the World War II timeframe. According to ZeroEmpires the development in August 2017 was a early stage technical demo. Starting there it will take minimal two years, but most likely more to finish a complete game. The Relic developers are active seeking for input on what should be focus of the game. A meetings with pro players, casters and community people has happened after Gamescom. Luckily for Relic they are based in the same city as SkyBox Labs, the developers of the most active title in the franchise.

2018

aoe1de will be released next month and I expect some news for aoe2de to follow shortly after. It will be an active year for the aoe franchise and community. I will do my best to update this blog when any news breaks. The wiki is also still in development so you really should keep an eye out for updates on this blog. Subscribe via RSS and follow @aoe2wiki on Mastodon for the latest news.

Age of Empires 2 is strangely still going strong after all these years. For many, it’s a huge source of nostalgia, a history lesson and a fun game to boot.

For others, Age of Empires 2 is a significant competitive game that should be taken seriously. Regardless of why you play, knowing the best and most fun maps is mandatory.

These maps are the best due to multiple reasons but overall, for the general player, they should be playing them the most.

Here’s the top 10 best maps in Age of Empires 2!

10. Highland

This map is great because the only water source is slap bang in the middle of the map with the players on either side. This river is a natural defense with just a single river path connecting the two sides. Players must find this path and fortify it before their opponent can use it. Control of the water is also important as the fish provided is a great source of food.

9. Mediterranean

A large ocean surrounded by land, this map provides awesome land and naval warfare. As players fight for control of the water, they must also look out for flanks and land invasions. It’s quite easy for a player to fortify both flanks with walls and towers, even more so for a team. This map provides a good all-round balance of the different types of strategic warfare.

8. Oasis

Players start this map surrounded by the usual resources, there’s a few brackets of wood surrounding the Town Centers but the main sources are towards the center. There is a small river at the center of the map which is surrounded by large forests. You get plenty of time and resources to build your base at the start but you need to look towards the middle once your local resources run dry. This map provides a different kind of playstyle as you need to defend both your base and your forward base at the center.

7. MegaRandom

Once a community created mod, the MegaRandom map is now part of the Forgotten Empires DLC. It is how its name implies, it generates a completely random map that does not fit a particular ‘theme’. The brilliance of this is incredible as you’ll never truly know what’s coming, giving a surprise to all players and this makes MegaRandom really fun to play.

6. Arena

Perfect for newer players, Arena has open land in the middle which is surrounded by large forests. Players are given a Stone Wall around their base to start off, allowing for new players to build their base without getting destroyed and some great seiging action later on in the game. The forests surrounding the bases provide the players with a ton of resources which, again, is perfect for new players. It’s a great map whether you’re an expert or newbie.

Age Of Empires 2 Wiki

5. Nomad

This map is generated as a desert island with plenty of resources littering the place. The fun lies with the special rules as players start with just 3 villagers that are dotted in random locations. They must find a suitable location to build their base, it’s a race for time as the players quickly try to find the best place to drop their Town Center. This map is not recommended for new players but it’s highly popular with established players.

4. Islands

It’s as simple as it sounds, each player (or team) is given their own island which they must build their base upon and protect from invaders. Mostly focusing on naval warfare, water control is absolutely crucial because if you lose the water, the enemies have free reign over when and how they can land their armies on your shores. The player must build suitable docks and protect them effectively to have a chance. This high level of macro play is popular among all players as it’s great for learning but really fun for those who already know the basics.

3. Arabia

Mostly seen in pro play, Arabia is arguably the most well-balanced map in the entire game. Resources are modest but you still need to manage your economy properly. There is no water so it’s all about the boots-on-the-ground warfare. Wood especially is difficult to manage as there are no big forests, just small brackets here and there. It’s one of the best tactical maps to play and awesome to watch pro players duke it out.

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Map Editor

2. Fortress

Similar to Arena, Fortress provides the players with Stone Walls, a Barracks and even 4 Watchtowers from the get-go. Early aggression is definitely not advised, you need to build your base faster than the enemy can build their base, then attack when the time is right. There isn’t much resources in the starting base which means players have to go out into the wilderness to get what they need, this makes raiding a viable tactic. You can also just turtle up and laugh as you repel attack after attack. This is a very fun map to play.

1. Black Forest

Couldn’t really be anything else, could it. Black Forest is legendary among all Age of Empires 2 players for being the best, most fun map to play.

Age Of Empires 2 Download Full Game

You are given great natural defenses as almost the entire map is covered in trees, this provides a huge amount of resources, way more than you can actually use unless the game lasts for many hours.

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Maps Fortnite

This map is spot on for new players as they learn to build, fortify and attack. Experienced players also love this too as the paths connecting the bases provide a fun and unique experience that you can’t get on any other map.

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Maps Mod