Age of Empires Online
Encyclopedia
Age of Empires Online is a history
-based real-time strategy
computer game released on August 16, 2011 with digital download and retail distribution. It was originally being developed by Robot Entertainment
, but on February 24, 2011, it was announced that Gas Powered Games
, the creators of Supreme Commander
, had taken over production. The game is published by Microsoft
.
The game is free-to-play
—it is free for users to play, with the additional option of purchasing premium content. Premium content may include access to many special items and blueprints, and more quests and features. Also, booster packs are now available, such as Defense of Crete. This particular pack gives the player the ability to play in a survival type mode game. This is done in either single-player or co-op.
(RTS) genre with massively multiplayer online gaming. Also, the game features many new features, such as crafting items with earned materials.
Playable civilizations include the Greeks, Egyptians, and the Celtic, plus the Persian civilization that is currently only availible to users who purchase the premium package.
by Robot Entertainment
, a company founded by former staff members of Ensemble Studios
, who created the Age of Empires series. The game was officially announced on August 16, 2010.
On February 24, 2011, it was announced - first via Chris Taylor's Facebook page - that Gas Powered Games
had taken over development from Robot Entertainment. According to a blog post that appeared on the game's website, Gas Powered Games were already working on the game behind the scenes, creating content packs and moving to take over as lead developers, which was planned for some time. The game was released on August 16, 2011 with the Greek and Egyptian civilizations, followed by the Celtic and Persians during the holiday.
The Premium civilization allows a player access to rare quality as well to epic and legendary items, advisors (unique modifications to your civilization including: special advisor units, upgrading old units, increasing gathering rate, increasing damage, decreasing costs.), a bonus storehouse (16-slots) given to you by Marcus Pollux after purchasing a premium civilization. Premium civilization raises item carrying capacity to a maximum of 96 slots (note: you must purchase and build additional storehouses for max limit (free players start with 16 slots, premiums with 32), and the full tech tree (free players are limited with the types of items they may use, cannot use advisors, have limited item space (less storehouses, premium limit is 5 (max.96 item slots) - free limit is 2 (max.28 item slots), can only build 2 resource workshops, (premium civilizations can build 8(normal)+2(rare)resource workshops) and have a small section at the end of the tech tree locked off to them). Meanwhile a Pro Civilization is one that is only available if you purchase it. These Pro Civilizations start off at level 20 and have no beginner quests. Both Premium and Pro Civilizations must be purchased for 1600 Microsoft Points each ($20 USD/€19.20 Euro).
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
-based real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
computer game released on August 16, 2011 with digital download and retail distribution. It was originally being developed by Robot Entertainment
Robot Entertainment
Robot Entertainment is a video game publishing company created by the founders of the defunct Ensemble Studios, after being shut down by Microsoft. Other members of the company founded Bonfire Studios. Robot Entertainment was responsible for maintaining and updating Halo Wars until February 28,...
, but on February 24, 2011, it was announced that Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games is a video game developer located in Redmond, Washington. The development studio was started in May 1998 by Chris Taylor, creator of Total Annihilation, and several other ex-Cavedog Entertainment employees....
, the creators of Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander (video game)
Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy computer game designed by Chris Taylor and developed by his company, Gas Powered Games. The game is considered to be a spiritual successor to Taylor's 1997 game Total Annihilation,, alongside the Spring remake...
, had taken over production. The game is published by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
.
The game is free-to-play
Free-to-play
Free-to-play refers to any video game that has the option of allowing its players to play without paying. The model was first popularly used in early massively multiplayer online games targeted towards casual gamers, before finding wider adoption among games released by major video game...
—it is free for users to play, with the additional option of purchasing premium content. Premium content may include access to many special items and blueprints, and more quests and features. Also, booster packs are now available, such as Defense of Crete. This particular pack gives the player the ability to play in a survival type mode game. This is done in either single-player or co-op.
Gameplay
Age of Empires Online features some of the gameplay of past games in the series, with the addition of a persistent city that functions when the player is offline, cooperative multiplayer quests, and trading. The game is an attempt to blend the real-time strategyReal-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
(RTS) genre with massively multiplayer online gaming. Also, the game features many new features, such as crafting items with earned materials.
Playable civilizations include the Greeks, Egyptians, and the Celtic, plus the Persian civilization that is currently only availible to users who purchase the premium package.
Development
Age of Empires Online, under the working title Project S, was to be the first game developedGame development
Game development is the software development process by which a video game is developed. Development is undertaken by a game developer, which may range from a single person to a large business. Mainstream games are normally funded by a publisher and take several years to develop. Indie games can...
by Robot Entertainment
Robot Entertainment
Robot Entertainment is a video game publishing company created by the founders of the defunct Ensemble Studios, after being shut down by Microsoft. Other members of the company founded Bonfire Studios. Robot Entertainment was responsible for maintaining and updating Halo Wars until February 28,...
, a company founded by former staff members of Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios was a video game developer initially established in 1995 as an independent company, but was owned by Microsoft from 2001 to 2009, when it was officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy games, including the Age of Empires game series, Age of Mythology, and Halo...
, who created the Age of Empires series. The game was officially announced on August 16, 2010.
On February 24, 2011, it was announced - first via Chris Taylor's Facebook page - that Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games is a video game developer located in Redmond, Washington. The development studio was started in May 1998 by Chris Taylor, creator of Total Annihilation, and several other ex-Cavedog Entertainment employees....
had taken over development from Robot Entertainment. According to a blog post that appeared on the game's website, Gas Powered Games were already working on the game behind the scenes, creating content packs and moving to take over as lead developers, which was planned for some time. The game was released on August 16, 2011 with the Greek and Egyptian civilizations, followed by the Celtic and Persians during the holiday.
Premium Content
The game offers Premium Content to players as its form of micro-transactions. These include cosmetic items for your capital for 400 Microsoft points ($4.99 USD/€4.80 Euro), Add-on packs for 800 Microsoft points ($10 USD/€9.60 Euro) (special missions that are replayable and have a high degree of customization), as well as a "Premium Civilization" and a "Pro Civilization".The Premium civilization allows a player access to rare quality as well to epic and legendary items, advisors (unique modifications to your civilization including: special advisor units, upgrading old units, increasing gathering rate, increasing damage, decreasing costs.), a bonus storehouse (16-slots) given to you by Marcus Pollux after purchasing a premium civilization. Premium civilization raises item carrying capacity to a maximum of 96 slots (note: you must purchase and build additional storehouses for max limit (free players start with 16 slots, premiums with 32), and the full tech tree (free players are limited with the types of items they may use, cannot use advisors, have limited item space (less storehouses, premium limit is 5 (max.96 item slots) - free limit is 2 (max.28 item slots), can only build 2 resource workshops, (premium civilizations can build 8(normal)+2(rare)resource workshops) and have a small section at the end of the tech tree locked off to them). Meanwhile a Pro Civilization is one that is only available if you purchase it. These Pro Civilizations start off at level 20 and have no beginner quests. Both Premium and Pro Civilizations must be purchased for 1600 Microsoft Points each ($20 USD/€19.20 Euro).