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There are five campaigns in The Age of Kings, containing historically based scenarios such as Genghis Khan's invasion of Eurasia, Barbarossa's Crusade, or Saladin's defence of the Holy Land. Players do not need to keep trading manually, as once they select the port or market the trading units infinitely continue to trade. It is possible to trade with enemies' markets or docks, but the player's trading units may be attacked or destroyed by enemy units in the process. The amount of gold a trade unit earns on each trip is related to the distance it had to travel to a foreign market more gold is earned on longer trips.
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Furthermore, markets and docks can also generate gold by using trading carts or cogs which are used to visit foreign markets and ports once they return to the player's market/dock, gold is added to the stockpile. Market prices fluctuate with every transaction. Players can construct a marketplace for trade players can trade wood, stone, and food for gold, and use gold to buy other resources.
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Villagers require checkpoints, typically depository buildings (town center, mining camp, mill, and lumber yard), where they can store gathered resources.Įach civilization can purchase upgrades that increase the rate of gathering these resources. Gold is obtained from either gold mines, trade or collecting relics in a monastery, and stone is collected from stone mines. Food is obtained by hunting animals, gathering berries, harvesting livestock, farming, and shore fishing and fishing from boats. The game offers four types of resources: food, wood, gold, and stone. Resources can be used to train units, construct buildings, and research technologies, among other things for example, players can research better armour for infantry units. Advancing to a new Age unlocks new units, structures, and technologies, but players must first build certain buildings from their current age and then pay a sum of resources (typically food and gold).Ĭivilian units, called "villagers", are used to gather resources they are either male or female-gender does not affect their abilities.
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Players conquer rival towns and empires as they advance one of 13 civilizations through four "Ages": the Dark Age, the Feudal Age, the Castle Age (being the High Middle Ages), and the Imperial Age, reminiscent of the Renaissance-a 1000-year timeframe.
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Age of Empires II is a real-time strategy game that focuses on building towns, gathering resources, and creating armies to defeat opponents.
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