DESCRIPTION

Continue your empire building and medieval combat from Age of Empires II: Age of Kings with this expansion, which includes numerous enhancements and add-on features. Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion provides additional new units, civilizations, technologies, campaigns, game types, maps and terrain as well as improvements to many aspects of gameplay including garrisoning, automatic AI actions (e.g., farm replanting), smarter AI (siege weapons, villagers), and multiplayer chatting enhancements.

Five new civilizations include the Aztecs, Huns, Koreans, Mayans and Spanish, each with new units and unique technologies. Overall, there are 26 new technologies with at least one for each civilization in the game. Gameplay now embraces a total of 18 civilizations with individualized attributes including unique units and technologies as well as team starting bonuses in areas such as buildings, combat, advancements, and upgrades.

The eleven new units featured are Conquistadors, Eagle Warriors, Halberdiers, Hussars, Jaguar Warriors, Missionaries, Petards, Plumed Archers, Tarkans, Turtle Ships and War Wagons. Of the 26 new technologies, seven are general economic and military (bloodlines, caravan, herbal medicine, heresy, Parthian tactics, theocracy, and thumb ring) and 19 are unique to one of the 18 civilizations (the Goths receive two).

Specific new technologies include: the Aztecs' "Garland Wars," the Britons' "Yeomen," the Byzantines' "Logistica," the Celts' "Furor Celtica," the Chinese "Rocketry," the Franks' "Bearded Axe," the Goths' "Anarchy" and "Perfusion," the Huns' "Atheism," the Japanese "Kataparuto," the Koreans' "Shinkichon," the Mayans "El Dorado," the Mongols' "Drill," the Persians' "Mahouts," the Saracens' "Zealotry," the Spanish "Supremacy," the Teutons' "Crenellations," the Turks' "Artillery," and the Vikings' "Berserkergang."

The expansion infuses the original game with other changes, including real world maps based on geographical locations in places such as France, Italy, Britain, and Texas, new game types (King of the Hill, Wonder Race, and Defend the Wonder), and fictional maps (Arena, Ghost Lake, Mongolia, Nomad, Oasis, Salt Marsh, Scandinavia, Yucatan, and Random Land).

Four new campaigns let you recreate historical battles as Attila the Hun, El Cid and Montezuma. For multiplayer fans, improved chatting features include color-coded text and specific player targeting for messages (all or allies only). Another new option, friend or foe colors, offers a simpler scheme for indicating allies versus enemies. For players in single missions (not campaigns), the chat interface can now be used to send commands to allied computer-controlled players.

Thought you were finished building your empire and mastering medieval combat? Think again as you expand your horizons in the Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide