Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome

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Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Developer(s) Ensemble Studios Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios Latest version 1.0a Release date(s) October 31, 1998 Genre(s) Real-time strategy expansion pack Mode(s) Single player, Multiplayer over IPX, TCP/IP, Modem or Microsoft Zone. Rating(s) America: ESRB Teen (T) Australia: G8+ Platform(s) Microsoft Windows Media CD (1) System requirements Pentium 90 MHz CPU, 16 MB RAM, 30 MB HD (plus 80 MB from AoE) Input Keyboard, mouse

In-game screenshot depicting marching troops.

In-game screenshot depicting a Roman city.

Online play screenshot depicting several armored elephants, one of the new units added in this expansion.

Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion (popularly abbreviated RoR) is the expansion pack to the 1997 award-winning real-time strategy game Age of Empires. As the name indicates, it is based on the rise of the Roman Empire. It features a new architectural design, unit queuing, five new units, four new researchable technologies and four new civilizations.

The expansion was criticized by some fans as the new features were minimal. Only one new architecture style was added (Roman) and there are few noteworthy changes to the gameplay. Other changes that were made included adding larger maps and tweaking the interface; such as adding unit queueing, using the full stop key to cycle through idle villagers, balancing damage done by catapults, and increasing the population limit.

Another feature of the expansion was the option to play the original Age of Empires with or without the additional content. This option was well received by the gaming community, as gamers would tend to have a certain preference. Many advanced gamers continued to utilise the original game online as they believed it would require more skill to play without several of the features introduced with the expansion. For example, not using the unit queuing feature requires the player to re-apply the 'build unit' command each time a unit is produced (in comparison to setting up a queue which will continue to produce units until the desired number is complete).

[edit] New Units

This expansion adds several new units to enrich gameplay:

• Armored Elephant - an upgrade of the War Elephant with blast damage effect
• Camel Rider - a new unit which is effective against cavalry
• Scythed Chariot - an upgrade of the war chariot which damages adjacent units
• Fire Galley - a new ship unit which applies fire damage
• Slinger - a new infantry unit which is effective against archers

[edit] New Technologies

Four new technologies have been added, of which half provide significant bonuses, making quite a change on gameplay strategies:

• Logistics - reduces the population count by half for all units created at the barracks
• Martyrdom - sacrifice priests to instantly convert units
• Medicine - increase priest healing rate
• Tower Shield - decrease damage received from missiles

[edit] New Civilizations

Four new civilizations closely associated with the Roman Empire have been added, all sharing the Roman architectural style.

• Carthaginian - bonuses in nautical and war elephant units
• Macedonian - bonuses in priest and missile resistance
• Palmyran - bonuses in economy and trade
• Romans - bonuses in infantry and construction

[edit] New Wonder

The new architecture style introduces the Amphitheatre as an alternative wonder. This building is probably based on the Colosseum of Rome.

[edit] External links/References

• Official Microsoft site
• Official Ensemble Studios site
• Collection of Reviews of Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome
• Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome at MobyGames