Age of Mythology
Ensemble's latest effort is anything but aged, mythologically speaking.
History is a fine thing, and the source of much inspiration in the gaming world. But game designers do not like boundaries on their creativity, and unfortunately history is constrained by that most ubiquitous of kill-joys, reality. Fortunately for us, Ensemble Studios opted to do what is routine for all good storytellers - they stepped out of reality, and decided to make some shit up. Drawing on the well-established mythos of three distinct cultures, Ensemble have created a real-time strategy game that is not too radical a departure for RTS traditionalists, but is at the same time innovative enough to keep things fresh and compete with releases like Warcraft 3.
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There are three main civilizations to choose from - Greek, Egyptian, and Norse. Each of these may pick one major deity from the pantheon as a patron, and this determines certain abilities and units available to the player. Further specialization is achieved through the selection of a new lesser deity to support upon advancement through the tech levels. Control and interface layout is becoming well established in the RTS genres main game franchises, and so those of you who've played previous Ensemble games will immediately come to grips with the controls. It is an intuitive system, and even newcomers will have no problems picking up the basics, although it takes a little bit of perseverance to become familiar with its intricacies. Other features that are similar to previous games include the resource collection, and the basic mission structure - although there is more variety this time round - more later. Necessary resources include gold, wood, food and favour, which replaces stone. Favour is required to perform miracles and summon myth units and heroes, and is gained in different ways depending on your current civilization. The Greeks assign peasants to worship at the temple, the Egyptians build monuments to the gods, while the Norse must gain favour through battle.
A variety of traditional-style units are available to each race, with the addition this time of mythological units and heroes. Mythological units are powerful creatures based on the civilizations respective mythos, and are summoned from the temple. The also differ from normal units in that they incur a favour cost upon summoning. Hero units are more powerful still, and represent something of a halfway house between the all-importance of heroes in Warcraft III, and the situation in previous games where unique units were mere token additions. Hero units in AoM are very powerful, though not battle-turning in their own right. The Greeks can summon a finite number of heroes famous from their mythology, such as Ajax, Jason and Heracles. The Egyptians have two hero varieties - the Pharaoh and the priest. Only one Pharaoh may be summoned at once, and if he dies he is replaced by a successor. Multiple priests may be summoned, and must be replaced at the temple upon death. The Norse can summon innumerable helsirs, spirits of warriors slain in battle and destined to fight forever in Valhalla.
The hero units constitute one of the main differences between the civilizations. The Norse are limited only by their resources in how many heroes to summon, but the helsirs are correspondingly less powerful. The Egyptians' Pharoah is powerful, but only one is available at any time, while the priests are unlimited but are not really an offensive unit. The Greek heroes are all powerful, but each one is unique, and in total they can summon perhaps seven or eight heroes. If killed, the Greek heroes resurrect themselves where they were slain as long as friendly troops are in the area. This does mean, however, that an important hero is effectively stuck in limbo if he dies deep in enemy territory.
Comments
In AOM all Norse infantry units can build not just the basic unit. Axe-throwers, huskarls and hersirs can all do the same things that the basic unit, the ulfsark, can do. In this game the only things Ensemble screwed up are:
1. The fixed town center locations (why in the world did they do this?) which limits growth severely, and forces migration into enemy territory.
2. The pitiful amount of favour that can be earned by the Norse. Forget making a lot of units that need favour unless you are rushing early, which you are forced to do, and can sustain the campaign while building up a decent economy. The only game that this makes sense for is when you are playing Norse and you have a Norse opponent.
3. I have not been able to figure out how to change the mouse interface. It seems as though a 2 button mouse control is the only option available, and I prefer the one button interface of the previous AOE and AOK.
I have been playing since the day after this came out and it is really a great game, awesome in fact, the problems I have with it are very minor but annoying. One really nice feature is that the campigns built in are very easy to play so younger players, like my 6 year old son, can play these set on easy and have fun with it. If you really want to see some fun give the cheat code for God powers to a 6 year old and sit back and watch.
Hehe. My 6-year-old is the 1 sam speaks of and yes, sometimes he can be real good (best was 6-1 on dust as T).
Being an admin on a server ( 62.80.115.242:27015) its great to gloat when he wipes out a small hoard of marauding Ts and then inform them they were aced by a 6-year-old ( was better when he was 4, hehe).
These kids are gonna kick our asses by the time they are 10.
Nice review btw.
This is a sweet little game, full of flare in the graphical touches that abound. From flowing seaweed to sharks and turtles in the sea, to the chipms and chickens that are on the ground. And every time a Minotaur hurls a calvary unit acroos the map a smile still creeps over me face.
Good review there Nick - if he hasn't convinced you then you must hae RTS games, otherwise help to ensure Santa never wants to see another AoM box in his long life
Six year olds and games, an amusing thing to see. My friend's son has been playing CS since he was four, and to be there when such a young person takes out a serious player with a headshot well, it is one of the finer points of gaming for us old-skool types who are advancing thru the years.
My little sister who is five once had to carry a real rifle for a picture and pretend she is killing with it. She was four. But a kid playing CS at four, wow! Is he any good at it?
Good review Nick.
is very cool and complicate, but i lake the gama. Thaks
Am looking foward to giving this to my dad for christmas since he is addicted to Conquerers. Also can't wait to play it myself having caught a glimpse of the massive spell list thingy.
SOY UNA EXELENTE JUGADORA DE AGE OF EMPIRES SI TU QUYIERES JUGAR COMNIGO ESTOY A TU DISPOSICION
IM EXCELENT PLAYER OF AGE OF EMPIRES PRESS MY BUTON
IT IS CLASS MAN!
si aceptas un reto podemos aprender los dos
If you want to know any facts about how to play this game or strategy then im open i have a 1667 rate but since i got titans it erased my rate on the regular one so i would say have fun gl
ya'll suck
90% pah more like a google% (1 with 100 noughts on the end)
whats the hole story of this game i need to no becase iam donig this for school like about greek ppl and he siad i can do this can any one tell meb plz hurry becase i donty have much time plz hurry plzzzzz and i give u a lollie pop lol i got the game as well but it stuffed up and i cant remeber what it exacly about plz write bAK PLLLLLZZZZZZ
estan todos muert
i lost my age of mythology key to, could you send one to ... I got the game age
of mythology but i lost the box a few days ago. now i dont know the 25 ...
perdi mi caja del juego y ahora necesito la key para volverlo a instalar
QUI SIERA LOS TRUCOS PARA EL AGE OF MITHOLOGY
How many more games like age of the empires & age of mythlolgy are going to come out?
quiero jugar contigo
:)
quisiera los trucos del age of mythology the titans
alguien sabe cual es la clave de instalacion de el aom, es que la perdi y ya no puedo instalarlo
h
quiero saber las clabes de age 1
gr
Could you please send the key(or key generator) to Age of Mythology to jot@araratcc.vic.edu.au
Many thanks,
Jo
ACEPTO TU TETO
me pueden dar la clave de instalacion de age of mithology porfa estoy tratando de hace como una semana
i've got the trial and it good but can anybody tell me some more control for the camara movement all i no is the
mouse wheel up
mouse wheel down
moi vous coucher toi
i lost my key
can sumone send me one??
este juego esta re vueno loco!!!!!!!!
soy mejor de todos y por eso me inscribo para patearle el trasero a ti
putos
chupenlaaa manga de piratas!! (se hacia el q no pirateabaaa!!)) jajaj un abrazoo
age of mythology titans key wanted plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
i want to play the game soooo badly but i dont know were my fwnd has it but not me!:@ cant you just put the game or tel me were to go i have bieng SEARCHING EVERYWERE FOR THE GAME BUT NON HAVE IT ONLY PICTURES RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
blah blah blah
hola soy un gujador super ecxelente y quiero gujar con oponenyes dignos