We may have beat this one to death earlier, but I want to clarify something.
Is the music on the Trial AoE version the same as the music on the original AoE CD? (Not the Gold edition. I know that is the RoR music that takes over both AoE and RoR games on the CD.)
I'm asking because I am thinking my computer may be having problems with the midi short cut I created that lets me play the Trial/midi music with the CD in the drive.
If the AoE CD music is the same as the Trial, then I am going to splurge and buy the original AoE. They have it on sale at Media Play for $14.
Those of you who have the AoE CD (not the Gold edition) and also have the Trial version (Hittites!)of AoE, please listen and see if the music is the same. I would appreciate it.
Sara
Author
Replies:
the_true_Augustus Clubman
posted 03-13-01 05:32 PM
ET (US)
1 / 7
hmm, well if it's the MIDIs that are in the demo, then no, the music on the CD is not the same...
the stuff on the CD is MP3, or WAV.. i dunno which.
So are you saying that the music on the demo (which I assume is the same as the downloaded Trial version) of AoE is not the same as the music on the AoE CD?
And the AoE CD is not the same as the Gold edition. (AoE/RoR)
So do I understand there are three different musical possibilities for AoE depending on whether you have the Trial (demo), the AoE CD, and the Gold edition of AoE/RoR?
So what will I get with the AoE CD?
Sara
Delirious Lab Clubman
(id: Benoit)
posted 03-14-01 11:50 AM
ET (US)
3 / 7
Sara:
Music that comes with the demos (AOE or ROR) are in the form of MIDI files. These are music files that take a ridiculously low amount of disk space and sound like it.
The CD music is in .wav format - this is the format used by CD players. Music CDs from Beethoven to Metallica use this format. This means you can pop the AOE or ROR or Gold CD into a CD player, skip Track 1 (which is the program) and play the music. .wav is the best widely available format for recorded music, in terms of sound quality - better than MP3 - but it takes huge amounts of disk space so it is usually kept on a CD.
I have the RoR demo and the Gold CD. The CD has all the demo music (as far as I can remember) and then some, i.e. the CD has more music than the demo. And the same music on the CD sounds miles better than the demo version - much richer and more exciting (that's .wav versus MIDI for ya). My first reaction when I got the Gold CD (after 6 months of playing the demo) was a big "WOOOOW!" That first chord of music which comes with the main menu almost knocked me off my chair.
If I take that ROR reasoning and apply it to AOE, then I would guess that the AOE CD probably has the same music as the AOE demo, only in better sound, and then some more music which is not on the demo. But I could be wrong as I have neither the AOE disk nor the demo.
Hope this helps, Benoit
SaSa408 Clubman
posted 03-14-01 12:45 PM
ET (US)
4 / 7
Thanks Benoit. You are right. The RoR CD music (Gold edition) is much, much richer than the RoR Trial. In fact sometimes my RoR Trial sounds sour.
But the AoE is a different matter.
I bought the original AoE CD this morning (on sale. ) And have just finished playing a short game.
Here is what I have found out.
This original AoE CD sounds wonderful. And it has some of the same open music as the AoE Trial. That's the music I love! But it is not the same music I hear when I play the Gold edition. In that edition, the RoR music plays for both games.
So: there are three different music versions for AoE. 1. AoE downloaded Trial. (midi music but good!) 2. AoE CD (not Gold) very much like AoE Trial but much more filled out. 3. AoE on the Gold edition CD which is the same as the RoR music.
In my opinion I like the music in this order: AoE CD, AoE Trial, AoE Gold.
I don't have the stand alone CD for RoR, only the Gold version. I wonder if the RoR CD is different. Hmmmmmm. They have it for $9.98. Maybe I'll go back and get it to satisfy my curiosity.
Sara
Delirious Lab Clubman
(id: Benoit)
posted 03-14-01 01:27 PM
ET (US)
5 / 7
Sara:
Add the RoR Trial music and you have four.
1. AoE downloaded Trial. (midi music but good!) 2. AoE CD (not Gold) very much like AoE Trial but much more filled out. 3. RoR downloaded Trial. (midi music) 4. RoR CD very much like RoR Trial but much more filled out.
The Gold CD contains #1, #3 and #4. #1 will play if you play AoE (not RoR) with the midimusic option. #3 will play if you play RoR with the midimusic option. #4 will play if you play AoE or RoR without the midimusic option.
peter HG Alumnus
posted 03-14-01 01:40 PM
ET (US)
6 / 7
The ROR CD has the same music as the Gold edition one if I get Benoit right. The only drawback of the AOE CD is that some of the best pieces of the midi files is not on it.
SaSa408 Clubman
posted 03-14-01 01:54 PM
ET (US)
7 / 7
Yes, Peter,you are right. I am finding there are some things not on it. And the instrumentation is different. But still, it is a rich sound - and both AoE Trial (midi) and AoE CD are much, much better (I think) than the AoE Gold CD.
I worried all the way home thinking I might have to uninstall my Gold edition to install the AoE CD. But all I did was stick the CD in and when AoE came up I clicked "play" and away we went.
I also noticed it already had my name in it. So I guess the AoE CD is accessing the installed Gold edition and I don't have to install it or do anything but play!
I later looked in my C drive at my Microsoft games folders, and nothing has been changed. No new AoE.
I'm so glad I bought it. I had wondered so long about it.