There are three main types of strategies in AoE random map games, reguardless of map type or civilization- After hitting Feudal, a boomer will swtich to expansion mode, plopping down dozens of military buildings, granaries, and storage pits (multiple sp's allow for better researh speeds), and usually two markets. Military production will usually begin in this stage, and all military techs for the type of soldier the player plans on using will be researched. Typically, on the economic scene, the player will have around 30 villagers now, and will have switched to FU (fully upgraded) farms as their main food source by now. Scout cavalry, probably given at least some armor and attack for defense and villager harrasment, should be scouting the map at this point. A very strong Bronze Age comes, and with it, if the player has boomed uninterupted, a massive economic base, and the means for producing FU military units very quickly due to large numbers of military buildings. Typically the game will be won within half an hour of the player hitting bronze. On more water-oriented maps, the gameplay is much the same, but the player will probably have at least two docks, and should take advantage of fishing boats as a source of food, freeing up a larger number of villagers to focus on woodcutting, which becomes more important. If you play the game right, you'll have 6-8 triremes sailing about soon, destroying everything in their path due to strength in numbers (some players, depending on their civ, may choose to suplement with fire ships and catapult triremes. By all means, use your civ's strengths to your advantage). *This section will be expanded in the near future, adding specific strategies, build orders, and so on.* Archer Rush Villager Rush
All "booming strats" involve building a strong economic base, sacrificing strong tool/bronze times for a dominant population, army, and Iron age time. Most civilizations can pull of a decent booming strat. A rough build order for a booming strat on a highland/coastal map would start with two houses, and would aim for totally focused food production, branching out into wood after the first ten or so villagers. Typically the player "hits the tool button" after producing between 20 and 30 villagers. An extreme boomer may even begin gold and stone mining in the Stone Age.
These strategies are hugely varied, and very common in expert games on the Microsoft Gaming Zone. Although they are wide-ranging in scope, they all involve quickly throwing up a skeleton economy, and aiming straight for the early production of one type of unit (scouts, axemen, archers, even villagers-this depends on your civ choice). The build orders for these strategies are the most rigid and least versitile of the lot, but if they are executed right they are absolutely lethal. For detailed information on a Scout Rush and a Slinger Rush, see the articles on the Seige Workshop section of this site. The rest I will cover here, one by one
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*Under Construction*
Nuts on curfews! I'll finish this up tomorrow.
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Current Project:Dar Sarvastus, Wizard of Death
Scenario 4: Elves
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