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    HeavenGames
    News Archive 1998 January – March

    Headlines – March 6, 1998
    This & That
    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor
    Agetoon by Creative
    Search the resources of Heaven
    History Tidbits
     

     

    This & That
    Play the Age and Zone Teams March 12! 
    Another Freaky Friday in the making?

    On March 12, members of the Microsoft Age of Empires team and members of the Internet Gaming Zone team will be on hand in the Age of Empires War Cry Room. They’ll be available to play Age from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. Pacific Time. Come on out and challenge the people who made Age and the people who bring it to you online! You can recognize a team member by their Member ID. If they have an “@MS” they’re from the Age team, and if it’s an “@Zone,” they’re from the Zone. Sound the battle cry!

    If not done already, register in The Zone, and come on in this March 12th. It will be a success as much as Freaky Friday was in January. Teach the pros how to play! :^) – Omnivac

    Empires in the Dust
    For those who likes an historical background with their games, see the March, 1998 issue of DISCOVER magazine for an article titled “Empires in the Dust” by Karen Wright. It explores the collapse of several big civs around 2200 BC.  There is compelling evidence that nature may have dried them up.

    Thanks to Nelson for the info.

    The devolving of Age of Empires
    Some more toughts on this subject…

    McRat : I guess I kind of started this “devolution” talk and I just wanted to explain why. Please remember that this is just my humble opinion and is not to be taken as criticism of those who use the Bronze rush. As we said in the old days “different strokes for different folks”.  🙂

    The very basic reason I made the first post was that I was utterly bored to death doing the same things every dadgum game. (I guess I’m not a good enough player to have more than one strat to counter the Bronze rush.) And as much as I love this game I wasn’t ready to give it up. When was the last time you saw someone win with a Wonder or capturing all the treasures? I haven’t seen it in months on the Zone. Every game was turning out the same. There are other ways to play than “kill as quick as you can.” Maybe you could compare it to Quake (although I hate it). There are frag fests, certainly, but there are also capture-the-flag and other types of games.

    Bottom line. All I was trying to do is see if there were other people that felt like me. There seems to be at least a few from the responses I’ve received. As to homemade rules, why not (shrug)? We aren’t ladder players. We’re just trying to have our version of fun with the game.

    Again, this is not meant to be critical of anyone or anyone’s style of play. I’m just looking for something a little different out of the game.

    I’m going to surprise everyone. Bronze rushing don’t devolved AOE, it evolved it. It is a sign that players get better and better and are optimal on how they play. It is sure that if you play on ladders, wether the Zone or Kali, and you play against the top players, you’re in for a rude welcome. The best remedy to this is play against players or teams near your rank, and make your way up the ladder. Play in team ladder also, as they are more fair than 1v1. Bronze rushing isn’t necessarily king in team game. Get your time better, and practice alone at home.

    Then comes the most important part of the game. It’s not who gets to attack first that is important. It’s keeping your economy going during battles. I’ve been rushed many times, only to eventually win because my opponent couldn’t replace his losses. My last team game comes to mind, as one of the opponent even made the mistake of going Iron too early and upgraded his cavs to heavy cavs. Basically, I had 1000 food and 800 gold more units, while he had time only to build 10 heavy cavs, 1 horse archer and 2 catapults.

    As for long games, it happens often. And Epic Games a little less. A month or so ago, I played a 3 hours game, and a 4 hours game, and battles started around 15 mins without letting go most of the game. Both were conquest, one was huge map-large islands, and the other large map-small islands.

    But by all means, I agree with you on homemade rules. You should play to have fun. It’s just that me I don’t like them. I view them as hiding weaknesses. It’s like playing chess against Kasparov and telling him not to think 2 moves ahead. I would certainly not learn from this. I prefer having the problem right in my face, aand overcome it. – Omnivac

    matty‘s 10 comandments
    One more of matty’s 10 commandments in his Moral Code for AOE Players everywhere.

    8)Thou shalt be open to new ways of playing.

    Too many times I have come across players which refuse to try new options. I ask them if they have tried the new option and they say no. That is just plain and simple silly. Try small and huge maps…try reveal map….try deathmatch…try small islands and highland….TRY IT ALL…some combinations will not work but others are quite fun. I personally have enjoyed playing a bunch of games on a small map with the same person and we both had a lot of FUN.

    This commandment ties in directly with the recent talk about the devolving of AoE. This is what keeps the game alive. There’s so many way to play. Even a simple reveal map, change drastically how the game is played. It takes out the fun of exploration, but equalize more or less the players as they know where are the nearest ressources. Not counting that you may plan better your strategy from the start as you will know probably where the attacks will come from, or where the sneaky villagers wiill build their military outposts.- Omnivac

    To get more go to http://www.mba1998.hbs.edu/tseitz/Matty/moral_code.htm. Go, GO, GOOOOO – You wont regret it! – Hamlet

    goto top of news

    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor :
    The great proverbs from Sun Tzu on the Art of War

    Thanks to SimMayor for letting the good words of Sun Tzu come to Heaven. Be sure to visit his site at 
    SimMayor’s Age of Empires Place.

    Sun Tzu’s proverb of the day :
    Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory,  but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.

    Comment by SimMayor : 
    This is a common way to fail. In AoE it is often ok to repeat the same tactics two three times to assure that the enemy turns his army to fight against this tactic. Then change to something else, and the enemy realizes that he has been building wrong units.

    Look for more strategy proverbs in the days to come – Hamlet

    goto top of news

    Agetoon – By Creative
    Message from the Doc 
    :

    “… doing a Mini Series, “TIME TRAVELER” is the adventures of a unfortunate Photon Man trapped in the Iron Age, I need lots of ideas for this one so post that I would like some help getting them. Thanks …”

    Hope someone will reply to Doc. Sounds like a fun project – Hamlet

    That’s one super-unit I didn’t knew of. The Super Villager…

    More Agetoons 
    here.

    goto top of news

    Searching in Heaven
    Find that little piece of heaven!

      Search  for

    goto top of news

    History Tidbits
    Daily fix of real old news
    For a while Heavens angels will bring some history tidbits and trivia in this column. Look here every day for your daily fix of “old news”. – 
    Hamlet

    (want more? Then go to “History Tidbits – The Collection”)

    The Real-life game of Age of Empires
    Here’s my contribution for the history tidbits. Telling the real-life game of Age of Empires. I hope everybody will like it, and I will try not to make it look like a boring history class. Well, this doesn’t exist but that’s my opinion. 🙂 Read and enjoy. – Omnivac

    (Want all the story? Soon to be found here)

    1990 BC
    The Twelfth Dynasty, Egypt’s “golden” age, begins. It ends with the Middle Kingdom in 1786. During this period, power is somewhat distributed through the social classes. Religion shifts from a wealth-based system to one based on proper conduct. Queen Soreknofru is one of the rulers during this dynasty.

    1900 BC
    The Epic of Gilgamesh is redacted from Sumerian sources and written in the semetic language. Thus, though Gilgamesh was Sumerian, his Epic is Babylonian.

    Babylonia is founded as a kingdom by Semetic Amorite barbarians who overran much of Canaan, Akkad, and Sumer one hundred years earlier.

    The Hittites begins expanding their kingdom, using both force and diplomacy to bring rival city-states and kingdoms in Asia Minor under their control. Hattusas, their greatest capital had previously been the capital of the Hatti, one of their many conquests.

    The Minoans have developed a new script, now called Linear A.

    1900-1500 BC
    Sometime between these dates a semetic group of nomads migrate from Sumer to Canaan and then on to Egypt. They are led by a caravan trader, the Patriarch Abraham, who will become the father of the nation of Israel.

    1800 BC
    The Old Babylonians are employing advanced mathematical operations, such as, multiplication, division and square roots. In addition, they are using a duodecimal system (a system based on 12 and 6) to measure time. We still use their system for counting minutes and hours.

    An Amorite king of the Assyrians had established control over most of northern Mesopotamia. Their power was short-lived in this period, due first to the rise of Babylonia under Hammurabi and the rise of the Mitanni in modern Syria.

    1792 BC
    The small kingdom of Babylonia is inherited by Hammurabi, who will rules until 1750. During those 42 years, Hammurabi will extend the kingdom to encompass all of Sumer to the east and Akkad to the north. He will defeat and push back the barbarian Gutians of the Zagros Mountains, as well as the Elamites and the Assyrians. This was the first Great Babylonian empire.

    1786 BC
    In Egypt, the second intermediate period begins due to internal dissention between the nobility and the pharaoh. It lasts until 1560.

    1766 BC
    The Shang Dynasty, according to tradition, the second dynasty in ancient China, begins. It florishes on the banks of the Yellow River around 1400 and ends around 1027. The Shang Dynasty is known for its use of bronze containers, oracle bones, and human sacrifice, a practice that ends shortly after the collapse of the dynasty.

    1763 BC
    The Amorite King, Hammurabi, conquers all of Sumer. Around the same time, he writes his Code of Laws containing 282 rules including the principles of an eye for an eye and let the buyer beware. It is one of the first codes of law in world history, predated only by the Laws of Lipit-Ishtar.

    1750 BC
    Hammurabi dies, but his empire lasts for another one hundred and fifty years, until 1600, when the Kassites, a non-semetic people, conquer most of Mesopotamia with the help of light chariot warfare.

    goto top of news

     

     

    Age of Empires is a game by Microsoft & Ensemble Studios All trademarks (graphics, information, etc.) are the sole property of their respective owners. All Materials in Age of Empires Heaven used with permission. All other materials are the property Age of Empires Heaven’s Site and Required permission of use on other sites! Best viewed in 800 X 600 Graphics Mode – 16bit color, with IE. Links Do Not Necessarily Suggest Endorsement Names, trademarks, and copyrights are the property of the originating companies and web sites.

      Headlines – March 4, 1998
    This & That
    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor
    Agetoon by Perd
    Search the resources of Heaven
    History Tidbits
     

     

    This & That
    Age of Empires on the CBS evening news
    Received an email from Archie Treadway, saying he saw AOE on television yesterday.

    Archie Treadway Just to let you know,  Age of Empires made the CBS evening news on tuesday, 3 March.  They were doing a story on Bill Gates testifying before congress on the browser controversy.  I can’t remember the exact commentary, but it went something like this, “as in one of Microsoft’s games, where the objective is to build an empire…..”.  While the commentary was going they showed part of one of the avi files, the one with the cavalry on the ridge or hill.

    Hey, not just any piece of software makes the national news.

    And I missed it. Would have been cool to see the avi on my big TV screen. Things to give you ideas of buying a bigger monitor. :^) – Omnivac

    The devolving of Age of Empires
    Here’s some follow-ups from the March 2nd news, mainly about the Bronze rushing. Ensemble’s computer animator sent his toughts.

    Duncan McKissick : Personally, I think Age is a game that takes the best of everyone’s skill and still allows people to play the game in its entirety regardless of Bronze Age attacking. If you get stomped by someone in the early rush, it’s your own fault for not being ready, that’s what walls and towers are for. I have been in many a game that I have defended from multiple Bronze Age attackers and have still won with Iron Age units. I agree that Age on the Zone has become a “who can get the early kill first game”, however, this has never discouraged me from playing, in fact it makes it more of a challenge.

    Hamlet I agree that AoE is a game that requires multiple skills and certainly is not only for the fastclickers. In my oppinion the problem is, that unless you’re very very good your best chances of a win is to do the same thing as the topplayers do – and right now the Bronze attacks rules the Ladder. There must be a lesson in what the top 50 ladder people do.

    It IS more of a challenge like you said and many of us are indeed trying to improve our skills in Bronze as well as developing ideas to avoid these attacks – especially in team games. I simply feel it’s a pity that I/they have to do this in every game.

    SO – I think the idea of the “club” could be to play some enjoyable games on our way up the skilllevels – and thus get our addiction for ALL the fantastic gameplay options in AOE renewed. There is nothing like AOE out there right now in my oppinion and the different win options is part of that. If we have to make up a few new rules like “no attack the first 30-35 minutes”, Okay then – let’s do it. For me it’s all about having MORE fun with AOE – certainly NOT giving it up.

    I’ll side with Duncan on this. In any wargames that requires to gather ressources and build an economy, be it Real-time or turn-based, you don’t have sooner or later the choices to be as efficient as you can be, if you want to succeed. While Bronze rushing have been the big buzz lately, it is dying slowly because of new ways to counter it. Several top teams are now using walls and Tool attacks have made a comeback. Another major factor also is, in ladders, peoples seems only to play highland or inland. When my team goes against some top teams and ask for large islands or small islands, they simply refuse, most of the time. And I tough that in case of disagreement, the challengers had the choice for the settings in ladder’s games.

    I don’t agree with homemade rules. I view this as the inability to face a situation. In almost every games, peoples come up with new rules. BTW, Age have everything to suits everyone. You hate Bronze rushing so much, then try a Tool start with high ressources. You can build walls as soon as the game begins. Well almost, the time to find where to put them, and to research walls in a granary.- Omnivac

    matty‘s 10 comandments
    One more of matty’s 10 commandments in his Moral Code for AOE Players everywhere.

    5)Thou shalt not run when thy time is neigh.

    If you are pretty dead then just give up. If you have enough to keep playing then keep trying. But in the case of a person only having one peon left and almost no resources while running away from a huge army….unless you are both still having fun you should seriously consider giving up.

    Pretty self-explanatory. And some peoples on ladder don’t obey this commandment, and are very childish about it. Some even claims victory, when the “winner” resign because he keep searching and finding lone villagers here and there. And they’re serious about it. – Omnivac

    To get more go to http://www.mba1998.hbs.edu/tseitz/Matty/moral_code.htm. Go, GO, GOOOOO – You wont regret it! – Hamlet

    goto top of news

    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor :
    The great proverbs from Sun Tzu on the Art of War

    Thanks to SimMayor for letting the good words of Sun Tzu come to Heaven. Be sure to visit his site at 
    SimMayor’s Age of Empires Place.

    Sun Tzu of the day :
    By discovering the enemy’s dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated,  while the enemy’s must be divided. ( “If the enemy’s dispositions are visible,  we can make for him in one body; whereas,  our own dispositions being kept secret, the enemy will be obliged to divide his forces in order to guard against attack from every quarter.”)

    Comment by SimMayor : 
    Again the invisibility! Keep you main army near the enemy but in a safe place. Eliminate single enemy scouts/villagers/units before they see the army.

    Look for more strategy proverbs in the days to come – Hamlet

    goto top of news

    Agetoon – By Perd
    Message from the Doc 
    :

    “… doing a Mini Series, “TIME TRAVELER” is the adventures of a unfortunate Photon Man trapped in the Iron Age, I need lots of ideas for this one so post that I would like some help getting them. Thanks …”

    Hope someone will reply to Doc. Sounds like a fun project – Hamlet

    We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz
    Lah Lah, Lah Lah, Lah…

    More Agetoons 
    here.

    goto top of news

    Searching in Heaven
    Find that little piece of heaven!

      Search  for

    goto top of news

    History Tidbits
    Daily fix of real old news
    For a while Heavens angels will bring some history tidbits and trivia in this column. Look here every day for your daily fix of “old news”. – 
    Hamlet

    (want more? Then go to “History Tidbits – The Collection”)

    The Real-life game of Age of Empires
    Here’s my contribution for the history tidbits. Telling the real-life game of Age of Empires. I hope everybody will like it, and I will try not to make it look like a boring history class. Well, this doesn’t exist but that’s my opinion. 🙂 Read and enjoy. – Omnivac

    2560 BC
    Pharoah Khufu builds the Great Pyramid of Cheops.

    2371 BC
    Sargon I seizes the throne of Kish, and gradually conquers all of the city-states of Akkadia. Sargon will establish the first Empire of history, extending his control along the Fertile Crescent from Elam, to the east of Sumer, to the Mediterranean coast.

    2340-2315 BC
    Sargon I founds and rules the city-state of Akkad, after leaving the city of Kish, where he was an important official. Sargon is the first ruler in history to maintain a standing army. Even so, his empire lasts less than two hundred years.

    2320 BC
    Sargon conquers the independent city-states of Sumer and institutes a central government. But by 2130, Sumer regains its independence from Akkadian rule, though it does not revert back to independent city-states. At this time, Sumer is ruled from the important city of Ur.

    2300-2000 BC
    Cultural exchange between the Indus Valley civilization and Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) is especially prominent.

    2205-1766 BC
    In the Far East, the Hsia Dynasty unfolds during this period. However, no archeological evidence to date has confirmed this.

    2200 BC
    The first intermediate period of Egypt begins with the collapse of the Old Kingdom, mostly because of crop failure combined with low revenue due to the pyramid building projects. It ends in 2050.

    Indo-European invaders, speaking the earliest forms of Greek, enter the mainland of Greece, and the Mycenaean Civilization (named after the leading Greek city on the peninsula from 1600-1200 BCE) emerges.

    2100 BC
    The Sumerian King List is written, recording all the kings and dynasties ruling Sumer from the earliest times. According to this list, Eridu is named as the earliest settlement, a claim that seems to be confirmed by archeological evidence.

    2050 BC
    In Egypt, the period of the Middle Kingdom begins with its capital at Thebes. It ends in 1786. Around this time, an early political treatise, The Plea of the Eloquent Peasant, is written, calling for a benevolent ruler.

    2000 BC
    The Egyptians domesticate the cat for the purpose of catching snakes. Around this time, advances in astronomy enable the Egyptians to predict the annual flooding of the Nile.

    2000-1600 BC
    The Old Babylonian period begins in Mesopotamia after the collapse of Sumer, probably due to an increase in the salt content of the soil thereby making farming difficult. Considerably weakened by poor crops, and therefore a lack of surplus goods, the Sumerians are conquered by the Amorites, who are situated in Babylon. Consequenly, the center of civility shifts to the north. Though they preserve most of the Sumerian culture, the Amorites introduce their semetic language, an early ancestor to Hebrew, into the region.

    2000-1500 BC
    Minoan Civilization (named after the Cretan ruler Minos) reaches its height with its central power in Knossos on the island of Crete. This culture is apparently more female-oriented and peaceful than others at the time.

    2000-1000 BC
    Indo-European immigrants slowly inhabit Italy by way of the Alps. They bring the horse, the wheeled cart, and artistic knowledge of bronze work to the Italian peninsula. Two different groups, the Greeks and the Etruscans, occupy different regions of the peninsula during the eighth century.

    goto top of news

     

     

    Age of Empires is a game by Microsoft & Ensemble Studios All trademarks (graphics, information, etc.) are the sole property of their respective owners. All Materials in Age of Empires Heaven used with permission. All other materials are the property Age of Empires Heaven’s Site and Required permission of use on other sites! Best viewed in 800 X 600 Graphics Mode – 16bit color, with IE. Links Do Not Necessarily Suggest Endorsement Names, trademarks, and copyrights are the property of the originating companies and web sites.

      Headlines – March 3, 1998
    This & That
    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor
    Agetoon by Dr. Fish
    Search the resources of Heaven
    History Tidbits
     

     

    This & That
    Angels changing clouds
    Everything should go as smooth as when I was doing the Granary. I know today’s news are kinda late, but I made some bad planning. Mea culpa

    Speaking of the Granary, it will be updated today, if not already, so stop worrying. Hallmaster is your new angel there. – Omnivac

    I know computer doesn’t play smart, but…
    To posts from the forums made an impression on me. First the posts – then my comments :

    David : …I had an interesting game. I had allied (in a random game) with one tribe (reds). We were enemies with the other three tribes. I had declared in the game that an allied victory would be in effect (if either one of us achieved victory we would both win). I was confused by some parts of this. 

    Red and I destroyed all other tribes. We should have won…by conquest. But, the computer did not say we were victorious. Then Red started building a Wonder. When the Wonder was completed, I was notified I would lose if it stood for 2000 years. I thought we were allies? Yet, I couldn’t attack the Wonder because we were allies! 

    So, I built up a huge army and took it to the Red Wonder. With only 300 years to go, I declared that Red was my enemy. I blew the bajeebees out of the Wonder. But, then, no surprise, Red attacked me. He was larger than I, so he pretty much wiped me out…including my town. But, the story continues… 

    I had only one villager survive. Nothing else. I moved the villager to a lonely place on the map and started to build a Wonder. It takes one villager a long time to do that. About 1 1/2 hours real time. All Red had to do was come over and destroy it. Never did. When the Wonder was completed, Red let it stand again. Never attacked. After the 2000 years, I was declared victorious! I couldn’t believe it! 

    Any thoughts or comments? Anyone experience stuff like this?

    This is probably one of the more common mistakes when dealing with allied computer players. IF allied victory is enabled (the little box is cross-checked), this will only work if the human player actually win the game by himself. Both players will win.

    IF the computer win the game, the human player will lose because the computer simply didn’t enabled allied victory. The only way to make sure that this work correctly is, when designing a scenario and enabling allied victory for the computer players. I guess computers don’t trust us, humans. :^)

    Naturally, as soon as you attack your ally, it will become your enemy. This can happen also accidently, and have raised many questions about the strange changes of mood of allied computer players. Splash damage from catapults and trample damage from elephants are such accidents, and will be considered as an attack by you on your ally. Another more devious one is converting an enemy unit while it attacks your ally. If ever a bowman, for example, is converted while his arrow is flying, the human player will be considered as the attacker. There’s a way in the per files to numb computer players so you can beat them accidently pretty senseless. Useful for a scenario where you don’t want unexpected diplomatic changes.

    As for seeking the wonder and destroying it, the computers don’t seem to understand the time concept and will lose while doing nothing. The same hold true for the ruins and they won’t try to control them. Difficulty settings have an impact also on this where on easier settings, the computers will not attack far from their Town Center, and/or often. – Omnivac

    matty‘s 10 comandments
    One more of matty’s 10 commandments in his Moral Code for AOE Players everywhere.

    7)Thou shalt not care too much about disconnected games.

    If the game mysteriously disconnects in the middle there is not too much you can do. If you both agree that one or the other of you clearly won then give the win to that person. If you both think you were the clear victors of the game then I suggest two options. One, you can replay the game. Two, if you feel the other person is not being honorable then just do not play that person again. You can try reporting them to the Ladder but I think that will get you nowhere since the ladder can’t take your word over the other person’s word. Just forget the match and write down the name of that person and don’t play them again. I have tried this and it works.

    Well, I think there should not be no need for such a commandment. Unfortunately, some people seem to care very very much about their wins-loses, and are not too humble to know when they have (or would have) lost. Never forget that this is a game, and that is it about fun. – Omnivac

    To get more go to http://www.mba1998.hbs.edu/tseitz/Matty/moral_code.htm. Go, GO, GOOOOO – You wont regret it! – Hamlet

    goto top of news

    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor :
    The great proverbs from Sun Tzu on the Art of War

    Thanks to SimMayor for letting the good words of Sun Tzu come to Heaven. Be sure to visit his site at 
    SimMayor’s Age of Empires Place.

    Sun Tzu of the day :
    When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream.  It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack.

    Comment by SimMayor : 
    Often the shallows are so narrow that it takes time to get a big army through. It means the enemy can not flee either. Remember, that it’s not a good idea to chase them over the river, because then you would have no good way to retreat.

    Look for more strategy proverbs in the days to come – Hamlet

    goto top of news

    Agetoon – By Dr. Fish
    Message from the Doc 
    :

    “… doing a Mini Series, “TIME TRAVELER” is the adventures of a unfortunate Photon Man trapped in the Iron Age, I need lots of ideas for this one so post that I would like some help getting them. Thanks …”

    Hope someone will reply to Doc. Sounds like a fun project – Hamlet

    Better convince the elephants fast, or it will hurt

    More Agetoons 
    here.

    goto top of news

    Searching in Heaven
    Find that little piece of heaven!

      Search  for

    goto top of news

    History Tidbits
    Daily fix of real old news
    For a while Heavens angels will bring some history tidbits and trivia in this column. Look here every day for your daily fix of “old news”. – 
    Hamlet

    (want more? Then go to “History Tidbits – The Collection”)

    The Real-life game of Age of Empires
    Here’s my contribution for the history tidbits. Telling the real-life game of Age of Empires. I hope everybody will like it, and I will try not to make it look like a bothering history class. Well, this doesn’t exist but that’s my opinion. 🙂 Read and enjoy. – Omnivac

    5000 BC
    Agriculture is brought by immigrants from the highlands of Palestine to the Nile Valley.

    In Sumer, early settlements appears between the rivers (Mesopotamia). Primitive farmers came down from the Zagros Mountains and learn to control flooding with dikes, and how to irrigate their summer fields.

    5000-3000 BC
    Agricultural communities gradually form city-states along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

    4000 BC
    The Summerians learn how to obtain copper from ore and to make bronze by 3500 BC.

    3450 BC
    The world’s first cities appear along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers just north of what is now the Persian Gulf. Collectively, these cities make up the Uruk culture, named after the principal city, Uruk, which is the Biblical Erech. This culture invents writing and the lunar calendar, uses metals extensively, develops a practice of medicine, and builds monumental architecture. Even so, no unified government links these cities, and they remain independent for almost one thousand years.

    3300-1000 BC
    The earliest known prehistoric civilizations occupy the Aegean world. This period marks the rise and fall of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilization.

    3200 BC
    Archeological evidence indicates that the Sumerians are making use of wheeled transportation.

    3200-1600 BC
    The Indus Valley civilization grows up along the banks of the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. The two most important sites uncovered so far by archeologists are Harappa and Mohenjo-Dara; both cities show considerable development including multi-level houses and city-wide plumbing. The Indus Valley civilization appears to have collapsed because natural disaster altered the course of the Indus River.

    3100 BC
    Cuneiform writing emerges in Mesopotamia. This form of writing, involving wedge-shaped characters, is used to record the first epics in world history, includingEnmerkar and the Lord of Aratta and the first stories about Gilgamesh.

    King Menes of Upper Egypt conquers Lower Egypt and establishes the First Dinasty.

    3100-2770 BC
    During this period in ancient Egypt, the Archaic period, Narmer unites Egypt. Hieroglyphic writing develops.

    3000 BC
    Large populations conglomerate around the Nile River due to the abundance of food. Flooding is under control and irrigation put much more land under cultivation.

    2772 BC
    In Egypt, the 365 day calendar is introduced.

    2700 BC
    The Sumerian King, Gilgamesh, rules the city of Uruk, which has now grown to a population of more than 50,000. Gilgamesh is the subject of many epics, including the Sumerian “Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Nether World” and the Babylonian “Epic of Gilgamesh.”

    King Djoser founds the third dynasty in Egypt thereby issuing the period of the Old Kingdom, which lasts until 2200. He also builds the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first known pyramid in Egypt. During the Old Kingdom, the power of the pharaoh is absolute.

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    Age of Empires is a game by Microsoft & Ensemble Studios All trademarks (graphics, information, etc.) are the sole property of their respective owners. All Materials in Age of Empires Heaven used with permission. All other materials are the property Age of Empires Heaven’s Site and Required permission of use on other sites! Best viewed in 800 X 600 Graphics Mode – 16bit color, with IE. Links Do Not Necessarily Suggest Endorsement Names, trademarks, and copyrights are the property of the originating companies and web sites.

      Headlines – March 2, 1998
    This & That
    The Multiplayer experience
    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor
    Agetoon by Dr. Fish
    Search the resources of Heaven
    History Tidbits
     

     

    This & That
    Sorry MacRat – I made a mistake
    MacRat has informed me that the Xperts site mentioned yesterday is NOT his site. I falsely assumed it was his from his email to me. My mistake MacRat – wont happen again 🙂 – Hamlet

    The Devolution of AOE on the Zone
    To posts from the forums made an impression on me. First the posts – then my comments :

    Randy “MacRat” Weeks : Is it just my perspective, or has AoE devolved into a “get to bronze first and kill” game? I’ve played dozens of games on the Zone and at first games were won with Wonders and now it’s only Conquest. I think this is a shame. The people on the Zone have made this a shallow game. There is more to this game than just building the most chariot archers/compostite bowmen/calvary than the other guy and killing him. If anyone would like to play the game the way it was meant to be played my icq number is 8286330. I would love to get back to building my Empire lovingly and then kicking the ##### out of someone. 🙂

    And one more :

    Ender : Been reading a lot about people that don’t like all the rushing in AOE. I myself am sick of assyrian vs yamato vs shang games, so lately the people I play with have all started playing lottery games, basically teams are top vs bottem and you keep the civilization the computer picks for you. This has led to some wild games, including multiple games won by wonders. I suggest you try this with your friends, if you see me… ender4000 you could try it with me, but we only like to play with very good players so the teams are more even. So we tend to avoid strangers. If you see me and can hit bronze in 15 minutes regularly join the game and say that immmediately and you can have some fun games with us.

    Now, both of the posts speaks of experiences very similar to mine – and of feelings about it also very similar to mine. I too am pretty tired of ALWAYS having to play “large, inland” and the Yamato cav rumble, ’cause I know my opponent plays Assyrian OR going for the tool or bronze Assy solution – and trying hard to get there first, ’cause if I dont they will finish me off early.

    The other day I had a game with fellow angel Hallmaster and since we knew each others playtyle pretty well we had to find other ways to make a win. The gameclock stopped at 1:56 min, a looong time since I played for that long. I did Yamato, he Assy. We had almost similartool and bronze times – and then the fun started. We harrassed each other pretty good for a long while, but in the end one decisive strategic decision made the outcome : He did the Iron upgrade – I didn’t. Who won? Well – I did – wouldnt think so, would you? I mean bronze Yam’s against Iron Assy shouldn’t win. BUT – the saved 1000 food and 800 gold did it for me. A very enjoyable game, where you ended up with a feeling that it didn’t really matter who won – it was fun, FUN.

    Ender and MacRat, I don’t know how many we must be to form a club of playing AOE to the full extent (even if it means “no attack the first 30 min” or “pick any civ apart from yam, assy, shang” or “everybody must reach iron before attacks allowed”, etc). I for one would very much like to join. I would love the strategic elements of Wonders, Artifact’s or real siege campaigns for that matter.

    If someone else has similar wishes you’re welcome to contact me. – Hamlet

    matty‘s 10 comandments
    One more of matty’s 10 commandments in his Moral Code for AOE Players everywhere.

    8)Thou shalt be open to new ways of playing.
    Too many times I have come across players which refuse to try new options. I ask them if they have tried the new option and they say no. That is just plain and simple silly. Try small and huge maps…try reveal map….try deathmatch…try small islands and highland….TRY IT ALL…some combinations will not work but others are quite fun. I personally have enjoyed playing a bunch of games on a small map with the same person and we both had a lot of FUN.

    Surely the right comandment to follow above piece on “devolution”. I agree for sure. Personally I have a fear for deathmatch – for others it’s any water map (small, large islands, coastal), for others again it’s small maps, so they insist on HUGE for 2 players. Get rid of your fear – have fun and discover new ways to enjoy AOE.

    To get more go to http://www.mba1998.hbs.edu/tseitz/Matty/moral_code.htm. Go, GO, GOOOOO – You wont regret it! – Hamlet

    Changes in Heaven
    Beware people. Angel Omnivac is taking over the news desk from tomorrow. I am sure he will write interesting stuff here. I for one will still check out the news every day. BUT – taunt041 ;-).

    See you all in the Tavern shortly – Hamlet

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    The Multiplayer experience
    Thoughts on Teamplay
    Picked this up in the forums :

    Scott Robert Ladd : Age of Empires Heaven had some comments about team games today; I have a few more thoughts:

    COMMUNICATE: In many games, my team mate refuses to talk during the game. What’s the point of being a team if you won’t share intelligence or planning? About half the team games seem to evolve into “every man for himself.” Coordinated teams WIN.

    NOT TOO CHATTY, THOUGH. In Star Trek, the Klingons evolved two languages — one for conversation, and a condensed version for combat. Don’t inundate your partner with words; ask and give essential information.

    PRIVATE CHAT: In at least a quarter of the games I play, someone forgets to put the chat on ALLIES, thus giving away intelligence to the enemy.

    ORGANIZE: Make a game plan. Is someone going to do an early rush, while the other player races to iron? Or will both of you combine your civs in a single town and offense. Before playing: Do your civilizations complement each other? Pick civs that fill in each other’s weaknesses. And despite what some people may say, ALL civilizations have weaknesses in addition to strengths.

    SHARE: Use tribute to share resources. If I can’t find wood and you’ve got no gold, we should be trading. If your partner is behind and needs a hundred food to make Bronze, give it to him/her. And if you’re going to die, give your remaining resources to your partner.

    FAIRNESS: Try to choose teams by experience, not just TvB (Top vs. Bottom). Too often, two experienced players end up playing two newbies — with the inevitable (is boring) result that the experienced team wins too easily.

    TEACH: If your partner is a newby, provide guidance and training.

    … to which sphinx added this comment :

    sphinx : Would like to add to your good thoughts the following: Do not give up the game at any point if in a team! Your partner NEEDS you! If you are under heavy attack-ask your partner for help! If he can’t help-run under cover of his walls. If he does not have defences and you are majorly screwed-just take your enemy attention as long as you can-it will help your partner. If there is no chance left at all-don’t forget to tribute your resources to the partner. Do not forget to research writing-to share map info with allies. It is extremely helpful! When ready to attack combine forces against the most advanced opponent first-that will slow him down. Besides, weaker opponent usually means a slow/weak player and he will not present serious danger at any time while the good opponent will recover quickly and get you. Let the weaks develop-it makes more fun as well (if you are confident in your strength). Only if you know that some civ may be a great danger to you in Iron-then crush it first regardless.

    To most of this : Yep – I agree. One thing only thou. In my experience when an ally is attacked early it is NOT in the teams interest for the partners to come rushing with some military units to assist. In stead – attack the attacking opponent in his hometown . If early in the game he will be weak and probably have no defense to speak of – and thus will be easy to criple or kill. The end result is that say in a 2v2 you now have 21 strong and one weak on each team, BUT if guerilla warfare is used well by the ally first attacked he is still better of than the weak opponent.

    SO – if you ever end up playing with me as an ally – and you hear me say “Yellow attacks me” this is NOT a cry for help – it’s a message meaning ATTACK YELLOW NOW. Anyways – every team has to set their own standards, and (as Scott says) develop a team shorthand for communicating during a game.  – Hamlet

    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor :
    The great proverbs from Sun Tzu on the Art of War

    Thanks to SimMayor for letting the good words of Sun Tzu come to Heaven. Be sure to visit his site at SimMayor’s Age of Empires Place.

    Sun Tzu of the day :
    Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

    Comment by SimMayor : 
    Yet another very basic thing. It stresses the importance of knowing the map. Use of transports helps often if you have not been active on the sea. Late iron age heavy catapults are useful to clear the forest.

    Look for more strategy proverbs in the days to come – Hamlet

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    Agetoon – By Dr. Fish
    Message from the Doc 
    :

    “… doing a Mini Series, “TIME TRAVELER” is the adventures of a unfortunate Photon Man trapped in the Iron Age, I need lots of ideas for this one so post that I would like some help getting them. Thanks …”

    Hope someone will reply to Doc. Sounds like a fun project – Hamlet

    Kinda cosy for prison, ehhh? With trees and all 🙂

    More Agetoons here.

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    Searching in Heaven
    Find that little piece of heaven!

      Search  for

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    History Tidbits
    Daily fix of real old news
    For a while Heavens angels will bring some history tidbits and trivia in this column. Look here every day for your daily fix of “old news”. – Hamlet

    (want more? Then go to “History Tidbits – The Collection”)

    Timeline
    1 AD – Beginning of the Christian Era (1 AD, anno domini)
    – a system first used by Dionysius Exiguus in 527 AD. Phraates V and the young Gaius Caesar meet on an island in the Euphrates and Rome recognizes Parthia as a power of some standing while Parthia renounces the right to interfere in Armenia

    Literature and Drama
    Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

    Great battles
    490 BC – Battle of Marathon, 
    Battle at the start of the Persian Wars Sept 490 BC in which the Athenians and their allies from Plateae defeated the Persian king Darius’ invasion force, on the Plain of Marathon about 40 km/25 mi northeast of Athens.

    The Greeks, a combined force of about 10,000 Athenians under Miltiades supplemented by allied Plataeans, were encamped overlooking the plain, about a mile away from the Persian force which was some five to six times their strength. Taking advantage of the fact that the Persians had their backs to the sea, the Greek strengthened their wings and attacked. The Persians held off the Greek attack on their centre, but Miltiades then wheeled round the Greek wings, crushing the Persian flanks and putting pressure on their centre. The Persians were driven back into the sea and although most managed to re-embark into their ships, about 6,000 lay dead on the field, while Greek losses were under 200.

    The victory at Marathon was an enormous boost to Greek morale which was to be of great value when the Persians mounted a much more threatening invasion 10 years later.

    The battle has been immortalised by the race named after it in memory of the runner, Pheidippides, who reputedly ran to Sparta from Athens to appeal for aid before the battle. He covered the distance of 200 km/125 mi in a day but the Spartans failed to provide any assistance. A more recent legend, that he ran from Athens to Marathon (a distance of about 40 km/25 mi) to fight in the battle, then ran back with the news of the victory before dropping dead, actually gives rise to the name of the modern race but is considered spurious by scholars.

    Notorious people
    Alexander Severus (AD 208-235)
    Roman emperor from 222, when he succeeded his cousin Heliogabalus. He attempted to involve the Senate more closely in administration, and was the patron of the jurists Ulpian and Paulus, and the historian Cassius Dio. His campaign against the Persians 232 achieved some success, but in 235, on his way to defend Gaul against German invaders, he was killed in a mutiny.

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    Age of Empires is a game by Microsoft & Ensemble Studios All trademarks (graphics, information, etc.) are the sole property of their respective owners. All Materials in Age of Empires Heaven used with permission. All other materials are the property Age of Empires Heaven’s Site and Required permission of use on other sites! Best viewed in 800 X 600 Graphics Mode – 16bit color, with IE. Links Do Not Necessarily Suggest Endorsement Names, trademarks, and copyrights are the property of the originating companies and web sites.

      Headlines – March 1, 1998
    This & That
    The Multiplayer experience
    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor
    Agetoon by Dr. Fish
    Search the resources of Heaven
    History Tidbits
     

     

    This & That
    A site for Xperts – a site to see
    MacRat mailed me and said I really had to check out his/their site. And boy is he right! Very original content there. This site Home of the Xperts is run by – and for – one of the top teams on Case’s Team Ladder, called (who’d have guessed it) The Xperts.

    They got stuff from the Pentagon archives on basic and advanced warfare. They also got one of the most complete Hotkey-lists I have seen as well as good strategy pages for optimizing your game. The intro on the front page says something about “… for those of us that wants to get better …”. Hamlet says “Visit this site – and you will!”. – Hamlet

    matty‘s 10 comandments
    Special mentioning – and phraise – goes to maimin-matty on the Xperts site. He put up his 10 comandments for all to follow. Hey – you don’t know who matty is? Well – he is the top-dude, number one ranked player on Case’s Singleplayer Ladder. He’s got a record of 142-17 (meaning 142 won – 17 lost ladder games). But that is not what makes me mention his comandments. It is the fact that matty in my view is a model of what players should be like playing multiplayer games. Every one of the 10 commandments in his Moral Code for AOE Players everywhere is worth mentioning. Today I will just mention #2 on the list.

    2)Thou shalt share thy information.
    Although all the players that are around now are awesome there are always new players trying to become better. It is important to try and share information with these people and teach them the tricks of the trade. When good players ask me how I do it I sometimes am reluctant to tell them because I know I have given away my secrets in the past and people have used them to kill me. However, I feel good that I have made my opponents stronger and I hope you do too.

    Phraise to you matty – this is an admirable attitude from en exceptional player. You deserve an original Heaven halo for that 🙂 Hope we meet someday.

    To get more go to http://www.mba1998.hbs.edu/tseitz/Matty/moral_code.htm. Go, GO, GOOOOO – You wont regret it! – Hamlet

    Changes in Heaven
    Well – just a few planned adjustments. Angels Hallmaster and Fatcat will take over the Granary for a while – good luck to them. I know they will redo some of the layouts there sometime soon so watch out for some changes.

    This leaves Angel Omnivac out of work – but only for a few days thou – hehe. He is gonna be your news host from March 3rd. Watch out for some high quality, fantastic, wonderfull stories here (… ehhh – wasn’t that what you told me to say, Omni? …)

    This in turn leaves me to finish the work on Heavens upcoming NEW area. Let me tell you a few things : It will be called The Tavern, it will be all about getting players together, it will have a special forum with the sole purpose of getting players to meet for games (actually someone asked for this directly in the forums just the other day), and more.

    Hope to get The Tavern up and running very shortly. Nope – you wont get a date out of me – been too close to the gaming industry for too long to do that 🙂 –Hamlet

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    The Multiplayer experience
    Traitors???? and Allies
    Got his as a user submitted tip :

    Kelvin Li : When you play multiplayer and your allies with one of them and they are next to your village, quickly build a wall and some guard towers. Then send 1 archery unit and 3 legions to the center of his/her village. Because they might trick you and turn you into enemy!

    Say what? Say WHAT? Did I understand this right? You ally with someone – and sometimes your allies start attacking you? What’s the point! In my book that’s a NO NO. Kelvin, you – well, your allies at least – have misunderstood the multiplayer team-thing in my oppinion. I suggest you try and find someone else to play – Hamlet

    Strategy Tips – Sun Tzu from SimMayor :
    The great proverbs from Sun Tzu on the Art of War

    Thanks to SimMayor for letting the good words of Sun Tzu come to Heaven. Be sure to visit his site at SimMayor’s Age of Empires Place.

    Sun Tzu of the day :
    All warfare is based on deception.

    Comment by SimMayor : This basic principle is often neglected. How much direct attacks wave after wave have we ever seen! The 50 unit limit makes deception really useful. Easiest it is in team games, but don’t forget it in single player games either.

    Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;  when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near,  we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away,  we must make him believe we are near.

    Comment by SimMayor :
    Unable: Just hit the walls with a few desperate axemen and collect resources near enemy by a single villager. He may believe you can’t do better. 
    Inactive: Target your units carefully, don’t rush pointless. Pick the enemy villagers one by one, without showing your total army. 
    Far away: Hide your army near the enemy. That’s difficult. 
    Near: Make your villager build a house, a wall and maybe a tower near the enemy. If he has not scouted properly, he’ll get really confused. He may build walls and towers like crazy or start building an army to attack that fake town of yours. If he attacks, hold the attack first a bit with a few archers. Then let him crush the walls with catapults and ‘invade’. Meanwhile you have gathered a huge army well outside the sight and attack with it only after the enemy is well through the walls.

    Look for more strategy proverbs in the days to come – Hamlet

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    Agetoon – By Dr. Fish
    Doc you kill me 🙂 I LOVE your toons – and any toon for that matter. As the greatest supplier so far you deserve special phraise however. Keep it up – pleeeease. I like a good laugh in the midst of such a “serious” game 🙂

    Message from the Doc :

    “… doing a Mini Series, “TIME TRAVELER” is the adventures of a unfortunate Photon Man trapped in the Iron Age, I need lots of ideas for this one so post that I would like some help getting them. Thanks …”

    Hope someone will reply to Doc. Sounds like a fun project – Hamlet

    Lots of request for flying things in AOE. Wonder if this would do it 🙂

    More Agetoons here.

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    Searching in Heaven
    Find that little piece of heaven!

      Search  for

    goto top of news

    History Tidbits
    Daily fix of real old news
    For a while Heavens angels will bring some history tidbits and trivia in this column. Look here every day for your daily fix of “old news”. – Hamlet

    (want more? Then go to “History Tidbits – The Collection”)

    Timeline
    372 AD
    The Huns, under Balamir, cross the Volga and defeat the Ostrogoths in the Ukraine.
    Some Ostrogoths join in with the Huns; some penetrate into the land of the Visigoths, north of the Danube.

    Great battles
    431-404 BC – Peloponnesian War
    … conflict between Athens and Sparta, backed by their respective allies, 431-404 BC, originating in suspicions about the ambitions of the Athenian leader Pericles. It was ended by the Spartan general Lysander’s capture of the Athenian fleet in 405, and his starving the Athenians into surrender in 404. Sparta’s victory meant the destruction of the political power of Athens.

    Notorious people
    Marcian (396-457) 
    Eastern Roman emperor 450-457. He was a general who married Pulcheria, sister of Theodosius II; he became emperor on Theodosius’ death. He convened the Council of Chalcedon (the fourth Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church) 451 and refused to pay tribute to Attila the Hun.

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