Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Nations
Few franchises in the history of gaming have been as long-standing as Age of Empires, Ensemble Studios’ classic historical RTS.
Today, twenty years later, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition begins that transformation anew with all-new graphics, remastered sound and music, and a smooth UI experience rebuilt from the ground up! Play the legendary RTS that started it all! Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition celebrates the 20th anniversary of one of the most popular strategy games ever with stunning 4K Ultra HD graphics, a new and fully remastered soundtrack, and brand-new content, “The Last Khans” with 3 new campaigns and 4 new civilizations.
And very few games have been played for such a long time as Age of Empires II, arguably the most beloved installment in the series.
It’s been going strong since 1999 and with the release of the HD Edition in 2013 and the arrival of the Definitive Edition in November 2019, it doesn’t look like that’s going to end anytime soon.
With the HD version came several new civilizations to control and develop into bustling empires, complicating the ever-controversial question of which civilization is the best.
Some may do better on certain maps, some benefit from 1v1 settings or are good in team games, and the list of variables goes on making it hard to make a simple ranking.
To simplify this I’ve turned to aoestats.io, an independent project that monitors the game’s competitive scene and provides easy to understand data such as win rate, overall usage, and average game score for each civilization.
So without further ado, here are the best civilizations with the highest win-rate in AoEII: HD Edition.
10. Britons
The first entry in our list happens to be the Britons, a classic civilization with a focus on archery for their military strategies.
Their archery ranges produce units considerably faster than the average civilization, and their archers in general have a longer range.
Their unique unit is the Longbowman which can out-range virtually every other unit in the game as well as towers and castles once fully upgraded.
Their villagers gather food faster from sheep, and their Town Centers are cheaper than usual, which helps their economy and gives them the possibility of expanding in the mid-game much faster.
9. Berbers
A big part of many strategies for winning a game depend on progressing through the ages faster.
And the Berbers have the fastest Feudal Age times in the list.
They’re focused on cavalry which they can produce for cheaper costs once they hit Castle Age.
Their Camel Archer unit is among the best ranged mounted units as well, with excellent strength and accuracy, and it benefits from the Maghrabi Camels tech which grants Berber camel units a regenerative ability.
A good choice if you want to move fast and grow even faster.
8. Mayans
The Mayans not only win a lot of games, they’re also simply present in most of them.
They’re a fan favorite and the second most picked civilization in the list, right under the Huns.
Their early game is excellent thanks to their superior scout, the Eagle Warrior, and they can get to work faster thanks to an extra starting villager.
They win most of their games in the early mid-game when they can fully benefit from their longer lasting resources and amazingly cost-efficient Plumed Archer unique unit.
7. Indians
This is one of the first new civilizations added to the game with the release of the HD Edition.
The Indians focus on camels and gunpowder units, among which their Hand Cannoneers excel after getting the +1 Range upgrade from the Shatagni tech.
Their Imperial Camel, which replaces the Knight, is also notably useful.
While somewhat weaker than its European counterpart, the Imperial Camel also costs much less.
Their economy can become much more profitable than the average civilization too thanks to their Sultans tech which increases all gold income by 10%.
6. Aztecs
The Aztecs are another great early game civilization that generally wins its games in the blink of an eye.
This is mostly thanks to economy boosts such as villagers carrying more resources and an extra 50 gold at the start of the game.
They can also profit greatly from relics, which generate 30% more gold for the Aztecs and their teammates.
Although they lack any cavalry whatsoever, their infantry units, including the Eagle Warrior scout, are very strong thanks to a full tech tree and two unique upgrades.
And those units are produced 18% faster along with all other Aztec military units.
5. Vikings
Contrary to what you might expect, the Vikings aren’t only strong at sea. They can also dominate on land as well.
Their Berserk unique infantry unit can regenerate and is therefore much more viable for small harassing incursions.
In regards to their economy, their most notable and very helpful bonus is getting both the Wheelbarrow and Handcart techs for free. Which will make them an absolute powerhouse during the time it takes other civilizations to research them.
4. Huns
The most played civilization in the list is also one of the most unique.
Their most notable characteristic is that they don’t need houses for their population, which saves you a lot of time and resources in the early and mid-game.
It also lets you focus much more on micromanaging military units and outmaneuvering your foes while they worry about social housing projects.
Their unique unit, the Tarkan, excels at razing defensive structures.
It’s a very viable unit thanks to the Marauders technology that allows you to produce them in stables, which are 20% faster for the Huns.
3. Incas
Another Native American civilization makes the list, following the same early game domination strategies as the others.
Like the Huns, they need to worry less about housing as their houses have double the population capacity of normal ones.
And they get a free llama at the start of the game to give you the food boost you need to fill them up faster.
A nice strategy with the Incas is the classic Tower Rush, made easier thanks to their 15% discount when building stone structures, and supported by their extra-durable villagers.
2. Slavs
The Slavs are the silent assassins of the game.
One wouldn’t generally expect them to be so successful!
Their many victories can probably be explained by their amazing economy, carried by villagers who work 15% faster.
Their siege units also come at a discount, helping them build strong high-cost armies faster and more consistently.
However once the game starts getting too long and gold becomes scarce, they start losing ground fast. So it’s best to wrap things up as quickly as possible.
1. Franks
The Franks may feel like an unusual choice for best civilization to some people.
But the numbers don’t lie!
The Franks are not only the most successful civilization in the AoE II competitive scene, they’re also ahead by a large margin.
Their power comes from two main things: a strong economy thanks to faster berry pick-up and free farm upgrades(which lets them advance through the ages much faster) and their bonus 20% cavalry health.
One of the most popular strategies in the game that’s absolutely dominated by the Franks is the early Scout Rush, thanks to their mounted scout units being 20% more resistant in general.
If that fails you’ll still reach Imperial Age faster than most and your mighty Frank paladins can carry you to victory.
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| Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Forgotten Empires[a] |
| Publisher(s) | Xbox Game Studios |
| Director(s) | Adam Isgreen |
| Designer(s) | Bert Beeckman |
| Series | Age of Empires |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | November 14, 2019 |
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a real-time strategy video game developed by Forgotten Empires and published by Xbox Game Studios.[1] It is a remaster of the original game Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the original. It features significantly improved visuals, supports 4K resolution, and 'The Last Khans', an expansion that adds four new civilizations based on Central Asia and Eastern Europe, and four new campaigns.[2] It includes all previous expansions from the original and HD Edition. It was released on November 14, 2019.[3]
Gameplay[edit]
The core gameplay elements are shared heavily with the original but Definitive Edition builds upon it. The remaster includes new 4K graphics, new improved visuals for troops and buildings, the ability to zoom in and further out and a new spectator mode. It features a new campaign called The Last Khans and includes four new civilizations: Bulgarians, Cumans, Lithuanians and Tatars. Four new campaigns were added for the new civilisations: Ivaylo, Kotyan Khan, Tamerlane and Pachacuti which is about the Inca civilisation and replaces El Dorado from the HD Edition (Lithuanians do not appear as a playable civilization in any campaign; however, they represent Poles in the Ivaylo campaign).[2][4] It includes all previous expansions from the original (The Conquerors) and HD edition (The Forgotten, The African Kingdoms, Rise of the Rajas).[2][5]
Players can choose between the original AI, the updated HD Edition AI that was added alongside the HD Edition of the game, and a newer AI developed for the Definitive Edition.[6] The original AI had to cheat to be competitive, while the new AI is advanced enough to not require any cheating. When the old and new AIs were pitted against each other in a test, the new one easily defeated the old one.[7] Unit pathfinding is also supposedly improved upon.[8] Players can shift-queue villager tasks.[9]Farms now have the option to be replenished automatically.[10] A further expansion pack, Lords of the West, was announced on December 15, 2020 and is due for release on January 26, 2021. The Lords of the West will introduce two further civilisations, the Burgundians and the Sicilians, as well as three new campaigns, featuring Edward Longshanks, the Dukes of Burgundy and the Hautevilles.[11]
Release[edit]
On August 21, 2017 at Gamescom, Microsoft announced Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition was in development by Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media and Wicked Witch Software.[12] On June 9, 2019, Microsoft revealed the gameplay trailer at Xbox E3 2019.[13] It released on the Xbox Game Pass in addition to Steam and the Windows Store on November 14, 2019.[5][14]
Reception[edit]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 84/100[15] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| PC Gamer (UK) | 78/100[16] |
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition received 'generally favorable' reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic with a score of 84/100 from 32 reviews.[15]Windows Central's Cale Hunt praised the improved artwork, animations and quality of life additions but criticized the AIpath finding and pointed out a need for further balancing.[17]
Notes[edit]
- ^Additional work by Tantalus Media and Wicked Witch[1][2]
References[edit]
Age Of Empires Races
- ^ abWright, Steve (June 19, 2019). 'Aussie devs Wicked Witch, Tantalus working on Age of Empires 2'. Stevivor. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ abcdIsgreen, Adam; Empires, Franchise Creative Director for Age of (June 9, 2019). 'E3 2019: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Launching Fall 2019, Beta Coming Soon'. Xbox Wire. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^Moore, Ewan (August 19, 2019). 'Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition Release Date Confirmed'. UNILAD. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ^'Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition will release this fall'. PCGamesN. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- ^ abJune 14, Marshall Honorof |; Pm, 2019 05:50. 'Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Lives Up to Its Name at E3 2019'. www.laptopmag.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- ^White, Sam (November 12, 2019). 'Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition review – reverent treatment'. pcgamesn.com. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^Shea, Brian. 'How Age Of Empires II: Definitive Edition Hopes It Is Living Up To Its Name'. Game Informer. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^Calvin, Alex. 'Why Microsoft is investing so heavily in the Age of Empires series'. PC Games Insider. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^Ray, Bodhisatwa (November 21, 2019). 'Age of Empires II Definitive Edition Review: Price in India and review'. BGR India.
- ^'Review: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition'. Hardcore Gamer. December 12, 2019.
- ^'Pre-Order Age of Empires II: DE – Lords of the West, coming January 26th!' (in Lithuanian). Forgotten Empires. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^Knezevic, Kevin (August 21, 2017). 'Age Of Empires 2 And 3 Remasters Announced'. GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^Giret, Laurent (August 19, 2019). 'Age of Empires: DE launches on Steam with cross play support, Age of Empires II DE also coming on November 14'. OnMSFT.com. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^'Pre-purchase Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Steam'. store.steampowered.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ ab'Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^Brown, Fraser (November 12, 2019). 'Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition review'. PC Gamer. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^'Review — Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a remake true to its past'. Windows Central. November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.