Nov 1, 2024

The History Inside Chronicles: Battle for Greece

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lady Eridani

Here is displayed the History of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, made so that the deeds of humankind should not be forgotten in time, and that great and wondrous deeds – some displayed by the Hellenes, some by the barbarians – should not lose their glory, including among other things the cause of their waging war on each other.

– Herodotus, Histories 1

With the upcoming release of Chronicles: Battle for Greece, Dr. Ben Angell, Narrative Lead at CaptureAge has taken some time to talk about the inspiration and history you can look forward to experiencing on November 14th:

The Age of Empires series holds a special place in my life: I’ve been playing this series since I was six years old, and it inspired a love of history that ultimately led to attaining a Doctorate in Ancient History from the University of Oxford. Now, I have the tremendous privilege of bringing my passion and expertise back to the series where my journey as a historian and writer started.

The CaptureAge team has striven to immerse players in the ancient world with Chronicles: Battle for Greece through reworked visuals, historically-flavored dialogue, and vivid recreation of famous historical battles in new scenarios.

Chronicles: Battle for Greece is available for pre-order now on Steam, Microsoft Store, and Xbox!
Pre-order now for 15% off, and play on November 14th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805520/Age_of_Empires_II_DE__Chronicles_Battle_for_Greece/

The Visual Overhaul

We needed to completely overhaul the look of the game to make it appropriate for classical antiquity. Units shared between the civilizations had to be remodeled and renamed – Knights, for instance, became Lancers – while naval combat has been fully overhauled. These units needed to be reasonably applicable to all of the civilizations, across the entire geographical and temporal span that Chronicles covers – hence the Achaemenids, for example, have access to large warships whose visual design is inspired more by the Hellenistic and Roman eras.

We were able to get more specific with our unique and regional units, such as the Achaemenid Immortal, or the Hoplite fielded by all the Greek civilizations. We also included 13 campaign-only units, including Cretan Archers, Scythian Axe Cavalry, and Rhodian Slingers.

We also gave new names and icons to many technologies in the game. The Temple (the Monastery) provides many good examples. For instance, Redemption – which allows players to convert enemy buildings – has been replaced in Chronicles by Evocatio, referring to a Roman ritual whereby the protective deities of a besieged city would be invited to abandon the enemy and come over to the Roman side.

Dialogue

In Chronicles, we’ve tried to fill the dialogue with as much historical flavor as possible. Characters invoke the gods and promise them sacrifices; they discuss how they should behave by referencing examples from epic poems and mythological stories; they hurl authentic insults like “dog-faced” and use exclamations from Greek tragedy like “oimoi” and “euai”.

History buffs might even notice some direct references to ancient sources. For instance, one character swears an oath “by Ares, Enyo, and blood-loving Phobos” – the oath sworn in Aeschylus’s Seven Against Thebes. A particularly spine-tingling example is Leonidas, fighting until the end at Thermopylae, echoing the Spartan war poet Tyrtaeus’s exhortation to “make life your enemy and hold the black spirits of death dear as the rays of the sun”.

Scenarios

The Battle for Greece campaign closely follows the events of the fifth century BCE, including vivid recreations of many of its most famous battles, such as Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis. We’ve creatively represented numerous features of the period: you’ll have to undermine the walls of Miletus with sapper tunnels, demand and collect tribute from the increasingly dissatisfied members of the Athenian empire, and flush rebellious agitators from helot villages as the Spartans.

431 BCE was a bad time to be an Athenian farmer.

As an example, the 15th scenario, “Within the Long Walls”, recreates the early years of the Peloponnesian War: the Athenians are trapped inside their city walls while hostile Spartans burn the fields beyond. Playing as the Athenian leader Pericles, you must maintain your political popularity while the vicious demagogue Cleon urges the people against you. Later, in the 19th scenario set during the Sicilian Expedition, the Athenians attempt to enclose the city of Syracuse within a stone wall – so the Syracusans and their Spartan allies build a counter-wall to stop them!

This is just a small preview of the historical feast to come in Chronicles: Battle for Greece. The new campaign is full of references and details to delight the history buffs among you!

Pre-Order Now!

Oct 25, 2024

Expanding Naval Warfare in Chronicles: Battle for Greece

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lady Eridani

Seamanship is an art, no different from any other art; it cannot be taken up occasionally as a leisurely pursuit – rather it is so exacting that it leaves leisure for nothing else!
– Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 1.142.9

Hoist the sails, harangue the oarsmen, and pour libations for favorable winds, as CaptureAge prepares to lead you through the many new naval features in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Chronicles: Battle for Greece.

Right from the start of the Chronicles project, naval gameplay has been central to the vision. We wanted to expand the strategic depth of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition’s naval gameplay, do justice to the importance of naval warfare in classical antiquity, and – most importantly – give players some exciting new toys to play with.

A little historical note: much like the other non-unique units which are shared across all civilizations, the designs of our ships are creative composites of styles from across the ancient world, and from across the time period that Chronicles will eventually cover. Thus the Achaemenids, for instance, have access to large siege ships that are heavily inspired by the Hellenistic and Roman eras.

Chronicles: Battle for Greece is available for pre-order now on Steam! Pre-order now for 15% off, and play on November 14th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805520/Age_of_Empires_II_DE__Chronicles_Battle_for_Greece/

Two Naval Production Buildings

Rather than recruiting all of your naval units from the Dock, in Chronicles you’ll have access to two different naval buildings: the Port and the Shipyard.

The Port is more focused on economic production: here, players can create Fishing Ships, Merchant Ships, Transport Ships, and our cheap scout ships, the Lemboi. Shipyards, on the other hand, are used to create military ships.

Six Military Ship Classes

Lemboi

Lembos

War Lembos

Heavy Lembos

Elite Lembos

Lemboi are small and cheap, requiring no gold to create. They are ideal for scouting, and players will receive a free Lembos when they construct their first Port. Lemboi are also effective against Galleys, hurling pots of boiling oil at their foes. The Lembos is the only military ship to be recruited from the Port.

Ramming Ships

Monoreme

Bireme

Trireme

A common feature of ancient naval warfare was ramming: ships would smash into the sides of other vessels with metal rams attached to their prows. In Chronicles, these ships are highly effective against Lemboi, and will be essential for closing in on Catapult Ships.

Galleys

Galley

War Galley

Elite Galley

The main ranged ship at your disposal is the Galley. These are effective against ramming ships – as long as you can keep them at a distance – and are essential for taking out those pesky incoming Incendiary Ships.

Incendiary Ships

Incendiary Raft

Incendiary Ship

Heavy Incendiary Ship

All Age of Empires players love detonating a well-placed Demolition Ship. We couldn’t leave out such an iconic unit, so we made our own, inspired by ancient uses of burning rafts, such as at the Siege of Tyre in 332 BCE. If directed against large groups of enemy ships, an Incendiary Ship can be deadly – and oh so satisfying!

Catapult Ships

Catapult Ship

Onager Ship

Speaking of the dangers faced by large groups of ships, a well-timed volley from a Catapult Ship can devastate an unsuspecting enemy navy. Only available from the third Age (referred to in Chronicles as the Classical Age), these large, expensive ships can turn the tide of tight fights.

Leviathans

Leviathan

Finally, the siege ship, the Leviathan. Appropriately named after the mythical sea monster, the Leviathan is an enormous Imperial Age unit which can destroy buildings from long range. Make sure your Leviathans are protected – as well as their long-range attack, they also increase the attack rate of nearby ships.

Naval Economy

Oysters

Oysters are a new naval resource, providing gold at sea. They can be collected by Fishing Ships or by Villagers, if the Oysters are sufficiently close to the shore.

Beware: Oyster grounds will be frequent sites of conflict with your resource-hungry foes!

Merchant Trading

In Chronicles, your Merchant Ships (replacing Trade Cogs) bring back both wood and gold when trading with allied docks. You can adjust the ratio of wood to gold in the Port, allowing you to prioritize bringing in the wood you need for naval production, or gold for expensive units and upgrades.

Mastering the seas will be essential to your success in Chronicles. As our story unfolds, you will need to conduct combined land and naval operations to seize coastal fortresses, rely on maritime trade to feed besieged cities, and force your enemies into submission through relentless naval artillery bombardments.

Chronicles: Battle for Greece is available for pre-order now on Steam! Pre-order now for 15% off, and play on November 14th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805520/Age_of_Empires_II_DE__Chronicles_Battle_for_Greece/

Oct 15, 2024

Pre-Order Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Chronicles: Battle for Greece

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lady Eridani

We are excited to announce the next DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Chronicles: Battle for Greece, an immersive narrative expansion that transports players to the world of classical antiquity. Coming November 14th, Chronicles builds upon classic gameplay with a reimagined visual experience and a focus on epic, character-focused storytelling.

The first chapter, Battle for Greece, introduces three new civilizations: Achaemenids, Athenians, and Spartans – in a 21-scenario campaign, brought to life through engaging voice acting, animated cutscenes, and much more!

We have been thrilled to work with CaptureAge to present Battle for Greece, the first installment of Chronicles. This new epic narrative experience is a must-play for strategy lovers and history enthusiasts alike.

Chronicles: Battle for Greece is available for pre-order now on Steam! Coming November 14th!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805520/Age_of_Empires_II_DE__Chronicles_Battle_for_Greece

What is Chronicles?

A sharp breeze surges across the Aegean. The dockyards of Athens thrum with activity, the air filled with the acrid smell of pitch, slathered across the hulls of a hundred waiting warships. In the mess halls of Sparta, wolf-eyed warriors slurp bitter black broth, their arms still aching from the day’s exercises. On the shores of the Hellespont, the Great King of Persia watches as a vast host assembles before him, drawn from a hundred different lands. The battle for Greece is about to begin.

Created by CaptureAge, a team of Age of Empires veterans, Chronicles is a series of DLCs set in the ancient world, taking the core gameplay and balance of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and then pushing it a step further by adding multiple new features inspired by the time period, along with a complete visual overhaul!

The story of Chronicles begins with Battle for Greece. Spanning over a century of history from the Ionian Revolt, through the Greco-Persian Wars, to the end of the Peloponnesian Wars, the 21-scenario campaign contains some of history’s most famous and consequential battles, including Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis. Meet fascinating historical figures such as the ruthless Spartan admiral, Lysander, the wise statesman, Pericles, and the fearless warrior queen, Artemisia!

Included in this DLC

Chronicles will also feature a complete naval overhaul with six types of military ships, new trading options with merchant ships, and a new gold resource which can be gathered at sea: Oysters! Plus, use special civilization mechanics, such as the ability to enact government policies and individually upgrade Town Centers to fine-tune the control over your empire. Innovative gameplay, including a unique naval combat system, and new technologies are all ready for you to explore and enjoy!

New graphical models: including 55 new land units, 19 new naval units, and 85 new buildings
A 21-scenario campaign covering over a century of history
A fresh approach to storytelling with animated cutscenes, new music, and voice acting
Three ancient civilizations: Achaemenids, Athenians and Spartans (not available in ranked play)
Overhaul of naval combat: with six military ship types, including ramming and catapult ships
Unique civilization mechanics: including customizable Town Centers and government policies
… and much more!

Achaemenids, Athenians, and Spartans NOT Available in Ranked Play

The Achaemenids, Athenians, and Spartans will NOT be available for Ranked Play.
You can read more about this decision below.

At its core, Chronicles is a new series for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, dedicated to narrative and historical immersion, primarily with a single-player focus. To build upon this goal and explore additional possibilities, early in development we made the decision that the three new civilizations introduced with Battle for Greece would not be available in ranked gameplay.

Separating the three new civilizations from the standard balance pool has allowed us to develop fun and creative mechanics, a fresh take on the standard technology tree, and overhaul certain parts of the game such as naval gameplay. These options wouldn't have been possible and would not play in a balanced manner alongside the current Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition civilizations.

We've worked with our partners at CaptureAge who have a deep understanding and interest in the competitive scene - they've been supporting it since before the Definitive Editions released! We unanimously agreed with them that keeping these fresh and experimental civilizations separate from competitive play is the best option, for both our community members who want a unique and expanded single player experience, and those who enjoy well balanced competitive play.

A Message From CaptureAge

Chronicles is the first full release from CaptureAge! As a development studio, we've prided ourselves on providing top-quality spectator software across the Age of Empires franchise. From a small team of fans, CaptureAge has grown into a studio packed with Age of Empires community veterans, as well as AAA talent.

We’re passionate about this franchise, and wanted to create something that the community would love. Inspired by the popular Rome at War mod – whose creators are now part of the CaptureAge team – we chose the rich world of classical antiquity for our setting.

Campaigns have always been central to Age of Empires, and fans of the series continue to hunger for more. We therefore decided to make campaign content central to Chronicles – and we’re approaching campaigns in our own unique way, with a strong narrative focus, a new presentation style, and an exciting variety of gameplay styles. Together, the Chronicles DLCs will tell a unified story spanning the ancient world!

We can’t wait to share more details about Chronicles: Battle for Greece with you over the coming weeks. For all of us at CaptureAge, this project has been a labor of love, and we couldn’t be more excited for you to join us on this fresh, ambitious, creative new adventure.

What's on the Horizon

Hello Age Community and welcome to the Battle for Greece!

The road to today and the announcement of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Chronicles: Battle for Greece has been a long time coming, and the unlikely path that led us here is worth an explanation. That’s because it’s not just a story about CaptureAge, but also YOU – the Community – and how the passion of players that love Age of Empires can turn into some wild and unlikely adventures.

First let’s talk about CaptureAge. Here at World’s Edge, we started our relationship with CaptureAge several years ago, with a focus on getting their amazing spectator tool (also called CaptureAge) working for AoE II: DE. That tiny project forged some new friendships and confidence, and led to exploring different ways that the CA team might be able to contribute to AoE II: DE outside of what they were already known for. For many years now, they’ve been working rather silently on many small projects within the game, helping to deliver on new features and systems that have been part of the Updates you’ve been receiving over time. It’s been a wonderful collaboration and we’ve been genuinely delighted to watch them grow as a company – talented new people continue to join the CA team, and they’ve been able to express their passion for Age of Empires in new and exciting ways.

But then, as any good story goes, we reached a point of once-upon-a-time when collectively many on the AoE II: DE team took notice of Romae ad Bellum (Rome at War) – a promising mod being developed by a small group of people. Among the many things that caught our attention, they were doing beautiful work with building and unit design, and they were experimenting with gameplay in ways we felt were interesting. Eventually we connected with the Rome at War team to talk about their mod and their creative aspirations, and the vibe was the right one – we liked how they were thinking about AoE II: DE gameplay in a different time period, and it got us thinking about whether or not there was a path to working with them as a content partner. There were big gaps in what they’d be able to take on, but they had the thing that mattered most – a love for Age of Empires and enough passion to push through ambiguity and create something that people were talking about.

So now we have these two teams in the mix, mostly focused on very different things BUT… they both had the same ambition. They both wanted to be developing a true and ambitious content project. And they were both teams that originated in Community, made of people that played AoE II: DE personally, passionately, and daily – and wanted to be doing something interesting and different for the game.

As time went on and conversations continued, what started to emerge was one of those exciting moments where stars align and the opportunity to do something really cool becomes real. With the help of World’s Edge, CaptureAge invited the Rome at War team to join them, and together they became the strongest version of CaptureAge yet – just in time to journey into their first DLC project culminating in today’s surprise for all of you. It was an ambitious and heart-felt effort to launch, because while Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Chronicles: Battle for Greece is definitely inspired by previous mod work from the team, this meant getting to work on a completely new DLC experience, authored entirely from scratch and built from the ground up, together with PhD Historians we added to the team and a desire to build a new type of experience players hadn’t quite seen before. They’ll have much more to say about that story in their own words over the weeks and months to come, but it’s worth highlighting here for a very specific reason.

Age of Empires isn’t just a World’s Edge endeavor – it’s something that belongs to all of us, and it’s been as much a part of your life and story as it has been ours. The examples of Forgotten Empires and CaptureAge teams demonstrate that a vibrant path exists, and for those of you interested in making your mark on Age, we’re watching! We’re fans too and excited to see the things you create! From mods, to music, to cosplay, to fan art – all of it makes us smile because we think it’s as cool as you do! When people and teams pop up in our Community that we can find a way to work with, we’re thrilled! Our connection to our Community is what guides the work we do and the choices we make, and whenever we can grow those efforts by inviting our Community to join us in delivering on the future of these games, it’s a fit like no other! That’s a lot of exclamation marks but also a lot of truth. Not every gaming franchise is like this and the Age of Empires Community stands out as a unique and positive place where this many years later people can still find opportunity in the things they love, and we think that’s pretty awesome.

So this is another encouragement for you to dream big and imagine possibilities. To pick up that editor and speak with your mods. Don’t be afraid of failure, don’t be afraid to get it wrong – it’s a supportive Community! People are there to give you feedback and you might even find others to join you in whatever quest you’ve created for yourself. Just go for it! Because you never know what will happen. You might just get spotted by a Dev, who tells a Producer, who tells a Business Manager, who sends an email, which starts a conversation, which leads to a blog, where we get to praise our Community for being full of amazing people that do amazing things. We genuinely feel that way.

Given the focus on Campaign content in Chronicles: Battle for Greece, alongside the fact that we won’t be adding the new Civs (Achaemenids, Athenians, and Spartans) to Ranked, it seems important to mention that this does not signal a departure from the types of DLC we’ve been delivering in the past that have been reliably adding new Civs for competitive play. In the case of Chronicles: Battle for Greece, we really wanted to try some unconventional things with gameplay, play around with the Tech Tree, and try some new things with Naval that weren’t going to harmonize with the balance in Ranked. So we make choices like this in order to (a) make room for that kind of creativity, (b) respect balance in Ranked, and (c) look for diversity in the types of content we can create for you. A little more about this, from a different angle –

What we’ve been doing with DLCs like Animated Profile Icons, Victors and Vanquished, and now Chronicles: Battle for Greece, is a bit of experimenting. The AoE II: DE community is pretty big and spread out. Our most visible cohort tends to be our competitive community, tournament organizers, and streamers, but there’s a rather massive and understated majority of our players that show up week over week and month over month just to enjoy their favorite Campaigns. They love Campaign content exclusively, and they’re playing them over and over again – hard to blame them (that Attila Campaign, amiright???). There’s some Venn diagram overlap where many of you together are enjoying a lot of Skirmish matches, but the point is that it’s a big game with lots to do and therefore we’ve got many different interests to explore and service. It starts to become important for us to look for ways that we can push Campaign content and do new and interesting things, even if it means some variation in how we roll out a DLC (e.g. Civs not going into Ranked). So when we do something different like this, please don’t be alarmed – we’re just a happy tree growing new branches – the ones that have given you shade in times past are still there and we’ve got plenty of surprises waiting for you. Like, a lot. A lot a lot. Seriously. A lot a lot a lot.

More to say about those surprises in the future!

For now, it’s time to settle in for the Grand Campaign as Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Chronicles: Battle for Greece presents an ALL-NEW experience, not available in any form anywhere else, crafted with love by CaptureAge, and ready to play in just a few weeks!

Pre-Order Chronicles: Battle for Greece Now!

Conquer the ancient world with the inaugural chapter of Chronicles: Battle for Greece! Claim victory across the entirely new 21 scenarios of the Grand Campaign. Experience new graphical models including 55 new land units, 19 new naval units, and 85 new buildings, and master three new civilizations - Achaemenids, Athenians and Spartans.

Chronicles: Battle for Greece is now available for pre-order on Steam, Microsoft Store, and Xbox, releasing November 14th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805520/Age_of_Empires_II_DE__Chronicles_Battle_for_Greece

Oct 14, 2024

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Update Preview 125283

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lady Eridani

Tomorrow is another fun-filled update for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! This will bring back the Empire Wars 1v1 ladder, plus bug fixes, new quality of life features, balance changes, and more! While there are plenty of notable things to look forward to in tomorrow’s build, here’s some of the big highlights coming with this update:

1v1 Empire Wars is available again, replacing the Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado ladder.
Several changes and fixes on Victors and Vanquished scenarios.
New QoL changes.
Bug fixes based on your feedback.
Balance changes.

Be sure to dig down into the post below to get all of the smaller details before hopping in-game and checking them out firsthand.

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

💬 DISCUSS: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Forum
🗣 JOIN: The Age of Empires Official Discord

Thank you again to our amazing community members, all of whom have helped to make Age of Empires what it is today!

—The Age of Empires Team

◆ Update 125283 ◆

Game

Stability & Performance
The game will no longer momentarily display a black screen on lower spec machines while switching between Age of Empires II and Return of Rome modes.
Fixed an issue where a black screen softlock could be encountered when restoring a save file of a custom campaign.
Fixed an issue where the game would freeze in certain situations (was encountered mostly when playing custom scenarios).
Fixed a crash which could occur when targeting movable objects on impassable tiles.
Graphics
Bamboo tree graphics (including felled and stumps) are no longer reduced by Small Trees option.
Audio
Menu narrator no longer plays if the window is out of focus.
UI
Bridges are now displayed on the minimap with the same color as shallows terrain.
Corrected the 4v4 map size given in the Ranked Team Queue menu from “normal” to “large”.
Civilization Selection
The civilization selection dialog sports a new look! The new design includes the ability to mark civilizations as starred. On Console, the dialog now also uses a grid instead of a carousel, making it easier to select any civilization.
Added the Custom civilization selection mode, which chooses randomly from starred civilizations.
Fixed an issue where the game language was resetting to the system language at the game launch.
Hotkeys
Changed the default Drop Off Resources hotkey for HD preset from A to Z, preventing the conflict with Economic Buildings hotkey.
In Return of Rome, changed the default Cancel build hotkey in HD hotkey preset to unassigned.
Xbox
Fixed an issue where the mouse could not be used in the settings menu.
Fixed an issue where hotkeys could not be set via the mouse.
Fixed an oversight where Fortified Churches were excluded from the “All Back to Work” button.
Fixed an issue where 2013 Xbox One consoles were unintentionally able to join 3v3 and 4v4 ranked queues.
Fixed an issue where Voice Chat to Text setting couldn’t be enabled without a game restart.
The game no longer crashes on the load screen during the Launch Chunk while in ‘Ready to Play’ state of the install.

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

:alertalert: DISCLAIMER
This list is subject to change and should not be considered a comprehensive list of all the known issues we’re tracking. The above is to inform you of the team’s current priorities, which will change as other issues arise or take precedence.

For the latest updates and announcements, please visit our social channels.

Minor Update 127161
Fixed an issue where Italians don't get discounted fishing ships when you create them by using a hotkey
Fixed an issue where using the Hotkey to Produce Fishing Ships at the Dock Produces "Antiquity Mode Fishing Ships" Instead
Fixed an issue where sending a gold miner that is carrying gold to a dock keeps mining it like if it was a gold vein
Fixed an issue with the rebuilding fish trap hotkey.
Fixed an issue where 1 HP Mongol light cav/steppe lancers die when reaching imperial age.
Fixed an issue where AI would not create military ships.
Addressed various crashes related to cloud saves.
Fixed an issues where loading data mods would result in error messages.
Fixed an issue where units would randomly switch to a staggered formation.
Fixed an issue where tool tips would remain on screen even after changing menus.