0805 Part No. X11-35580 Safety Warning About Photosensitive Seizures A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these "photosensitive epileptic seizures" while watching video games. These seizures may have a variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects. Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms--children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience these seizures. The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the following precautions: · Play in a well-lit room. · Do not play when you are drowsy or fatigued. If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor before playing. Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. © & p 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Age of Empires, The Age of Kings, DirectX, Ensemble Studios, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. © 2005 Havok and Havok 3 are registered trademarks of Havok and Telekinesys Research Limited. All other products, company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Uses Bink Video. Copyright © 1997­2005 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Table of Contents Getting Started What's New? Installing the Game Starting a New Game Getting Help Learning to Play Setting Options & Using Hotkeys Using the In-Game Menu Saving, Loading, & Quitting a Game Winning a Game Improving Game Performance 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Key Concepts Choosing a Civilization Colony Screen Navigating the Colony Screen Navigating the Home City Screen Ways to Play Age of Empires III Exploring the New World Assembling an Army 21 24 26 29 31 33 34 Home City What Is a Home City? Managing Your Home City Working with Your Home City Your Home City's Strategic Value 41 43 47 50 3 Single-Player Campaign Morgan Black Elisabet Ramsey John Black Kanyenke Amelia Black Pierre Beaumont Starting & Saving Campaign Scenarios 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 Civilizations Spanish British French Portuguese Dutch Russian German Ottoman 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 Multiplayer Making the Multiplayer Connection Multiplayer Game Types The Home City & Multiplayer 62 64 65 Buildings & Units Buildings Explorers Infantry Cavalry Artillery Civilian Units Ships Native Americans Mercenaries 111 115 116 119 121 123 125 126 129 Economy Finding & Gathering Resources Villagers Upgrading Your Civilization's Units Advancing Through the Ages Forming Alliances with Native Americans 68 74 79 80 81 Military Creating Military Units Engaging in Combat Choosing a Strategy 85 92 95 Credits 4 5 6 Once again, the Age of Empires® game series sets a new standard for innovative technology and gameplay in real-time strategy (RTS) gaming. What 's New? Age of Empires III includes several new gameplay features, such as: The Home City Specific to each civilization, your Home City gives you more control over how your civilization's technology advances. Single-Player Campaign Graphical Environment Real-World Physics An intricate storyline transports you back in time to an age of conquest and intrigue. A new display engine renders scenery and action with lifelike detail. The new physics engine adds an exciting level of realism to the game-- ships can shoot holes in each others' sails, cannon balls careen and bowl over infantry, and damaged buildings crumble to pieces without warning. Picking up where Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings® leaves off, the latest installment, Age of Empires III, gives you command of a European power determined to explore, colonize, and conquer the New World. Spectacular combat awaits you in a world with units like rifled infantry, heavy cavalry, and tall ships bristling with cannon. You'll be captivated by breathtaking scenes of discovery and power: towering European cathedrals, courageous Native Americans, and massive armies bent on destruction. Installing the Game Insert the Age of Empires III installation disc into your disc drive, and then follow the on-screen instructions. If Setup doesn't start automatically, complete these steps on Microsoft® Windows® XP: 1. On the Start menu, click Control Panel. 2. In the Category View, under Pick a Category, click Add or Remove Programs. 3. Under Pick a Task, click Add a Program. 4. In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, click the CD or Floppy button, and then follow the on-screen instructions to install the game. 8 9 Starting a New Game To open the Main menu, double-click the Age of Empires III icon on your desktop. Multiplayer Start a multiplayer game with your friends using Ensemble Studios® Online (ESO) or a local area network (LAN). Help and Tools Download game updates, get information about specific units and technologies, create custom scenarios, adjust display and other game options, or view a list of those who worked tirelessly to create this amazing game. Exit Close the game and return to Windows. Getting Help To get additional information while playing the game, go to the Stats tab, and then click the Detailed Help button. You can also use tooltips by placing your mouse pointer over an icon or unit to display a brief description of that item and its capabilities. For updates and to interact with the Age of Empires III community, visit: http://www.ageofempires3.com. The Main menu provides the following options: Learn to Play Learn basic gameplay principles and experience what's new in Age of Empires III. Play the Campaign or a random map Skirmish; load a Custom Scenario or a Saved Game. Single Player 10 11 Learning to Play The easiest way to learn Age of Empires III is by using the tutorials. You'll master gameplay basics and learn about some of the new features in the game. To learn basic and advanced features, on the Main menu, click Learn to Play. If you're a new player, click Master the Basics, and then complete the practice scenario to learn the core game features. If you're a more experienced player, click Try a Game to dive right in and find out what's new. Setting Options & Using Hotkeys You can configure Age of Empires III in many different ways. By using the Options screen you can fine-tune such elements as in-game graphics, audio, and multiplayer settings. For example, to improve the frame-rate performance, adjust the settings under Graphics Options. By selecting Use Low Poly Models and reducing the Texture settings, you can improve the game's performance--particularly on slower computers. Hotkeys allow experienced players to find, build, and task units quickly and efficiently. For example, pressing the T key finds your Town Center. If you want to achieve proficiency with Age of Empires III, knowing how and when to use hotkeys is critical. You'll find many useful hotkey combinations on the Quick Reference Card. 12 13 Using the In-Game Menu At any time during gameplay you can pause the game and display the In-Game menu by clicking the Menu button (in the upper-right of the screen) or pressing F10. The In-Game menu offers the following choices: Player Options Resign Save Saved Game Restart Fine-tune in-game settings. Leave the current game. Preserve the current game state so you can reload it later. Start a previously saved game. Return to the beginning of the current game. Loading Saving Saving, Loading, & Quitting a Game On the In-Game menu, click Save. In the Save File dialog box, type a name in the Filename box, and then click Save. On the In-Game menu, click Saved Game. In the Open File dialog box, select the filename of the game you want to play, and then click Open. To leave a game while playing, you must first resign from your current game. On the In-Game menu, click Resign, click Yes, and then click the Quit button in the upper-right of the screen. Player Summary Offer tribute and resources to allies. Quitting 14 15 Winning a Game The bottom line: You win by commanding more territory and resources than your opponents. Age of Empires III offers multiple variations on this theme, depending on how you decide to play. Improving Game Performance Here are some suggestions for improving the quality and performance of Age of Empire III. Install the Latest Device Drivers Your computer's graphics adapter (also known as a video or display adapter) is critical to a great Age of Empires III visual experience. For the game to run properly, you must ensure that your computer has the latest version of the graphics adapter's driver installed. You can obtain the latest driver from the manufacturer of your graphics adapter. To learn who manufactured your graphics adapter 1. On the Start menu, click Run. 2. Type dxdiag, and then click OK. 3. In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool dialog box, click the Display tab. 4. Record the name of the manufacturer listed under Device, and then click Exit. Go to the manufacturer's Web site for more information on determining whether you have the latest driver version and how to upgrade should you need to. Single-Player Campaign To win, you must successfully complete all the missions in the Campaign. Skirmish In a single-player or multiplayer Skirmish, whoever conquers first is the winner. There are two types of game rules for a Skirmish--Supremacy and Deathmatch-- each with different starting conditions. In Supremacy, you start with no resources; in Deathmatch, you start with a stockpile of resources and play at high speed. While a Deathmatch always ends with either resignation or conquest, Supremacy offers a way to win without combat--Four of a Kind. You get Four of a Kind by building four Trading Posts either along a Trade Route or at Native American settlements. 16 17 Install the Latest Version of DirectX Installing the latest version of DirectX® can prevent performance problems with Age of Empires III and may also enhance the quality and performance of games on your computer. To download the latest version of DirectX, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/ downloads/default.asp. Additional Suggestions Shut Down Other Programs Close any other open programs to free up more of your computer's processing power. Install More RAM Random access memory (RAM) is your computer's shortterm memory. Generally, the more there is, the faster your computer can process data. Your computer needs to have at least 256 MB of RAM to run Age of Empires III. Upgrade Your System to a Faster Processor To run Age of Empires III, your computer needs to have at least a Pentium 4 1.4 GHz processor. But the faster, the better! Upgrade Your Graphics Adapter You can improve your game's video performance by installing a more powerful graphics adapter. The minimum recommended hardware is a 64MB graphics adapter with HW T&L (Hardware Transform and Lightening). HW T&L technology offloads some of the graphics processing from your CPU. This enables the CPU to process additional instructions, which causes the game to execute faster. 18 Your goal in Age of Empires III is to build a powerful empire capable of conquering any and all ...