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Age of Empires 2 is coming to Steam? [Update: Evidence continues to mount, 4-pack]
- Thread starter Grief.exe
- Start date
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I never played it, but I did play Sim Ant
My favorite was eventually working my way into the house and infesting it.
I was just a kid though so I really didn't understand the complex mechanics behind it.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Really good balance between resource management / base building / combat, lots of different civilizations each with unique tendencies, good map editor, great online options and community, good and significant story mode campaigns, good AI (although it cheats at the highest difficulty levels, as many RTS games did back then), excellent graphics, and man you can actually learn a little bit about history in a roundabout sort of way.
Also, the expansion The Conquerors is one of the best expansions ever made in terms of what it brings to the base game.
One tip: Villagers are useful. Villager rush is the best economic strategy, and by putting villagers in your town hall you also have a very excellent defensive strategy. Farm out the wazoo and put your farms around your town hall directly.
I'm so going to buy this.
Ha, memories! I managed to get into the house as well despite me not really knowing what exactly I was doing. Hell, Sim Farm was more accessible than Sim Ant. That also reminds me how I beat Dune1 on PC despite being completely clueless about what to do in that game. It's still a mystery to me how that game's mechanics worked. I just flew around in the Ornithopter and talked to people.
Ha, memories! I managed to get into the house as well despite me not really knowing what exactly I was doing. Hell, Sim Farm was more accessible than Sim Ant. That also reminds me how I beat Dune1 on PC despite being completely clueless about what to do in that game. It's still a mystery to me how that game's mechanics worked. I just flew around in the Ornithopter and talked to people.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Used to play this on I think it was gamezone all the time. Epic battles on 28.8kb haha good times.
Thanks for the tips. When I used to play AoE, much like Sim Ant, I had no idea what was going on.
Cracks me up how ignorant we used to be.
Netrunner2k2
Member
Bought as soon as I can.
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thelatestmodel
Junior, please.
If they do bring out the first game they NEED to include this track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjKctPewO7Y
Takes me back to 1997 every time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjKctPewO7Y
Takes me back to 1997 every time.
Mackenzie 92
Member
combined $10
GoddyofAus
Banned
I highly doubt they've done anything to the assets.
I'm sure they just did what Matt Pritchard outlined in the OP. Took the source code, converted the game to D3D, compatibility patch, wide screen support/UI, and, hopefully, some online.
$10 would be comparable to other, similar, releases.
SS2, JSR, etc.
Mackenzie 92
Member
No way, $14.99 maybe, but no higher. And as Grief pointed out, HD just means that it will run on modern machines and at higher resolutions, but the assets will remain the same, similar to Majesty HD, Stronghold HD. It's not a remake, just an update.
bodyboarder
Member
Will buy, played it a lot back in the day.
BengaBenga
Member
Fuck yes. One of the best games ever. Great memories of LAN matches over the university network 
Online would kill me, I'm sure.
Online would kill me, I'm sure.
Moral Panic
Member
Man, I loved this game. I used to play online with that Microsoft Zone and I was such a noob. I'd just play cheat enabled games, was so much fun.
Call Me Maybe
Banned
Hi, the topic title says that this has been confirmed, but I can't seem to find the confirmation in the OP (nor anywhere else on the internet for that matter). Has Microsoft or Valve released an official statement yet?
This one knows how it's done.
It'll be a first time on AoE II for me as well. I only ever played the first one and AoEO.
Did you click on the links under Update: right at the top of the OP?
Its not an official confirmation yet, but if you read through the OP, there is a fairly logical progression to the conclusion.
Call Me Maybe
Banned
I did, but I didn't understand lol. Went way over my head.
I'm going to assume you guys are all sure though
I can't wait for the game to be released! Day 1 buy when it does hit Steam
I just saw the update...so glad that this will most likely happen.
There are so many good Microsoft published games from back in the Windows gaming heyday. I'm talking pre original Xbox windows gaming, so about the same time that AoE was big...basically, the 90s.
Fury³
Hellbender
Monster Truck Madness 1 & 2
Age of Empires 1 & 2 (obviously)
Motocross Madness 1 & 2
Midtown Madness 1 & 2
MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 1, 2 & 3
Mech Commander 2
Crimson Skies (the original one)
I would absolutely buy any of these games if they were re released for digital download. Almost all of them had online multiplayer or LAN support too.
There are so many good Microsoft published games from back in the Windows gaming heyday. I'm talking pre original Xbox windows gaming, so about the same time that AoE was big...basically, the 90s.
Fury³
Hellbender
Monster Truck Madness 1 & 2
Age of Empires 1 & 2 (obviously)
Motocross Madness 1 & 2
Midtown Madness 1 & 2
MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 1, 2 & 3
Mech Commander 2
Crimson Skies (the original one)
I would absolutely buy any of these games if they were re released for digital download. Almost all of them had online multiplayer or LAN support too.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Gangxxter
Member
Age II re-released on Steam with Win 7 support? Sounds way too good to be true! I would buy it instantly!
Yeah, games by Microsoft were so awesome in the late 90s, lots of my childhood memories are connected with those games (especially Monster Truck Madness 2, Motocross Madness 2 and of course Age of Empires 2).
Sportbilly
Member
Oh my. Suddenly, I really, really want this. Do it, do it, do it.
Creating new graphical assets would be too much work, for something that nobody really wants. ;p
All of the updates will most likely be functional updates.
Well we can only guess right now.
But if you read Matt Pritchard's comments in the OP, it doesn't seem like they would go that route.
He may not have been directly involved in this release, he works at Valve now, but you would think MGS took a similar path.
Madrugador
Member
I was expecting a port and we're getting a HD version instead. Amazing news.
Heh, well it's not like I really mind. AoE2 releasing on steam is good enough for me.
Don't forget A Bridge Too Far and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
CrunchyFrog
Member
Start the GAAAAAME already
thequickandthedead
Member
How does the AoE series compare to the Civilization and Total War series?
Civilization and Total War are both great franchises, but AoE is the true king. Especially AoE 2.
THE TRUE KING I TELL YA
CrunchyFrog
Member
AoE is real-time and more combat focused. It's a pretty rank and file RTS, but I wear my rose-tinted nostalgia glasses proudly. (plus I was not a fan of what they did with AoE3 or online)
It's an RTS, not turn based, so I guess way more on the Blizzard strategy game (ish) side of things.
Gangxxter
Member
I don't think a real HD re-release is needed at all, because the original game looks still awesome today IMHO. There are mods out there to play the original game at higher resolutions than 1280x1024 and it looks very good. No need for real HD assets.
Typically don't build ANY farms until the end of feudal age. Depending on the map, you can make it well into castle before you should start getting farms. Farms generate food much more slowly than deer/sheep, and cost wood, which is valuable for early offensive strategies.
Other than that I agree completely
It's weird, but back in high school, I knew this girl. She wasn't really the gaming type, but her parents bought her AOE1 (the Roman one, I think?) and she seemed to enjoy it a lot. This was one of those games that parents thought was pretty fine to give their kids (to be fair, it is slightly educational, like Civ).
Plus, there are some strange metagaming aspects to it. I remember playing it as a medieval city builder type of game for a while, obsessing over my fief layout, placing my buildings and wall just so.
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