Farm (Age of Empires II)


 * For the Age of Empires variant, see Farm (Age of Empires)
 * For the Age of Age of Empires III variant, see Mill (Age of Empires III)
 * For the Age of Mythology variant, see Farm (Age of Mythology)

A Farm is an economic building in Age of Empires II, first available in the Dark Age. Farms provide a steady easy Food source inside a player's settlement. Starting with a base amount of 175 food without any upgrades, they may be later improved to provide more Food at the Mill by the technologies Horse Collar, Heavy Plow, and Crop Rotation. Farms may be built early on, but become most useful as the game progresses, where they provide high amounts of Food due to upgrades and also because most other food sources (animals, forage bushes, fish etc..) are eventually depleted. A Mill must be created before in order to acces the farms.

Tactics and placement
Just like in Age of Empires, Farms may only be gathered from by one Villager at a time. Farms are very weak and do not hinder movements of friendly or enemy troops. An enemy can take over a farm and begin harvesting it simply by attacking it with a Villager. Farms can be automatically reseeded by "buying" them in advance from the Mill.

Farms must be placed next to Town Centers or Mills in order to ease the work of the villagers as this shortens the distance the villagers must walk. Farms must be placed as in the following images for an optimal result:

In the case of Town Centers at least 8 farms can be created around:

In the case of Mills, 8 farms can be created around:

Relative Farming/Fish Trap Efficiency
Farmers gather relatively faster than Fishing traps, however up until the late Imperial Age they are not the most efficient food source wood-to-food wise (keep in mind the fishing ships themselves do cost wood). Actual gathering speed between them may vary due to traffic between gathers and actual farms/fishing trap placement.

History
''The technology of farming was carried forward into the Middle Ages and improved. Northern European soils were often rich glacial deposits hidden under dense forests. Over the course of the Middle Ages, much of this land was cleared and converted into farms. Key technology improvements in farming were the improved horse harness, the heavy plow, and crop rotation. The new horse harness did not choke the animal and increased pulling power. The heavy plow could cut into the dense soils. Farms in Europe were largely communal affairs where each family received the produce of several rows in the field. The production of some rows went directly to the local lord as his rent.''

Civilization Bonuses

 * Byzantines: Farms have 10%/20%/30%/40% more HP in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial age. Town Watch (+4 LOS for buildings) is free.
 * Chinese: The cost of technologies that benefits Farms is 10%/15%/20% in Feudal/Castle/ Imperial age.
 * Franks: Horse Collar, Heavy Plow and Crop Rotation are free.
 * Malians: Farms costs 15% less wood (51 wood).
 * Mayans: Farms food last 15% longer (20% longer in The Conquerors).
 * Slavs: Farmers work 15% faster.
 * Spanish: Farms are built 30% faster.
 * Teutons: Farms cost -33% less wood (40 wood).

Team Bonuses

 * A team containing Incas: Farms are built 50% faster.
 * A team containing Chinese: Farms have +45 food.