Resource

Resources are basic supplies which are essential for running a powerful civilization. They are the central hinge around the Age of Empires series.

Several resource-gathering methods may overlap with each other. For instance, the Factory in Age of Empires III can produce any of the resources, and Rice Paddies in The Asian Dynasties expansion have the ability to toggle between the production of Food or Coin.


 * I=Age of Empires
 * II=Age of Empires II
 * III=Age of Empires III
 * M=Age of Mythology

Food
Food the basic resource in all of the games. It represents stored Food stocks, and can be gathered through a variety of methods-
 * Fishing (I,II,M,III - note: in I and II, there were shorefish that Villagers could fish for. This is not possible from Age of Mythology onwards).
 * Hunting (I,II,M,III - in Age of Empires II, Villagers get a much bigger meat haul than normal).
 * Livestock (II,M,III - this includes standard herdables, as well as the livestock that can be produced in Age of Empires III).
 * Berry Bushes (I,II,M,III - this defines Food in Age of Empires. The oldest Food gathering method, it's been in the tutorials even before hunting was).
 * Farming (I,II,M,III - the Food gathering after the normal stocks were empty. Also useful because you could throw the farms up near drop-off points and not have to worry about resource trips taking up time).
 * Trickle (M, III - certain buildings, Home City cards and improvements would provide a slow trickle of resources to your stockpiles, such as the Plenty Vault in Age of Mythology or the Factory of Age of Empires III).
 * Treasure (III - guarded by Treasure Guardians, also has wood, coin, or units).
 * Relics (M - A relic called Ship of Fingernails can provide a steady trickle of food in Age of Mythology).
 * Trading posts (III - Trading posts placed in trade routes can be ordered to provide food).

Wood
Wood the other abundant resource in Age of Empires. Found on every map, needed for every Building (except Egyptian buildings in Age of Mythology) and chopped from every tree. Age of Empires trees have standard, Age of Empires II trees have , and Age of Empires III trees have.
 * Trickle (M, III - certain buildings, Home City cards and improvements would provide a slow trickle of resources to your stockpiles, such as the Plenty Vault in Age of Mythology or the Factory of Age of Empires III) )
 * Treasure (III - guarded by treasure guardians, also has Food, Coin, or units.)
 * Trading posts (III - Trading posts placed in trade routes can be ordered to provide wood).

Gold
Gold, known as Coin in Age of Empires III, is usually the limiting resource. Found on maps just like Food and Wood, Gold comes in several forms:
 * Mines (I,II,M,III - standard mining-out-of-the-earth strategy. I had mines with, II had mines with , III has gold mines with , and smaller Silver mines at ).
 * Trade (I,II,M - involved a trade unit running between points. Age of Empires I relied on a Trade Boat that physically traded eg for x(based on distance) Gold between docks. Age of Empires II relied on either Trade Carts moving between Markets or Trade Cogs moving between docks, in a similar fashion to I but with no resource cost. Age of Mythology had caravans running around between any Town Center and the market. This was removed from Age of Empires III, due to the increase in infinite Gold sources.
 * Plantation (III - a Coin source like the Mill's Food source, relies on villagers working it.
 * Whaling (III - in previous games whales were the Elephant of fishing sources. In Age III these are 4-boats-only infinite Coin sources, as whale bits (eg oils) are refined and sold on the invisible market).
 * Treasure (III - guarded by treasure guardians, also has Food, Wood, Gold or units.)
 * Trading posts (III - Trading posts placed in trade routes can be ordered to provide coin).

Stone
The resource of Stone is available in Age of Empires I and II only. It was dropped in Age of Mythology, mainly because it was the most underutilized of the resources, with its main use centered around the construction of Towers, Walls, castles and Wonders.

Favor (Age of Mythology only)
The resource of Favor is required to produce Myth Units in Age of Mythology. Greeks must worship to gain Favor at Temples, Egyptians build monuments to acquire a supply of the resource, the Norse receive Favor by combat, and the Atlanteans in The Titans expansion must construct and eventually increase the their amount of Town Centers to procure Favor.

Export
This resource is only available to Asian civilisations in the Asian Dynasties expansion of Age of Empires III. It is generated by settlers/villagers as they gather other resources. Export is used to purchase specialised military or economic shipments from European allies at the Consulate. The export gather rate can be adjusted at the Consulate, at the expense of reducing the gather rate of all other resources.

Population
The most important, Population determines how many people your empire can support. Houses can boost this number, certain races get population bonuses (eg Huns in Age of Empires II don't need to make houses and come with full population), and the Spanish in the Fortress Age get a card that has the same effect.