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This article is about the scenario in Age of Empires. For the scenario in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lords of the West, see Wonder of the World.

A Wonder of the World is the eleventh scenario in the Ascent of Egypt campaign in Age of Empires. This scenario is meant to introduce the concept of Wonders to the player.

In the Definitive Edition and Return of Rome, this is the first scenario in Ascent of Egypt with access to the Iron Age. In the original game, the Iron Age can be reached in every scenario from the sixth (Farming) onwards.

Scenario instructions[]

Description[]

NuRoR villager builder
Karnak, 1490 - 1460 BCE

Our people have endured many dark nights, but finally Egypt awakens to the dawn of a new era. The pharaohs have driven out the foreign invaders and secured Egypt's borders. The reigning pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut, promises to be one of the greatest rulers of this land. She has already extended the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, but her ambition knows no bounds. She plans to construct an even larger temple called Djeser-Djeseru, the "holy of holies," and has given you the opportunity to oversee its construction. Gathering all the resources for such a monument may prove difficult because of our troubled relations with the Canaanites, but we can still rely on the Minoans of Crete for help. This task will be difficult, but Hatshepsut wishes you the best of luck and the blessings of the gods.
—In-game section (identical to Definitive Edition)

Tutorial[]

BUILDING WONDERS
A Wonder is a civilization's crowning achievement. Examples of ancient Wonders that have become icons for their civilization are the Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, and the Athenian Parthenon. To build a Wonder, you must advance to the Iron Age and stockpile 1000 each of wood, stone, and gold.

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Advance to the Iron Age.
  • Start building a Wonder.

Hints[]

  1. You can support a population of 75.
  2. You can find large quantities of wood and some stone near your base, on the other side of the river. A large deposit of stone is located on an island in the far east corner of the map. Transport Villagers to the island and build a Storage Pit or Town Center there.
  3. Gold is located in the far west corner of the map, but it is heavily defended by the Canaanites and may not be worth the risk. Allied docks are located to the southeast if you want to trade instead. Build fishing boats to fish for food you can then trade for gold. You may want to save your stone and wood because you need them to build the Wonder.
  4. Build up your defenses early - you will probably be attacked quickly. Create a small army to defend against troops landing on your shores, and build a small armada to defend against enemy ships.

Description[]

Karnak, 1490 - 1460 BCE

Our people have endured many dark nights, but finally Egypt awakens to the dawn of a new era. The pharaohs have driven out the foreign invaders and secured Egypt's borders. The reigning pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut, promises to be one of the greatest rulers of this land. She has already extended the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, but her ambition knows no bounds. She plans to construct an even larger temple called Djeser-Djeseru, the "holy of holies," and has given you the opportunity to oversee its construction. Gathering all the resources for such a monument may prove difficult because of our troubled relations with the Canaanites, but we can still rely on the Minoans of Crete for help. This task will be difficult, but Hatshepsut wishes you the best of luck and the blessings of the gods.
—In-game section of the Definitive Edition

Tutorial[]

BUILDING WONDERS
A Wonder is the crowning achievement of civilizations who build one. Examples of historic ancient Wonders that have become icons for their civilization are the Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, and the Athenian Acropolis. Before you can build a Wonder, you must advance to the Iron Age and have a large stockpile of resources. A wonder costs 1000 wood, 1000 stone, and 1000 gold.

(Tutorial section is identical to the original game)

Starting conditions[]

Objectives[]

  • Build a Wonder.

Hints[]

  1. You can find large quantities of wood and some stone near your base, on the other side of the river. A large deposit of stone is located on an island in the far east corner of the map. Transport villagers to the island and build a Storage Pit, then Chop the trees to get to the stone.
  2. Gold is located in the far west corner of the map, but it is heavily defended by the Canaanites and may not be worth the risk. Allied docks are located to the southeast if you want to trade instead. Build fishing boats to fish for food you can then trade for gold. You may want to save your stone and wood because you need them to build the Wonder.
  3. Build up your defenses early—you will probably be attacked quickly. Create a small infantry to defend against troops landing on your shores, and build a small armada to defend against enemy ships.
  4. You may want to construct a smaller base (a Town Center and a few villagers) on the island with the stone deposit to make resource collection more efficient.

Description[]

1625 BC

The Pharaoh has decreed that a great monument be built to celebrate our recent victories over the Libyans. This monument gives most of the credit to the pharaoh, of course, but he cannot help with the construction costs or raw materials at this time. You are required to build this monument at your expense. Gather the materials where you can. The Minoans are friendly and may be of help through trade. Beware the Canaanites who may try to undermine such trade.
—In-game section

Tutorial[]

BUILDING WONDERS
A Wonder is the crowning achievement of civilizations who build one. Examples of historic ancient Wonders that have become icons for their civilization are the Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, and the Athenian Acropolis. Before you can build a Wonder, you must advance to the Iron Age and have a large stockpile of resources. A wonder costs 1000 wood, 1000 stone, and 1000 gold.

Starting conditions[]

Objective[]

Hints[]

  • You can find large quantities of wood and some stone nearby on the other side of the river. A large deposit of stone is located in the far-right corner of the map. Transport villagers to the stone deposit and build a Storage Pit, and then chop the trees to get to the stone.
  • Gold is located in the far west corner of the map, but it is heavily defended and may not be worth the risk. Docks (for trading) are located to the southeast. Build fishing boats to fish for food you can then trade for gold. You may want to save your stone and wood because you need them to build the Wonder.
  • Build up your defenses early—you will probably be attacked quickly. Create a small infantry to defend against troops landing on your shores, and build a small armada to defend against enemy ships.
  • You may want to build a smaller base (a Town Center and a few villagers) on the island with the stone deposit to make resource collection more efficient.

Players[]

Player[]

  • Egyptians (Egyptian AOE DE ROR icon Egyptians): The player starts with a base near the northern corner of the map, comprising a Town Center, Granary, Dock, Market, Stable, five Houses, two Farms, and two Watch Towers. No other faction shares the player's landmass, and its western extent has plentiful hunting, fishing, trees, and 4 Gold Mines, but only a single Stone Mine.

Allies[]

  • Minoans (Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans): The Minoans send out a Fishing Boat from their peaceful village on a tiny island situated southeast from the player. They are a safe target for trading vessels, as they aren't typically patrolled by enemy units, but yield a little less gold than the Canaanite Dock.
  • Canaanites (Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians): The friendly Canaanite faction inhabits an island directly south from the player, plying the waters with a small fleet of Fishing and Trading Boats. They are a peaceful faction with no military, and no economic growth. Their Dock yields a little more gold than the Minoans', but their waters are guarded by enemy warships.

Enemies[]

  • Canaanites (Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians): The enemy Canaanite faction inhabit a landmass in the western corner of the map, with a small economy, and a defensive ring of three Watch Towers. It is also the location of the largest gold deposit, but they don't mine it. Aside from economic units, they field Scout Ships (upgradable to War Galleys), Short Swordsmen, Axemen, Bowmen, Stone Throwers, and Light Transports. Their warships are an occasional nuisance, and after the player advances to the Iron Age, they infrequently transport raiding parties of land troops.

Player[]

  • Egyptians (Egyptian AOE DE ROR icon Egyptians): The player starts with a base near the northern corner of the map, comprising a Town Center, Granary, Dock, Market, Stable, six Houses, two Farms, and two Watch Towers. Stone located on the player's landmass does not suffice to reach the scenario goals.

Allies[]

  • Minoans (Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans): The Minoans possess a small trading town on a tiny island situated southeast from the player. They are ideal candidates to trade with since it requires little resources to protect the trade routes.
  • Canaanites (Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians): The Canaanites inhabit an island directly south from the player. They have no economy (except for some Fishing Boats which compete with the player for fish) and no military and are thus well suited as trading partners.

Enemies[]

  • Canaanites (Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians): The Canaanites are situated west of the player in a small island at the lower left hand corner of the mini map. They have no economy but are heavily fortified and will occasionally send warships and transports.

Player[]

  • Egyptians (Egyptian AOE DE ROR icon Egyptians): The player starts with a base in the northern corner of the map, with a Town Center, Granary, Dock, Market, Stable, six Houses, and two Farms. There is no gold and almost no stone available on the home landmass.

Enemy[]

  • Canaanites (Hittite AOE DE ROR icon Hittites): The Canaanites are situated west of the player in a small island at the lower left hand corner of the mini map. They are heavily fortified and are a major threat to the player.
  • Minoans (Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans): The Minoans possess a small trading town on a tiny island situated southeast from the player. They are ideal candidates to trade with since it requires little resources to protect the trade routes.
  • Hittites (Babylonian AOE DE ROR icon Babylonians): The Hittites inhabit an island directly south from the player. They are not much of a nuisance, but it may be essential to weaken their military position in order secure the trade route with the Minoans to the east.

Strategy[]

The starting landmass is the biggest on the map, and includes a base to the east, and abundant resources to the west. There are no predators anywhere on the map, and there are no other players on the landmass.

There are 4 Gold Mines on the western landmass, which is more than enough to advance to the Iron Age (800 gold) and build a Wonder (1,000 gold). If the player overspends on gold and doesn't have enough left to build the Wonder, there are several options: a small island east of the middle of the map has some mines, the enemy town in the west sits on an enormous cache of gold, the two allied villages along the southeast edge of the map can produce a trickle of gold from sea trade, and the player can exchange food or wood for gold at the Market.

The player starts with a pair of Trade Boats, and these should be sent south-southeast to find the Minoans' Dock near the edge of the map. The yield from naval trade can be increased by building another Dock in the north corner of the map: trade units in Return of Rome automatically return to the furthest depot from the target, and the further apart the Docks are, the more gold the route produces.

Stone presents more of a problem. There is only a single mine on the home landmass, which is nowhere near enough to build a Wonder. The only other source on the map is a large cache in the eastern corner; transport Villagers there and set up a Storage Pit or Town Center to mine the stone.

The western Canaanite faction is not a particularly aggressive enemy in Return of Rome. Their warships can be a problem for naval exploration, but it usually takes a long time before they start raiding the coastline. When the player reaches the Iron Age, the Canaanites will load up a transport with land units, and send it to the player's base. The five units, mostly Bowmen and Axemen, are easily dealt with, and it will usually be a long time before they send another land raid.

The Canaanites can be dealt with by building War Galleys; focus Villagers on wood, and build a fleet as quickly as possible to gain control of the map. The Canaanite ships are easily outnumbered, leaving the player free to safely send out civilian vessels. Besieging the Canaanites' island is a bit trickier, as they produce Stone Throwers which cause heavy damage, but the player's warships can form a defensive perimeter around the island (try keeping the ships in Stand Ground or Defensive stance) to prevent any units leaving.

Advancing to the Iron Age requires the player to have built two different Bronze Age buildings (a Government Center, Temple, Siege Workshop, or Academy), and amassed 1,000 food, 800 gold. A Wonder can be built as soon as the player reaches the Iron Age, so long as 1,000 each of wood, gold, and stone are stockpiled. In the Return of Rome version of A Wonder Of The World, the construction time for Wonders is massively sped up. It normally takes 8,000 seconds for a single Villager, so requires a massive force of builders to complete in a vaguely reasonable timespan, but in this scenario, it takes just 40 seconds.

Depending on the difficulty setting, the western Canaanites can be very aggressive, sending regular Scout Ship raiders to the player's base, and landing parties with Stone Throwers as early as six minutes in. This means it is vital to develop a military force as early as possible. Scout Ships and Chariots make useful candidates for this, as they require no gold, and their training buildings already exist.

However, the Definitive Edition is the only version of this scenario in which the Canaanites have no Villager economy. This means that their unit production is limited, and will only be able to send 3-4 land raids.

Compared to Return of Rome, it is particularly important to conserve gold for the Iron Age and Wonder, as trade is so much more limited. In Return of Rome, trade is very simple: a Trade Boat is sent to a Dock, and returns with gold. But in the original and Definitive Edition of the game, Docks take 20 seconds to resupply after a trade mission, so there is a limit to how many trading missions can be in play at once. And it requires the player to sacrifice some food, wood, or stone.

A unique trait of the Definitive Edition version of A Wonder Of The World is that the Stone Mines in the eastern corner of the map are hidden behind a tree line. The Villagers will have to cut through the trees before they can access the stone.

As in all versions of A Wonder Of The World except Return of Rome, Wonders have their normal construction time, so it is advisable to send every available Villager to build the Wonder as quickly as possible.

In the original version of A Wonder Of The World, the only Gold Mines are near the shore of the Canaanites' base in the western corner. To amass the 1,800 gold required to advance to the Iron Age and build the Wonder, the player will have to trade with the southeastern factions, or fight the Canaanites away from their coast.

To ensure safe trade, a strong navy is essential to protect the Trade Boats. There is plenty of Wood near the base, and an island at the eastern edge of the map has Stone Mines. Farm, hunt and fish until there's enough Food to reach the next Age. Avoid gold units and technologies, saving this rare resource for the Wonder.

It is possible to amass enough gold through trade to win, but it takes a long time. It is much faster to mine the gold near the western corner of the map with Villagers, but this means fighting the Canaanites on their home turf, which is otherwise unnecessary. To defeat the Canaanites, research War Galleys at the Dock, and build at least six of them. Build a Light Transport and prepare two Villagers. Ferry the Villagers to the small island beside the Canaanite base for the purpose of repairing the War Galleys.

Use the War Galleys to take out all the enemy ships, land units, and Watch Towers. Preserving their Dock will allow Merchant Ships to be sent there, but it will periodically produce warships unless their Villager economy is wiped out. Watch out for Villagers repairing the buildings, and take them out first. Constantly check the ships' damage levels, and send them for repair at the nearby island where the two Villagers are. While attacking, continue building additional War Galleys to replace any casualties. Beware of Stone Throwers: their projectiles cause massive damage, but fly slowly, so it is possible for an alert player to dodge units away from the impact site.

Unlike the Definitive Edition of A Wonder Of The World, the Canaanites have an economy, and can build a continuous, diverse range of units. They are slightly less aggressive, however, and take a long time to build another Light Transport if their first one is destroyed. Another quirk of this version of the scenario is that the southeastern players are neutral, not allied. Any rival Trade Boat visiting another player's Dock should be destroyed, because with the trade goods system present in Age of Empires before Return of Rome, trading vessels compete for gold.

History[]

Historical notes[]

The Hyksos ruled Lower Egypt for the entire duration of the Second Intermediate Period until they were driven out of Egypt by Ahmose l, founder of the 18th dynasty. After successfully besieging the Hyksos at their capital of Avaris, Ahmose I expanded Egypt's borders to defend against further invasions. Even though Lower Egypt was occupied by the Hyksos for a long time, the Egyptians benefited from this occupation. New technologies, such as chariots, improved bronze working, and advanced weaponry, were introduced. The Egyptians also began to appreciate the need to expand beyond Egypt to protect the borders of the Egyptian homelands. The period initiated by Ahmose l's reign is called the New Kingdom by historians. During this era, Egypt became one of the great powers of the ancient Middle East.

It was during this era that the pharaohs were first called 'pharaoh', a term which derives from the name for the ruler's palace. Pharaohs were usually male, but a few women ruled Egypt, although they were depicted with male attributes in Egyptian art. One woman pharaoh was Hatshepsut, one of the most successful rulers of Egypt. Hatshepsut constructed many of Egypt's great monuments, such as impressive temples and obelisks at Luxor and the temple complex at Karnak. Her most prestigious project, however, was the Djeser-Djeseru, the "holy of holies," a mortuary temple built in a unique style which, according to some archaeologists, inspired later Classical architecture in the Mediterranean. The area near the temple became known as the "Valley of the Kings," and was one of the most important burial places in ancient Egypt. Many pharaohs and other high ranking officials of the New Kingdom were buried there.
—In-game section

Victory[]

Queen Hatshepsut's Temple is one of the most unique and memorable monuments ever constructed. lt is a sign of our greatness and renewed hegemony over the Nile region. Hatshepsut has invited you to accompany her on her expedition to the far away land of Punt. This is a great honor, only bestowed upon those closest to the Queen.
—In-game section

Loss[]

Your attempt to build the great temple for Queen Hatshepsut was a complete failure, but somehow, you were still invited to join the Queen on her expedition to the land of Punt. One of the donkeys has fallen ill and the Queen is looking for a replacement.
—In-game section

Historical notes[]

The Egyptians were great monument builders, constructing a variety of temples, tombs, obelisks, and statues throughout their long history. Because they built in stone, a large proportion of their monuments survives today. Piles of dirt are the main remnants of equally substantial mud brick structures built in Mesopotamia, for example. The Pyramids are the best known monuments of ancient times and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that survives.

The list of seven ancient wonders was drawn up by Greeks so structures from their culture understandably dominate the list. The Greek monuments on the list were the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Temple of Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse at Pharos. The other two non-Greek monuments on the list were the Walls and the Hanging Gardens at Babylon. Notable exclusions from the list were the Great Wall of China, Stonehenge, the Sphinx, Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem, the Museion (museum) and great library at Alexandria, the palace of Darius at Persepolis (never completed), the Roman Coliseum, the palace at Nimrud, the ziggurat (temple) at Ur, and the Temple of Athena on the Acropolis at Athens.
—In-game section

Historical outcome[]

The Egyptians were the most impressive monument builders of the ancient age. They built in stone massively and amazingly for thousands of year, at first with tools made only of wood, stone, and copper. The most famous architectural wonders of ancient Egypt, the Pyramids, were built between 2700 and 2500 BC. They were over 2000 years old when visited by the Greek historian Herodotus in the middle 5th century BC.

A fantastic trove of ancient Egyptian monuments and other historic structures survive today. Inscriptions on these structures and extensive archaeological excavation have revealed more about this part of the ancient world than any other location.
—In-game section

Trivia[]

  • It is unknown why the Canaanites are not represented by the Phoenicians or the Hittites by themselves in the original version.
  • In the original version, the Minoans are described as friendly in the opening, but in reality, they set themselves to enemy seconds after the game starts.
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The Assassins · Island Hopping · Capture (Definitive Edition) · Mountain Temple (The Mountain Temple) · The Canyon of Death · Oppression (Coup) · A Friend in Need (Jinshin War) · Kyushu Revolts (Fujiwara Revolts)
RomeIcon Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome
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Age of Empires Definitive Edition icon Age of Empires: Definitive Edition
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DE: Opening Moves  · Raid on Babylon  · The Battle of Kadesh
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Demo versions
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Names in brackets represent campaigns and scenarios renamed and/or reworked in the Definitive Edition.
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