The term Age describes the periods of player civilization advancement in the Age of Empires games. Age of Empires, Age of Empires II, and Age of Empires IV feature four Ages each, while Age of Empires III and Age of Mythology (introduced in The Titans) feature an extra fifth (the latter since The Titans). In Age of Empires III, the final Age can only be reached in a Supremacy type game.
Advancing to a new Age opens up new units, buildings, and technologies for each civilization. Ages enable many new powerful options to the researcher, both in the short-term and long-term. However, they usually come at high resource costs and research times, and shouldn't be mindlessly researched.
In all main Age of Empires games, including each expansion, the player is able to choose which Age to start from at the beginning of a game (including the Post-Imperial Age in Age of Empires II and Age of Empires III).
List of Ages[]
The following list shows all Ages that are available in every game throughout the Age of Empires series.
Age of Empires[]
The first title of the series takes place during Antiquity, between 12,000 BC and 500 AD.
- / Stone Age
- / Tool Age
- / Bronze Age
- / Iron Age
- Republic Age - A fifth age was planned but was cut.
Age of Empires II[]
Age of Empires II takes place between the beginning of the Middle Ages in 476 and ends in the beginning of the Early Modern Age, c.1500.
Age of Mythology[]
Age of Mythology is not based on real history. However, the civilizations, technologies, and units seem to take place during Antiquity.
- Archaic Age
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
- Titan Age (only available in The Titans)
Age of Empires III[]
Age of Empires III takes place during the Early Modern Age, between 1500 and 1850.
- Exploration Age (Discovery Age prior to the Definitive Edition)
- Commerce Age (Colonial Age prior to the Definitive Edition)
- Fortress Age
- Industrial Age
- Imperial Age
Age of Empires Online[]
Age of Empires Online returns to the Antiquity of Age of Empires and Age of Mythology, but in a more casual way.
Age of Empires IV[]
Age of Empires IV returns to the Middle Ages of Age of Empires II in a new way.
Trivia[]
- In several games, especially those prior to Age of Empires III, there are certain trends regarding Ages.
- The Stone Age in Age of Empires and the Dark Age in Age of Empires II both severely limit the player's options, only allowing for the creation of four units: Villagers, a basic infantry unit from the Barracks, a ship capable of fishing, and one other non-combat boat.
- The Tool Age in Age of Empires, Feudal Age in Age of Empires II, and Classical Age in Age of Mythology all cost a similar amount to advance to (400 to 500 food), provide access to military buildings capable of producing archers and cavalry as well as infantry, allow for the creation of warships, and are when more of a game's technologies become available.
- The third ages in these three games, the Bronze Age, Castle Age, and Heroic Age, again have much in common. All three require 800 food to advance to them, although the gold cost differs. These ages allow for siege units and, in the case of the Castle Age and Heroic Age, allow for the creation of large fortification buildings that train units (Castles, Kreposts, Fortresses, Hill Forts, etc). This is also when the game begins allowing for some more exotic units. For example, although horse-mounted cavalry are available in the prior age, this the age in which camel units, elephant units, and/or ranged cavalry become widely available.
- The Iron Age, Imperial Age, and Mythic Age all require 1,000 food and somewhere from 800 to 1,000 gold to advance. They are largely defined by giving access to expensive upgrades to existing units more than providing access to entirely new units, though some new units do emerge (the Horse Archer, Hand Cannoneer, and Helepolis are all examples of the latter).
Gallery[]
Ages in the Age of Empires series | |
---|---|
Age of Empires | |
Stone Age · Tool Age · Bronze Age · Iron Age Cut: Prehistoric Age · Republic Age | |
Age of Empires II | |
Dark Age · Feudal Age · Castle Age · Imperial Age | |
Age of Mythology | |
Archaic Age · Classical Age · Heroic Age · Mythic Age · Titan Age | |
Age of Empires III | |
Exploration Age · Commerce Age · Fortress Age · Industrial Age · Imperial Age Revolution | |
Age of Empires IV | |
Dark Age · Feudal Age · Castle Age · Imperial Age |