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This article is about the map in Age of Empires III. For other uses, see California. |
Minimap of California
| โ | California is a beautiful area along the Pacific Ocean. Towering redwoods line the shore, giving way first to mountains, then to the Mojave Desert to the east. Native settlements of Klamath and Nootka are on opposite map sides, and a long Trade Route traverses the edge of the Mojave Desert. | โ |
| —In-game information | ||
California is a map in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs. It features both land and water.
Overview[]
| โ | California: a wide variety of terrain, from beaches to mountains. | โ |
| —In-game description | ||
The Western part is only water. Opponents are divided by a Trade Route, but are reasonably close. There are usually 4 Trading Posts, but may be also 3 (often in 2v2) and 5 (very rare). There are also two Native Villages of Klamath and/or Nootka. Players may find themselves having to trek around cliffs near the shore, but the eastern part is much more open and turns into a desert.
Players start off with multiple sheep around the Town Center, so making a Livestock Pen early or gathering from them is wise. Wood is abundant, but players may have to stray away from the Town Center for hunts. If players manage to gain control of the water and get at least some map control, they'll be in much better shape than their opponent.
Coin mines have all 5,000 Coin each, so defending them might be favorable in order to mine in late game.
- Herdables: Sheep (50/300 food)
- Herds: Elk (500 food), Deer (400 food)
- Water: Salmon (500 food), Humpback Whale (Infinite coin)
- Mines: Gold Mines (5,000 coin)
Click for a list of treasures and their guardians related to California
| Treasure | Reward | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| Squash plants worth | 60 food | 2x  Coyote
|
| Sunflowers worth | 75 food | 3x Coyote
|
| Sunflowers worth | 40 food | 1x  Cougar
|
| A stand of quaking aspen worth | 80 wood | 3x Cougar
|
| A stand of cottonwood trees worth | 45 wood | 1x  Grizzly Bear
|
| A stand of cottonwood trees worth | 85 wood | 2x Grizzly Bear
|
| A stand of live oak worth | 60 wood | 2x Cougar
|
| A stand of redwood trees worth | 135 wood | 3x Grizzly Bear
|
| A stand of redwood trees worth | 200 wood | 4x Grizzly Bear
|
| A stand of spruce trees worth | 175 wood | 5x Cougar
|
| A stand of spruce trees worth | 125 wood | 4x Cougar
|
| A stand of spruce trees worth | 60 wood | 2x Cougar
|
| A stand of spruce trees worth | 35 wood | 1x Cougar
|
| A den of muskrats worth | 25 coin | None |
| A den of muskrats worth | 25 coin | None |
| A pool of quicksilver worth | 75 coin | 3x Coyote
|
| A cache of tin worth | 150 coin | 4x Wolf
|
| A map to the fabled Comstock Lode worth | 275 coin | 4x  Bandit Rifleman
|
| A map to the fabled Comstock Lode worth | 365 XP | 4x  Outlaw Musketeer
|
| A hummingbird nest worth | 40 XP | 1x Cougar
|
| A hummingbird nest worth | 30 XP | 1x Coyote
|
| Porcupines whose valuable quills are worth | 120 XP | 2x Grizzly Bear
|
| A den of skunks whose pelts are worth | 80 XP | 3x Coyote
|
| The lost blanket of Empress Zoe worth | 420 XP | 2x  Bandit Gunslinger2x Bandit Rifleman2x  Bandit Rider
|
| A trapped Coureur des Bois. He may join the cause of whoever rescues him. | 1x  Coureur des Bois
| 4x Grizzly Bear
|
| Two trapped Coureurs des Bois. They may join the cause of whoever rescues them. | 2x Coureur des Bois
| 5x Outlaw Musketeers
|
| A Healer, who will join your cause if rescued. | 1x  Healer
| 2x Cougar
|
| A trapped Native warrior. He may join the cause of whoever rescues him. | 1x  Klamath Rifleman
| 1x Bandit Rifleman 1x Bandit Gunslinger
|
| A trapped Native Scout, who may join the cause of a rescuer. | 1x  Native Scout
| 2x Cougar
|
| Two stray sheep. | 2x  Sheep
| 2x Wolf
|
| A stray dogie (Cow) you can capture. | 1x  Cow
| 2x Coyote
|
| A nearly-mature cougar kit that you can tame. | 1x Buttercup the Pet Cougar
| 2x Cougar
|
| The cuirass of El Pollo Guapo, which increases Explorer or Hero hitpoints by | 100% | 5x Bandit Rifleman
|
| The shield of El Pollo Guapo, which increases Explorer or Hero hitpoints by | 30% | 2x Grizzly Bear
|
History[]
| โ | Rich in history, resources, and opportunity, California has inspired generations of settlers, entrepreneurs, and would-be conquerors. With its majestic northern redwood forests, fertile central valley, magnificent coastline, and sun-drenched deserts, California represents a vibrant, passionate dream. For thousands of years, California was home to a multitude of indigenous peoples: among those in the north were the Modoc, Pomo, and Shasta tribes; the central valley was home to the Yokuts, Paiute, and other tribes; the Chumash and other peoples lived in the coastal regions; the Yuma and Mohave in the southern desert regions. It is estimated that well over 300,000 people inhabited California prior to the arrival of the Europeans. In 1542, Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo landed on the California coast and claimed it for Spain. Several years later in 1579, Sir Francis Drake arrived to make very much the same claim for the British Crown. The tug-of-war between European powers, Mexico, and eventually the United States over California continued until 1848 when the U.S. finally established its control over the territory. With the discovery of gold in 1848 and the gold rush starting in 1849, a fresh tidal wave of humanity poured into the state, with all the predictable consequences of hope, pain, gain, and loss. The net result for the original Native American inhabitants: probably two-thirds lost due to warfare, disease, and not-so-benign neglect. |
โ |
| —In-game history section | ||
Trivia[]
- The western lush area appears to represent the Central Valley, while the eastern desert seems to depict the Mojave Desert.
- The loading screen map prior to the Definitive Edition depicts California also including Baja California. This was changed with the addition of the Baja California map in the Definitive Edition.
Gallery[]
California
The pre-Definitive Edition California map on the loading screen
Minimap of California before the Definitive Edition
California loading screen for the Definitive Edition
