Cartography is a removed technology in Age of Empires II available at the Market. Once researched, it granted the player their shared allies' Line of Sight (LOS).
Cartography is a very helpful technology in the early part of the game, especially when allied with computer players. Players wishing to see the Line of Sight of their enemies will have to research Spies, but this is only available in the Imperial Age and quite costly.
With patch 5.7, Cartography was removed from the game as a technology, with its effects granted automatically upon construction of a Market. With update 73855, Cartography effects now apply at the start of the game on standard settings. The effect can be turned off in custom lobbies, making the Market a pre-requisite again.
Changelog[]
The Age of Kings[]
The Forgotten[]
- Cartography is free to research and is researched almost instantly.
Rise of the Rajas[]
- With patch 5.7, Cartography is researched automatically once the first Market is built, removing the need to click the icon manually (even though it cost no resources and negligible time). It was also removed from the technology tree, effectively removing it from the game as a distinct technology.
Definitive Edition[]
- A setting now exists when making a game allowing Cartography's effects to be granted at the start of the game. This is disabled by default.
Dynasties of India[]
- With update 73855, Cartography effects now apply at the start of the game by default.
History[]
“ | There was a revival of European learning after the Dark Ages that started mainly in the monasteries of the Christian Church, particularly in Ireland. The west Europeans were far behind the educational standards of the Byzantines, the Saracens, and the Chinese. Part of this revival was an interest in geography that became even more pronounced when the Crusaders and adventurers brought back tales of exotic trade goods and riches beyond the horizon. Kings and churchmen commissioned maps and cartography, the science of map making, became a newly prized skill. | ” |
—Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings manual |
Trivia[]
- The Auto Scout feature uses the icon of Cartography.