โ | An open map based on the classic Age of Empires Arabia map. | โ |
—Age of Empires IV description |
Dry Arabia is a land random map in Age of Empires IV. It is considered the 'standard' land map in this game, and is based on the dry version (without ponds) of the Arabia map from Age of Empires II.
Features[]
As the quintessential land map in Age of Empires IV, Dry Arabia is the map to which all others are compared. It is a pure, open, land map with no terrain features such as elevation, cliffs, mountains, or water. It has evenly distributed resources and is often considered the most 'neutral' map around which civilizations are balanced. Players/teams will always spawn across from each other around an imaginary circle drawn at a slight distance from the map edge. Two Trade Posts spawn on opposite map edges, anywhere from right in the corner to ~1/3 of the way along the map edge. Three Sacred Sites will sit somewhere roughly in between the two players/teams, but especially in 3 vs 3 and 4 vs 4 they seem to be able to spawn more randomly, either behind players or clustered together. The standard number of Relics - (5/7/9/11) - spawn fairly evenly around the map, although in 2 vs 2 they seem to more often spawn in a line through the center in between teams.
Resources[]
Because of the lack of impassable terrain or large forests or bodies of water, resources typically spawn very repeatably in the same number and with a balanced distribution. Each player will have their 2 medium and 1 large Berry Bush patches and their 2 large Deer packs, with the large berry patch and Deer in a usually more contestable area away from their starting Town Center. Boar appear in their standard 2/3/4/5 arrangement per team size. Each player starts with 2 large circular woodlines close to their Town Center, and a third large woodline per player will spawn elsewhere on the map. Additionally, small circular woodlines and patches of Stealth Forest are spread around the map. Large Gold Mines spawn closer to the center of the map, between teams, with 2 mines spawning in a 1 vs 1 and one additional mine spawning for each additional team member. One Large Stone Outcroppings will spawn per player around the outside of the map. Small Gold Mines and Stone Outcroppings are spread more evenly around the map, with 8 of each in 1 vs 1, 14 of each in a 2 vs 2, 20/21 in 3 vs 3, and 27/28 in 4 vs 4.