The Exploration Age (Discovery Age before the Definitive Edition) is the first Age in Age of Empires III.
The Exploration Age is characterized as the beginning of settlement in the "New World", exploration around the land, and the starting point of economics for European Settlers and Asian/Native American Villagers. It allows only a simple economy, including trade, but does not allow for military development under normal circumstances. Because of limited technologies and little (if not outright nonexistent) military strength during this Age, it is strongly recommended to advance to the Commerce Age as soon as possible.
Military development
While normally it is impossible to train military units in the Exploration Age, it is possible to acquire such units by freeing captive military units from Treasure Guardians, converting Treasure Guardians, or training pet animals. However, any army formed in that manner is very small at best, and it is usually reserved for the purposes of scouting, Treasure hunting, and harassing.
Available units and buildings
- Town Center - Settler/Villager, Coureur des Bois, Envoy, Native Scout, Shaolin Master, Brahmin, Ikko-Ikki
- House
- Manor (British only)
- Kancha House (Incas only)
- Torp (Swedes only)
- Market
- Mill
- Livestock Pen - Sheep
- Dock - Fishing Boat
- Outpost
- Blockhouse (Russians only)
- Trading Post
- Tambo (Incas only)
- Wall (all civilizations except the Lakota)
- Gate (all civilizations except the Lakota)
- Bank (Dutch only)
- Mosque (Ottomans only)
- Field Hospital
- Community Plaza (Native American civilizations only)
- Farm (Native American civilizations only)
- Tribal Marketplace (Haudenosaunee and Lakota only)
- Longhouse (Haudenosaunee only)
- Teepee (Lakota only)
- War Hut (Native American civilizations only)
- Village (Chinese only)
- Rice Paddy (Asian civilizations only)
- Sacred Field (Indians only) - Sacred Cow
- Shrine (Japanese only)
- Consulate (Asian civilizations only)
- Castle (Asian civilizations only)
- Monastery (Asian civilizations only)
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