Yellow River is a map in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties and Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon. In each game, the map features a central river with two banks.
Age of Mythology[]
| “ | All players start on one side of a large river with only starting resources and no extra settlements: They can attack their enemies or settle on the other side of the river. | ” |
| —Map description | ||
Yellow River icon from the Random Map menu
On one bank, all teams, friend and foe, have their main Town Centers relatively close to one another and a limited number of resources available, with animals including some Pigs and Deer.
One the other, larger bank, are additional Settlements, Relics, resources, and Yaks to be found. The straight river also has a few pools of fish, Mahi-mahi to be precise. Huntables include more Deer and Ducks, the second found on the coasts of the major riverbank, and there are also Lizards, that may attack careless workers. Trees found are Jungle Trees, native to Chinese maps.
Players must choose whether to immediately attack the enemy or escape to the other side of the river to expand their operations.
Similar maps[]
Gallery[]
Age of Empires III[]
Minimap of Yellow River
| “ | During the dry season, the waters of the Yellow River recede to create fertile new islands, and animals often gather near the river's edge to drink. During times of flood, extra resources abound and naval craft are sometimes seen along the river. Recruit local groups as allies to take advantage of their multiple Trade Routes located along the borders of the map. | ” |
| —Map description | ||
The Yellow River also features in Age of Empires III, but with a twist: the game has the chance to generate (including in Scenario Editor) either a "dry season" or a "flood season" map.
Dry season[]
A 4-player "dry season" map before the Definitive Edition
The map has two main banks, on which each side starts. On each end of the central river are two islands, each with a Native Settlement and a Trading Route.
Huntables are rich in both variety and numbers, and trees are also found in decent quantity, including Bamboos and ginkgo forests.
There is also a central island, connecting each of the landmasses divided by the river, where extra resources (including Treasures) can be found, as well as a sole Native Settlement. This island often becomes an important point of focus, as apart from providing extra resources, it also provides a dependable and easily defended base of operations.
Flood season[]
A 4-player "flood season" map before the Definitive Edition
The flood variant of Yellow River is largely similar to the dry one, concerning the layout and the available land resources, but the focus of the map somewhat changes.
Unlike the "dry season" map, the central island is non-existent. Instead, the central island gives its place to water, where Shipment Drop Points are featured. These essentially push players to invest in a navy, and naval Home City Cards. The new focus on this map is to control the waters, in order to constrict enemies' expansion, but also to better defend the Trade Routes, with both land and naval units.
Also, Carps and Catfish can be found swarming along the banks, allowing Fishing Boats to gather them.
Minor civilizations[]
2 types of native religious settlements can be found in the map, regardless of the season. A Shaolin temple can be found on the map offering Rattan Shields, as well as a Zen Temple offering Sohei Naginata. The Zen Temple's placement is ideal for defending the adjacent Trade Routes, especially from cavalry attacks.
Wildlife[]
- Herds: Ibex (400 food), Marco Polo Sheep (400 food), Serow (400 food)
- Bushes: Berry Bush (1,000 food)
- Water: Carp (500 food), Catfish (500 food)
- Mines: Silver Mines (2,000 coin each)
Treasure Guardians[]
- Black Panther
- Lion
- Masterless Samurai (flood version only)
- Mongol Rider
- Monitor Lizard
- Panda
- Smuggler (flood version only)
- Tibetan Macaque
- Tiger
- White Tiger
History[]
| “ | The Yellow River, the second largest river in China, originates with a collection of springs and lakes in the Kunlun Mountains, and then travels southeast, reaching a length of 3,395 miles. It gets its name from the yellow silt that colors the waters between Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, a product of loamy soil deposits. Years of silt buildup in the Yellow River has led to devastating floods, which is the impetus for one of the river's less desirable nicknames: China's Sorrow. The environment contains diverse habitats. The deciduous forests are comprised of oaks, elms, and pistachios, with conifers and cypress growing in the higher regions. The wetlands serve as resting places for many migratory birds en route to their destinations. Today, overuse of the river has reduced its waters to near-crisis levels, but the Chinese government has taken steps to divert waters from other sources - including China's largest river, the Yangtze - to replenish the shrinking supply. | ” |
Gallery[]
