Foraging

“	Hunting has been good along the Nile for hundreds of years but growing numbers of hunters have depleted the wild game. Edible plants are alternative food sources that can supplement or complement hunting. Hunters have reported berry bushes across the river to the east. Find these forage sites and collect food from them. Establish a significant village in this area by building a Granary, Storage Pit, and Dock.	”
—In-game section in the Original Release

• Definitive Edition
• Original

Foraging
Scenario information
Game	Definitive Edition
Campaign	Ascent of Egypt Learning Campaign
Civilization	Egyptians
Color	Blue
Scenario no.	2
Previous	Hunting
Next	Discoveries

Foraging
Scenario information
Game	Age of Empires
Campaign	Ascent of Egypt Learning Campaign
Civilization	Egyptians
Color	Blue
Scenario no.	2
Previous	Hunting
Next	Discoveries

Foraging is the second scenario of the Ascent of Egypt Learning Campaign in Age of Empires. Just like its predecessor, this scenario focuses on teaching the player the overall concept of the game.

In this case, the scenario focuses on developing a village in the Stone Age and the important components on gathering wood and foraging for food.

Scenario instructions

• Definitive Edition
• Original

Description

“	Nile Delta, 6500 BCE For generations, the rich hunging lands along the Nile have provided for your people. Now, a series of droughts have withered the size of the herds and forced your kin to forage fo new food sources. Fortunately, the banks of the Nile teem with fruits and edible plants. Hunting bands have returned from the east with berries, dates and leeks. Find these forage sites and collect food for your growing tribe. Once you have enough food, settle in the area by cronstructing a Granay, Starge Pit, and Dock	”
—In-game section of the Definitive Edition

Starting conditions

• Starting Age: Stone Age
• Starting resources: 200 food, 200 wood, 100 stone
• Population limit: 50
• Starting units:
  • 3 Villagers

• Gaia units: None

Objectives

Collect food and then construct 3 buildings:

• Granary
• Storage Pit
• Dock

Hints

• You must forage for food to create villagers and chop wood to build Houses to support the new villagers. You can put the new villagers to work chopping wood as well as constructing the other required buildings (Storage Pit, Granary, and Dock)
• Forage sites are plentiful across the river, which you can reach by crossing at the shallows.
• Villagers automatically deposit food from foraging at the Town Center of Granary, whichever is closer. Building a Granary near the forage sites decreases the distance tthe villagers must travel to depostig the food in your stockpile.
• Villagers automatically deposit wood at the Town Center or Storage Pit, whichever is closer. Buliding a Storage Pit near a stand of trees decreases the distance villagers must travel to deposit the wood in your stockpile. (The Storage Pit is also a collection poit for stone, gold, and food from hunting, which are not used in this scenario.)

Description

“	Hunting has been good along the Nile for hundreds of years but growing numbers of hunters have depleted the wild game. Edible plants are alternative food sources that can supplement or complement hunting. Hunters have reported berry bushes across the river to the east. Find these forage sites and collect food from them. Establish a significant village in this area by building a Granary, Storage Pit, and Dock.	”
—In-game section of the Original Release

Starting conditions

• Starting Age: Stone Age
• Starting resources: None
• Population limit: 50
• Starting units:
  • 3 Villagers
• Gaia units: None

Objectives

• Build a Storage Pit.
• Build a Granary.
• Build a Dock.

Hints

• Forage sites are plentiful across the river, which you can cross at the shallows.

Players

Player

• Player (Egyptians): The player starts with a Town Center and some Villagers nearby the center of the island, on the western bank of a river.

Strategy

Note: this text applies to the original release.

This scenario is very simple. Simply gather enough wood to build these structures mentioned at the objectives part of the scenario. It takes 340 wood to build these structures altogether. Although there are many Berry Bushes found on the map, gathering food from them is not required, though, the more Villagers a player has, the faster the scenario can be accomplished.

History

• Definitive Edition
• Original

Historical notes

“	Prehistoric humans were opportunistic and found food based on their enviroment. On grasslands, hunting was the major source of food, while coastal enviroments favored the gathering of shellfisch and the eggs of seabirds. A river valles or delta, such as that of the Nile, was a very fruitful location due to its abundance and varienty of plant and animal life available throughout the year. Some of the nomads who arrived in such rich river lands found theat they could subsist permanently in the area and settled the first villages. The first of theses settlers on the Nile were likely drawn to the river by the increasing spread of the Sahara desert. Although North Africa is mostly desert today, the Sahara was once covered in grasses and low shrubs. The transition to an aric climate was not gradual, but occurred in two specific episodes. The first, between 6700 and 5500 years ago, was less intense, but later climate change, lasting from 4000 to 3600 years ago, was severe. Summer temperatures increased sharply, rainfall decreased, and the grasslands withered. This event devastatedn many ancient cultures and their way of life. Tribes were forced to migrate to the Nile, where the river's annula flood deposited fertile slit allowing plants to grow on the Nile's banks. These migrants contributed to the emerging small communities along the river.	”
—In-game section of the Definitive Edition

Victory

“	Though the desert sands have encroached on the grasslands, the banks of the Nile still provide for your people. Your tribe no longer wanders after the herds but have bugun to build a home here on the river.	”
—In-game section of the Definitive Edition

Loss

“	You were found dead, face down, in one of the shallows near your village. It seems you tripped on a root and hit your head on a rock. At least the crocodiles will have a nice lunch today.	”
—In-game section of the Definitive Edition

Historical notes

“	It is not clear if our human ancestors were predominantly scavengers, hunters, or gatherers of plant foods. It is likely that they found food where they could, and the mix of methods was influenced heavily by environmental conditions. On grasslands, for example, hunting was the major source of food. Coastal environments favored the gathering of shellfish and seabird eggs, plus fishing from the shore. A river valley or delta, such as that of the Nile, was a particularly productive spot to settle because of the expected variety of fish, birds, game animals, and edible plants. Over time, humans learned which nuts, fruits, seeds, roots, and other plant parts were edible, perhaps first by watching other animals. Foraging sites in Age of Empires represent all these vegetable food sources. Gatherers learned about growing seasons by remembering the times of the year and places where certain food sources became available. Certain fruits, for example, ripen only during a few months. Nomadic gatherers developed a pattern of travel in order to be in the right place to take advantage of seasonal food supplies. In a particularly rich site, such as a river valley, the many food alternatives made it possible for early villages to be built because food was plentiful throughout the year. The first villages consisted of homes and places where food could be stored and protected.	”
—In-game section in the Original Release

Historical outcome

“	The ancient Nile River flooded each year, covering the lands along its course with a fresh layer of silt. These lands were very productive and the Nile Valley was an excellent place to gather wild plant foods. The early Egyptians learned to gather plant foods to supplement their hunting. These new food sources led to even greater population density and the Egyptians grew stronger.	”
—In-game section in the Original Release