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This article is about the random map in Age of Empires IV. For other uses of the term, see Fort. |
| โ | Emerging civilizations have dug themselves into small defensive forts, awaiting an imminent clash for supremacy | โ |
| —Age of Empires IV description | ||
Forts is a mostly-land random map in Age of Empires IV: The Sultans Ascend. Players start surrounded by a small moat which encloses few resources and restricts building placement, and they must venture out for resources and expansion.
Features[]
While the presence of both the 'open' and 'choke point' tags seems contradictory, it is a good representation of the variety of experiences this map can provide depending on map spawn and team size. In 1 vs 1, Forts has perhaps the most variance in starting locations of any map in the game, with players' "forts" able to spawn in opposite corners, adjacent corners, or on opposite map edges. Except for the Stealth Forest-covered entrances to the forts acting as choke points and blocking off the starting Town Center, the map is otherwise quite open. The experience is quite difference in 2 vs 2 and 3 vs 3, with the forts covering enough of the map that they considerably limit mobility and make it easier to wall off large sections of the map. The moats can even connect to form larger forts with several players. Finally, 4 vs 4 has the forts placed in tight rows along the map edges and corners, resulting in an open center area full of resources. The 3 Sacred Sites, single Trade Post and Relics spawn wherever they can fit on the map, whether in the center, in between forts, or along the edge or in the corners of the map. This can lead to some clustered Sacred Site spawns.
Resources[]
The starting resources within the forts are limited and always the same - one medium Berry Bush patch, one Small Gold Mine, one Large Stone Outcropping, and four or five small patches of forest. The rest of the forest is scattered in uneven patches outside the forts. There are two fewer nearby Sheep per player than on most maps, but on all map sizes except for large, the number of contested single Sheep has been increased to compensate, replacing groups of two and three. The other resources are located wherever they can fit outside the forts, including the standard number of Deer and Boar, 1 additional large Berry Bush patch per player (plus 2 extra medium ones), all the Large Gold Mines and additional Small Gold Mines, and a relatively small number of Small Stone Outcroppings. These are fairly evenly distributed in 1 vs 1, but in team games, they are more often clustered in the corners and center of the map. There are no Fish in the moats.
Trivia[]
- Forts is referred to as Moats in the game files
Gallery[]
