Minimap of Himalayas - Upper
| “ | Gain control of vital choke points on the map to restrict your enemies' access to the most valuable resources. Players start with Town Centers in close proximity to thick forests. Beyond the trees, in the lush central valley, vast quantities of Food and Gold lie ripe for the taking. A Trade Route runs through this mountainous region, but beware, as established native settlements also dot the landscape. In the Upper Himalayas, there are no Trade Routes to obstruct wall placement. | ” |
| —In-game information | ||
Himalayas - Upper is a random map in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. It is a special variant of the Himalayas map.
Overview[]
| “ | Upper Himalayas: The same chokepoints of the Himalayas but without the Trade Route to obstruct your wall placement. | ” |
| —In-game description | ||
The Himalayas - Upper is a far more barren version of the regular Himalayas map.
Unlike in the normal version, the Himalayas - Upper don't feature Trade Routes. This might prevent players from building Trading Posts, but at the same time provides the ability to wall off parts of the map more easily. Also, the entire map is surrounded by cliffs, not unlike in Jotunheim, a map from Age of Mythology.
The resources are pretty much distributed in the same way with Himalayas, and include average variety, such as herdable Yaks and a herd of Ibex in the players' starting positions.
Unlike in Himalayas, Himalayas - Upper contains many choke points made up from the rocky terrain that can lead players into traps and pathing issues. This makes this map ideal for turtling, as the cliffs can be easily walled off, or defended with Outposts and other similar structures. Also, Fort drops somewhat close to enemies' positions can be an ideal way to limit mid-game expansion.
- Wildlife
Click for a list of treasures and their guardians related to the Himalayas - Upper
| Treasure | Reward | Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| Shelled barley kernels worth | 45 food | 2x  Tibetan Macaque
|
| A stockpile of coriander seeds worth | 80 food | 2x  Snow Leopard
|
| A patch of delicious wild mizuna worth | 120 food | 5x Tibetan Macaque
|
| A collection of roots and tubers worth | 80 food | 2x Snow Leopard
|
| Possible remnants of the fabled valley Shangri-La worth | 350 food | 3x  Mongol Rider2x  Blind Monk
|
| A grove of aspen worth | 40 wood | 1x  Tiger
|
| A stand of basswood worth | 35 wood | 1x Snow Leopard
|
| A stand of live oak worth | 70 wood | 2x Tiger
|
| Possible remnants of the fabled valley Shangri-La worth | 275 wood | 4x  Fugitive Dacoit
|
| A stand of spruce trees worth | 70 wood | 2x Tiger
|
| A stand of spruce trees worth | 115 wood | 3x Tiger
|
| A large ginger root worth | 250 coin | 4x  Masterless Samurai
|
| Pungent ground jasmine leaves worth | 45 coin | None |
| A pool of quicksilver worth | 75 coin | 2x Tiger
|
| Possible remnants of the fabled valley Shangri-La worth | 450 coin | 6x Fugitive Dacoit
|
| A cache of tin worth | 140 coin | 3x Tiger
|
| Weasels whose furs are worth | 30 coin | None |
| A wily ferret worth | 120 XP | 3x Snow Leopard
|
| A curious macaque with an assortment of stolen goods worth | 35 coin, 35 XP | 2x Tibetan Macaque
|
| An artifact of the mystical Penglai mountain worth | 240 XP | 4x Tiger
|
| Possible remnants of the fabled valley Shangri-La worth | 300 XP | 2x Blind Monk 2x Mongol Rider
|
| A trapped macaque that may join the cause of a rescuer. | 1x Tibetan Macaque
| None |
| A trapped macaque that may join the cause of a rescuer. | 1x  Snow Monkey
| None |
| A family of monkeys, caged and destined for points unknown. | 5x Tibetan Macaque
| 2x Masterless Samurai
|
| A family of monkeys, caged and destined for points unknown. | 4x Snow Monkey
| 2x Masterless Samurai
|
| A Mughal architectural treatise that increases building hitpoints by | 15% | 3x  Delinquent Thuggee
|
| A Mughal architectural treatise that decreases building construction time by 5%. | Building (except wonder) build time -5% | 1x Fugitive Dacoit
|
| Empress Zoe's bankbook grants a 5% discount on most Coin costs. | Unit and technology coin cost -5% | 4x Fugitive Dacoit
|
| The shield of El Pollo Guapo, which increases Explorer or Hero hitpoints by | 30% | 2x Tiger
|
| El Pollo Guapo's guide to healthy living, which increases infantry HP of whomever recovers it by 5%. | Infantry hit points +5% | 5x Delinquent Thuggee
|
| Acupuncture methods that increase settler hitpoints by 15%. | Villager hit points +15%; unit affected by villager upgrades hit points +5% | 5x  Monitor Lizard
|
| A geological survey showing promising ore veins. | Reveals the location of all mines | 2x  Lion-Tailed Macaque
|
| Empress Zoe's cookbook, which increases the maximum population cap of whomever recovers it by 5. | Population cap +5 | 2x Tiger
|
| A pirate map showing the location of all local Treasures. | Reveals the location of all treasures | 3x Lion-Tailed Macaque
|
History[]
| “ | The Himalayas form the greatest mountain system on Earth, with more than 110 peaks rising above 24,000 feet, including Mount Everest. The range extends more than 1,600 serpentine miles from the Indus River in Pakistan to Tibet, covering more than 230,000 square miles. The flora of the Himalayans varies depending on both altitude and climatic conditions, ranging from deciduous forests in the foothills to more coniferous forests higher up. Even higher, alpine forests fill the landscape, giving way to high-altitude meadows. Scrublands lead up to the permanent snowline of the mountains. Animals such as leopards, rhinoceroses, and varieties of deer once inhabited the forests of the sub-Himalayan foothills, but deforestation has destroyed much of this natural refuge. Forty million people live in the Himalayas. There are a combination of Indian Hindus in the sub- and middle-Himalayan valleys located in the eastern region of Kashmir to Nepal, and Tibetan Buddhists who inhabit the high Himalayas in the north. Outside influence has been minimal; but since 1950, tourism has grown into a thriving business for local economies. One million people visit the Himalayas annually for mountain activities. Most treks are conducted the same way they have been for thousands of years, with a porter and a pack animal. |
” |
Gallery[]
Typical landscape in the Himalayas - Upper, note the stray Yaks and the rocky cliffs
A Fort Drop executed in the Himalayas - Upper; this one prevents the enemy from exploiting a herd of Ibex and a Silver Mine
Minimap of Himalayas - Upper before the Definitive Edition
