| “ | Awaji and Shodo Islands, 178 CE Your chiefdom has grown since the ancient days when a Chinese boat first came to your shores. Your people have benefited from the goods brought by the seasonal Chinese Trade ships and your craftsmen have learned to use bronze to fashion prized dotaku bells These bells are buried into the earth to charge them with spiritual power and then rung as part of rituals to ensure the success of the rice harvests. Your settlements are growing, however, and new bells will be needed to protect your people's livelihood. Invade the neighboring islands and capture these valuable treasures. | ” |
| —In-game campaign description in the Definitive Edition | ||
Island Hopping is the second scenario of the Yamato Empire of the Rising Sun campaign in Age of Empires. The Yamato must search the islands and find six Artifacts.
Scenario instructions
Description
| “ | Awaji and Shodo Islands, 178 CE Your chiefdom has grown since the ancient days when a Chinese boat first came to your shores. Your people have benefited from the goods brought by the seasonal Chinese Trade ships and your craftsmen have learned to use bronze to fashion prized dotaku bells These bells are buried into the earth to charge them with spiritual power and then rung as part of rituals to ensure the success of the rice harvests. Your settlements are growing, however, and new bells will be needed to protect your people's livelihood. Invade the neighboring islands and capture these valuable treasures. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Starting conditions
- Starting Age:
Stone Age - Starting resources: None
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
- Gaia units: None
Objectives
- Capture six artifacts, each containing a dotaku bell.
Hints
- Some weapons can be fired across the seas while remaining out of enemy range.
- Quickly find and eliminate the source of Shikoku military ships.
Description
| “ | Island Hopping,375 AD. The elimination of the Izumo leader brought a temporary peace to that part of your border, but the Izumo are getting aggressive again. Izumo raiders from islands in the Inland Sea have attacked a number of your coastal villages. They have carried off important treasures from several shrines. You are ordered to attack the Izumo islands and recover the six treasures that they have stolen. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Starting conditions
- Starting Age: Stone Age
- Starting resources: None
- Population limit: 50
- Starting units:
- Gaia units: None
Objectives
- Recover the six stolen Treasures.
Hints
- Some weapons can be fired across the seas while remaining out of enemy range.
- Quickly find and eliminate the source of Izumo military ships.
Players
Strategy
The Artifacts are spread across the map, and several of them are guarded. Don't waste your units needlessly, you aren't getting new ones.
For the northern Artifact and the mid-southern Artifact, the plan is simple: send your soldiers to kill the enemy soldiers, take the Artifact, and put it on a Transport so that the Izumo won't take it from you. The south-eastern Artifact is protected by lions, but they will neither attack the Artifact or take it, so as long as it's within your line of sight, you won't have to approach it with any vulnerable units - just move it towards your Transport.
The two western-most Artifacts are found near the large field of shallows, and are basically unguarded. The mid-northern Artifact is close to a large enemy force, but you won't have to fight them - if you have all the other five, you'll win as soon as the sixth one comes under your control.
Additional tips
- The Catapult is one of the player's powerful unit, if used correctly. Using the "attack ground" feature is essential in eliminating most enemy forces that are far more advanced than the player's.
Changes
The two north-central islands are now connected and the enemy also now has a few more docks. The story changed from the struggle between Yamato and Izumo to an earlier period with the Yamato fighting against Shikoku tribes.
History
Historical notes
| “ | The Yayoi period marked the change in Japanese society from one of hunter-gatherers to an agrarian and militarized society. Stone tools and weapons were replaced with those of bronze and iron, while rice farming eoncouraged the Japanese to settle in larger communities. The first powerful clans and the beginnings of a class system appeared, laying the foundations for the daimyo and samurai of later centuries. The use of metal was not restricted to weapons and tools. The Yayoi were skilled blakcsmith, creating ceremonial bell known as dotaku. These bells were richly decorated with patterns and images representing nature and animals. They were used in agricultural and as warfning bells in case of attacks. Chinese dynastic histories, which recount the activities of "barbarian" neighbours, reference a great civil war in Japan during the late Yayoi period. The introduction of rice cultivation and metallurgy from the mainland had encouraged local leaders to extend their authority over other regions, particularly coastal villages, to control the flow of imports and mainland technologies. This conflict reduced the political fragmentation of the islands as a few powerful leaders expanded their territory at the expense of smaller and weaker chiefdoms. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical outcome
| “ | With these dotaku bells, you have ensured the success of the coming harvests. Your settlements continue to grow, but so do those of your rivals. Some chieftains have taken their men from the fields and formed war bands which aggressively attack rival settlements. Every region of Japan is touched by war. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical notes
| “ | The Izumo recovered from the covert attack on their clan and put plans in motion to extract revenge from the Yamato. Coastal raids by the Izumo distracted the Yamato once more from their campaigns in another direction. The Yamato were forced to respond to maintain morale within their clan lands and among their vassals and allies. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Historical outcome
| “ | The Yamato force recaptured the six stolen artifacts and restored Yamato prestige. | ” |
| —In-game section | ||
Gallery
Trivia
- In the original release of the game, Hero Perseus can be seen on a small island south of the island where the player starts.
