Nomad (game mode)

This article is about the game mode. For other uses, see Nomad.

Nomad is a game mode/setting that can be enabled for any map featured in Age of Empires, Age of Empires III, and Age of Empires IV. Players do not begin with any buildings, but with just enough units to establish a settlement. They need to build a Town Center in a location of their choosing before they can advance technologically.

In Age of Empires II: The Conquerors and Age of Mythology, Nomad is not a game mode, but a specific map.

Age of Empires

In Age of Empires, Nomad is a game mode that is enabled in the settings for random map and Deathmatch. In this mode, all players spawn with only one Villager. The placement of the Villager is still affected by fixed positions.

Age of Empires III

In Age of Empires III, Nomad is a game mode that can be enabled for any map in the game. In Nomad games, European civilizations begin with an Explorer and a Covered Wagon. Native Americans begin with a War Chief and a Town Travois and Asian civilizations begin with a Monk and a Town Rickshaw and a free resource building rickshaw (e.g. Orchard Rickshaw). The wagons allow players to build a Town Center for free in a location of their choosing. Once the Town Center has been constructed, several free villagers and resource crates will spawn around it.

Bugs

• On some maps, the Covered Wagon may appear outside the playable area of the map, and be unable to move, or get into the playable area to begin construction.

Age of Empires IV

A sample Nomad start on an 8-player Free-for-all

In Age of Empires IV, Nomad is a game mode introduced in Season Four and compatible with any map. Players start out with only five Villagers instead of the usual six spread out across the map, and without a Town Center or Scout. They must build their first Town Center (for free) which becomes their Capital Town Center, upon which the standard tech tree unlocks. If the Dominion victory condition is enabled, the Monarch will spawn with one of the Villagers. Several civilizations have changes to their standard civilization bonuses or starting units in this mode:

• Chinese - Villager build speed bonus is deactivated until the first Town Center is complete.
• English and House of Lancaster - Villager bow attack is disabled until the first Town Center is complete.
• Holy Roman Empire - Prelate is granted upon completion of the starting Town Center.
• House of Lancaster - Four Sheep are granted upon completion of the starting Town Center.
• Jeanne d'Arc - Starts with 4 Villagers and Jeanne.
• Mongols - Ger is granted upon completion of the starting Town Center.
• Order of the Dragon - Starts with 4 Gilded Villagers.
• Zhu Xi's Legacy - Imperial Official is granted upon completion of the starting Town Center. Villager build speed bonus is deactivated until the first Town Center is complete.

Changelog

• With the Season Seven Update, the number of starting Villagers was increased from 3 to 5, their starting distance was significantly increased, and the above civilizations changes were implemented.
• With patch 12.1.2454, Jeanne d'Arc now starts with 4 standard Villagers instead of 3.