Population, also known as the population cap, is a limit to the total number of units a player can field on the map. It is normally determined by the number of Town Centers and Houses that have been built. In most Age of Empires titles, the maximum population cap can be adjusted in the settings tab of each game set up. In some analyses, population may be considered a type of resource.
Age of Empires[]
Population can be increased in the following ways:
- House (4 population per building)
- Town Center (4 population per building)
- Hut (5 population per building, only available in Return of Rome scenarios)
- Urbanization (technology researched at the Government Center in the Bronze Age: Houses provide an additional +4 population. Added in Return of Rome)
The population limit rules have changed between the different versions of the game:
- In Age of Empires, the maximum population cap is 50.
- In patch 1.0a and The Rise of Rome, multiplayer games can be set to any limit between 25 and 200.
- In the Definitive Edition, the population in official campaigns is still capped at 50, but other matches can be set anywhere between 25 and 250, in increments of 25.
- In Return of Rome, campaign population limits vary between each scenario, and skirmishes can be set as high as 500.
Unneeded units can be deleted (with the Delete key by default) to create population space. In the original and Definitive Edition, deletions are counted as military losses in the match statistics, but not in Return of Rome.
Players can go over the population cap through three ways:
- converting neutral or enemy units.
- Producing several units at the same time
- Receiving gaia units by getting close to them or through triggers
Age of Empires II[]
In Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, the maximum population cap is 200. In The Forgotten, however, the population cap can be set up to 500. In Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition since update 107882, the population cap can be increased to 1,000 by using the cheat code "my cpu can handle it".
The Goths can gain +10 population in the Imperial Age due to their civilization bonus. The Huns start games with their population cap at the maximum without the need to build Houses.
Buildings providing population room to all civilizations:
- House (5 for all civilizations, 10 for the Incas)
- Town Center (5 for all civilizations, 15 for the Chinese)
- Castle (20)
Buildings providing additional population room to the Slavs and their allies:
- Barracks (5)
- Archery Range (5)
- Stable (5)
- Siege Workshop (5)
Buildings providing additional population room to the Dravidians and their allies:
Civilization-specific buildings:
- Krepost (20, Bulgarians only)
- Folwark (5, Poles only)
If any of these buildings is destroyed, the provided population room is lost, with the exception of the Mongols, who retain the population room (just of Houses, though) once Nomads is researched.
The Feitoria, unique to the Portuguese, takes up 20 population slots, making it the only building in the series that uses population.
Unique technologies[]
The following unique technologies help in population control:
- Aznauri Cavalry: Cavalry units take 15% less population space.
- Mahayana: Villagers and Monks take -10% population space.
- Nomads: Houses do not lose population when destroyed.
Players can go over the population cap through following ways:
- converting neutral or enemy units.
- Producing units which cost less population space e.g. Karambit Warrior.
- Sicilians: Can go over the population cap after researching First Crusade.
- Bengalis: Can go over the population cap after building a Town Center (as it spawns 2 VIllagers after construction.)
- Receiving gaia units by getting close to them or through triggers.
- Using cheat codes to spawn cheat units.
Age of Mythology[]
In Age of Mythology, the maximum population cap is 300. However, the player may not always be able to reach the maximum population cap, as the player will need enough Settlements to do so. Most of the time, the population limit will depend on how many Settlements the player has captured. In campaigns and standard games (where there are only few players), it is not possible to meet the maximum population cap of 300, as there is a limited number of Settlements.
In similar fashion to Age of Empires III, military, mythical, and naval units also take up greater amounts of population space. Typically, economic units such as Fishing Ships and villagers (except Atlantean Citizens) take one population slot. Most foot military units (such as infantry or archers) take two population slots. Most mounted units such as cavalry take 3. Siege weapons also take 3 to 5 population slots. Atlantean Citizens take 3 slots. Atlantean units converted to heroes take an additional population slot. Myth unit population slots ranges from 2 to 5. Titans take 20 population slots.
It is possible to exceed the population limit by gaining neutral units or Gaia units in campaign scenarios and custom scenarios. Another instance on where the player can exceed the population limit is in the campaign ā when a campaign hero faints, then the player reaches the population limit by creating regular units; after the player manages to revive the said hero, the population limit would be exceeded. The same concept applies to Automata ā when the player has reached the population limit, then some of the player's fallen Automata have been fully repaired, the population limit is also exceeded. Upgrading Atlantean units to heroes can also be done over the population limit.
Unit conversion, however, will not be possible if there is not enough free population to house the intended unit. Instead, the Priest will just keep converting the target until enough population has been vacated (i.e. when the player loses some units).
The following buildings provide population:
- Town Center (15, 20 for Fortified Town Center; 18, 23 for Isis)
- Citadel (25, 30 for Fortified Citadel) (Sekhmet only) (28, 33 for Isis, Sudden Death game mode only. )
- House (10)
- Manor (20) (Atlanteans only)
- Garden (1) (NĆ¼ Wa only)
The Atlanteans can build a maximum of 5 Manors, while other cultures can build a maximum of 10 Houses, which will equivalent to 100 population slots. Assuming the player has the starting Town Center (without the Fortified Town Center upgrade), the initial population limit should be 115. The population limit can be increased by capturing more Settlements, until enough has been built to reach the game population limit of 300.
Researching Fortified Town Center increases the population limit by 5 per Town Center. The Relic Eye of Horus increases the population limit by 2 per Town Center.
Age of Empires III[]
In Age of Empires III, the population cap is 200. The Chinese civilization's population cap is 220 and the Haudenosaunee can reach 225 (if a maximum amount of Villagers perform the Earth Mother Ceremony in the Community Plaza). The Lakota civilization starts with their population cap already at the maximum without the need to build Houses. It is also possible to increase the population cap by +5 by gathering the respective treasure in some maps.
Unlike its predecessors Age of Empires I and II, different population costs are allotted to different classes of units based on their cost and performance, in order to maintain balance. Almost all civilian units (such as Settlers, Villagers, Coureur des Bois, Priests, and Surgeons) take up one population slot, with the exception of Settler Wagons and Architects. Wagons, Travois, and Rickshaws do not take any population slot. Most infantry take one population slot, with the exception of some stronger and expensive units (Abus Gunners, Doppelsoldners etc.). Cavalry, Outlaws, and powerful units such as mercenaries and artillery mostly take up more than one population slot. Heroes, Pets, Disciples, Eagle Scouts, Healers, Warrior Priests, Warships, and Native warriors do not take population slots. Instead, they have a restriction of small build limit.
The following buildings provide population:
- Town Center, House, Manor House, Shrine, Torp (10)
- Longhouse (15)
- Kancha House (16)
- Village (20)
- Blockhouse (5)
Technologies[]
- Town Government, County Government, Provincial Government (Chinese, Villages support +5 population)
Home City Cards[]
- Palatine Settlements (Germans, Houses support +20 population)
- Colonial Estancias (Spanish, Town Centers support +70 population)
- TEAM Provincial Administration (Chinese, Houses (including Villages, Longhouses, Shrines and Manor Houses) support +10 population)
- Auberges (Maltese, Commanderies support +10 population)
- Theaters, Atonement, Dance Halls, Cantinas (Outlaws use -2 population)
- Professional Handlers (Indians, -1 population cost for Mahout Lancers, Howdahs, Flail Elephants and Siege Elephants)
- Cronstedt Reforms (Swedes, -1 population cost for Leather Cannons, Falconets and Heavy Cannons)
Age of Empires IV[]
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