Update 83607 is a patch accompanying the launch of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Return of Rome, released on 16 May 2023. It brings in content and balance changes for both Age of Empires and Age of Empires II. The Lac Viet and the Romans were added to Age of Empires and Age of Empires II respectively with this expansion. The patch notes were released one day prior to prepare for the release of the expansion.
Game[]
Audio[]
- All regional Trade Carts now use the appropriate sound effects.
- Thirisadai receives the firing sound.
- When clicking Start Game in a SP/MP lobby, the Civilization Jingle will no longer overlap with Lobby or In-Game Music.
- Taunts now correctly reduce the volume of music for the duration of them playing.
UI[]
- Dying economy units can no longer be counted as workers or idle.
- Turbo Mode state is now displayed in the standard game Objectives.
- The tooltip for Monument victory banner now displays the correct text.
- Formation buttons are no longer displayed if in the current unit selection there is only one formation-supporting unit.
Hotkeys[]
- Readded Change Weapon hotkey entry to Unit Commands group.
Gameplay[]
Fixes[]
- The area healing effect (used by Caravanserai and Stronghold unique technology) no longer stacks from several effect-providing buildings next to each other.
Campaign[]
Campaign scenarios[]
- Alaric and Attila the Hun campaigns have been updated to include the new Roman civilization where appropriate.
- Saladin 5: 'Jihad!': Tyre's civilization has been changed to Sicilians, now matching the Co-Op version.
Balance Changes[]
General[]
- New regional unit:
Dromon [cost: 175 wood, 150 gold]
- Anti-building siege warship with long range and area of effect attack, but cannot attack enemies at close range. Effective vs. buildings and large groups of units.
- Available in Imperial Age to Byzantines, Goths, Huns, and Romans.
- (Elite) Cannon Galleon now benefits from Siege Engineers technology.
Bengalis[]
- Elephant units converted from a Bengali player no longer lose their bonus conversion resistance.
Byzantines[]
- Receive Dromon
- Lose (Elite) Cannon Galleon
- Fire Ship 25% attack speed bonus now also applies to Dromon.
Goths[]
- Receive Dromon
- Lose Cannon Galleon
Huns[]
- Receive Dromon
Random Maps[]
Map Balance[]
- BR Fall of Rome: Changed gaia civilization to Romans.
- BR Battle On Ice: Added gaia Crusader Knights to the middle.
Random Map Scripting[]
nomad_resourcesparameter now reimburses the Town Center's cost (with the cost bonuses taken into account) instead of always adding 275 wood, 100 stone to the starting resources.
Modding[]
Data Mod Support[]
- It is now possible to modify previously hardcoded civilization settings in civilizations.json file:
- The amount of civilizations in the data mod (the minimum number of non-gaia civilizations that can be present is 1; the current maximum is the amount of civilizations in the official dataset)
- Civilization interface style (used in the interface material names)
- Civilization name string IDs and AI leader name string range
- Internal civilization names used by the technology tree, future items display, and civilization icon and emblem widgetui material names
- Image file names used by the civilization selection and loading screens
- Civilization loading symbols, unique unit and technology IDs for AIs
- It is now possible to include custom widgetui/icons.json and widgetui/materials.json files in data mods.
- It is now possible to include custom hotkeys and hotkey groups through hotkeys.json in data mods.
- It is now possible to define custom drop site rules through dropsites.json in data mods.
- It is now possible to define custom button action definitions through buttons.json in data mods.
- It is now possible to define custom audio file or sound event mappings for UI sounds through sounds.json in data mods.
- It is now possible to define custom random map pools through maps.json in data mods.
- Fixed an issue where civTechTrees.json and futuravailableunits.json included in data mods were not loaded.
- Custom audio files that are not data-bound can now also be used in scenarios that are part of data mods.
- Custom music and audio overrides can now be included in data mods. Lobby music, if included, will play immediately as soon as the custom dataset is applied.
- Mod-specific loading symbols can now be defined for AIs in AIConsts.json file and for random maps in the string 8739.
General[]
- It is now possible to include widgetui/morematerials.json in a non-data mod which will add material definitions on top of the original materials.json file.
- Technology tree width now properly reflects the amount of content in the technology tree.
- Allowed adding items to the technology tree with Age ID parameter set to -1, which can be used as displayed requirements for other items, but won't have their own displayed nodes.
- Added new parameters to techtreepreviewpanel.json to control previously hardcoded settings:
- UnitId – sets the unit ID which icon will be displayed instead of the technology's icon
- CivIds – specifies for which civilization the item will be displayed
- ExcludeCivs – show the item for all civilizations except the ones specified by CivIds
- TeamBonus – used for team bonus items
- FullTechTree – display the item for all civilizations in full tech tree mode, not only for specificed in CivIds
- Allowed 4-staged items in the technology tree preview
- Units with the same string ID and class will now be selected together by double-click.
- Carried by villagers resources will be deposited into the player's stockpile upon garrisoning into a building if this building is in
drop_site_listin dropsites.json. - The behavior of predator animal class units is now controlled by Combat Level attribute: 1: boar-like, 4: wolf-like.
Command panel button 15 in all buildings and buttons 6, 11 in Market can now be used by units and technologies.
- Allowed sprite variations for building objects with several angles in their graphics.
- Added new attributes to control previously hardcoded properties:
- Minimum Conversion Time Modifier (adds to the minimum time to convert the unit).
- Maximum Conversion Time Modifier (adds to the maximum time to convert the unit).
- Conversion Chance Modifier (reduces the chance to convert the unit per conversion roll).
- Formation Category (0: not using formation, 1: mobile, 2: body, 3: ranged, 4: long ranged, 5: protected).
- Formation Spacing (controls the spacing between units when in formation).
- Blast Damage (multiplier to the percentage of blast damage the non-directly targeted units receive if positive value, fixed number damage if negative).
- Allowed modifying several more unit attributes by Effect Amount, Modify Attribute trigger effect and technologies in data. Check tooltips in Advanced Genie Editor for more information about them.
- Can be Built on (see AGE).
- Foundation Terrain (see AGE).
- Graphic IDs for Attack, Standing, 2nd Standing, Dying, Undead, Walking, Running, Special graphics.
- The appearance of items in Units → Other tab in scenario editor can now be controlled by the new Hide in Editor attribute flag 2.
- Removed Blast Attack Level attribute flags 4, 8, 16, 32 as their functionality is now handled by the new Blast Damage attribute.
- Allowed defining convert, repair, and heal tasks for specific units and classes which will be used instead of the default task.
- Work value 1 set to 0 in repair and heal tasks will disallow repairing/healing of the specified unit or class.
- Added additional options for the convert tasks:
- Work range allows to set the conversion range which is different from the default range.
- Unused Resource can now be used to choose the required for conversion resource. Having more than 0 value of the assigned resource allows the conversion, more than 1 allows to use the default range instead of the range specified in work range field.
- Search wait time field allows setting the string ID of the notification which will be shown if conversion is not allowed (when having 0 of the conversion requirement resource).
- Added a new task 155 which allows units to provide power up to other units. The unit has to have Combat Ability flag 32 in order for the task to function. The available settings:
- Unit or Class – unit or class to affect with power up.
- Search wait time – attribute ID to increase; currently supported: attack (9), reload time (10), work rate (13), regeneration rate (109), movement speed (5).
- Work value 1 – attribute increase at the maximum power up.
- Work value 2 – units required for the maximum power up.
- Work range – range of the effect.
- Target diplomacy – players whose objects will be affected.
- Unused flag – flags to enable additional settings, can be combined with each other. 1: use the amount in work value 1 as multiplier, 2: round area of power up, 4: display the range indicator.
- Allowed using 32-bit numbers for technology name and description IDs.
- Enable Tech command type used by Effect Amount (ID 7, -8 for gaia) has been replaced by Spawn Unit, which functions similarly to the data version of this effect type.
- Modify Technology effect is now able to set the state of technology. It can be used to disable, enable, force enable or research the specified technology ID.
- Relic-requiring technologies are no longer hardcoded to IDs 699-703 (used by the Lithuanian cavalry attack bonus). To receive this functionality a technology needs to have its first cost type set to Relics Captured.
- The unit cost addition (multiplying the cost attributes by -1) or removal (multiplying the cost attributes by -2) can now be used by technology effects in data.
- Fixed an issue where the enemy versions of Modify Tech, Spawn Unit, and Upgrade Unit effect types were not affecting enemy players during treaty.
- Expanded the functionality of Full Tech Mode technology attribute to be able to restrict the technology to the specific game setting. Negating the number will disable the technology in this setting. The currently available conditions:
- 2: Random map
- 3: Deathmatch
- 4: Empire Wars or Empire Wars Mode
- 5: Wonder Race
- 6: Defend the Wonder
- 7: Sudden Death or Sudden Death Mode
- 8: King of the Hill
- 9: Capture the Relic
- 10: Battle Royale
- 11: Regicide
- 12: Turbo Mode
- 13: Scenario or Campaign game
- 14: Regicide Mode
- 15: Scenario Editor
- 16: D3
- 17: Solid Farms
- 18: Shared Exploration
- 19: Default Starting Resources
- 20: Low Starting Resources
- 21: Medium Starting Resources
- 22: High Starting Resources
- 23: Ultra-High Starting Resources
- 24: Infinite Starting Resources
- 25: Random Starting Resources
Scenario Editor[]
- Added Gazelle – a new prey animal unit.
- Previously existing Centurion and Legionary units have been renamed into Imperial Centurion and Imperial Legionary.
XS Scripting[]
- Fixed an issue where units were not getting upgraded correctly by
xsEffectAmountcommand.
Age of Empires[]
Since now Age of Empires runs on the game engine of Age of Empires II, all changes to the game engine apply to it as well.
New game mode[]
- D3: This rule set reduces rush tactics and allows players to start their early game more robustly, only allowing fighting with a single unit until entering the Bronze Age, ensuring players reach later Ages for equal battles. This rule set also bans walls and towers, making for exciting match ups later in the game.
- New lobby settings
- Ranked lobbies and leaderboards will be available in Return of Rome.
New Technologies[]
- City Watch - 300 food - Bronze Age/Government Center - All Buildings +3 LoS
- Conscription - 450 food, 250 gold - Iron Age/Government Center - All units trained 25% faster
- Urbanization - 350 wood, 150 stone - Iron Age/Government Center - Houses provide double population space (from 4 → 8)
- Theocracy - 400 gold - replaces Sacrifice - Only one priest must rest after a successful conversion.
Gameplay[]
- Resource exchange added to the Market
- Naval Trade adjusted, now no longer requires a resource exchange nor trade goods stockpiling at the Docks (AoE1 naval trade). Now functions the same as AoE2 where each trip generates gold.
- Villager garrison available at the Town Center and towers now, does not provide any defensive arrows from garrisoned units.
- Units may garrison into the building they created upon production, maximum of 10 per building. Units garrisoned this way may not go back into the building after, this functions by setting the rally point of the military building to itself.
- Villagers gathering shorefish can now deposit fish at the docks.
User Experience[]
- The Phalanx is renamed to Phalangite, the Legion is renamed to Legionary, and the Juggernaught is renamed to Juggernaut.
- The Sumerians were moved from Egyptian architecture set to Mesopotamian.
- The Hittites were moved from Mesopotamian architecture set to Egyptian.
- Civilization crests and music themes added.
- Female Villagers added.
- The Legionary, Centurion, Heavy Catapult, Helepolis, Heavy Horse Archer, and Armored Elephant have new golded appearances. The Heavy Cavalry gets a new silvered appearance to differentiate it from Cataphracts.
- Cheat units have been visually updated.
Balance changes[]
This balance patch accidentally reverts update 46777, so the changes are compared to that of update 38862.
General[]
- New unit: Trade Cart (75 wood, 60 gold) - A land trader that generates gold by traveling to allied Markets. Requires Wheel.
- Trade Boat moved to Bronze Age, cost changed to 75 wood, 60 gold.
- Tech Requirements for unit upgrades have been removed (i.e. needing Fanaticism for Legionary)
- Added Gates - Small Gates available to every civilization.
- Scout: Receive +3 attack vs ranged units, +1 pierce armor
- Axeman: Receive +4 attack vs cavalry, +1 pierce armor
- Bowman: Receive +2 attack vs infantry (not including Slingers)
- Watch Tower, Sentry Tower, and Guard Tower +2 attack (3/4/6 → 5/6/8)
- Splash radius of Scythe Chariot, War Elephant, and Armored Elephant reduced to half (1.5 → 0.75) to accommodate new unit sizes/tile sizes in formations.
- Ballista Tower attack decreased from 20 → 18
- Team bonuses added for all civilizations
- The following changes are not mentioned in the patch notes
- Broad Swordsman hit points reduced from 80 to 70.
- Long Swordsman hit points reduced from 100 to 80.
- Scout cost increased from 90 food to 100 food.
- Cataphract hit points reduced from 240 to 220.
- Slingers lose their +2 attack bonus against mounted archers entirely.
- The speed of most land units is reduced by approximately 1/6, the only exceptions being Scenario Editor units and the Hoplite line. In practice, this is a buff for the Hoplite line.
Assyrians[]
- Siege unit upgrades cost -50%
- Team Bonus: Siege Workshops work 20% faster
Babylonians[]
- Chariot units (Chariots and Chariot Archers) +1 pierce Armor
- Team Bonus: Builders work 10% faster
Carthaginians[]
- Nobility free (requires Government Center)
- Team bonus: Fire Galleys +1 pierce Armor
Choson[]
- Team Bonus: Walls +4 LoS
Egyptians[]
- Team Bonus: Priests +1 pierce Armor
Greeks[]
- Polytheism and Astrology free (requires Temple)
- Team Bonus: Markets cost -50%
Hittites[]
Macedonians[]
- Team Bonus: Houses +25 HP
Minoans[]
Palmyrans[]
- Trade Ships return +100% gold changed to Traders return +20% gold
- Team bonus: Technologies research 30% faster
Persians[]
- Triremes fire 25% faster extended to Scout Ship line fires 15/20/25% faster in the Tool/Bronze/Iron Ages respectively.
- Walls cost -20%
- Gain access to Ballistics
- Team Bonus: Stables work 20% faster
Phoenicians[]
- Docks +4 LoS, +150 HP
- Team Bonus: Archers +2 LoS
Romans[]
Shang[]
- Cavalry-line attacks 10% faster
- Gain access to Ballistics
- Team Bonus: Town Centers provide +4 population space
Sumerians[]
- Camel Riders +1 pierce Armor
- Team Bonus: Town Centers cost -25%
Yamato[]
- Villagers move 10% faster replaced with Fishing Boats gather 20% faster
- Stable and Archery Range upgrades -30% cost
- Team Bonus: Stables and Archery Ranges cost -33%
