Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition News

Unlock the rich history and stories of two remarkable civilizations – The Mountain Royals is now live! The exciting next expansion is available now on Steam. There so much to delve in to with two new civilizations, three new, fully-voiced campaigns, plus the newly updated Persian civilization.

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https://store.steampowered.com/app/2555420/Age_of_Empires_II_Definitive_Edition__The_Mountain_Royals/

Welcome to an exciting sneak peek for the newest update for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! The update will be landing tomorrow, October 31st! This will be a huge one with pathfinding improvements, balance changes, bug fixes, and more, PLUS tomorrow The Mountain Royals DLC will be live, AND new campaigns are coming to Return of Rome!

While there are plenty of notable fixes and features to look forward to in today’s build, here’s some of the big highlights coming with this month’s update:

• The Mountain Royals DLC is now available!
  
• 2 New Campaigns in Return of Rome:
  
  • Glory of Greece
    
  • Voices of Babylon
• Balance changes!
  
• Pathfinding improvements!
  
• Bug fixes based on your feedback!

Be sure to dig down into the post below to get all of the smaller details before hopping in-game and checking them out firsthand.

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

💬 DISCUSS: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Forum
🗣 JOIN: The Age of Empires Official Discord

Thanks again to our amazing community members, all of whom have helped to make Age of Empires what it is today!

—The Age of Empires Team

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         ◆ UPDATE 95810◆

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[h2]Game[/h2]

[h3]Stability & Performance[/h3]

• Fixed an issue where game crashes when creating a lobby using Restore Multiplayer Game.
  
• Fixed an issue where game sometimes crashes when clicking the Return of Rome Multiplayer button.
  

[h3]Graphics[/h3]

• Fixed a graphical issue where various Palm Trees have black sections in their textures.
  
• Fixed the issues with death and decay animations for Slinger, Man-at-Arms, Female Forager.
  
• Imperial Camel saddle cloth texture no is no longer incorrect on one of the angles.
  
• Magyar Huszar spear is no longer slightly cut off on several unit animations.
  
• Fixed a graphical issue where Chariot Archer had doubled bow.
  
• Male Woodcutters no longer lack idle animations on all except one angle.
  
• Babylonian Wonder destruction animation no longer turns invisible close to the end.
  
• Added visual trails to bullet projectiles.
  

[h3]Audio[/h3]

• Fixed an issue where Priest has the wrong creation sound.
  
• Romans units no longer have slightly distorted voice audio.
  

[h3]UI[/h3]

• The UI graphics and fonts filter which was introduced in Update 90260 and later known as WIDGETUI_FILTER, is now available as in-game options on PC platforms under the Graphics tab:
  
  • Anti-Alias UI: Select to smoothen graphics (such as icons) in certain parts of the UI, on resolutions other than 4K. Disabling may increase performance. (Medium, High, Ultra presets)
    
  • Anti-Alias Text: Select to smoothen text in certain parts of the UI, on resolutions other than 4K. Disabling may increase performance when Smooth Serif Font is off. (High, Ultra presets)
• Smooth Serif Font has been restored to its original look (from before Update 90260) when Anti-Alias Text is off.
  
• Sea walls now have their own icon.
  
• Army tents now have their own icon in Return of Rome.
  
• The Ranked UI button in Return of Rome now uses the intended artwork.
  
• Updated some wrong artworks from the History section with the proper ones.
  
• Added the “Off” and “High” volume indicators on the narrator volume bar.
  
• Chatbox is no longer visible in 1v1 quickplay games. Additionally, chatbox is now visible when in party with at least 2 members on the quickplay screen, to match with Xbox behaviour.
  
• Age of Empires campaigns now have a unique campaign group icon.
  
• Changed the color of buttons in Scenario Editor in Return of Rome mode to blue.
  
• All Return of Rome cheat units now have their own icons.
  
• Sogdian Cataphract icon no longer incorrectly indicates hero glow on the unit.
  

[h3]Hotkeys[/h3]

• Toggle Health Bar hotkey no longer affects Idle Pointer display.
  

[h3]Xbox[/h3]

• Fixed a crash that was occurring while accepting an invitation from another player under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed an issue where randomizing lobby settings automatically scrolls down the Game Settings menu.
  
• Fixed an issue where the banned and preferred maps on the Quick Play menu disappear under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed an issue where AI Difficulty is set back to Standard when starting a queue in Quick Play.
  
• Fixed a graphical issue on the Rally Point flag.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Quick Find Naval Units button for Transport Ships was not activating properly when relevant ships were on the field in Return of Rome.
  
• The Building Range Indicators are no longer drawn incorrectly and inconsistently.
  
• Spearman-Line units are now included in the Command Menu Shortcuts for Donjons as intended.
  
• Fixed an issue where Villagers queued in the Town Center were separated based on gender.
  
• The save and load game pages now show the remaining cloud capacity.
  
• Fixed an issue where Monk’s Heal command no longer heals units.
  
• Controller buttons in Return of Rome mode now have blue color (instead of red like in Age of Empires II).
  
• Fixed an issue where Toggle Idle Pointers hotkey has no effect.
  
• Added the previously missing player icons which are rewarded for winning as Roman civilization.
  
• Fixed an issue where players are unable to repair transport ships.
  

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

[h3]:alertalert: DISCLAIMER[/h3]This list is subject to change and should not be considered a comprehensive list of all the known issues we’re tracking. The above is to inform you of the team’s current priorities, which will change as other issues arise or take precedence.

For the latest updates and announcements, please visit our social channels.

[h2]Hotfix 96976[/h2]

• Fixed a graphics issue on Xbox Series S and X systems. Graphics should now appear with greater fidelity at close zoom levels on Xbox Series consoles.
  
• Fixed an issue where monks could duplicate relics by dropping a relic before placing it in the monastery.
  
• Fixed the walking animation for monks that have dropped off a relic.
  
• We are aware of an issue in Scenario 5: ‘Of Turncoats and Traitors’ of the Thoros campaign, causing an unintended difficulty-spike. The team is currently working on a fix.
  

Want to know more about The Mountain Royals Expansion? Check out some of our favorite videos from the Creator Preview!



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[h2]Pre-Order Now![/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2555420/Age_of_Empires_II_Definitive_Edition__The_Mountain_Royals/

Accompanying The Mountain Royals expansion will be an update including a massive rework of the Persian civilization! This update will be available to everyone who owns the base game of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, whether you have purchased the upcoming The Mountain Royals expansion or not.

[h2]The Persian Civilization Identity[/h2]
As more civilizations were released through additional expansions, we found the Persian civilization was slowly becoming less unique and their primary identity as a Knight civilization had become less meaningful.

We strived for the way the Persians are represented in-game to incorporate additional design, while representing their rich history, creating more unique tools for the Persian civilization’s toolbox. We wanted to provide you with more interesting strategic choices, and ways for you to engage your opponents, all while representing them from the early Middle Ages to late empire.

In this update, our goal was to make the Persians feel special – the way we want each civilization to feel in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. We believe we’ve accomplished that by making the Persians a true cavalry civilization with this rework.

With that said, here’s some expanded information on a few of our favorite changes!

[h2]The Savar – A New Unique Unit[/h2]


Persia’s use of heavily armored cavalry has always been represented in-game, yet having the more European-style Paladin always felt unfaithful to the civilization. With this update, the Persians have received a unique upgrade to the Cavalier; the Savar.

Though the Savar looks similar to the Paladin, but is highly specialized in defeating enemy ranged units. Its additional ranged armor makes it more resilient, and their damage bonus stacks with the Persian Team Bonus, making them extremely effective at countering enemy Archers and general ranged units.

However, the increased survivability against ranged units does come at the cost of a lower Hit Point total when compared to the Paladin, making the Savar more susceptible to melee units.

[h2]The War Elephant[/h2]


With the introduction of the Battle Elephant, we found it made the War Elephant feel less unique, and for a unit that already requires a significant investment to field, we want to ensure the War Elephant gets the respect it deserves.

The goal of these changes is to make the War Elephant more prevalent in the Persian unit roster. The Mahouts Unique Technology has been removed, but the base movement speed of the War Elephant has increased 33% by default. No longer will you have to wait as your War Elephants slowly lumber towards the enemy; charge them down!

Continuing the additional improvements, the War Elephant now has a significant damage bonus against buildings, now highly capable of ripping through your opponent's base, a great way to add additional pressure. We’ve also reduced the cost for the Elite War Elephant upgrade, making it significantly easier for you to realize the full potential of these behemoth units.

We always want to ensure each unit has their place in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. With these changes, we hope we’ve given you plenty of reasons to start training more War Elephants!

[h2]Parthian Tactics Available in the Castle Age[/h2]


Having access to Parthian Tactics in the Castle Age adds an entirely new layer to the strategies available to the Persian civilization within Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, making them significantly less predictable while also representing a part of history we’re excited to pay homage to.

The Sasanian Persian Empire that continued the Parthian legacy is an important part of how the Persian civilization is represented in-game. The Parthian Shot dates at least back to the Battle of Carrhae, where the Parthians used it to great effect against a Roman army. Sasanian armies employed similar tactics in the following centuries well into the early medieval period.

Now that the Persians are able to research Parthian Tactics in the Castle Age, it provides a large spike to the strength of their Cavalry Archers, which has incredible synergy with their new civilization bonus, providing extra gold for each military unit they defeat.

This is perfect to help you dictate the pace of the match with early pressure, providing a new way for you to surprise and engage your opponents.

[h3]Full Rework Change List[/h3]
The above were some of our personal highlights we wanted to provide some additional background on. Please see the full list of changes to the Persian civilization below.

[expand]Civilization Bonuses:

• Start the game with +50 food, +50 wood.
• Town Centers and Docks have 2x hit points and work +5%/+10%/+15%/+20% faster in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
• Cavalry generate 5 gold when killing enemy military units.
• Parthian Tactics available in Castle Age.
• Can build Caravanserai in Imperial Age.

Unique Units:

• War Elephant (Very Big Elephant, enjoys scenic trips down the river in a transport ship).
• Savar (Unique upgrade to the Cavalier, powerful all-purpose cavalry with attack bonus vs. Archers).

Unique Technologies

• Kamandaran (Archer-line gold cost is replaced by additional wood cost).
• Citadels (Castles receive -25% bonus damage, arrows replaced with bullets which deal +4 attack, +3 attack vs. infantry, and +3 attack vs. rams).

Team Bonus

• Knights +2 attack vs. Archers.

Other Changes:

• (Elite) War Elephant attack bonus vs. standard buildings and stone buildings increased from 7 (10) ▶ 30.
• (Elite) War Elephant base movement speed increased from 0.6 ▶8.
• Elite War Elephant upgrade cost reduced from 1600 food 1200 gold ▶ 1350 food 800 gold.

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We understand with this update a lot of changes have been made to the Persian civilization. We look forward to hearing your feedback, and plan to continue to iterate as needed. Start the game already!

[h2]Pre-Order Now![/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2555420/Age_of_Empires_II_Definitive_Edition__The_Mountain_Royals/

We are excited for The Mountain Royals DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! Unlock the rich history and untold stories of two remarkable civilizations, available now to pre-order with a 15% discount! Don't wait - this 15% off ends on October 31st!

[h4]Features to Expect in the DLC:[/h4]

• Two new civilizations – The Georgians and The Armenians
  
• Three new new fully voiced campaigns – Tamar, Thoros the Great, and Ismail
  
• Plus, a newly updated Persian civilization

[h2]The Mountain Royals will release on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 on Steam![/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2555420/Age_of_Empires_II_Definitive_Edition__The_Mountain_Royals/