Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition — Update 42848

Happy Birthday Age of Empires II: DE!

🍰 November 17 – December 1 🍰

November marks the first anniversary of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, and we’re celebrating its birthday with one of the biggest updates yet! Along with a long list of brand-new features and fixes to expand the tools in your arsenal, we’re throwing a party to celebrate the first of MANY years to come for Age of Empires II: DE! Check out the requirements below, jump into the game, and unlock a slew of birthday presents!

• Unlock four new PROFILE ICONS! Grab a bit of birthday cake, pin the arrow on the Huskarl, or celebrate Cuman style!
• Decorate your Town Center with BIRTHDAY PARTY DECORATIONS!
• Strap some BIRTHDAY FIREWORKS to your exploding Petards, Flaming Camels, and Demolition Ships!
• Celebrate science and the new Age with CONFETTI when your research or Age-up completes!

New Rewards!

Starting TODAY through DECEMBER 1, complete daily in-game tasks to unlock event-themed goodies:

Each of the following challenges must be unlocked in order and on separate days:

Keep it Forever!

Remember: if you sign in to Xbox Live during the event, you’ll get to keep all of the mods and profile icons you’ve achieved! Sign in, earn your rewards, and enjoy the celebration!

We hope you enjoy the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Birthday Celebration!  Again, don’t forget to sign into Xbox Live to ensure you keep everything you unlock!

—The Age of Empires Team

♦     ♦     ♦

Event F.A.Q.

NEW! Multiplayer Quick Play

It’s also now easier than ever to jump in and play Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition with Quick Play! This feature allows players to set a game type and map preferences, then effortlessly matchmake with others in the Random Map, Empire Wars, and Battle Royale game modes.

To access Quick Play, click the ‘Multiplayer’ button on the game home screen.

NEW! Battle Royale (Quick Play)

Battle Royale introduces a brand-new way to experience Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! This fast-paced mode pits up to 8 players (or AI players in a skirmish) against each other on 5 new maps in a free-for-all contest to see who can be the last combatant standing.

Who will win? Make sure it’s you!

To access Battle Royale, you can either select it in the Quick Play menu, or you can click the ‘Battle Royale’ button on the home screen to jump straight to the setup screen.

Multiplayer Updates

Both experienced and new players will find the game more welcoming than ever with updates in the overall game UI including improved civilization selection, main menu navigation, and updated party invites.

More information can be found in the ‘Lobbies & Matchmaking’ section, below!

Stability & Performance

• Players are now properly reconnected to their match if they experience a brief drop in their internet connection. This addresses an issue where they would attempt to reconnect indefinitely.
• Implemented various performance improvements to how the game is rendered.
• Improved the performance of the client during large-scale, late-game battles.
• Improved the performance of the client during battles which generate a considerable number of on-screen particles.
• Fixed various issues which prevented players from connecting to a match during ranked matchmaking.
• Fixed an issue which prevented computers running both an integrated graphics chip and a dedicated graphics processing unit from defaulting to their dedicated GPU.

UI

• Created a new hotkey entry to quickly “Go to King” when playing the Regicide game mode.
• Created a new hotkey entry that allows you to “Select all Trade Units.”
• The “Select all visible Military Units” hotkey can now be used to select visible warships if no land units are also visible or by pressing the hotkey twice.
• The mouse wheel can now be used to scroll through the tech tree.
• Rally points for enemy buildings are no longer displayed on the minimap.

The percentage numbers have been updated to represent their actual effect for the following bonuses and technologies:

• Aztecs: Military bonus
• Bulgarians: Stirrups
• Byzantines: Fire Ship bonus
• Celts: Siege bonus
• Celts: Stronghold
• Cumans: Steppe Husbandry
• Ethiopians: Archer bonus
• Incas: Team bonus
• Japanese: Infantry bonus
• Mongols: Cavalry Archer bonus
• Saracens: Galley bonus
• Spanish: Gunpowder bonus
• Turks: Team bonus

Audio

• Running Boars, Elephants, and Rhinos now use the correct ♪ “footstep” ♪ sounds, which are 3D-positioned to emit from their position on the screen.
• Running Boars, Elephants, and Rhinos now play their ♪ “bestial vocals” ♪ less frequently when pursuing hunters.
• Balanced the volume of unit voices across all civilizations, particularly for the Vietnamese, Khmer, Malay, Malians, Portuguese, Bulgarians, and Slavs.

Art of War

• Naval Battles: The “silver medal” notification no longer plays twice when the player loses too many ships.

Campaign Missions

• Bari 3: The Bombard Tower technology can no longer be researched.
• Tariq 5: The Elite Genitour upgrade is now available at the Archery Range.
• Yodit 1: The highest-earned campaign medal is now correctly displayed after completing the mission.

General

• Wall: Reduced the melee armor of wall foundations to 0.
• Palisade Wall: Increased build time by 1 second.
• Increased the collision size multiplier for Elephant units to match that of other cavalry and ranged units.

 Battle Elephant [Standard & Elite]: Reduced bonus damage to buildings from +7/+10 ▶ +4/+7 respectively.

 Xolotl Warrior: Are now granted +30 hp, +2 attack, and +2/2 armor in matches that begin in the Post-Imperial Age.

Aztecs

CIVILIZATION

Reduced the number of bonus resources Villagers can carry from +5 ▶ +3.
The Aztecs no longer start with extra gold in the Empire Wars mode.

UNITS

 Jaguar Warrior [Standard & Elite]: Training time reduced from 20 ▶ 12 seconds.

Bulgarians

CIVILIZATION

Increased the rate at which Blacksmiths work from 50% ▶ 80% faster.
Blacksmith and Siege Workshop upgrades now cost -50% food.

Burmese

UNITS

 Arambai [Standard & Elite]: Reload time increased from 2.0 ▶ 2.2.

Celts

CIVILIZATION

The movement speed bonus for infantry units is now applied at the start of the Feudal Age.

Cumans

UNITS

 Kipchak [Standard & Elite]: Now have a 0.5 second fire delay, equivalent to the Mangudai.

Ethiopians

UNITS

Shotel Warrior [Standard & Elite]: Reduced the cost to train from 35 ▶ 30 gold. Food cost remains the same (50 food).

TECHNOLOGIES

Torsion Engines: Reduced the width of Scorpion projectiles from 0.5 ▶ 0.4 tiles.

Goths

CIVILIZATION

Loom can now be researched instantly rather than at no cost.

Indians

CIVILIZATION

All Stable units now gain +1 pierce armor in the Castle Age and +1 pierce armor in the Imperial Age, as opposed to the +1 pierce armor previously granted only to Camel units.
Reduced the team bonus to damage dealt by Camel units to buildings from +5 ▶ +4.
No longer have access to the Plate Barding Armor technology.

TECHNOLOGIES

Sultans: Fixed an issue where captured Relics would generate gold ~17% faster rather than the intended 10%.

Italians

UNITS

Genoese Crossbowman: Training Time reduced from 22 ▶ 18 seconds.
Elite Genoese Crossbowman: Training Time reduced from 19 ▶ 14 seconds.

Khmer

CIVILIZATION

Further reduced the work rate of Khmer Farmers from -3% ▶ -5%.
Reduced the bonus speed to Battle Elephants from +15% ▶ +10% faster.

TECHNOLOGIES

Tusk Swords: Increased the cost from 200 wood, 300 gold ▶ 300 wood, 450 gold.

Koreans

CIVILIZATION

Now receive archer armor upgrades for free.
Korean Towers no longer gain the range bonus previously granted during the Castle and Imperial Age.

UNITS

 Elite Turtle Ship: Speed increased from 0.9 ▶ 1.035.

TECHNOLOGIES

Panokseon: Replaced by the Eupseong technology.
Eupseong: This unique technology grants Watch Towers, Guard Towers, and Keeps +2 range.

Lithuanians

UNITS

 Leitis [Standard & Elite]: Reduced pierce armor from 2 ▶ 1.

Malians

UNITS

 Gbeto [Standard & Elite]: Fire delay reduced from 1.2 ▶ 1.0.

Mayans

TECHNOLOGIES

Obsidian Arrows: No longer grants double the attack bonus versus Stone Walls, Stone Gates, Towers, and Harbors.

Portuguese

CIVILIZATION

All technologies are now researched 30% faster.

Spanish

CIVILIZATION

Fixed an issue which prevented the faster reload time bonus for gunpowder units from benefitting Cannon Galleons.

Tatars

CIVILIZATION

Town Centers will now spawn 2 Sheep upon reaching the Feudal Age, and newly-constructed Town Centers thereafter will also spawn 2 Sheep upon completion.

TECHNOLOGIES

Silk Armor: Increased armor bonuses from +0/+1 ▶ +1/+1 armor.

Turks

CIVILIZATION

Scout Cavalry, Light Cavalry, and Hussar units gain +1 pierce armor.

UNITS

Elite Janissary: Increased accuracy from 50% ▶ 65%.

Vikings

TECHNOLOGIES

Chieftains: Increased cost from 400 food, 300 gold ▶ 700 food, 500 gold.

General

• Added safeguards to ensure that Sheep always spawn in the correct numbers.

Several changes have been made to the Empire Wars game mode:

• Players now begin with 5 Farmers (instead of 8). The 3 former Farmers are now assigned to berries, wood, and gold at the start of the match.
• Herdable animals no longer appear on Empire Wars maps which start with the standard number of villagers.

Map Balance

• Antarctica: The Penguin has been added as a scouting unit.
• Arabia: Implemented fixes to prevent small patches of road and snow terrain from appearing throughout the map.
• Arabia: Cliffs will now avoid generating near forests and player starting areas.
• Fortress: Fixed a bug where gold or stone nodes could occasionally spawn and obstruct gates.
• Fortress: Reduced the length of cliffs throughout the map.
• Golden Swamp: On Empire Wars, a Mill and Villagers are now generated on berry bushes.
• Hamburger: Improved the generation of the forested area in the center of the map.
• Hamburger: Uprooted random tree spawns from aquatic areas of the map.
• Hamburger: Outside gold and stone are no longer clumped together, and spawn further away from forests and water.
• Hamburger: Starting gold and stone spawns are now consistent on free-for-all map generations.
• Inner Circle: On Empires Wars, players now always begin with 3 Lumber Camps.
• Journey South: Added a Scout for players.
• Journey South: On Empire Wars, players now begin with 3 Lumber Camps instead of one.
• Mangrove Jungle: On Empire Wars, players begin with 3 standard Lumber Camps, as well as a Mill and 6 Villagers near a herd of deer.
• MegaRandom: Fixed an issue where a particular map type could generate uneven starting forests.
• MegaRandom: On Empire Wars, a Mill and Villagers are now generated on four-tile berry bushes.
• Nile Delta: Slightly reduced the elevation on the map.
• Nile Delta: Reduced the total number of spawned goats, which also appear further away from the shorelines.
• Nile Delta: Removed predators from the map.
• Nomad: Reduced elevated areas throughout the map.
• Nomad: Gold, stone, and berries no longer generate next to each other.
• Nomad: The island now avoids the map edges in all directions.
• Pacific Islands: On Empire Wars, players now begin with 6 additional Fishing Ships.
• Scandinavia: No longer defaults to the Empire Wars map generation.
• Snake Pit: On Empire Wars, players now start with a Mill and 6 Villagers near a herd of deer.
• Wolf Hill: On Empire Wars, a Mill and Villagers are now generated on berry bushes.

Random Map Scripting

Added a new command, behavior_version, which lets you opt-in to fixes and changes for RMS that are not compatible with older scripts.

• Using behavior_version 1 will fix the legacy issue where the land_percent and number_of_tiles commands would produce inconsistent results based on the order of lands in the RMS file.

In addition to this change:

• Fixed a legacy issue where map revealers would be placed on custom Nomad maps.
• The ‘Starting Age’ setting can now be detected by RM scripts.
• direct_placement now works as intended when the number of players greatly exceeds the recommended map size.
• Added the set_gaia_unconvertible command for object generation. Gaia objects created with this flag will not be capturable by players and will instead be hostile to them.
• Added the set_gaia_civilization parameter. Setting it to a valid civilization ID will change Gaia’s civilization in a Random Map game. The civilization’s architectural style and unique techs will be applied to the Gaia player.

General

• Implemented several improvements to the strategic decision-making of AI-controlled players.
• Fixed an issue where the AI would fail to target a player to attack.
• Fixed an issue which sometimes prevented the AI from placing gates in walls.
• Fixed a rare issue where AI-controlled units could be seen sliding across the screen rather than walking.
• Units which benefit from direct unit control will now converge properly.

Pathfinding

• Units tasked to follow another unit will now properly update their path when issued a new command.
• Units will now update their path when re-tasked to determine whether there is a more optimal route to the task at hand. (Legacy)
• Fixed a rare issue where Boars could randomly stop chasing a unit after colliding with an obstruction.
• Fixed a rare issue where units at the edge of the map could not be targeted and attacked by melee units.
• Fixed a rare issue where units would, on spookier occasions, pass through solid objects.

Scripting

• Added a new strategic number to control what kind of gate the AI places in a wall: set sn-gate-type-for-wall to 1 for a Palisade Gate, and 0 for placing Stone or Fortified Gates.
• Flares can now be found using the players-unit-type-count check and up-find-flare.
• up-find-flare will now find flare objects.
• object-data-action and object-data-order no longer return -1 for objects with no unit AI.
• Setting the sn-disable-villager-garrison properly to 3 now stops boar-lurers from garrisoning.
• sn-minimum-number-hunters will now properly assign Villagers to huntable objects.
• sn-object-repair-level now takes Scorpion and Trebuchet units into consideration.
• Created defconsts for the new Last Khans civilizations.
• Extended the maximum amount of strategic numbers supported from 303 ▶ 511.
• up-can-build no longer returns false when using Wall objects.
• up-garrison now accepts unit lines.
• up-garrison now works on distant targets.
• up-gather-inside now works on Watch Towers.
• up-path-distance and up-get-path-distance no longer returns impassable if the starting tiles’ corner is obstructed by itself or another object.
• Using the find-random search on up-find-player now returns the correct player ID’s.
• Fixed an issue when using a custom AI script which caused AI players to delete the wrong objects under certain circumstances.

Added map-type constant for the following maps:

• Bog Islands
• Mangrove Jungle
• Pacific Islands
• Sandbank
• Water Nomad

General

• Extended the modding functionality to allow mixed content mods which combine .dat mods with other assets, which will take effect in games where the dataset is selected.
• Fixed an issue where the names of the files required to modify civilization theme music would vary based on the chosen interface language.
• Fixed an issue where custom unit sounds included in data mods would not play unless both the “Custom” and “Wwise” fields were non-zero.

Scenario Editor

A new .xs scripting functionality has been added to the scenario editor!

• Players can now add an .xs script to their scenario, which can communicate with triggers and other areas of the game to allow for a more complex flow-control than that offered by regular triggers.
• All available constants for the new .xs scripting can be found in Constants.xs in \resources_common\xs

Here are a few examples of the functions which can be called:

• xsTriggerVariable: Returns the value of the desired Trigger Variable.
• xsSetTriggerVariable: Sets a trigger variable to the desired value.
• xsPlayerAttribute: Returns the value of the desired player attribute.
• xsSetPlayerAttribute: Sets the desired player attribute to the value specified.
• xsChatData: Sends a chat with the desired message/variable. This is useful for testing.

A multitude of new trigger effects and conditions have been added to the Scenario Editor for your use:

• New trigger effect: “Change Object Player Color”
• New trigger effect: “Change Object Civilization Name”
• New trigger effect: “Change Object Player Name”
• New trigger effect: “Disable Unit Targeting”
• New trigger effect: “Enable Unit Targeting”
• New trigger effect: “Enable Technology Stacking”
• New trigger effect: “Disable Technology Stacking”
• New trigger effect: “Enable Object Selection”
• New trigger effect: “Disable Object Selection”
• New trigger effect: “Script Call”
• New trigger effect: “Change Technology Cost”
• New trigger effect: “Change Technology Name”
• New trigger effect: “Change Technology Research Time”
• New trigger effect: “Change Technology Description”
• New trigger effect: “Make Technology Repeatable”
• New trigger effect: “Set Building Gather Point”
• New trigger effect: “Acknowledge Multiplayer AI Signal”
• New trigger condition: “Multiplayer AI Signal”
• New trigger condition: “Object Selected (Multiplayer)”
• New trigger condition: “Object Visible (Multiplayer)”
• New trigger condition “OR”
• New trigger condition “Script Call”
• New trigger condition “Object has Action” (e.g. to check if a unit is fighting)

Other adjustments to the Scenario Editor:

• The Scenario Editor is more performant when working with large numbers of triggers.
• Added the option to alter the player’s architecture set.
• New functionality to extend a map, which allows players to resize a map after creation.
• Flares can now be sent and detected within the Scenario Editor.
• Added exclusive Scenario Editor technologies which make resources last longer by a specific percentage if researched via a trigger.
• “Set View” can now be defined on a per-player basis.
• “Activate” and “Deactivate” trigger effects now have a “go to” button to jump to the selected trigger.
• On-screen objectives are now displayed when testing scenarios in the Editor.
• Replaced units no longer adopt the incorrect default stance.