Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten

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The Forgotten Empires introduction

Age of Empires II: The Forgotten (informally abbreviated to AoF) is the second official expansion pack for Age of Empires II. Originating as a fan-made modification entitled Age of Empires II: The Forgotten Empires, the game went through development with studio SkyBox Labs and was released in 2013 through Steam exclusively. It features five new civilizations, (the Incas, Indians, Italians, Magyars and Slavs), new units and technologies, new maps, enhanced AI, a higher population limit, greater on-screen rendering, bug fixes and several tweaks to old units, technologies, and bonuses for improved gameplay balance. The expansion requires the Age of Empires II HD Edition for installation.

Overview

Campaigns

AoF includes seven new campaigns. Those are:

• Alaric: The trauma of the Hun invasion in the 4th century has shaped Alaric, the fearsome warrior king of the Goths. But can the beloved king secure a new homeland for his people in the territory of the collapsing Roman Empire?
• Sforza: Always hungry for glory and wealth, Sforza wanders around 15th century Italy, offering his services to the highest bidder. Will he pick the right battles or make the wrong enemy? Take the fate of the young mercenary captain in your hands.
• Bari: 400 years after the collapse of the Roman Empire, Italy is still up for grabs. Relive the tale of the port city Bari from the point of view of a Byzantine family, rising from the common soldiery to the nobility. Beware, for not only Bari is at stake, but also control of Southern Italy.
• Dracula: History forged an incredible legend around the man who ruled Wallachia in the mid-15th century. Holding his ground against the vast armies of the expanding Ottoman Empire, his cruel tactics made him the most feared man in all of Eastern Europe. Shall his thirst for blood and the loyalty of his soldiers hold the Turks back for good?
• El Dorado: Join Francisco Orellana and Gonzalo Pizarro on their quest to find El Dorado, the legendary Lost City of Gold, thought to be hidden somewhere in the vast Amazon rainforest. Will their quest along the Amazon River lead to lifelong prosperity?
  This campaign was added in the patch released in March 4, 2014, featuring the Spanish conquistadors in their search for El Dorado in South America.
• Prithviraj: As the 12th century comes to a close, India is divided between the ruling Rajput clans. One of them, the Chauhans, have just been blessed with a new king. His name is Prithviraj and his determination to unite the rival states is unprecedented.
  But what happens when he falls in love with the daughter of his enemy? And does he have the strength to stop a full-scale Muslim invasion from the west?
  It was added in the 3.5 patch, featuring the Indians in medieval times. Prithiviraj is the king of one Rajput clan and your mission is to unify the Rajputs.
• Battles of the Forgotten: Time has faded the names of many of the greatest leaders ever known. During their age they were famed for their fierceness on the battlefield, their just rule and their quest for power. Witness the path to glory of Richard the Lionheart, Minamoto no Yoritomo, Sultan Osman Ghazi, Khosrau and many more.
  Added in patch 3.6.

Changelogs

Note: This only gives information about the changes that took place in The Forgotten not of The Conquerors patches.

General

• Houses cost -5 wood (25 wood).
• Palisade Walls take +1 second to build.
• Stone Walls take +3 seconds to build.
• Stone Walls -50% HP in Feudal Age.
• Building HP reduced in Dark and Feudal Age.
• Onagers can kill trees.
• Trebuchets can attack trees much more effectively.
• Villagers can be garrisoned inside rams.
• Castles +1 LOS (range bug).
• Guard Towers and Keeps get +1 attack.
• Transport Ships available in Dark Age.
• Palisade Gate cost decreased to 20 wood.
• Fish Trap construction time decreased by 13 sec (train time=40, farms are still 15).
• Cartography is free to research and is researched almost instantly.
• Town Patrol costs -100 gold (300 food, 100 gold).
• Outposts cost -5 stone.
• Fire Ships and Fast Fire Ships have +20 HP.
• Demolition Ships and Heavy Demolition Ships have +10 HP.
• Trade Cog generate +10% gold.
• Cavalry Archers cost -5 gold.
• Capped Ram garrison 5 units increased from 4.
• Long Swordsmen +5 HP.
• Long Swordsmen, Two-Handed Swordsmen, and Champions have +2 attack vs. Eagle Scouts, Eagle Warriors, and Elite Eagle Warriors.
• Petards cost -15 food (65 food, 20 gold).
• Spearmen, Pikemen, and Halberdiers +1 attack against Camels, Heavy Camels, and Imperial Camels.
• Heavy Camel upgrade -20 secs research time.
• Tracking cost reduced to 50 food.
• Squires cost reduced to 100 food.
• Two-Handed Swordsmen have 12 attack (instead of 11).
• Men-at-Arms, Long Swordsmen, Two-Handed Swordsmen and Champions get +1 attack against buildings.
• Eagle Warriors have +5 hit points.
• Camels have +1 base attack (6), but -1 attack bonus against cavalry (9).
• Fervor fixed (never worked in AoC).
• Monks holding relics suffer from anti-monk damage.
• Murder Holes cost -100 stone.
• Chemistry affects Castles and Town Centers.

Civilizations

Aztecs

• Free loom removed.
• Start with +50 gold.
• Jaguar Warriors +1 pierce armor.
• Castle Age Tech: Atlatl (Skirmishers +1 Attack, +1 Range).

Britons

• Able to create Cannon Galleons.
• Longbowman creation time reduced to 17 seconds.
• Receive Heavy Scorpions.
• Imperial Age Tech: Warwolf (Trebuchets do blast damage), Yeomen moved to Castle Age.

Byzantines

• Castle Age Tech: Greek Fire (Fire Ships +1 Range).

Celts

• Furor Celtica gives siege units +40% HP instead of +50% in The Conquerors expansion.
• Castle Age Tech: Stronghold (Castles & Towers fire 20% faster).

Chinese

• Town Center LOS +5 (moved from Teutons).
• Castle Age Tech: Great Wall (Walls and towers +30% HP).
• Chu Ko Nu (non-elite) creation speed reduced to 16 seconds (from 19 seconds).

Franks

• Foragers work +25% faster.
• Able to research Squires.
• Throwing Axeman (non-elite) missile delay -2 (from 12 to 10, elite stays at 8).
• Elite Throwing Axeman research cost -100 gold.
• Castle Age Tech: Chivalry (Stables work 40% faster).

Goths

• Tech tree corrected to show that infantry are 35% cheaper instead of 25%.
• Treadmill Crane removed.
• Perfusion description corrected to show +100% working speed to Barracks instead of +50%.

Huns

• Cannon Galleons removed.
• Huns cavalry archers cost -15% and -25% (castle and imperial ages) -> reduced from -25% and -30% (40w, 65g -> 34w, 49g)
• Treadmill Crane removed.
• Tarkan (non-elite) +10 HP.
• Tarkan (non-elite) gets +1 attack.
• Castle Age Tech: Marauders (Create Tarkans at Stables).

Japanese

• Able to research Bloodlines.
• Able to research Gold Shaft Mining.
• Castle Age Tech: Yasama (Towers shoot extra arrows).

Koreans

• Turtle Ship cost -10% (180w, 180g).
• War Wagon creation time decreased from 25 to 21 seconds.
• War Wagon cost -10 wood, (120w, 60g -> 110w, 60g).
• Fortifications (walls, towers, castles) built 25% faster.
• Team Bonus changed: Mangonels, Onagers and Siege Onagers minimum range reduced.
• Castle Age Tech: Panokseon (Turtle Ships move 15% faster).

Mayans

• Base cost for Plumed Archers increased from 46w, 46g to 50w, 50g.
• Castle Age Tech: Obsidian Arrows (Archer-line has +3 attack vs. buildings).
• Elite Plumed Archer upgrade costs 700 food, 1000 wood instead of 500 food, 1000 wood.

Mongols

• Elite Cannon Galleons removed.
• Mangudai Siege bonus limited to Rams.
• Mangudai (non-elite) delay -50% (from 10 to 5).
• Castle Age Tech: Nomads (Destroyed houses don’t lose their population room).

Persians

• Castle Age Tech: Boiling Oil (Castles do extra damage vs. rams).

Saracens

• Market costs -75 wood.
• Non-elite Mamelukes get +1 attack.
• Castle Age Tech: Madrasah (Killed monks return 33% of their cost).

Spanish

• Missionaries affected by Bloodlines.
• Castle Age Tech: Inquisition (Monks conversion rate improved).

Teutons

• Town Center LOS restored to normal (moved to Chinese).
• Town Center garrison +10 units, maximum arrows +5.
• Town Center +2 attack removed.
• Teutonic Knight (non-elite) +10 HP.
• Monk healing range bonus fixed (didn't work automatically in AoC).
• Castle Age Tech: Ironclad (Siege weapons get +4 extra melee armor).

Turks

• Elite Janissaries are now affected by the Turkish team bonus.
• Castle Age Tech: Sipahi (Cavalry Archers +20 HP).

Vikings

• Team Bonus: Docks -15% cheaper (rather than -25%) (Docks cost 128 wood instead of 113 wood).
• Viking Ship cost now staggered per age: 10% cheaper in Feudal (81w-27g), 15% in Castle (76-25), 20% in Imperial (72-24).
• Able to research Treadmill Crane.
• Berserk (non-elite) +4 HP.
• Longboats wood cost same as galleys.
• Berserkergang cost 850 food, 400 gold (from 500 food, 850 gold).
• Berserks/Elite base HP becomes 54/62 (instead of 48/60). Training time of berserk line reduced to 14s (from 16s).
• Castle Age Tech: Chieftains (Berserks get +4 attack bonus vs. cavalry)

Random maps

General

• Deer variance removed, each player has 4 deer at more or less the same distance from Town Center.
• Fish density improved: fish appear at more regular intervals thus reducing chances of unlucky dock placement.

Archipelago

• Bonus islands appear in the center.
• Gold distance variance reduced.

Arena

• Relics can no longer appear stuck in walls.
• Wall distance variance removed, distance set to 20.

Baltic

• Larger base size, preventing players to be too close to water.
• Wolves removed.

Black Forest

• Forests remade to prevent the occurrence of bubbles in which resources and relics often got stuck.
• Larger base size.
• Gold and stone distribution balanced.
• Relic distribution balanced.

Coastal

• Larger base size for players.

Crater Lake

• Larger base size.
• Gold moved slightly further.
• Central island’s position improved.

Fortress

• Fish removed.

Ghost Lake

• Inland sea rounded.
• Bonus sheep scattered around more evenly.

Gold Rush

• Central gold mines’ position improved.

Highland

• Variance on distance of extra boar and sheep reduced.

Islands

• Bonus islands appear in the center.
• Larger base size to prevent noodle-shaped islands.

Mediterranean

• Central sea rounded.
• Larger base size, prevents players from being too close to water.
• Wolves removed.

Migration

• Sheep and deer distance variance improved, 2 sheep appear very close to Town Center.
• Wood distribution improved.
• Distance of gold mines improved.
• Gold and stone no longer appear on the shores of mainland.

Oasis

• Forest enlarged, same distance from Town Center for everyone.

Rivers

• Water edges remade: 50% water covers all edges of the map, 50% none.
• Bonus islands appear in the center.

Salt Marsh

• Map remade from scratch, a ring of water with shallows appears in the middle.

Scandinavia

• Ice patches are broken into smaller pieces and scattered around more evenly.

Yucatan

• Boar variance removed.

New features

Civilizations

Like The Conquerors, this expansion features five additional playable civilizations:

Architectural style	Eastern European	Indian	American	Mediterranean
Civilizations	Magyars Slavs	Indians	Incas	Italians

• Magyars: The people who created the nation of Hungary, the Magyars, were initially nomads from the Eastern steppes. A cavalry civilization, their unique unit is the Magyar Huszar.
• Indians: Many Indian kingdoms were active in the medieval period. In AoFE, they are a camel and gunpowder civilization, and their unique units are the Elephant Archer and Imperial Camel.
• Incas: The first civilization from South America and the most expanded in the Middle Age, the Incas established a vast empire and conquered many other tribes before eventually succumbing to the Spanish. They are an infantry civilization and have two unique units; the Kamayuk and the Slinger.
• Italians: The various cities of Italy were the sites of much technological, artistic, and military achievement during the Middle Ages. They are an archer and naval civilization, with the Genoese Crossbowman as their unique unit. They and their allies can also train Condottieri at their Barracks.
• Slavs: They represent Eastern Slavic nations like Novgorod or Kievan Rus. The Slavs are an infantry/siege civilization and their unique unit is the Boyar.

Units

Trainable units

• Boyar
• Condottiero
• Elephant Archer
• Eagle Scout
• Genoese Crossbowman
• Imperial Camel
• Kamayuk
• Magyar Huszar
• Slinger

Scenario Editor units

• Centurion
• Heavy Swordsman
• Legionary
• Eastern Swordsman
• Heavy Pikeman
• Nordic Swordsman
• Royal Janissary
• Flamethrower
• Siege Tower
• Dragon Ship

Fauna

• Bear
• Cow
• Camel (Gaia)
• Dolphin
• Donkey
• Llama
• Penguin
• Tiger (Removed due to copyright issues)
• Dragon (Removed due to copyright issues)

Technologies

• In The Forgotten, every civilization, (except the Goths as they have access to their two unique technologies in The Conquerors) has two unique technologies: one in the Castle Age, and one in the Imperial Age. Both must be researched at the Castle.

General technologies

• Eagle Warrior (300 food, 200 gold): Upgrades Eagle Scouts to Eagle Warriors (+1 PA, +5HP, -3 secs creation time) (Castle Age)
• Gillnets (300 wood, 200 food): +25% speed for fishing ships (Castle Age)

Unique technologies

• Andean Sling: Skirmishers & Slingers no minimum range (Incas, Castle Age)
• Atlatl: Skirmishers +1 Attack, +1 Range (Aztecs, Castle Age)
• Boiling Oil: Castles do +9 extra damage vs. rams (Persians, Castle Age)
• Chieftains: Berserks get +4 attack bonus vs. Cavalry (Vikings, Castle Age)
• Chivalry: Stables work 40% faster (Franks, Castle Age)
• Couriers: Kamayuks, Slingers & Eagles +10% faster (Incas, Imperial Age)
• Druzhina: Infantry damage adjacent units (Slavs, Imperial Age)
• Great Wall: Walls and towers +30% HP (Chinese, Castle Age)
• Greek Fire: Fire Ships +1 Range (Byzantines, Castle Age)
• Inquisition: Monks convert faster (Spanish, Castle Age)
• Ironclad: Siege weapons get +4 extra melee armor (Teutons, Castle Age)
• Madrasah: Killed monks return 33% of their cost (Saracens, Castle Age)
• Marauders: Create Tarkans at Stables (Huns, Castle Age)
• Mercenaries: Magyar Huszars cost no gold (Magyars, Castle Age)
• Nomads: Destroyed houses don’t lose their population room (Mongols, Castle Age)
• Orthodoxy: Monks +3/+3 armor (Slavs, Castle Age)
• Panokseon: Turtle Ships move 15% faster (Koreans, Castle Age)
• Pavise: Genoese Crossbowman +1/+1 armor (Italians, Castle Age)
• Recurve Bow: Cavalry Archers +1 range and attack (Magyars, Imperial Age)
• Shatagni: Hand Cannoneers +1 range (Indians, Imperial Age)
• Silk Road: Trade units cost -50% (Italians, Imperial Age)
• Sipahi: Cavalry Archers +20 HP (Turks, Castle Age)
• Stronghold: Castles & Towers fire 20% faster (Celts, Castle Age)
• Sultans: All gold production +10% faster (Indians, Castle Age)
• Obsidian Arrows: Archer-line has +3 attack vs. buildings (Mayans, Castle Age)
• Warwolf: Trebuchets do blast damage (Britons, Imperial Age)
• Yasama: Towers shoot extra arrows (Japanese, Castle Age)

New random maps

• Cenotes: Open rushing map (Arabia style) with a standard set of resources. Small lakes are scattered around all over the map and provide little fish.
• City of Lakes: Semi-closed water map. Galley rushing can prove fatal on the wrong lake, and fishing on the right one can mean a great boost for your economy. Rather easy to wall, but transports are possible from all sides.
• Hideout: Players start in their little hideout camp in the forest. You’ll have to break free to conquer your foes.
• Budapest: A spiced up version of your everyday map, starting with two town centers.
• Steppe: Nomadic map; players start out with a few yurts and 3 extra villagers. There is an abundance of hunt wanders on the plains in the center of the map.
• Valley: Semi-open map. A dried up river runs through the middle, with herds of deer trying to drink from the last puddles that run along the sandy shore. If you want to hunt, you’ll have to go there. But you won’t be alone…
• Hill Fort: Fortress type map; players start on a hill together with their teammates. Can you take over your opponents hill, or will they make it impenetrable?
• Lombardia: Open map; players start clumped together with their teammates. Good coordination between teammates seems more vital than ever to rule these Northern Italian lands. Divide et Impera!
• Acropolis: Extremely open map; players start on a hill that is impossible to wall. They must come off their hill to gather resources in the carnage below. They say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is…
• Golden Pit: Variation of Gold Rush. A pit in the center of the map contains large mining reserves. However, protecting the pit means you have to fight uphill. Hill advantage or gold to spend, the choice is yours to make (Incredible map for FFA – Free For All games).
• MegaRandom: It can be anything!

Other features

• Two new game modes: "Capture the Relic" and "Treaty"
• New size of map "LudiKRIS"
• Population limit of 500 (The Forgotten Empires mod had up to 1000)
• Improved AI, the player can choose between Promiskuitiv's enhanced AI (new default 'Computer') or manually select the old 'Conquerors AI' (Petersen AI).

Reception

Although there are no official reviews, Age of Empires II HD was well-received by the Steam community, where it has a rating of 9/10.

Most reviews praised the 5 new civilizations, new technologies, fixes, random maps and the design of the campaigns (eyecandy) and some of its content.

However, the new AI and campaigns content were considered "bad", with the AI being called "dumbed down" and not as good as the Conquerors' AI. The campaigns were attacked for leaving the build and destroy style, for a "Fixed Force" or "Regicide with a Hero" (used in many fanmade scenarios) along with units being stuck in eyecandy, being too hard, and "not allowing you to play/unskippable cutscenes".

Gallery

Gaia and herdable units (top to bottom, left to right), Bear, Camel, Cow, Donkey, Llama and Penguin.

Trainable units (top to bottom, left to right), Boyar, Magyar Huszar, Imperial Camel, Elephant Archer, Kamayuk, Slinger, Condottiero, Genoese Crossbowman, Eagle Scout, Eagle Warrior and Elite Eagle Warrior.

Untrainable units (top to bottom, left to right), Legionary, Centurion, Amazon Warrior, Amazon Archer, Siege Tower, Flamethrower, Eastern Swordsman, Nordic Swordsman, Queen, (Eastern) Pikeman, Royal Jannisary, Canoe, Sanyogita (hero, queen model), Chandbhai (hero) and Imam (hero, remodeled).

Returning units from Age of Empires I - Heavy Swordsmen (Broad Swordsman) and Legionaries (Legion)