The Training Page
Read this first
This page is especially for inter and rook players who want
to improve their game. It was made by
ZoFo_ZeNo__.
THE BEST way to improve your game is to watch
and learn from expert recorded games. The games and tips to the
right aren't the newest of games, but they contain most of the basics
you need to know for expert no-seige style play.
These recorded games focus on how to use Franks because they are
the best and most widely used civ. These games are in Arabia because
it is the best map for demonstrating skill--no trees to hide behind.
Also, in these games there IS rush becasue all players should learn
how to beat a rush (it isnt THAT hard).
How to Watch Recorded Games
1. Find a game
you want to watch on the right and press the "game" button.
A download window should pop up.
2. Download the zipped game file to a
place on your hard drive that you will remember.
3. Go to the downloaded zip file and
open it. Inside the zip file is one file in .mgl format. drag (or
"extract") this file to your AOK saved game folder. The
location of this folder is:
.> C: Drive
...> Program Files
.....> Microsoft Games
.......> Age of Empires II
.........> Saved
Game
4. Once the extracted .mgl game file
is in the saved game folder, all you have to do is turn on AOK;
click on "single player" and "saved game" and
the file you just downloaded should be listed there and should play
when u click on it.
General Tips For Rooks
1. Avoid Rook Names!
Yes, its stereotypical, but certain kinds of names cause people
to assume that you are a bad player. Single words with numbers on
the end (like harryguy104) are considered rookish names. So are
usernames that consist of an adjective followed by a noun (like
Red_Monkey, or GoldenWizzard) because names like this are often
suggested during zone registration, so many newer players have these
kinds of names. The more original your name looks, the more likely
people will not assume that you are a rook.
2. Learn Franks & Arabia!
Franks is the overall best DM civ. Other civs are great but you
really need to know how to use franks before trying other civs.
This is because most good players use franks, so in order to know
how to play against them you need to understand them. You also need
get used to arabia. Arabia is the most fundamental map because its
just you and the opponent, no trees to bury yourself, not as much
use for walls and towers...just your army and their army on a mostly
open field. Learn about rushing and defending against a rush. Get
good at arabia and you can handle the basics of combat in general.
3. Develop your Econony!
Don't wait until you run out of resrouces before you start to get
more. Within the first 5 min you should begin your economy by building
more town centers and pumping out lots of villagers--dont stop getting
more villagers until you are at about 70 to 90. A Frank player should
always build two town centers by their main pile of gold (plus TC's
by other nearby gold for farming and mining) and que them all the
way up with villagers.
4. Micromanage & use Hotkeys!
Every single movement of your fingers, of your mouse and of the
units on your screen should be made to be as quick and efficent
as possible. This is called MICROMANAGEMENT--managing your playing
down to smallest level. The opening seconds are critical. Don't
make your first three villagers walk a long ways to build your first
buildings. build them close to where they stand. Have a plan for
exactly what you are going to build when. Watch the experts in the
games to the right to see how they start and how fast they are.
Part of micromanagement is the use of hotkeys. Learn the hotkeys
or even program your own to make your playing really fast. When
quing up units press the SHIFT key to que up 5 units at a time.
So instead of pressing the villager button 15 times, you can press
SHIFT+CTRL C C C and it ques up 15 villies in a fraction of the
time.
Hmm...I'll add some more general tips when I think of them.
My Personal Favorite Civs
1. Persians
Not the all-round greatest, but definitely the most fun and most
powerful in no-siege games given that you can keep the econ going.
Excellent counter to common Frank strats, best civ to counter a
typical rush.
2. Britons
Siege or no-siege, Brits are a powerful and simple civ to use.
3. Franks
The most powerful and mobile civ in the game. They have the strongest
paladins, the cheapest castles. This allows for the greatest map
control in Arabia. A group of 30 axemen grouped together are extremely
powerful.
4. Chinese
This civ has a lot of potential and if used correctly can easily
counter the top three civs listed above. Their cho ku no's are fast
firing archers, mixed with pikemen, camels, and towers they are
very powerful. Although, like Persians, Mongols, and a couple others,
they have slightly shorter firing Trebs.
5. Mongols
A much overlooked civ, fun to use and quite powerful in the right
circumstances. Camels, Mangudai, champs, pikes and skirms make an
unexpectedly powerful army. You have to adjust the amout of each
type of unit depending on what the other side is using. If they
attack with lots of cavalry, increase number of pikes camels and
mangs, if the make lot of hand canonneers and skirms (to counter
mangs) then increase your number of skimrs and champs (champs kill
skirms very well).
6. Japanese
Very Simiar to Goths but one of the least useful special units.
The Samurai is good for protecting ranged units from pikemen and
champs, but other than that it does little good. Japanese can be
used effectively though in no-siege games with heavy reliance on
pikes and hand canoneers.
7. Saracens
Not quite as powerful in no siege games but still a great civ to
use vs cavalry or on water. Its heavy reliance on gold and the fact
that virtually all of its units can easily be killed with a combo
of skirms and hand cannons makes it a bad choice. But if you play
some moron who makes only horses or elephants then you're in luck!
8. Vikings
My favorite civ to use on water maps. 60 Viking Longboats do a lot
of damage to anything. Good infantry too--fun civ to use even though
its not terribly good on regular land maps. Its almost impossible
to beat an equal or better player using Franks.
9. Teutons
A so-so civ, niether exceptionally exciting to use or exceptionally
good. Well-rounded army and techs. By far its biggest advantage
is that it has the longest trebuchet range. Its special unit is
the Teutonic Knight which is the strongest of all the infantry units,
but it is killed easily by archers or hand canonneers. A lot of
Black Forrest fans love the Teutons since towers, longer firing
trebs and walls are hard to get around with any other civ.
10. Goths
Goths can be used effectively in no-siege games vs any other civ,
but they are definately one of the weaker civs. Their unique unit
is the Huskarl and is useful against archers. Another advantage
is that their champs only cost 13 gold!
11. Byzantines
This is one of the most worthless civs ever imagined. It lacks many
signifiant technologies make it weaker and slower than it could
be. Yet, it is great on water maps and is theoretically good as
a counter to brits due to the really cheap skirms & pikes, plus
the towers, pals, and anti-infantry cataphracts. Ive never been
able to use it effectively vs Brits though. But if you need cheap
pikes and skirms, the best monks, and the best boats, this is a
good civ.
12. Turks
The lack of Elite Skirmishers, Pikemen, and crop rotation make this
one of my least favorite civs to use. But aside from this, Turks
can be quite powerful. Their elite unit is the Jannisary which is
basically a little bit better than the Hand Canoneer. Not bad, but
they are easy to counter with a big skirm army. Skirms are easy
to kill with champs though, so make lots of champs backed with your
hand canonners, maybe throw in a few camels and place towers as
you go and you might just steamroll someone.
13. Celts
Great siege weapons defines this civ, so in no siege games they
are at a major disadvantage; especially without hand canoneers.
They do still have better than average trebs and fun-to-use woad
raiders. They do have paladins but they are the weakest paladins
of them all.
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