It’s been exactly 14 years since Age of Empires: The Age of Kings was released. And later this year, Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires will become an official expansion to the series. Age of Empires 2 HD, The Forgotten, is releasing on Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/) on November 7.
Microsoft Studios is excited to announce the development of Age of Empires II HD – The Forgotten; the first new official expansion for the Age of Empires II universe in over ten years. Challenge friends with five additional civilizations and technologies, battle through four campaigns, vanquish opponents in new game modes on massive maps, or shoutcast a match and stream it all through twitch.tv.
The Forgotten expansion is being developed by Vancouver based studio SkyBox Labs, and in conjunction with Forgotten Empires LLC, the team behind some of the most popular game mods and content for the Age of Empires franchise. Crafted exclusively for Age of Empires II: HD Edition; The Forgotten expansion builds upon the Age of Empires II: HD experience and will be available on Steam for PC this fall and includes Steam workshop support, new expansion rankings, steam trading cards, and more!
Civilizations
Explore five ‘forgotten empires’, and master their unique units and technologies.
- Italians
- Indians
- Slavs
- Magyars
- Incas
New Campaigns
Test your mettle with four campaigns and over a dozen never-seen-before missions.
- Alaric
- Sforza
- Bari
- Dracula
Game Modes:
Master new skirmish and multiplayer game modes!
Popularized in later titles, the economically focused "Treaty" gametype will be available in AoF. Also commonly known as "No Rush", Treaty mode enables a limited duration of battle-free early growth before focusing on military might.
For a quick paced, action oriented battle the new "Capture the Relic" will see players rushing with their monks to take control of a single treasure and return it safely to base.New Maps
Explore the unknown with new maps available through The Forgotten expansion. Defend your fortress perched on a hill or embrace the unpredictable in MegaRandom. Feeling claustrophobic? Quadruple the space and stretch out in the new LudiKRIS sized maps! Design expansive scenarios across vast stretches of terrain with editor support for up to 500 units, and share your creations with the community through the Steam workshop.New AI
AoF will incorporate smarter, advanced AI designed to give even the best players a challenge. Designed to adapt to changing units and situations like real players, you’ll actually be able to learn effective strategies for PVP from the computer. Advanced control also allow unprecedented human / AI collaboration and teamwork for more exciting scenarios than ever before.Observer Mode
The taste of victory is always sweeter when someone is watching. Start the game as a spectator and keep an eye on the action from multiple viewpoints, or invite your friend in to watch as you dominate the opponent with a new build.Direct Twitch.tv Streaming
Streaming has never been easier with one click broadcasting directly through Age of Empires II: HD – The Forgotten. Demo latest scenario creation, game mod, or an intense multiplayer battle. If shout-casting is your forte, stream from Observer mode to highlight the very best in competitive play!Age of Empires II HD – The Forgotten expansion will be available on Steam this Fall. Come check out the AoF multiplayer early at PAX Prime!
Taken from the AOEF web site at:
http://www.ageofempires.com/aof.html
Kurt Shintaku's Blog 