

The first expansion to Age of Empires III, The WarChiefs, was released October 17, 2006. They can be used across multiple games, and upgraded after each battle the feature was compared to a role-playing game character by Ensemble Studios.

Described by Ensemble Studios as 'an important support system to your efforts in the New World,' home cities help provide the player with resources, equipment, troops, and upgrades. The game introduced a large number of features, such as home cities. The game is set in the period between 14, and players can choose one of eight European nations. Main series Age of Empires Īge of Empires III, released on October 18, 2005, was built on an improved version of the Age of Mythology game engine with the most significant changes being the updated graphics engine and the inclusion of the Havok physicsmiddleware engine. The series' spin-off, Age of Mythology, and its expansion pack, The Titans, are set during the Bronze Age, but focus on mythology as their themes, rather than history. Age of Empires Online focuses on the Greek and Egyptian civilizations. Its second expansion, The Asian Dynasties, follows the rise of Asia in the same period. Age of Empires III and its first expansion, The WarChiefs, take place during the European colonization of the Americas. The Age of Kings ' expansion pack, The Conquerors, is set during the same period, but also includes scenarios about the Spanish conquest of Mexico, El Cid, and Attila the Hun. The Age of Kings and its Nintendo DS spin-off follow Europe and Asia through the Middle Ages.

Its expansion, The Rise of Rome, follows the formation and rise of the Roman Empire. Age of Empires covers the events between the Stone Age and the Classical period, in Europe and Asia. The games in the series focus on historical events throughout time. Critics have credited part of the success of the series to its historical theme and fair play the artificial intelligence (AI) players have fewer advantages than in many of the series' competitors. The Age of Empires series has been a commercial success, selling over 20 million copies.
