Feb 01, 6:30 pm
CES really opened me up to some interesting new things; not only technology but also TRIVIA. Calyber’s adorable little blonde self created the coolest Wheel of Fortune contraption I’ve ever seen. She calls it “The Frag Doll Wheel of Doom” and tortures cute nerds with its various “Bermuda Triangles.” One of the options is a trivia game about what Frag Dolls do best - VIDEO GAMES! After dishing out a few questions to the audience, I realized that there is a lot more to the history and essence of gaming than meets the eye. Now I have a mission: Learn. I will start with the games I’ve played, then expand into older titles. I found this really awesome website to get me started: Click Me!
As you know, I love Age of Empires (specifically AoE II, The Conquerors Expansion). Into the A through C folder and down the list I find my game and launch. It’s been a while since I’ve played, but I was confident that I would ace these silly questions. Much to my surprise, the first question stabs me with a big X:
1. Which of these is the correct description of a death match game in “Age of Empires II”?
Your Answer: All players just fight to the death
The correct answer was All players begin game play with huge stockpiles of resources and then fight to the death.
Death match is a very good game. At the onset of game play you are provided with lots of resources to develop your military and then when you feel ready you can just engage your enemy in a huge battle. This is a great game if you do love going into battle. This game is available in “The Conquerors Expansion”.
2. In “Age of Empires II” which victory is it if I was to defeat all opponents by destroying their empire, playing either singularly or as a team?
Your Answer: Conquest Victory
A standard victory is where any player can win by either killing your enemies, controlling all relics, or by building a wonder. This allows the individual player to decide their own way of winning during the game. Alternatively you can choose before game play which victory conditions you want to win with. A conquest victory is different because you have to destroy your enemy by burning down all his buildings (except for - towers, walls, gates, relics, fishing ships, fish traps, transport ships, trade cogs, trade carts, farms and sheep) and kill all his military. Eluding your enemy is a good tactic here, especially if you set up your empire in different locations. This victory is available in “The Conquerors Expansion”.
Question two redeemed some of my confidence and I move to question three.
3. What would my villager do if I were to build a stone mining camp with a lot of gold in “Age of Empires II - The Conquerors Expansion”?
Your Answer: Build the mine, and then go off in search of stone to deposit in the mine
The correct answer was Build the mine, and then mine the gold, depositing it in the mine.
One of the new features in “The Conquerors Expansion” is that the villagers are now more intelligent. In “Age of Kings” they would build the mine and then stand there idly. In the expansion they will build the mining camp and then go straight to work mining whatever is close to the camp (either gold or stone). This was a bit of a trick question as stone mine and gold mines are one in the same.
Again, I go down in flames. What is going on!? Thinking, at this point, “two wrong out of three is already a 33%,” I continue the torture – answering questions 4-10. I turned that 33 into an 80!
4. In the “Age of Empires II - The Conquerors Expansion” manual, what is suggested as the first strategy you should focus on in the first few moments of game play if you are a beginner?
Your Answer: Gathering food and wood
This is a recommended strategy and you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.
5. How do you find your idle military units in “Age of Empires II - The Conquerors Expansion”?
Your Answer: Use the COMMA key
It’s as easy as pressing the COMMA key to find your idle military units as it rotates around each idle military unit, so that you can give each unit further instructions. Also instead of using the idle villager icon you can use the FULLSTOP key to find your idle villagers.
6. Help! The enemy is killing off my villagers, what can I do to protect my villagers in “Age of Empires II”?
Your Answer: Ring the bell at your town center to garrison them inside
Having your enemy come along and kill your villagers can slow you down, and maybe even lead to your demise. If this happens, you can protect them inside your town center, until the danger has passed. If your military has fought back and all is calm, you can un-garrison your villagers. When they are out of the town center they will automatically go back to what task they were working on.
7. How do you advance to the Castle age in “Age of Empires II – The Conquerors Expansion”?
Your Answer: By collecting 800 food, 200 gold and two feudal age buildings and then upgrading at the town center
As you progress from the Dark ages to the Imperial age you need to have the right amount of resources, and have built the right amount of buildings for each age. If you don’t, you can’t move your empire into the next age and therefore you can’t reap the rewards of each age. As you advance through the ages you get more technology and stronger military units.
8. What is one correct feature of the Mayan Empire in “Age of Empires II – The Conquerors Expansion”?
Your Answer: El Dorado increases the hit points of Eagle Warriors
Researching El Dorado is the Mayans unique technology. This technology will add 40 hit points to the Eagle Warrior. Other unique features of the Mayans are the Plumed Archers (a strong archer unit), building walls is 50% cheaper and the Mayan Empire starts with one extra villager and one Eagle Warrior (for use as the scout). All Mayan resources last twenty percent longer than other civilizations. As the Mayans advance through the ages, archery range units cost less than other civilizations. The only set back is you get 50 less food on starting.
9. Which one of these answers is a correct example of a new feature in “Age of Empires II - The Conquerors Expansion”?
Your Answer: Farms replant themselves
There are a lot of new features in the “Conquerors Expansion”, and one of them is the ability to queue farms. This means that when a villager has finished farming all the resources and if a farm is in the queue, a farm will replant itself. This won’t happen if you have not put any farms in the queue. Instead your villager will just stand there idly until you replant one for him. You need to click on your mill to queue farms.
10. What is Ram Garrisoning in “Age of Empires II - The Conquerors Expansion”
Your Answer: Units can garrison inside Battering, Capped and Siege Rams
Putting military units inside your ram equipment allows for better protection. As well as protection, this also increases the speed of the ram and the attack points.
Can you do it? Can you put yourself to the test? Or maybe you can make one? I couldn’t find any quizzes on Rainbow Six Vegas (Or any of the Tom Clancy games for that matter). How much do you know?
