Age of Empires Online

Age of Empires Online

Developers
	Robot Entertainment
	Gas Powered Games
Publishers
	Microsoft Studios
Engines
	BANG!
Release dates
Windows	August 16, 2011
Taxonomy
Monetization	Free-to-play, DLC
Microtransactions	Currency
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	Isometric
Controls	Multiple select, Point and select
Genres	RTS
Art styles	Cartoon
Themes	Africa, Classical, Egypt, Europe, Middle East, Historical
Series	Age of Empires

Warnings

For Games for Windows - LIVE on Windows 8 or later, install the latest Games for Windows - LIVE software.

This game requires a constant internet connection for all game modes.

Age of Empires Online was a free-to-play online multiplayer online real time strategy game originally developed by Robot Entertainment until February 24, 2011, when Gas Powered Games took over, and published by Microsoft Studios. Part of the Age of Empires series, the game has players develop an ancient civilization from rise to fall. Players also develop their own capital city for each of the game's six civilizations, all which continue to exist even when offline.

The game was released on August 16, 2011 via Games for Windows - LIVE, with a Steam release on March 27, 2012.

Further game development ceased on January 3, 2013. On August 22, 2013, Microsoft announced that the Games for Windows - LIVE Marketplace would be shut down, only allowing for current or former players to download the game. Servers were shut down on July 1, 2014. However, in 2017, Age of Empires Online was revived by an independent development team using Microsoft's publicly-released developer kit for the game in the form of Project Celeste. Re-released using a non-commercial license from Microsoft, it includes all features and functions, including single-player and multiplayer modes, from the original release, plus balance improvements, bug fixes, and new content, which includes the Roman civilization that was previously being developed prior to the game's end of development.

General information

Official website for the series

Official Discord server for the series

Official forums

Steam Community Discussions

Project Celeste Discord

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
Games for Windows Marketplace (unavailable)
Steam (unavailable)

All official versions required Games for Windows - LIVE DRM and a constant internet connection for all game modes.

No longer listed on Steam but can be installed by pasting this URL into a web browser: steam://install/105430. Additionally, Project Celeste, which is required to play the game today, provides a standalone version for download.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Premium Egyptian Civilization Pack
Premium Greek Civilization Pack
Defense of Crete Booster Pack
Pro Persian Civilization
Skirmish Booster Pack
Premium Celtic Civilization Pack
Summer Exclusive
Empires Online Domination Pack
Pro Civilization Command Pack
Steam Starter Pack
Celebration Grab Bag
Empire Booster Bundle

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Spartan\Users2\NewProfile2.xml
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/105430/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Steam Cloud

Video

Video settings.

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed		Toggle in settings or with Alt+↵ Enter.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Set resolution in-game then toggle in settings or with Alt+↵ Enter.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)		Choice of Off, Low or High.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Color blind mode		UI options, Friend or Foe Colors; player is blue, allies yellow, enemies red.

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support

Audio

Audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		SFX, Ambient and Music.
Surround sound
Subtitles		Dialogue is text-based.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost		Always mutes (no option to override).
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English				Some incidental dialogue, but is otherwise text-based.
Traditional Chinese
French
German
Italian
Spanish

Network

Official release required a Microsoft account (local profiles were not supported).

Project Celeste account required for online play today.

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Notes
LAN play
Online play		Official servers have been shut down; Project Celeste required to play the game today.

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer		All player-vs-player matches are peer-to-peer.
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Issues fixed

Crash to desktop when loading

For some players the game may crash to the desktop after loading.

Task-switch while loading game[citation needed]
Run the game. Switch away from the game window with Alt+Tab ↹. Wait for the game to load in the background. Return to the game when it finishes loading (background music will start playing).

"Missing a valid product key" or "Enter the product key for your game" prompt

Install Marketplace client

Install the Games for Windows Marketplace Client. Run it and sign in with the same account you are using to play Age of Empires Online. Run Age of Empires Online and you should now skip the product key step. If you are still prompted for a product key, open the Marketplace client and do the following: Click Downloads at the top, then choose Full Games on the sidebar. Click on Age of Empires Online, then click on View Game Keys. Enter the LIVE Access Code shown into the game. It should accept the key and continue normally.

Accept new license agreement[citation needed]
Sign into Xbox.com and accept the new licence agreement. The game should now no longer ask for the product key.

Game doesn't start after clicking Play (no error message)

Install Games for Windows Marketplace Client[citation needed]
Install the Games for Windows Marketplace Client.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9.0c
Shader Model support	2.0

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum
Operating system (OS)	XP SP3, Vista, 7
Processor (CPU)	Dual Core, 2 GHz or higher
System memory (RAM)	1 GB (XP, Vista Home Basic); 1.5 GB (Vista Premium/Ultimate, 7 32-bit); 2.5 GB (7 64-bit)
Hard disk drive (HDD)	5 GB
Video card (GPU)	128 MB of VRAM Shader model 2 support
Other	Broadband internet connection