Microsoft® Age of Mythology™

Readme File
September 2002
© 2002, Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Welcome to Microsoft Age of Mythology!

This file contains information to help you install Age of Mythology. It also includes late-breaking
information not included in the manual or in-game Help.

CONTENTS
A. Installing Age of Mythology
B. Starting Age of Mythology
C. Getting Help
D. What's on the CD
E. Multiplayer Guide
F. Shortcut Keys
G. Manual Corrections
H. DirectX Troubleshooting
I. Gameplay Troubleshooting
J. Video Troubleshooting
K. CD-ROM Drive Troubleshooting
L. Audio Troubleshooting
M. Performance Troubleshooting
N. Multiplayer Troubleshooting
O. Age of Mythology Information

A. Installing Age of Mythology

To install Age of Mythology, you must be using Microsoft Windows® 98, Windows Millennium
Edition, Windows 2000, or Windows XP. NOTE: If you have Alpha or Beta versions of Age of
Mythology installed on your machine, please uninstall these using Add/Remove Programs before
installing the retail version of the game.

To install Age of Mythology

1. Turn on your computer and start Microsoft Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition,
Windows 2000, or Windows XP.
2. If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must have administrator privileges in
order to install and play Age of Mythology.
3. Insert the Age of Mythology CD into the CD-ROM drive.
4. If AutoPlay is enabled, the installation menu will appear. Click Install, and then follow the
onscreen prompts.
-or-
If AutoPlay is disabled, on the Start menu, click My Computer. In the My Computer window,
double-click the CD-ROM drive icon, and then double-click AoMSetup.exe. On the Setup
screen, click Install, and then follow the onscreen prompts.

B. Starting Age of Mythology

You must have the Age of Mythology CD in your CD-ROM drive to play.

To start Age of Mythology

Insert the Age of Mythology CD into the CD-ROM drive, on the Start menu, point to Programs,
point to Microsoft Games, point to Age of Mythology, and then click Age of Mythology.

You can skip the opening cinematics by clicking the mouse or pressing ENTER, SPACEBAR, or
ESC.

C. Getting Help
You can find information about Age of Mythology in the game manual, the in-game Help, and in
the PDF files in the Docs folder on the Age of Mythology CD.

To voew the PDF files, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed (see below).

To display in-game Help

• Pause your pointer over any button or interface item in the game to view rollover help text.
You can also right-click on any unit portrait or improvement icon in the game to view detailed
Help.

The game manual and civilization charts for all nine major gods are available in PDF format in the
Docs folder on the CD. You can view and print the files using Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or
newer.

To install Adobe Acrobat Reader

• Insert the Age of Mythology CD into the CD-ROM drive, on the Start menu, point to
Programs, point to Microsoft Games, point to Age of Mythology, point to Age of
Mythology Docs, and then click Install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

D. What's on the CD
The Age of Mythology CD contains some additional information that you may find interesting or
useful.

To access the information on the CD

• On the Start menu, click My Computer. In the My Computer window, double-click the CD-
ROM drive icon, and then double-click the Docs folder.

Docs folder

• Aomstandard_manual_en.pdf - The standard manual, which you can view or print using
Adobe Acrobat Reader. To install Adobe Acrobat Reader, see Getting Help.

• Aom_ingamemanual.pdf - Additional AoM topics not covered in the standard manual, such
as Tactics, Mythology, and Units.

• Aomce_egyptianqrc_en.pdf (Egyptian civilization chart) - Lets you view or print the

civilization chart for the Egyptian civilizations in the game using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• Aomce_greekqrc_en.pdf (Greek civilization chart) - Lets you view or print the civilization
chart for the Greek civilizations in the game using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Aomce_norseqrc_en.pdf (Norse civilization chart) - Lets you view or print the civilization
chart for the Norse civilizations in the game using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• AoM Random Map Help File.rtf - For advanced players who want to learn how to write
scripts to customize the terrain of random maps.

• AoM Scenario Editor FAQ.rtf - For advanced players who want to create their own single-
player and multiplayer scenarios.

• AoM AI Script Help File.rtf - List of AI Script files and locations for advanced users that
would like to add these to original scenarios.

• Ar505enu.exe (Adobe Acrobat Reader) - Lets you view or print the PDF files in the Docs
folder. For installation instructions, see Getting Help.

E. Multiplayer Guide
• To play a multiplayer game
You can play a specific or random map, with a specified or random civilization, with up to
eleven other players. The other players can be human connections from the Internet or LAN,
computer players, or a combination of both.

ONLINE - Selecting this option connects you to Ensemble Studios Online (ESO) through the
game’s built-in browser. An Internet connection is required prior to game launch to connect to
ESO. ESO is a quick and easy way to find other Age of Mythology players.

LAN / DIRECT IP - TCP/IP Connection for Direct IP or LAN - Connect using your Broadband
Internet connection or a network that uses the TCP/IP protocol. If you do not know which
protocol your network uses, check with your network administrator.

Modem Connection for Direct IP - Modem connection is supported to the Internet or a private
network. Age of Mythology requires a modem speed of 56 Kbps or faster. Players behind a
NAT, router or ICS may encounter problems with Direct IP and should play instead on ESO.

To join or host an ONLINE (Ensemble Studios Online) game

1. From the main menu, click Multiplayer.

2. From the next menu, click Online. If this is your first time logging on to ESO you will be
presented with the Passport Terms of Use. You must accept these terms to play on
ESO.
3. After accepting the above terms, you will be presented with the Online Login menu. If you
already have an ESO account, enter your username and password correctly, click OK
and then skip to step 6. If you do not have an ESO account, go to step 4.
NOTE: You can only be logged onto ESO once at any given time per CD Key.
4. From the Online Login menu, click New Account.
5. In the Create A New Account menu, fill out all fields. *All the fields are required. Then
click OK. This information will only be used for the purposes of your online account with
Age of Mythology. You must also accept the Passport Terms of Use in order to play
online. Once registration is successful you will be automatically logged in to ESO.
NOTE: A forgotten password can only be reset, not be emailed to you. You must
remember the state, zip code, and secret question and answer to reset it.
6. Once you are logged into Ensemble Studios Online, there are two different methods
 available to find opponents. They are Quick Setup and Advanced Setup and are
located at the top right of the screen.
a. Quick Setup games (rated) - This default ESO screen allows you to quickly get
into a multiplayer game. You select the amount of players you would like to play
with, the game type, the major god your civilization will worship, the map that you
would like to play on, and then click the Start button. ESO will then search for
other people that are looking for the same criteria and will automatically launch
the game when enough players are found. Quick Teams allows you to create a
team by clicking the Create Team and Invite Friends buttons. Once you’ve
populated your team and all members click Ready, ESO will begin searching for
an opposing team with similar criteria.
b. Advanced Setup games (not rated) - This alternate method allows users greater
control over settings and selecting opponents.
i. To Join a Game: The left window is the Games List of public games.
Selecting one will show its game settings in the right window. Click the
Join button when you find a game you like or accept invitations from
other players and you will be added to the Host’s game lobby. Here you
can select your team, major god, and handicap (when enabled.)
ii. To Host a Game: Clicking the Host button will display a dialog box where
you enter the Game Name. Private game is the default, and it will be up
to you to manually populate your game using the Friends List or Chat
tab. Or you can host a public game that will be published to the Games
List that will allow any ESO player to view your settings and join. Once
you have enough players and all players click Ready the game will
launch.
7. See Multiplayer Settings and Online (Ensemble Studios Online) Features below for more
detailed information.

To join or host a LAN/Direct IP multiplayer game

1. At the main menu, select the Multiplayer button, then LAN/Direct IP.
2. In the LAN/Direct IP Login, create a unique username for the game and click OK. The
Game menu will display and you have the choice to join or host a game.
a. To Join a Game: There are two ways to connect to a game hosted by another
player:
i. Select a game from the LAN Games list and click the Join button, OR
ii. Input the IP address of the Host in the “Type a Direct IP:” edit box and
click the Connect button. You must get the IP address of the Host
directly (it does not appear on a list).
iii. Once in the game lobby, select your team, the major god your
civilization will worship and your handicap (when available.)
b. To Host a Game: Input a game name that will display in the LAN Game list, and
click the Host button. For IP games, your IP address must be communicated to
players (it does not appear on a list) and is located in the upper-left section of the
game lobby.
i. Select the number of players for the game by clicking the scroll bar next
to “Players” in the upper-left corner of the screen. This can be a
combination of human and computer players (click on the Player scroll
bar to select computer players).
ii. Set Map, Game Type, Handicap and other game settings. For more
information about these and other game settings, see the Multiplayer
Settings section below.
3. Select the checkbox in the ready column corresponding with your player name. Once all
players have selected ready, the game will launch.
MULTIPLAYER SETTINGS

IP Address - If you are hosting a game, your IP address will be shown in the upper left of the
Game lobby. This is the address used for Direct IP connections from other players either over
the Internet or LAN.

Players - The amount of players allowed in a game as selected by the Host. The players can
be from 2 to 12 and may consist of human or computer players. NOTE: From a performance
standpoint each computer player is equivalent to two human players, and therefore we do not
recommend playing with more than six computer players.

Player Name - The Player Name scroll will show either a computer, human player name or
Closed. It may also read “Connecting” when there is a player connecting to the game. For
computer players, there are a few AI personalities to choose from: Balanced, Big Boomer or
Aggressive Rusher.
o Big Boomer will focus mainly on economy until the late age, then it will attack.
o Aggressive Rusher will focus on early attacks.
o Balanced is a mix between these two strategies.
Games with computer players are never rated.

Kick Out Icon - Host only selection. Simply click on the boot next to the player that you wish
to kick out.

Team - Use this dropdown to select the team that you wish to play on.

Major God - Select the god your civilization will worship and gain benefit from.

Ready - Select the ready box to let other players know that you have made all the selections
you wish to make. The game will launch once all players are “Ready” at the same time.

Game Name - The Game Name field in the Multiplayer game lobby is helpful when saving
scenarios. It is possible from in game to save a game in the middle of play to revisit it at a
later time and continue to play or to work out tactics.

Select Map - Only selectable by the Host. The following selections are available in all games
unless noted:
o Random: You will play randomly among one of the faster paced, more
aggressive maps.
o Random ALL: You will play on a randomly selected map from all the maps.
o Acropolis: Players start with high resources on plateaus with resources in the valleys
and around the edges.
o Alfheim: Forgotten Relics and terrible beasts hide between the craggy hills.
o Anatolia: The cold desert beyond the Mediterranean is carved by cliffs and gorges
that protect Gold Mines.
o Archipelago: This sun-swept island chain may isolate players at random.
o Erebus: Face shades, serpents, and rivers of molten earth in Hades’ underworld
realm.
o Ghost Lake: The sinister, frozen lake in the center of this map may never thaw, but
still cannot be built upon.
o Jotunheim: Mountain passes are the only connections among valleys owned by
different teams.
o King of the Hill: In the center, on water, ice or cliffs, is a Plenty Vault. Whoever
controls it starts a countdown to victory.
o Mediterranean: The pastoral countryside surrounding the middle sea supports many
herd animals.
 o Midgard: This frozen land is short on food, but the waters surrounding the continent
are abundant with life.
o Nomad: Your villagers start scattered with no Town Center. You’ll need to find a
settlement to occupy during the time that combat is prevented.
o Oasis: Most of the wood lies in one to four oases in the center. Build a wall to the
center to stop enemy incursions.
o River Nile: A broad river separates the desert lands of different teams.
o Savannah: The grasslands of Africa provide plenty of food to hunt, but little water.
o Sea of Worms: A mysterious ocean covers half the map with the player fortresses
huddled to one side.
o Sudden Death: Everyone starts with a Citadel and no free Settlements exist. If your
Citadel is lost, you will lose the game.
o Team Migration: How long can you stay on the island shared by your team before
you need to move to the central island that protects extra resources?
o The Unknown: Only the gods know what this unpredictable map will be. Land or
water? Ice or Desert? You must explore to find out.
o Valley of Kings: Players on the same team share a city while all the Gold is protected
by bandit Migdols.
o Vinlandsaga: When the resources on your small island start to run out, the only
choice is to set sail for the New World. But watch out for Skraelings.
o Watering Hole: The migratory herds stop at these rivers and ponds to drink, but
there is not other food available.

Game Type - Host-only selection that determines the rules for victory.
o Supremacy - Victory by Conquest, Settlements, or Wonders.
o Conquest - All enemies must be vanquished.
o Deathmatch - Conquest except all players start with high resources.
o Lightning -Conquest except the game plays at high speed and the map is set to
Revealed.

Handicap - Host only selection intended to help balance players of varying skill. This value is
the bonus amount that is added to gathering speed, training speed and researching speed. A
10 handicap is a 10% bonus. The valid range for handicap is 0 through 500. There are three
modes for handicapping: Off, Fair, and Free.
Off - No handicapping.

Fair - The handicap is determined based on the rating of the players in the game. If you had a
1600 player and 1500 player in the same room with Fair handicapping, it would help the 1500
player by improving his economy. Fair is NOT an option in LAN games.
Free - User is able to input a handicap value. The value is a percentage bonus. If you enter
50, your economy will be boosted by 50%. Acceptable values for Free handicapping are 0 -
500.

NOTE: Handicap games are never rated.

Map Size - Host-only selection. Normal or Large.

Difficulty -Host-only selection. Selects the difficulty for the Computer Players in the game.

Other Settings - Can be viewed by all players, but only the Host can change.

Visibility - Controls the visibility of the Map. Normal is not revealed until explored.
Lightning games default to Revealed.
Restrict Number of Pauses - Every player has the ability to pause/unpause the game.
 The restrictions are 1, 2, 3 per player or No Limit.
Locked Teams - Alliances cannot be changed once the game has started.
Team Shared Resources - Resources gathered are shared by all team members.
Team Shared Population - Population capacity is shared by all team members.
NOTE: Games with the "shared resources" and/or "shared population" settings
can not be played with Computer AI (CPAI) players. If any CPAI players are
added to a game, those two settings will be disabled and hidden from the Other
Settings dialog. If all CPAI players are removed from the game, those settings
will once again be available. Also, both Shared Resources and Population are
Locked Teams (players cannot change alliances) games.
Allow Cheats - Allows cheats to be used in MP game.
Cancel - Cancel changes made in the “Other Settings” window.
OK - Saves settings and returns user to the game lobby.

Cancel - Leave the game menu and return to the main menu.

ONLINE (Ensemble Studios Online) Features:

Quick Setup games only:

o Broaden Search - When AoM cannot find an opponent(s) it can automatically

broaden its search by increasing the delta between player ratings and including
maps outside of your choice. If AoM matches you with a player whose rating is
much higher or lower than yours, the game will be Handicapped but NOT Rated.
In the Options screen, the Multiplayer Search scroll has the choices: Broaden
Quickly, Broaden Slowly, and Never Broaden. Broaden Quickly is the default - it
broadens quickly and automatically. Broaden slowly also broadens automatically,
except the interval between broadens is longer (across all broadens, rating and
map type.) Never broaden just leaves you searching forever with fixed settings
and a fixed small ratings delta.

o Rating - This number is a rough measurement of your victories. When you win
Quick Start games, your rating goes up. It will go up faster when you defeat an
opponent rated higher than you. When you lose quick start games, your rating
goes down. It will go down faster if you lose to an opponent rated lower than you.
All Quick Start games are rated, unless any player in the game has been given a
handicap. These ESO ratings are computed with a variation on the ELO rating
system, similar to that used in competitive Chess or Go.

Advanced Setup games only:

o Hosting: Create a game with your preferences for others to join. If you create a public
game, it will be displayed in the Games List, and other players can view your settings
and join at will. If you create a private game, you must invite players through the chat
channel or your Friends List to populate your game.

All games:

o Vote Dialog: If a player begins having connectivity problems during a game,

AoM will automatically display a Vote Dialog with the following options: Save
Game, Drop Player or Quit. If everyone votes to Save the game, it can be
restored later provided the same players are available. If Drop Player is the vote,
the game will continue without that player. Quit will place everyone back in
Ensemble Studios Online.
o MP Record Games: To play back a recorded game, click More, click Recorded
Games, and then select the recorded game to replay. When Record Game is
selected in Player Options (default is on), any multiplayer game or single-player
Random Map game will automatically be recorded. The most recent recorded
game is named Recorded Game 1.rec; previous recorded games are renamed
sequentially. Only your most recent nine games are saved.
o Chat: Tab used for chatting with other players and friends that are logged into
the ESO Server.
o Channel: The Channel Dropdown list allows you to enter different chat
rooms that are available on the ESO Server.
o Add Pest: Add a pest to your list. You will not receive invitations or
messages through the ESO Server from persons you add to this list.
o Add Friend: Add a friend to your list. This will allow you to see your
friends that are logged into the ESO Server no matter their location within
the server.
o Invite: Invite a player to join your game.
o Friends List: View your Friends or Pest lists.
 Friends List tab: Your friends online.
• Add Friend: Add a friend to your list.
• Remove Friend: Remove a friend from your list.
• Message: Send a message to the selected friend on
your list.
• Privacy: Defaulted to on, this feature allows only Friends
to contact you.
• Close: Close the Friends / Pests list window.
 Pest List tab: Does not allow players in this list to contact or
invite you.
• Add: Add a person to your pests list.
• Remove: Remove a player from your pests list.
• Close: Close the Friends / Pests list window.
o Quit: Sign out of Ensemble Studios Online.

o Stats Tab: Tab used for finding online stats for yourself and other players.
o Game Type: Sort Statistics by Game Type. Choices here are
Supremacy, Conquest, Lightning, Deathmatch, and Not Rated. If this is
selected when the user first logs into the Stats Tab, they are shown all
players’ stats for the game type selected.
o Player Stats: Input a specific player’s name, or input a portion of their
name and click Search.
 Player Search Tab: Search for players by Name to view their
stats. You can use the player’s full name or any portion of the
beginning of the name.
 Player Stats Tab
• Time Period: All time, This month, or This week. Select
the time period you would like to query.
• Top Units Button: Select from Civilian, Military, or Myth.
• Civilizations Button: Diplays Major God choices
• Player Rank Tab
• Player Games Tab
• Game Summary Tab
o Timeline Button
 Population Dropdown: Choose the Population
for Civilian, Military, or Both for both players
 within a given game.
 Close: Close the timeline window.
Units Info: In the game summary tab, select the player
within Players window that you would like to view
statistics for. You can only view statistics for one player
at a time.
Unit Type Dropdown: View Military, Civilian or
Myth units for a given player for the given game.
o Community Stats
 Top Players Tab
• Time Period: All time, This month, or This week. Select
the time period you would like to query.
• Page Number arrow buttons: Navigate up or down
through the pages of players statistics for a given game
type.
 Summary Stats Tab: Shows the summary stats for the following
categories.
• Average Score
• Game Length
• Time to Age
• Civilian Units
• Military Units
• Myth Units
• Average per player resources
• Total resources of all games for the given time period
o Quit: Sign out of Ensemble Studios Online.

F. Shortcut Keys
In addition to the shortcut keys on the back cover of the manual, the following keys can be very
helpful during gameplay.

Building Construction Quick Select

Archery Range (Greek Only) A CTRL+A
Armory R CTRL+R
Barracks/Academy/Longhouse B CTRL+B
Dock D CTRL+D
Farm F CTRL+F
Fortress/Hill Fort/Migdol Stronghold V CTRL+V
Granary G CTRL+G
House E CTRL+E
Lighthouse L CTRL+L
Lumber Camp/Storehouse N CTRL+N
Market X CTRL+X
Mining Camp (Egyptian only) M CTRL+M
Monument (Egyptian only) U CTRL+U
Obelisk (Egyptian only) O CTRL+O
Siege Camp (Egyptian only) C CTRL+C
Stable (Greek Only) S CTRL+S
Temple T CTRL+T
Tower P CTRL+P
Town Center Z CTRL+Z
Wall W CTRL+W
Wonder J CTRL+J

Use the following shortcuts to create new units when the appropriate buildings are selected. For
example, to create a villager, select your Town Center and then press V.

Building - All Civs Create Unit(s)

Dock F - Fishing Ship, A - Archer Ship, T - Transport, R - Ramming
Ship, S - Siege Ship
Market C - Caravan
Temple A - 1st Age Myth Unit, S - 2nd Age, D - 3rd Age, F - 4th Age
Building - Greek
Archery Range T - Toxote, P - Peltast
Academy P - Hoplite, Y - Hypaspist
Fortress C - Petrobolos, R - Helepolis, A - Age 1 Hero, S - Age 2 Hero, D
- Age 3 Hero, F - Age 4 Hero, U - Unique Unit
Dock O - Argo (Poseidon), C - Carcinos (Zeus), Y - Scylla (Poseidon
& Zeus)
Stable C - Hippokon, P - Podromos
Building - Egyptian
Barracks S - Spearman, A - Axeman, L - Slinger
Dock (Isis & Set) L - Leviathan, U - Sea Turtle
Siege Camp C - Catapult, R - Siege Tower
Migdol Fortress A - Chariot Archer, C - Camelry, W - War Elephant
Temple (Ra Only) R - Roc
Building - Norse
Dock J - Jormund (All), K - Kraken (Loki & Odin)
Hill Fort K - Huskarl, J - Jarl, R - Portable Ram, B - Ballista
Longhouse U - Ulfsark, T - Throwing Axeman, C - Raiding Cavalry, R -
Hersir

Town Center Commands Key

Ring Town Bell (disabled for alpha) B
Return to Work U
Ungarrison N

Idles Key
Jump to idle villager PERIOD (.)
Jump to idle military COMMA (,)
Jump to Hero FORWARD SLASH (/)
Jump to TC H

Misc. Game Functions Key

Score/Settlement count F4
Game clock F11
Pause/Un-Pause PAUSE

General:
ALT+N = toggle combat commands page in the UI
CTRL+DOWN ARROW = Minimizes in-game UI
CTRL+UP ARROW = Restores in-game UI

Formations:
ALT+L = standard "line" formation
ALT+B = "box" formation
ALT+M = "mixed" formation
ALT+X = spread formation

Stances:
ALT+A = "aggressive" stance
ALT+D = "defensive" stance
ALT+S = "stand ground" stance

G. Manual Corrections
Manual corrections and clarifications are as follows:

Page 6: Attack Move - This feature is no longer a global default option as explained in the
manual. To make your unit(s) attack move, press and hold ALT and right-click a location. It will be
in attack-move mode as it moves to that location.

Page 15: Difficulty levels in the game are Easy, Moderate, Hard and Titan.

H. DirectX Troubleshooting
DirectX® 8.1b or later must be installed on your computer before you can play Age of Mythology.
If you do not have DirectX 8.1b installed on your computer and you chose not to install DirectX
8.1b when you installed Age of Mythology, you will not be able to play Age of Mythology. You will
receive the error message "A required .dll file, Dplayx.dll, was not found" If this occurs. Install
DirectX 8.1b by re-installing Age of Mythology, or download the software from Microsoft Windows
Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>).

If Age of Mythology installed DirectX 8.1b but could not update your video drivers to be
compatible with DirectX 8.1b, when you restart your computer you will receive the message "Age
of Mythology could not initialize DirectX. Make sure that DirectX 8.1b or higher is installed and
contact your hardware manufacturer for a video driver update." To fix this problem, either get
updated video drivers from Microsoft Windows Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>),
your video adapter manufacturer, or install DirectX in safe mode, which will replace the video
drivers.

If you experience sound or video problems using DirectX, go to

<http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx/> for the latest troubleshooting information.

You should also check with your video or sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-
compatible drivers.

I. Gameplay Troubleshooting
• Random Map - A corrupted map or accidentally deleting all the maps may cause the game to
crash. Uninstall and reinstall the game to correct this problem.

• Detailed Help - In the contents section, when perusing units/buildings of civilizations other
than your own, your upgrades and bonuses will be appear to be applied to that unit. This is
not the case in the game, but rather a generic application of these upgrades to those types of
units or buildings.
• Key Scrolling - Users that use the arrow keys to scroll/move the main game screen may
periodically experience the screen scrolling in one direction when the keys are no longer
pressed. Simply tap the key that corresponds to the direction it is moving to stop the screen.

• Console Commands - This developer feature is not supported and may cause crashes,
user-interface issues and other problems. Closing the application and restarting it will resolve
these problems.

• Record Game Playback - Clicking on the resource panel while a record game is playing will
cause it to pause. To continue playing the record game, you must either hit the ‘previous
bookmark’ button or use the in-game menu to load the record game again.

• Unable to open string table xml file - If you receive this error when trying to run another
product or game after installing Age of Mythology, there is a problem with the version of
MSXML you have installed on your computer. You will have to uninstall this Beta version
before reinstalling Age of Mythology. You will find detailed instructions at
(<http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp?url=/downloads/sample.asp?url=/msdn-
files/027/001/766/msdncompositedoc.xml>)

J. Video Troubleshooting
• Latest Drivers - Ensure that you have the latest drivers from your video card manufacturer or
check Windows Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers. Users
of motherboards with non-Intel chipsets should upgrade to the latest miniport drivers available
from their motherboard manufacturer.

• AoM does not support the following video cards:

3D Labs Permedia 1

3Dfx Voodoo Rush

3Dfx Voodoo Banshee
3Dfx Voodoo
3Dfx Voodoo 2

ATI Rage II
ATI Rage II+
ATI Rage IIC
ATI Rage LT
ATI Rage Pro
ATI Rage MOBILITY M/M1/P
ATI Rage LT-PRO (RAGE PRO based)

Cirrus Logic - all versions

Matrox G100
Matrox G200
Matrox Millennium
Matrox Millennium II
Matrox Mystique

nVidia Riva 128

nVidia Rica 128 zx
 S3 Virge_VX
S3 Virge_MX/MV
S3 Virge_MX+
S3 Virge_MX
S3 Virge_GX2
S3 Virge_DX/GX
S3 Trio64V2_DX/GX
S3 Trio64UV+
S3 Aurora64V+
S3 Aurora128
S3 Savage 2000

Intel i740

Rendition - all versions

Number9 - All versions
Oak Technologies - all versions
Chromatic Research - all versions
Tseng Labs - all versions
Neo-magic - all versions
• ATI Radeon 7000 - AoM may lock up after a few seconds of starting a game. If this occurs,
ensure that you have the latest drivers from your video card manufacturer or check Windows
Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers.

• ATI Rage Fury Maxx - For users running Windows ME, pressing ALT+ENTER may cause
the mouse pointer to disappear or flash. There are no known solutions for this problem.

• Hardware Acceleration - AoM requires that graphics acceleration are fully enabled. For
more information, see Troubleshooting Display Problems.rtf located in the DOCS
subdirectory in your installed AoM directory.

• Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition - Certain video cards experience mouse

pointer problems (offset hotspot) when pressing ALT+TAB (switching to another application)
or ALT+ENTER (alternating between windowed-mode), or when changing the in-game color
depth. Exiting and restarting Age of Mythology will fix the ALT+TAB problem, while returning
to full screen fixes the ALT+ENTER problem. The third problem is fixed by ensuring the
desktop color depth is the same as the game color depth or vice-versa.

• Menu Sorting Issues - Some lower end video cards experience z-sorting problems with a
few of the pre-game menu screens. Changing your in-game resolution to 32 bit may fix the
problem. Also, ensure that you have the latest drivers from your video card manufacturer or
check Windows Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers.

• Screen corruption - Includes problems such as a black screen after starting the game, black
areas on the game screen, screen corruption when you press ALT+TAB to enter/leave the
game, or other screen problems while playing the game. Ensure that you have the latest
drivers from your video card manufacturer or check Windows Update
(<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers.

• Screen flickering - Other applications may cause a brief flickering of the Age of Mythology
display. Disabling all non-vital applications before running Age of Mythology will increase
stability, performance, and visual quality. This problem may occur on some systems with the
Creative SBLive! sound card with the Creative LiveWire 2.0 and 2.1 driver sets for this sound
 card.

• Mouse pointer - Some video adapters may cause the mouse pointer to disappear if you
change the in-game screen resolution or re-enter the game by pressing ALT+TAB. If this
occurs, ensure that you have the latest drivers from your video card manufacturer or check
Windows Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers.

• Monitors and lower-end video cards - You may see brief screen corruption or flashing
when switching screens in the game. This is a limitation of some older video cards and will
not affect game performance or stability. If you notice screen corruption when switching to a
high in-game resolution, this may be due to the limitation of certain monitors or some older,
lower-end video cards that do not support higher resolutions. Use ALT+F4 to exit the game,
restart the game using the AoM Safe Video shortcut under Diagnostics, and then use the
Options screen to switch to a lower in-game resolution. Ensure that you have the latest
drivers from your video card manufacturer or check Windows Update
(<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers.

• DirectX - If you experience video problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for
the latest troubleshooting information at <http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx>.

K. CD-ROM Drive Troubleshooting

Age of Mythology uses SafeDisc encryption technology. Some CD-ROM drives may not be
compatible with this technology.

• Matshita UJDA710 DVD/CD-RW - this drive (common in many new laptops) sets a flag
whenever a gold disc is used but does not reset, causing Safedisc to reject a valid CD. Cold
booting the computer will reset this flag.

• Sanyo CRD-256P, Firmware 1.01 - The drive enters a not ready state after several
executions of a protected game. Ejecting the CD restores it. This is unlikely to be seen,
unless the game is reloaded several times in one session.

• Sony CDU77E 2X, Firmware 1.0e - The early 1.0 firmware versions of this drive fail with
SafeDisc if configured as a slave on the IDE bus. The drive will work if reconfigured as a
master.

• Acer CD-624a - This drive fails when used with read mode drivers. Installing protected mode
drivers resolves the problem.

• Memorex CD-RW2224 24X, Firmware 2.27 - You may experience problems with these
drives. There are no known solutions.

• Yamaha 2216E, 4416SX, CDR641S-VK - If you experience problems with these drives,
check the firmware upgrade available from the Yamaha Web site
<http://www.yamaha.com/service.htm>

• Cybermedia 204 Pan International 204 - You may experience problems with these drives.
There are no known solutions.

• Liteon 4265 - You may experience problems with this drive appearing to hang and not
authenticate. There are no known solutions.
L. Audio Troubleshooting
• DirectX - If you experience audio problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for
the latest troubleshooting information, as explained in DirectX Troubleshooting. If this occurs,
ensure that you have the latest drivers from your sound card manufacturer or check Windows
Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers.

• AoM does not support the following sound card:

ESS Canyon 3D2 sound card with Yamaha drivers - this card may crash the system when
the game is launched.

• Sound Skipping or Stuttering - Often this problem can be fixed by installing the latest
sound drivers for your sound card and/or adjusting the hardware acceleration settings in the
control panel. Setting hardware acceleration to a lower setting usually resolves these issues
(and a few others), but sacrifices some performance.

M. Performance Troubleshooting
There are several ways to improve the game's performance. For example, the game will run
faster if you use the least demanding game settings. These include:
• Setting the screen resolution to 800 x 600 or 640 x 480
• Setting the detail of graphics to Low
• Turning music off

Most of these improvements can be made from within the game (on the main menu, click
Options, or if you are playing a game, click the Menu button, and then click Options).

We also recommend:
• Shut down as many other applications running on your system as possible in order to free
memory and processing
• De-fragment your hard drive (for instructions, see Troubleshooting Crashing Issues.rtf located
in the DOCS subdirectory of your installed AoM directory)
• Activate DMA (on appropriate hard drives)
• Reboot your system before starting AoM
• Turn your virus scanner settings down while playing AoM

Lastly, ensure that you have the latest drivers from your video and sound card manufacturer or
check Windows Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers. Users of
motherboards with non-Intel chipsets should upgrade to the latest miniport drivers available from
their motherboard manufacturer.

N. Multiplayer Troubleshooting
• Internet Explorer 5.0 or Newer - To play Age of Mythology multiplayer online, you must first
install Internet Explorer version 5 or newer. Internet Explorer may be downloaded for free at
<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>. Installing Internet Explorer will not displace your
primary browser.

• Performance - The following guidelines are recommended for a good multiplayer

experience:
 12 Players - Greater or equal to a P4 2.4 GHz, 512 MB RAM, Cable/DSL, LAN
8 Players - Greater or equal to a P4 1.7 GHz, 512 MB RAM, Cable/DSL, LAN
6 Players - Greater or equal to a P3 1.0 GHz, 256 - 512 MB RAM, Cable/DSL, LAN
4 Players - Greater or equal to a P3 733 MHz, 128 - 256 MB RAM, 56 KB modem
2 Players - Greater or equal to a P2 450 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 56 KB modem

Recommended specifications:

733 MHz (or better) processor

256 MB RAM
32 MB 3-D graphics card w/ hardware Transform and Lighting
512 MB swap file

• Home networks and dial-up connections - If you have a network card and you dial in to the
Internet via modem, you may have trouble launching multiplayer games. If this occurs,
disable the device that is not your Internet connection and try again.

• Computer Players in multiplayer games - It is not recommended that computer players

play in a multiplayer game over the Internet as it may slow the game. If you would like to add
computer players to a multiplayer game, make sure the player with the fastest computer and
fastest connection hosts the game. Performance-wise, one computer player is roughly
equivalent to two human players.

• Multiplayer Scenarios - Age of Mythology does not support the use of triggers for user-
created scenarios in multiplayer. Triggers may cause out-of-syncs errors or other unknown
problems. Exiting the game and restarting AoM will fix any instability caused by this situation.

• ESO Login - If you receive the error message “Unknown error occurred while trying to
connect to ESO server: 20,” check your Internet Explorer 5.0 or newer to ensure that a
default language is selected. Point to Tools, point to Internet Options, and click Languages.

• Direct IP - In order to play a DirectIP game, you must have a direct connection to the
Internet. In other words, your machine must have a REAL IP address assigned to it. We have
found problems where a DMZ may assign a fake NAT address that hinders or blocks
connectivity for Direct IP. This is not usually required if you are playing on ESO. If you are
uncertain about making these changes, check with your network administrator.

• Multiple IP addresses - If other players are not able to connect to a game you have created
by typing the IP address that appears when you click the IP button on the Multiplayer Game
screen, you may have multiple IP addresses. You can display all of your IP addresses by
running Winipcfg (Win9x, ME) or Ipconfig (Win 2000, XP). If you are uncertain about making
these changes, check with your network administrator.

To run Winipcfg

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.

2. Type Winipcfg, and then click OK.
3. Select PPP Adapter. The correct IP address is displayed in the IP Address box.

To run Ipconfig

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.

2. Type cmd, and then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type ipconfig and press ENTER. The correct IP address will be
 displayed.

• Disconnection from ISP - If you are disconnected from your ISP and quickly reconnect, you
and the host may be dropped from the game if your ISP assigns a new IP address because
the game will not recognize you. If this occurs, restart the game.

• Hard disk space - If you join a multiplayer game but do not have enough hard disk space to
download the scenario, you will receive a message that you must quit the game, clear space
on your hard disk, and then rejoin the game.

• External Applications - Some applications like virus scanners, Zone Alarm, and some
firewalls may have conflicts or warnings when running or updating AoM. Often times these
warnings or dialog boxes pop up behind AoM and appear to be locked-up. You may
ALT+TAB out of AoM to close the warning and continue, or disable these programs before
running AoM. You may also select Play in Window in the Options menu if you have
problems using ALT+TAB.

• Two TCP/IP devices - If you are experiencing issues with dropping network connections or
a lack of ability to connect to other games, please attempt the following:
o Exit AoM and ensure that you have a network / Internet connection.
o Disable the device that is not your Internet connection and try again.
ICS or NAT are not officially supported. For information on setting up your ICS or how to
disable your second TCP/IP device, please see <http://support.microsoft.com/> and search
the knowledge base for instructions specific to your operating system. If you are uncertain
about making these changes, check with your network administrator.

• Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), Network Address Translation (NAT) clients or

Firewalls - Although AoM does not officially support connection through ICS or NAT,
Ensemble Studios Online tries to auto-detect your network setup and configure itself for play
on your network. This should work for the majority of NAT devices, but if you are having
problems connecting to ESO or other players, you can try opening UDP port 2300, HTTP port
(TCP: 80), TCP ports 28800-28805 and ensure that you have loaded inbound/outbound
TCP/IP and UDP protocols in your network settings. If you have multiple machines, you may
also map those machines by incrementing that port number by one and using hostPort=2301
(for instance) on the AoM command line. NOTE: As mentioned, if you use Direct IP rather
than ESO, AoM is unable to auto-configure your network settings and only direct network
connections or DMZ connections will work. If you are uncertain about making these changes,
check with your network administrator.

• Proxy - Some ISPs automatically force the use of a Proxy which may cause AoM to lock up
when connecting to ESO. Configuring your Internet settings for a dedicated proxy server may
fix this problem. If you are uncertain about making these changes, check with your network
administrator.

• Router - Ensure you have the latest firmware updates. This may allow users to host without
enabling DMZ. If you are uncertain about making these changes, check with your network
administrator.

• Setting up and Disabling Internet Connection Sharing -

For Windows XP see: <http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q306126>
For Windows 2000 see: <http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q307311>
For Windows ME and 98SE: <http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;Q230112>
O. Age of Mythology Information
• For more information about Age of Mythology, visit our Web site at
<<http://www.ensemblestudios.com/>>.

Microsoft, Age of Mythology, DirectX, Ensemble, the Microsoft logo, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, the
.Net logo, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.