Age of Mythology

Age of Mythology is a mythology-based real-time strategy computer game developed

by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on
October 30, 2002 in North America and a week later in Europe.

A spin-off from the Age of Empires series, Age of Mythology takes inspiration from
the myths and legends of the Greeks, Egyptians, and Norse, rather than from actual
history. Like many other real-time strategy games, Age of Mythology is based on defeating
enemy units and towns, building your own units and towns, training villagers and fighters. In
this way, players are able to defeat and conquer rival towns and civilizations. Players
advance their tribe through four "Ages": starting in the Archaic Age, the player may upgrade
to the Classical Age, the Heroic Age, and finally, the Mythic Age. Each upgrade to a higher
Age unlocks new units and technologies for the player, which strengthens their settlement.
However, upgrading requires a sum of resources to be paid and a certain prerequisite
building to be constructed.

There are three playable civilizations in Age of Mythology: the Greeks, Egyptians, and
Norse. Each civilization has three "major gods"—deities such as Zeus or Odin. The player
chooses their major god before the game begins. Every time a player advances to the next
age, a "minor god" is selected. Minor gods are slightly less significant historically than their
major counterparts. Some minor gods include Bast and Aphrodite. All gods grant the player
unique technologies, myth units, and a unique "god power"—A one-time special ability that
can either damage an opponent, or benefit the player that uses it.

There are four major resources in Age of Mythology: food, wood, gold, and favor; unlike
previous games by Ensemble Studios, this game does not include the stone resource.
Resources can be used to train units, construct buildings, and research technologies,
among other things. Civilian units—namely, the Greek villagers,
Norse gatherers and dwarfs, the Egyptian laborers, and fishing boats—are used to gather
resources. Hunting animals, gathering berries, harvesting livestock, farming, and fishing are
all methods by which food can be gathered. Wood is gathered only by chopping down
trees, and gold is gathered from either gold mines or from trade. Each civilization can
purchase upgrades that increase the rate of gathering these resources. Favor is acquired in
different ways by different civilizations: Greek players gain it by having villagers pray at
temples; Egyptian players earn it by building monuments; and Norse players receive it by
fighting/hunting animals or by possessing heroes. Resources can be exchanged at a
player's market, with the exception of favor.