Age of Empires Online will receive premium packs and social features
Microsoft and Robot Entertainment have just rolled out fresh new details of their upcoming RTS project, Age of Empires Online.
For those of you who were living under a rock for the past few months, AoEO will be a drastic turn for the series. The free-to-play title will feature a persistent world where players choose a capitol city and team up with friends and fight against rivals around the globe, combining old school real-time strategy with massively multiplayer online game elements.
The developers have revealed that Egyptian and Greek factions will be playable at launch and will integrate social features. The social aspect will allow other players to visit your cities and help you with missions. Cities will contain persistent stores where other players can purchase merchandise, this netting you some in-game cash.
Like most free to play games, Premium packs will be available which will include extra content for your civilization,boosters, an increased inventory,”Empire Points” and many more.
Here is the scoop on the core features and premium content:
Free to Play features
- The greatest ancient civilizations, including Greeks and Egyptians
- Constantly new, exciting and evolving content
- Quest, battle, chat and trade with other players – all free!
- Build and show off your own custom Capital City
- Enjoy historical settings with gorgeous visuals and a cool new art style
Additional Premium Content for Purchase
- Rare and Epic Gear: Unlock Rare and Epic Gear! Not only will your units be more powerful with their upgraded gear, but many will have a unique design to make them stand out in battle.
- Advisors – In the Advisor Hall you can unlock Unique Units like Armored Elephants and Civilization Powers.
- Tech Tree: Experience the full tech tree with fantastic end game “Star Techs.†For example, generate resources from your market, have your troops bandage themselves, or make your people immune to conversion in battle.
- Initiate Player vs. Player games – Set the gameplay parameters and invite your friends to play,
- Additional Inventory Slots: More than double your inventory space.
- More Workshops: Drastically improve your capital’s production with more workshops to create all of the materials you need for crafting.
- Crafting Halls: Learn unit enhancements from additional Crafting Halls and use them to your advantage in the game. There are seven to choose from, including the Military College (enhances infantry), Hunting Lodge (enhances archers/missile units), and Cavalry Hall (enhances mounted units).
- Empire Points: Gives you the ability to spend Empire Points on the best loot in the game. Empire Points reward you for having multiple civilizations.
- In-Game Stores: The ability to earn in-game currency from the stores in your capital city.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but Microsoft has confirmed that the Free to Play versions can be upgraded at any time. Age of Empires Online is currently in beta and is slated for a 2011 release.
