MEDIA ALERT: AUGUST 24, 2000

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AGE OF EMPIRES II: THE CONQUERORS EXPANSION STORMS ONTO STORE SHELVES

Microsoft today announced that Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion, developed by Ensemble Studios, has started to appear on store shelves. There have been several reports of its availability at locations throughout the United States and full domestic distribution is expected by the end of this month. Additionally, Ensemble Studios continues "The Conquerors Designer Journal" series in September, with the addition of articles designed to help players expand their gameplay experience.

In September, Ensemble Studios will take a look at how gamers can customize random maps for play against computer or human opponents. The Random Map Scripting article, penned by lead designer Greg Street, will teach players how to define their land size, add terrain, such as lakes and forests, and add in objects such as buildings or additional villagers, to create their own customized battle ground. To support Random Map scripting, Ensemble will also offer a series of new, downloadable Random Maps for use with the Conquerors Expansion. Beginning with the first article on Random Map Scripting on September 1, the design articles will be available for download at: http://www.ageofkings.net/openjournal2/. 

The Conquerors Expansion features five new civilizations: the Huns, Aztecs, Mayans, Koreans, and Spanish, along with four new historically based campaigns and over ten new units. Each civilization has unique attributes, buildings, and technologies, as well as unique combat units based on its historical counterpart. "Smart villagers," who go to work immediately and efficiently after constructing a drop-off building, and farm queues, which allow the gamer to automatically replant exhausted farms, add realism and ease-of-play to the gaming experience. Continuing to build on the Age of Empires franchise, the Conquerors Expansion showcases the expertise of Bruce Shelley, and offers the most feature-rich expansion pack created to date.

Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion has an estimated street price of US$29.95. For more information on the game, visit the official Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/conquerors/  or the Ensemble Studios Web site at http://www.ensemblestudios.com/. 

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