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Age of Empires mods are content extensions created by game developers and community members that introduce new challenges, improve graphical aspects, boost performance, and alter fundamental game mechanics. The fourth part of the franchise included the possibility of adding mods last year in June 2022. This resulted in many creative ideas from the community, and players who were looking for new experiences had a lot on their plates.
The installation and creation of these content extensions is totally free and can be done from the game menu. Here is a list of five Age of Empires IV mods that everyone needs to try.
Advanced Game Setting, Dire Wolves, and three more great Age of Empires mods
1) Advanced Game Settings
When Age of Empires IV was released, the standard game included three win conditions: Landmark, Sacred Victory, and Wonder Victory. The first consisted of destroying your enemy's Landmark, the second required to hold and capture all sacred places on the map, and the third would grant victory upon building a Wonder. The Advanced Game Settings mod allows for classical game modes like:
Trending
- Regicide: Whoever kills the opponent's king wins.
- Treaty: The players are allies for a while.
- Score: There is a timer, and when the countdown ends, the player with more points wins.
This mod also adds options to alter game conditions like the Settlement. This allows you to customize if the game starts with units and buildings or if walls are added from the start to demarcate the base.
2) Dire Wolves
Considered one of the best real-time strategy games of all time, Age of Empires II introduced wolves in the franchise as neutral and aggressive NPCs that could damage units. Some characters, such as villagers, would be attacked by these wild creatures if they crossed paths.
Although wolves usually do not kill a villager in one shot, they can lower their stamina indicators. With this vulnerability, the unit will perish at the slightest enemy attack.
The Dire Wolves mod proposes an interesting idea—bigger wolves are more aggressive and can deal more damage to units. This mod is only for the bravest players, who will now have to defend themselves from both military attacks and wolves.
3) Mega AI
Although there are many alternatives to Age of Empires, the Artificial Intelligence of CPU opponents ensures an engaging gaming experience in single-player matches. The system also has machine learning algorithms in place that can learn to predict and counter-movements and strategies.
Mega AI is an Age of Empires mod that improves the game's AI. After you install this mod, you'll be tasked with resisting constant attacks from enemy forces powered by complicated algorithms.
To win games against these AI opponents, you must be highly efficient in resource management and creating solid defenses. You'll also have to guess the AI's strategy and find opportune moments to launch attacks by keeping track of attack waves and unit production rhythm.
4) Tombolos
Age of Empires mods introduce both imaginary and real terrain to the game's world. If you stick with the base version, the fourth part of the game primarily focuses on medieval wars in Europe, with a greater predominance of maps from that area of the world.
However, for those who like a getaway to a paradisiac place, the Tombolos mod offers that possibility. It is a new location without a defined equivalent in the real world, composed of a series of islands connected by land passages over the sea.
Tombolos is a small map meant for two-player gaming experiences. It allows exploration by land as well as the creation of ports, fishing boats, and other navigational units.
5) Royal Rumble
The Regicide mode is not included by default in Age of Empires IV, and Royal Rumble is one of the Age of Empires mods that recreates it well.
This mode allows you to start the game with an extra character: the king. Each player's task will be to ensure that their ruler survives while trying to kill the opponent's king. However, in this case, there is an extra element—the kings' AI makes them wander all over the map, raising their chances of dying.
Therefore, Royal Rumble is one of the Age of Empires mods that adds a more challenging win condition in the game and recovers a classic element that many players miss from Age of Empires II.
