It isn’t too dramatic, my favorite memory is probably when I found AOE.
I was getting nostalgic and going through all the Windows 98 PC games, and I found Age of Empires among them. It was just one game in a binder that hadn’t been touched for years, covered in dust and mystery like some kind of artifact.
My dad gave me the okay to play it (he was normally very strict about ratings), and I got up around 5 AM on Saturday to put it in and play it for the first time. I spent hours in the Stone Age, and the CPU eventually built a Wonder.
Later on, I figured out there was a learning campaign, and every time I advanced to a new age (Tool, Bronze, Iron) I was blown away by the vast array of new architecture, units, and technologies.
The best part was, as a kid, I thought of AoE as realistic. Other games are fictional, but this is ACTUAL HISTORY, these events REALLY HAPPENED. It was just like the battles from the Old Testament, but in this game I could actually see them, hear the calls and screams, and participate myself.
I spent most of my time in campaigns, and some of it was played with my sister. We would plan things together and take turns using the mouse.
AoE has been a huge influence on my thoughts about games, history and education, to the point that I got into college by writing an application essay about learning the core concepts of strategy through playing against my dad.
I remember playing the single player for a few hours on a PC considered slow even in those times (around 2000) and as the population was growing, the game slowed down and PC’s fan turned into an aircraft engine… and suddenly, after a lag, all my ships could sail also on land. So I got the cheat although I had never used it Unfortunately, it has never happened again on more powerful machines…
The AOE demo cd came with our first PC and I played the ■■■■ out of it until finally convincing my parents to buy the full version. I especially loved the campaigns and the music. This game is probably most responsible for inspiring my passion for learning as much as I can about ancient history.
Backstory: I was introduced to Age of Empires 1 by my elder brother (who’s 12 years older than I am) when I was around 11 or 12. I’m 25 now and I’ve been waiting for a re-release of AOE1 ever since MSNZone crumbled! AOE2 and AOM are great, but personally I still reminisce a lot about my AOE1 times.
I recall being so hooked to the game when I first started that I actually played past 4AM as a primary school kid! Loved competing in the MSN lobbies, especially against older players who cringed when they found out I was half their age. Not wanting my war experience to end with my game, I’d often imagine myself as a Centurion, wielding a spear and a shield piercing through my enemies and buildings. “Chiningning!” (The attack animation sounds like this, right?!)
Gotta give props to games like these - all that exposure to strategizing when I was still young then probably helped my intellectual development as well HAHA…
I remember connecting 6 PCS together to play a LAN match back in 2000. That was my introduction to IP Adresses. We played various team matches for 2 days straight. It was a great time, and a good memory.
My favourite memory is playing aoe1 and 2 with my sister. I remember that we used to cheat for ressources often, but we didnt know how to write the apostrophe for the food cheat "CHEESE STEAK JIMMY’S in aoe2 so we ended up just building tons of farms and cheating the other ressources haha.
My best memory of Age of Empires is probably when I first discovered it,
I found it in a dusty binder with a bunch of other Windows 98 games, like some kind of buried artifact. I got up at 5 AM Saturday morning and tried it out. I was stuck in the Stone Age while the CPU was building a Wonder.
My dad told me about the Egyptian Learning Campaign, and I was seriously scared of Ballistae and Catapults since they could kill my guys so fast. Once I realized I could make them, they were my favorites.
I played with my sister sometimes. We would agree on what to do, and then take turns using the mouse to do it.
Each new Age (Tool, etc) blew me away because of all the new buildings and units and technologies.
At the time, the game seemed as realistic as could be. I knew about ancient battles from the Old Testament, and seeing them come to life before my eyes and hearing the soldiers, and even taking part in what could have actually happened thousands of years ago left me almost obsessed for a while.
I eventually stopped playing because I was totally stuck on the first level of the Greek Campaign. It took me years to get through that one!
I was like four or five years old when i first played the game.
My father was talking with my mother in their bedroom while i was getting bored in my room playing with some toys. I didn’t want to disturb my parents but i wanted to have some fun so i sneaked through the house to their room and sat down on the floor front of the door. I waited for a minute or two and then started to slowly open the door. That was the moment i saw my father playing with the trial version of the game. I stood next to my father and silently watched him play the game for 15-20 minutes. When i learned the mechanics of the game i told my father what to do more and more often. He was getting so annoyed of me at some point he said “Ok, now it’s your turn!” and stood up with my mom, went out and continued the conversation in the kitchen.
From that day i played as much as i was allowed to play.
Favourite memory? Learning the game with my brother by watching my dad. Then we would play 2 v 1 matches against him and we would still lose. There was nothing more exciting than the three of us sitting down side by side for a match on the weekend and having my brother and I shout warnings to eachother when he attacked.
Unfortunately, it has never happened again on more powerful machines…
