3) Logging into ESO Multiplayer
Ensemble Studios Online, otherwise known as ESO, is the game's integrated online multiplayer client. It is where the majority of online players reside and is the hub for Age of Empires 3 multiplayer.
There are other platforms for AoE3 multiplayer, such as
GameRanger and
Voobly, but this particular guide will only cover playing on ESO.
3.1) Creating an ESO Account (& Recovering an Old Account)
Each steam product key enables you to create one ESO Account. You must have launched Age of Empires 3 via Steam at least once in order to be able to create your ESO Account. After this prerequisite has been met, you should be ready to go.
In the game menu, go Multiplayer -> ES Online -> "New Account?" and enter the details as you prefer them. Be mindful of the spelling and casing of your username, because it will not be able to be changed later on!
If you are just coming back to Age of Empires 3 and vaguely remember creating an online account from back in the day, there may be hope. Using the
Account Recovery tool, if you are able to answer the secret question associated with your account and access the email address it was tied to, you may be able to recover it. If you are unable to recover your account via this tool however, the account may simply be lost in time.
3.2) Making a Home City (& the XP Mod)
The Home City mechanic is what differentiates Age of Empires 3 from other RTS games. When in-game, your Home City will allow you to send "shipments" after generating enough experience points. Shipments may contain an variety of items, such as resource crates, economic upgrades, or military units. In an individual game, there are a limited number of shipments you can send - you must have a "deck" made of "cards", which are able to customize and unlock in your Home City. you Using your shipments wisely and effectively is a crucial part of the game and what makes it fun!
Before we can actually begin playing an online game, we must create a Home City. When you create a new Home City, it will start out at Level 10 unless you have other Home Cities already at a certain level. Your Level 10 Home City will allow you to unlock 9 new cards to add to your deck.
Home City Level Benchmarks
Lv10 - able to create decks with 21 cards
Lv20 - able to create decks with 22 cards, and create new Home Cities at Lv20
Lv25 - enables next tier of shipments & age-up politicians
Lv30 - able to create decks with 23 cards
Lv40 - able to create decks with 24 cards, create new Home Cities at Lv40, and enables next tier of shipments & age-up politicians
Lv50 - able to create decks with 25 cards
Lv60 - able to create new Home Cities at Lv60
Lv80 - able to create new Home Cities at Lv80
Lv100 - able to create new Home Cities at Lv100
Lv131 - able to unlock every card
Unfortunately, Home Cities starting at Level 10 means a lot of content is locked for new players, who must grind their Home City level if they want to play a civilization without any restrictions. However, there is a solution - The XP Mod. The XP Mod allows Home Cities to jump from Level 10 to Level 100+ in no more than a few minutes. You can visit the ESOC Wiki page for more information on
How to Use the XP MOD.
3.3) Lobby Settings
Most of the lobby settings are pretty self-explanatory. The default settings are almost always the settings that you will play on in tournaments. You can select a map or map set from the map dropdown menu. If you've previously downloaded custom maps, you need to check the "Custom Maps" box first. On the ESOC Patch (see chapter 5), you will have a wider selection of maps and map types. The game rules, starting age, and game speed should be left on their default setting.
Enabling "Free for All" (or FFA) in a 1v1 lobby will ensure that the game is not rated, meaning your rank won't be affected. Disable "Free for All" if you would like your game to be rated and to count towards the ladder. "Handicap" allows you to grant a player an advantage in resource gathering. This setting is obviously not used in competitive games, but it can be fun to toy around with. Can you beat an Expert AI with a 100% handicap? The "Record Game" box allows you to record your game so you can view your gameplay at a later point. Do note that only the latest nine recorded games are saved. If you would like to save a recorded game, make sure to navigate to your recorded games folder and to rename the recorded game to something recognizable so you can look for it later. Finally, the "Allow Cheats" box allows you to use pre-programmed game cheats to spawn fun units and resources. It should be self-explanatory that this option is not used either in competitive games.
Furthermore, in the lobby, you can choose a color, team, and civilization. Only the host of the lobby can change lobby settings and invite other players.
3.4) Playing a Game
Click on the red "Ready" button to indicate that you would like to start the game. Once all players have readied up, the lobby will start a countdown and the game will begin. Make sure you've created a Homecity Deck before you start your game as you won't be able to do this while playing. Pick a
strategy from the Strategy Wall and start playing!