Age of Empires 3 : Kings' Return news

King's Return is a free fan-based mod for the game Age of Empires 3 and its two official expansions. The mod will stick with AOE III timeline but will focus on early timeline of the original game i.e 16th 17th and 18th centuries. The main emphasis is introduce new civilizations approximately existed in the same era. The mod will feature 4 totally new civilizations: Mongols (Timurids), Persians (Safavids), Oyo Kingdom (African), Kongo Kingdom (African) and Knights Hospitaller (Maltese). The mod will draw its elements and concept ideas from the historical events happened in this era. For example, you can re-live in the darkest ages of human history as the European Empires enslaved massive numbers of Africans through slave trade. Additionally, the mod will introduce a considerable new changes to the current civilizations and will also introduce totally new concepts of game play.

The game is in the final development stages and expected to be released in the next 4-5 months (August - September 2016).

The followings will provide highlights on most important things in the mod while I will keep updating regular for more in-depth features about the mod. I have posted several number of images here & will post videos in the coming couple of weeks. Additionally I will post new images & updates on regular basis till the release.

1. Features Summary:

1.1 Totally new Civilizations

Mongols (Timurids), Persians (Safavids), Oyo Kingdom(African), Kongo Kingdom (African) and Knights Hospitaller (Maltese). See blew for Civilizations highlights.

1.2 New Game Play Mechanisms

the mod will include several new game concepts based on the historical events & strategies took place within the timeline of the game. For example Slavery : Now certain European civs will be able to capture African villagers to work as slaves (Ottomans will have additional slavery concept for white slavery).

Unique Resources: like faith for religious civs (Persians, Ottomans, Maltese). Slavery (Portuguese, British, French & Ottomans). Knowledge (Germans, British, Spanish , French)

1.3 Diplomatic affairs (Historical arch enemies):

This is some kind of Enemy-Detection mechanism. based on the historical events, now every European civ can have certain enhancements against certain enemy civilizations (in future I will post in depth details). For example:

1. British Against Chinese Enemy : Opium Drug Sales: once this tech activated the Chinese enemy will get a drug dealer shipped to his HC gather point. The drug dealer is a temporary unit that will reduce all Chinese villagers gather rate by while villagers near the drug dealer won't be able to move. One the other hand , the British player will small trickle of gold for a short time.
2. British Against Indians Enemy: India the Jewel of the British Crown : enables the British player to get small trickle of gold while the Indian enemy export gather rate will be reduced by 10%. Another tech will enable the British player to send the India East Company.
3. Spanish against Aztecs : Puppet Emperor : install this unit in an Aztec town. The Puppet Emperor will destroy & prevent the Aztecs from building fire pit (The Aztecs won't be able to attack this unit).

1.4 Graphical Enhancement

The mod will introduce lots of new graphical enchants including : new units, new maps, the option to choose day/ night, improved visual effects (like Persian war elephant throwing enemies & human shields burning themselves into enemies), lots of new animals (zebras, ostriches, lions, gazelles etc...). Many several other visual enhancement will be included : for example whenever you age-up a temporary cultural related effect will appear like Chinese will get fireworks effect on TC when they age-up.

1. Civilizations Highlights

2.1 Persians (Safavid)

Historical Background : 1501 A.D, the politically divided Persia has devastated the empire. Only a powerful king can keep the fragmented empire held together.

Civ Bonus & Traits

• Villagers : unlike regular villagers, Persian villagers will start with only 40% hp at first age. Villager HP will be increased by each age advancement. Additionally, Shah will boost overall villagers HP as well as nearby villagers HP.
• Shah : a powerful king unit with many abilities. Shah can boost all units hp making him very critical for your empire. Shah is very critical to keep the villagers HP at good health so keep an eye on him. Unlike regular heroes, if shah is killed you can only train a new one but at slow training rate.
• Khums (Fifth) : Khums is a 20% religious obligation tax that must be paid on all people's income. It is a unique ability to collect gold from villagers (see allamah below).
• Allamah : the highest religious authority with a basic low gold trickle rate. Can collect Khums (fifth) from villagers. Every villager within Allamah's range will increase Allamah's gold trickle by a small percentage. On the other hand the villager gather rate will also be decreased by .
• Mullahs (Persian imams) : Persian healer who has a small gold trickle rate (khums collecting).
• Shrines : villagers & mullahs can pray in the shrines to collect faith.
• Unique Resources : Faith.

Units & Buildings Highlight:

• Qizilbash : Shia militant group whom mostly consisted of Turkmen tribes. powerful cavalry units whom would demand political & provincial governorship , burdening the empire's economy & competing with Shah for authority. To reflect this, each 1 qizilbash will reduce villagers' gather rate by %1.
• Tajik Qizilbash : Cavalry archer unit. Unlike the Qizilbash unit, this unit won't affect villagers' gather rate.
• Persian War Elephant : Heavy armored elephant. Unlike Indian elephants, this unit has slower speed. Good against infantry & has a small bonus against hand cavalry.
• Gatling Camel : Persian Artillery unit.
• Qurchi : Basic archer.
• Tofangchi : skirmisher type unit.
• Ghulam : Musteteer type unit.

2.2 Mongols (Timurid)

Historical Background: the Timurids will start with the beginning of Tamerlane era adopting a Mongolian warfare strategy. Can you keep your empire from collapsing under the more technologically advanced civilizations?

Civ Bonus & Traits

• Plunder : every time you destroy an enemy building, a small amount of his gold will be dropped at his town center. Your Banner Warlord unit can collect this gold, but also the enemy explorer can re-collect the gold at a slow rate.
• Buildings : All mongol yurt buildings will require less 35% time to construct, but will also have 15% less hitpoints.
• Yurt wagons : Yurts (houses & town centers) can be moved from their places for a 1 time only.
• Mongol Sheep : each time you deliver a shipment you will have free sheep. Unlike regular sheep, a mongolian sheep can breed another sheep.
• Less-Advantageous aging up : aging-up will get lesser benefits from regular civilizations.
• Unique Resources : Human Skulls, each time you kill an enemy unit there will be a small change to recover his bones (skulls & bones can be collected by your units)

Units & Building Highlight:

• Manguadi : a very fast cavalry archer unit armed with bows & arrows. He can fire arrows at an incredibility fast ROF. Good against hand cavalry.
• Banner Warlord: powerful warlord that can collect plundered gold.
• Chatagai Horseman : Hand cavalry unit type.
• Human shield : A civilian who is dipped in tar & armed with naphta & fire. They will burn themselves into enemies at you command ((or the safety o their families)..Good against building & infantry.
• Khan's Royal Treasury : a powerful building with ability to generate gold.
• Skull Pyramid : erect the horrifying skull pyramids that will breathe horror into your enemy hearts. Skull pyramids are temporary buildings that can decrease nearby enemy units hp.

2.3 Kongo Kingdom

Civ Bonus & Traits

• Buildings cost % less wood but also have less hp.
• Mother villagers : a villager that can bear & raise children. Children can grow up into adult villager or militant. They are also subject to slavery by enemies.
• African villagers will be subject to slavery by European slave masters.

Units & Building Highlight:

• Poisoned Arrow : the basic archers of African civilization. They have less accuracy due to use of featherless arrows but compensate the accuracy with the damaging effect of the poisoned arrow heads.
• Assegai Spearman : the basic anti-cavalry unit of Africans civilizations. The Kongolese Assegai spearmen have a little twist, they can throw spear at short ranges making them even more dangerous against cavalry.
• Sharp-Teeth Club Thrower : a military unit armed heavy club. The club is embedded with animal & fish teeth. It has sufficient power the break up bones. Bonus against infantry.
• Pombo : extremely agile light infantry that can run as fast a horse. Armed with daggers the Pombo can deliver several stabs against an enemy unit.

2.4 Oyo Kingdom

Historical Background: a west African kingdom in Yorubalands (today's Nigeria). One of the most & few African kingdom that relied on cavalry to expand its borders. Although the Oyo kingdom raised horse locally to a certain degree, it had to rely on the large number of imported horses.

Civ Bonus & Traits

• Buildings cost % less wood but also have less hp.
• Alaafin (King) : The Hero type unit of Oyo Kingdom.
• Warchiefs : These are the military & political leaders of the Kingdom (limit of 5 units).
• Ogboni (Shamans): The Religious authority of the kingdom.
• Cavalry Training : there will be several type of training of cavalry. Local Cavalry: trained like regular cavalry from stables. Imported Cavalry : trained in batch from stable but will require HC gather point to deliver the units.
• The Oyo Kingdom will really heavily on the cavalry BUT there is a twist on how to upgrade them. Instead of relying on technology the Oyo army has to rely on Warchiefs skills & abilities to keep the army motivated & empowered. The warchiefs will boost cavalry HP & attack (upgrading the cavalry will actually enhance the Warchief aura instead of upgrading the cavalry themselves).
• The 3 Political-Military-Religious above mentioned units (King - Warchiefs - Shamans) will rely on each other to sustain HP/Attack. King empower --> Shaman empower --> Warchief empower --> King
• African villagers will be subject to slavery by European slave masters.

Credits & Special thanks

Napoleonic Era : for letting me use some of their units.

0 A.D : for the great package of Textures used in this mod.

Hope you like the mod.

Enjoy.