Age of Empires II · Pre-Alpha Prototype (July 17, 1998)

Описание: Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is one of the most celebrated real-time strategy games ever created, but before its final release in September 1999, early versions of the game were in development. The July 17, 1998 prototype, also known as build 00.05.03.0706, provides a fascinating glimpse into the game's evolution.

This pre-alpha version predates the final build by over a year and reveals numerous differences from the finished game. The user interface closely resembles the original Age of Empires, lacking key features such as campaign mode and unit production queues. Many buildings are placeholders, featuring simple text labels instead of actual structures. The AI is rudimentary, with only the Britons and Japanese civilizations having any functional behavior. Unit animations are also incomplete, often reverting to assets from the first game.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this build is the inclusion of an E3 scenario, showcasing battles and set pieces featured in early promotional materials for Age of Empires II. This includes iconic moments like trebuchets attacking Japanese bombard towers and a clash between British Longbowmen and Frankish Paladins. Additionally, an unused "Snow" terrain type appears in this version, though it was removed from the final release.

Overall, this prototype serves as an invaluable piece of gaming history, offering insights into the game's early development and the iterative process behind one of the greatest RTS titles of all time.