Rise of Nations: Extended Edition

Rise of Nations: Extended Edition

Developers
Original	Big Huge Games
Extended Edition	SkyBox Labs
Publishers
	Microsoft Studios
Engines
	Big Huge Engine
Release dates
Windows	June 12, 2014
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, Subscription gaming service
Microtransactions	None
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	Bird's-eye view, Isometric
Controls	Multiple select, Point and select
Genres	RTS
Themes	Historical
Series	Rise of Nations

Rise of Nations
Rise of Nations	2003
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends	2006
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition	2014

Rise of Nations: Extended Edition is an updated version of the 2003 RTS Rise of Nations and its Thrones & Patriots expansion pack. It features anti-aliasing and native high resolution support, new multiplayer servers and Twitch integration.

In September 2017, the game was released on the Microsoft Store with the 1.20 patch, with the Steam version being compatible with it online. However, LAN was removed, but can be restored in the Steam version 1.10 branch at the cost of reverting a sound bug fix.

The game received a multiple post-release patches, but after the latest one (1.20 build 00.2017.11.2900) from November 2017, a large number of bugs and inconsistencies persists, most of which did not exist in the original version of the game - most notably, the game ignores a file relevant to calculating armor types, leading to a balancing issue where most units take a lot longer to destroy than intended. Community patches exist to fix these issues, supported by its small but dedicated multiplayer community.

General information

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Green Man Gaming		4 Pack also available.
Microsoft Store		Xbox Game Pass for PC
Steam		DRM-free when launched directly from its executable; 4-Pack also available; Version 1.10 is not DRM-free.

Monetization

Type	Notes
One-time game purchase	The game requires an upfront purchase to access.
Subscription gaming service	Available via Xbox Game Pass for PC.

Essential improvements

Skip launcher

The game boots with a launcher, but this can be skipped.

Skip launcher by replacing a file
Open <path-to-game>. Delete or rename patriots.exe. Rename riseofnations.exe to patriots.exe (case sensitive).

Skip intro videos

Edit configuration file
Open %APPDATA%\Microsoft Games\Rise of Nations\rise2.ini. Find line SkipIntroMovies=0. Change to SkipIntroMovies=1.

Delete or rename files[citation needed]
Open <path-to-game>. Delete or rename these files: bhg_game_studios1M.wmv, ms_game_studios_1M.wmv, skybox_intro_1440.wmv, skybox_intro_1920.wmv. Open the folder art. Delete or rename opening.wmv.

Community patches

The Extended Edition introduced several new bugs, including broken armor templates that unbalance the game.

The Community Balance/Bugfix Patch fixes most bugs and rebalances the game. A full spreadsheet of changes and explanations thereof is available here.

The older Misc Fixes mod only fixes bugs without touching balance beyond the armor template issue, but is no longer supported.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%APPDATA%\Microsoft Games\Rise of Nations\
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/287450/pfx/

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Rise of Nations\
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/287450/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
OneDrive		Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Xbox Cloud

Video

Graphics settings

Graphics feature	State	Notes
Widescreen resolution		FMVs are stretched to fill the screen.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen		Pixel-based.
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)		Unknown method; On/Off toggle.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Input

Mouse settings

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity		Relates only to map scrolling speed.
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support

Controller types

Audio

Audio settings

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		SFX, taunt and music.
Surround sound
Subtitles		Applicable only in the Conquer the World mode.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French
German
Italian
Spanish				Dub only included in the original version of Rise of Nations and Thrones & Patriots. Download here.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Notes
LAN play		Up to and including version 1.10, removed in later versions. Downgrading to 1.10 possible through a separate Steam branch.
Online play		Steam and Microsoft Store cross-play enabled.

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP		Revert to the 1.10 build in the separate Steam branch.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	11

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Cutscenes	Windows Media Foundation

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	Vista, 7, 8.1	7, 8.1
Processor (CPU)	1.6 GHz	2.6 GHz
System memory (RAM)	1 GB	4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	3 GB	5 GB
Video card (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT AMD Radeon X1950 Intel HD 3000 DirectX 10 compatible	Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX AMD Radeon 4850 DirectX 11 compatible