Facts about The Inspiration Behind Age of Empires
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Board games, particularly historical wargames, influenced the design philosophy of Age of Empires by encouraging a focus on territorial expansion and resource management.
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Warcraft: Orcs and Humans served as a competitive reference point for Ensemble Studios, who wanted Age of Empires to offer historical realism rather than fantasy settings.
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Rick Goodman, the original designer of Age of Empires, drew inspiration from wanting a real-time game with the historical progression and city-building elements absent from existing RTS titles.
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Age of Empires was directly inspired by Sid Meier's Civilization, with Ensemble Studios aiming to recreate that game's historical scope but in real time.
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Ensemble Studios co-founder Bruce Shelley, who had previously worked on Civilization, was a key influence in shaping Age of Empires as a real-time strategy game rooted in historical civilizations.