Age Of Empires 2 And The Conquerors Expansion -
The 2023 Return of Rome DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition directly credits The Conquerors framework. The expansion's unique techs, garrisoning, and balanced civ design are now the template for all modern Age entries. Key Statistics (Original AoC) | Feature | Detail | | :--- | :--- | | Civilizations | 18 (13 base + 5 expansion) | | Unique Units | 18 (one per civ) + Conquistador, Tarkan, etc. | | Campaigns | 7 (4 new in Conquerors) | | Technologies | ~120 (including unique techs) | | Max Population (standard) | 200 | Conclusion Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion is a textbook example of how DLC should be done. It didn't just add "more stuff"; it fixed core flaws, introduced lasting strategic depth (unique techs), and rebalanced the game into a timeless competitive system. Nearly 25 years later, the bones of The Conquerors remain the gold standard for historical RTS design.
Many original AoE II players consider The Conquerors version (often abbreviated AoC) the definitive game. It remained the standard for competitive play on platforms like Voobly and GameRanger for over 15 years, until the 2019 Definitive Edition absorbed all its features and added more. Age Of Empires 2 And The Conquerors Expansion