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Genre: Strategy
System(s): PC
ESRB: Unknown
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Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs is the official expansion pack for the real-time strategy game Age of Empires III. It was announced by Ensemble Studios and Microsoft Gaming Studios on March 7th, 2006. It will be released fall of 2006.
The War Chiefs will offer several enhancements on Age of Empires III. These will include three new playable Native civilizations, new Home City cards, new buildings, a new single player campaign, new units, and several other enhancements. The only announced native civilizations are the Iroquois and the Sioux, however, much of the fan speculation supports the Aztec or Inca as the third civilization. Ensemble Studios' Sandy Peterson has recently stated in his thread "Ask Sandy" that the Sioux have reached the point of being testable.
Other additions to the game include five new minor native tribes and at least 3 new maps: Northwest Territory (representing Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia), California, and the Andes.
Each of the existing nations will receive additional content, so it is possible that they would have to create a new Ensemble Studios Online to support The Warchiefs expansion. It is also a possibility that your existing multiplayer account is simply divided into two sections (one for the original game and one for the expansion), similar to Starcraft's Battle.net account.
One of the most exciting new features of the War Chiefs expansion is the implementation of the War Chiefs themselves. Instead of the European 'Explorer,' the native tribes receive a 'War Chief,' who provides more versatility throughout the game. For example, the War Chief may provide a bonus to the units around him, potentially turning the tide of battle. War Chiefs may also have the ability to convert native treasure guardians, such as bears and pirates, to the player's cause, instead of having a special ability to kill guardians (like the Explorer does). Ensemble has also stated that the War Chief will have a larger late-game influence than the Explorer, but will be more expensive to resurrect.
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