How to Play a Multiplayer game of Age of Empires 3

Got the computer whipped? Looking for a new challenge? Why not try multiplayer? Age of Empires 3 offers 2 options for multiplayer battles: local area network (LAN) or over ES online. Both allow you to play with your friends, but ES offers a much wider audience while LAN games offer local convenience. Ready to try your hand at defeating another human player?

Select your connection type. Again, both LAN and online play are available. Select LAN only if you and at least 1 other person with Age of Empires 3 are connected to a LAN. Otherwise, select ES Online.

Download any available updates. The game will do this automatically. Be patient, it may take a while depending on your connection speed.

Create an account if you don't already have one. This is free and only takes a minute.

Customize! You can create a Home City for yourself, as well as change your avatar (the picture displayed with your name) and your preferences. Make sure everything is to your liking before you start.

Jump in! You can either host a game or create one. Depending on your map preferences, you may want to create one that you like or experiment with a few skirmishes in single player before you come here. Knowledge of the area will give you a big boost in multiplayer battles!

Check the game name before you join. Many games include stipulations in their names that you should pay attention to. "No rush" means that the host does not want a short game filled with peasant attacks. Any game with the word "noob" means "newbie," and usually refers to a game intended for new players.

Be a good sport! It is advisable to type "gg" or "good game" into the chat bar and send it to the other players at the end of a match. This tells other people that you harbor no ill will for the outcome of a game, whether it was a crushing defeat or resounding victory for you. People do keep blacklists, and consistently poor sportsmanship may leave you high and dry.

Click the X in the upper right hand corner when you are ready to log off.