History Trivia / AgeOfEmpiresII

* HeyItsThatVoice: The voice actors of Soldier and Spy provided three taunt clips for this game before they went on to land their big debut in {{VideoGame/TeamFortress2}} which would come 8 years later.

* HeyItsThatVoice: The voice actors of Soldier and Spy provided three taunt clips for this game before they went on to land their big debut in {{VideoGame/TeamFortress2}} 8 years later.

* StopHelpingMe: In the vanilla version, catapults will ''not'' stop to attack an enemy unit within their line of sight if one of your other units can be damaged.
** If you don't set your units to "Defensive" or "Keep Terrain" mode, you'll often find later that they have broken formation and spread all over the map running after a random scout, if not gotten killed.

** The aforementioned Turkish Janissary was originally a [[http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/JanissaryBetaAoK_Preview.gif heavy foot archer]], before being changed to a [[http://www.oocities.org/hk/aocwarehouse/aok/special_image/Aok_pic12.jpg heavy hand cannoneer]], in deference to the Turks' status as sole gunpowder heavy civilization in the original game (they would be joined by the Spanish and Koreans in ''TC'' and the Italians and Indians in ''FE''). Then, just before release of the original game, [[ExecutiveMeddling Microsoft insisted]] that ES took out the Janissary's tall white hat for fear that users [[ViewersAreMorons would mistake it]] for [[UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan a Klansman]]. Ever since, the first skin with hat has been available to download in fan sites, or included in fan expansions either replacing the hatless skin or as part of a "Royal Janissary" unit available in the editor.

*** Siege towers capable of garrisoning men like rams and shooting multiple arrows like Viking longboats. Reintroduced in ''The Forgotten'', though only in the scenario editor.

** Other civilizations that were considered for the expansion pack but didn't make it were the Khmers, Tibetans, Italians, Swiss, Austrians and Magyars (Hungarians). The Italians, Magyars, and Inca finally got added in the ''Forgotten Empires'' pack, along with the Indians and Slavs.

* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: After having been released in 2012, ''[[http://www.forgottenempires.net/ Forgotten Empires]]'' received official expansion status in Fall 2013 for the Steam rerelease.

*** Saboteurs, later reintroduced in ''The Conquerors'' after a good nerfing. The original Saboteur unit present in the scenario editor is deadly to units, not just buildings.

** Fishing boats could originally build "sea walls" that were like wooden palisades, but in the water. This was taken out when the programmers saw testers using this feature in an offensive manner only, walling the enemy's docks and rendering them useless, rather than to defend the player's own docks as intended.

** An aborted ranged cavalry unit known as "Genitour" survives in the scenario editor. Its graphics were never created and the result is an unusually fast Militia, that behaves like a cavalry unit (clicking on it will even produce a horse sound), has a Cavalry Archer icon and throws the Skirmisher's javelins when it attacks. Common fan speculation is that the Genitour was originally intended to be the Spanish UU before being replaced by the more familiar Conquistador (which, being a mounted hand cannoneer in the game, means that the Spanish get a gunpowder unit - and a very powerful at that - already in the Castle Age, before they even research Gunpowder, but this is also true of the Turks and their Janissary). Others have suggested that it was intended instead to be the Frankish UU (as this is a cavalry-heavy civilization, yet gets a ranged ''infantry'' UU unit - and a quite unpopular one - in the Throwing Axeman) or the Mongol UU (who in the final game get ''two'' Cavalry Archer units: the common one and the unique Mangudai, who has an extra attack against siege engines). There is also a possibility that it was planned to be a common, non-unique unit.

** An aborted ranged cavalry unit known as "Genitour" survives in the scenario editor. Its graphics were never created and the result is an unusually fast Militia, that behaves like a cavalry unit (clicking on it will even produce a horse sound), has a Cavalry Archer icon and throws the Skirmisher's javelins when it attacks. Common fan speculation is that the Genitour was originally intended to be the Spanish UU before being replaced by the more familiar Conquistador (which, being a mounted hand cannoneer in the game, means that the Spanish get a gunpowder unit - and a very powerful at that - already in the Castle Age, before they even research Gunpowder, but this is also true of the Turks and their Janissary). Others have suggested that it was intended instead to be the Frankish UU (as this is a cavalry-heavy civilization, yet gets a ranged ''infantry'' UU unit - and a quite unpopular one - in the Throwing Axeman) or the Mongol UU (who in the final game get ''two'' Cavalry Archer units: the common one and the unique Mangudai, who has an extra attack against siege engines). It is most likely Spanish, as it is an alternate spelling for "jinete," a type of light cavalry in the Iberian peninsula.

** The aforementioned Turkish Janissary was originally a [[http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/JanissaryBetaAoK_Preview.gif heavy foot archer]], before being changed to a [[http://www.oocities.org/hk/aocwarehouse/aok/special_image/Aok_pic12.jpg heavy hand cannoneer]], in deference to the Turks' status as sole gunpowder heavy civilization in the original game (they would be joined by the Spanish and Koreans in ''TC'' and the Italians and Indians in ''FE''). Then, just before release of the original game, [[ExecutiveMeddling Microsoft insisted]] that ES took out the Janissary's tall white hat for fear that users [[ViewersAreMorons would mistake it]] for [[KuKluxKlan a Klansman]]. Ever since, the first skin with hat has been available to download in fan sites, or included in fan expansions either replacing the hatless skin or as part of a "Royal Janissary" unit available in the editor.

** Like the first ''AOE'', the beta had a single resource drop site, the "Trade Workshop", whose functions were later separated in the Mill, Lumberjack Camp and Mining Camp. The Trade Workshop survives as a function-less, mere eye candy building in the editor, and it only has separate Western European and East Asian graphics (''FE'' adds a version for every other building style, although taking the West European model as basis).

** An aborted ranged cavalry unit known as "Genitour" survives in the scenario editor. Its graphics were never created and the result is an unusually fast Militia, that behaves like a cavalry unit (clicking on it will even produce a horse sound), has a Cavalry Archer icon and throws the Skirmisher's javelins when it attacks. Common fan speculation is that the Genitour was originally intended to be the Spanish UU before being replaced by the more familiar Conquistador (which, being a mounted hand cannoneer in the game, means that the Spanish get a gunpowder unit - and a very powerful at that - already in the Castle Age, before they even research Gunpowder, but this is also true of the Turks and their Janissary). Others have suggested that it was intended instead to be the Frankish UU (as this is a cavalry-heavy civilization, yet gets a ranged ''infantry'' UU unit - and a quite unpopular one - in the Throwing Axeman) or the Mongol UU (who in the final game get ''two'' Cavalry Archer units: the common one and the unique Mangudai, who has an extra attack against siege engines).

** The aforementioned Turkish Janissary was originally a [[http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/JanissaryBetaAoK_Preview.gif heavy foot archer]], before being changed to a [[http://www.oocities.org/hk/aocwarehouse/aok/special_image/Aok_pic12.jpg heavy hand cannoneer]], in deference to the Turks' status as sole gunpowder heavy civilization in the original game (they would be joined by the Spanish in ''TC'' and the Italians in ''FE''). Then, just before release of the original game, [[ExecutiveMeddling Microsoft insisted]] that ES took out the Janissary's tall white hat for fear that users [[ViewersAreMorons would mistake it]] for [[KuKluxKlan a Klansman]]. Ever since, the first skin with hat has been available to download in fan sites, or included in fan expansions either replacing the hatless skin or as part of a "Royal Janissary" unit available in the editor.

** Like the first ''AOE'', the beta had a single resource drop site, the "Trade Workshop", whose functions were later separated in the Mill, Lumberjack Camp and Mining Camp. The Trade Workshop survives as a function-less, mere eye candy building in the editor, and it only has separate Western European and East Asian graphics (''FE'' adds a version for every other building style, all of whom take the West Europe one as basis).

** Like the first ''AOE'', the beta had a single resource drop site, the "Trade Workshop", whose functions were later separated in the Mill, Lumberjack Camp and Mining Camp. The Trade Workshop survives as a function-less, mere eye candy building in the editor, and it only has separate Western European and East Asian graphics (before ''FE'' added a version for each building style).

** At first the Spanish unique unit was going to be the [[http://www.oocities.org/es/capitancontreras/jinete.jpg Genitour]], a mounted skirmisher unit, but was replaced by the more familiar Conquistador (mounted hand cannoneer) during development. This abortive unit survives in the scenario editor. However, since the graphics for the Genitor were never created, it looks like an unusually fast Militia with a Cavalry Archer icon.
** The beta version of the games had one wonder per building set (Aachen Cathedral for Western Europe, Suleiman's Mosque for Middle East, beefed-up Temple of Heaven for East Asia) like in its predecessor, ''Age of Empires''. Fortunately, the designers took the extra effort to give each civilization an unique wonder that gave them more personality. The Aachen Cathedral and Suleiman's Mosque are still available as eye candy in the scenario editor, and the beta Temple of Heaven can be downloaded from some fansites.

** At first the Spanish unique unit was going to be the [[http://www.oocities.org/es/capitancontreras/jinete.jpg Genitor]], a type of light cavalry skirmisher that threw javelins, but was replaced by the more familiar Conquistador during development. This abortive unit survives in the scenario editor. However, since the graphics for the Genitor were never created, it looks like an unusually fast Militia with a Cavalry Archer icon.

** Other civilizations that were considered for the expansion pack but didn't make it were the Khmers, Tibetans, Italians, Swiss, Austrians and Magyars (Hungarians). The Italians, Magyars, and Inca did get added in the Forgotten Empires pack, though along with the Indians and Slavs.

** Other civilizations that were considered for the expansion pack but didn't make it were the Khmers, Tibetans, Italians, Swiss, Austrians and Magyars (Hungarians).

* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: After having been released in 2012, it was officially announced that ''[[http://www.forgottenempires.net/ Forgotten Empires]]'' shall receive official expansion status in Fall 2013 for the Steam rerelease.

** The beta version of the games had one wonder per building set (Aachen Cathedral for Western Europe, Suleiman's Mosque for Middle East, beefed-up Temple of Heaven for East Asia) like in its predecessor, ''Age of Empires''. Fortunately, the designers took the extra effort to give each civilization a unique wonder that gave them more personality. The Aachen Cathedral and Suleiman's Mosque are still available as eye candy in the scenario editor.

** At first the Spanish unique unit was going to be the [[http://www.oocities.org/es/capitancontreras/jinete.jpg Genitor]], a type of light cavalry skirmisher that threw javelins, but was replaced by the more familiar Conquistador during development. This abortive unit survives in the scenario editor. However, since the graphics for the Genitor were never created, it looks like an unusually fast Militia with a Cavalry Archer icon.

** Other civilizations that were considered for the expansion pack but didn't make it were the Khmers, Thibetans, Italians, Swiss, Austrians and Magyars (Hungarians).

** The developers considered giving units multiple attack modes, but decided it would add more frustration than it was worth.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Some civilizations that were considered for ''The Conquerors'' during development but didn't make it to the game include the Incas, (because they would have required either an exclusive set of buildings or doing the American one [[MayIncaTec too generic]], plus the developers already had difficulties trying to make 2 civs with no horses distinctive enough) and some East European nations such as the Russians and Polish which would have got another unique building set.