Age of Empires: Definitive Edition Tutorial: Oasis Map

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition Tutorial - Oasis map Summary

Storyline / Context

The tutorial focuses on the Oasis map in Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, which can be intimidating for new players due to its seemingly empty and sparse layout. However, Oasis actually provides the most food resources at the start compared to other maps, but the resource distribution and strategy differ, requiring a tailored approach.

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Gameplay Highlights & Strategies

• Starting Exploration & Resource Gathering:
  • Send a villager to explore immediately.
  • Locate your close stone and berries (usually 8 to 11 tiles from the Town Center).
  • Build a granary near the berries.
  • Instead of going straight to berries, use a villager to find and lure gazelles closer to the Town Center (11 to 14 tiles away), which is critical as gazelles provide a major food source.
  • Aim to push at least one gazelle near your TC quickly to maintain a steady food supply.
• villager Management:
  • Initially, place 5 villagers on berries or gazelles depending on availability.
  • Avoid having too many idle villagers walking long distances for food, as this delays your tool (Feudal) Age click.
  • Balance villagers on berries, gazelles, and wood to optimize food and resource gathering.
  • Manually dropping off food can save a few seconds on the Feudal click.
• Resource Layout & Map Knowledge:
  • Oasis guarantees multiple food patches: close gazelle patches (6 close, 4-6 further away), berries, and natural spawns.
  • Gold and stone come in two main distances: close patches (~15 tiles) and further patches (20-30 tiles).
  • elephants and forests are randomly generated and cannot be relied upon for consistent strategy.
  • Natural resource spawns (berries, gazelles, elephants) exist away from player bases and should not be confused with player-controlled resources.
• Map Exploration & Enemy Location Tips:
  • Use resource placement (stone and gold piles) to deduce enemy locations:
    • Small piles of stone/gold (e.g., 6 stones) are map-generated and never player-controlled.
    • Large piles (7-9) close to your exploration path indicate proximity to enemy bases.
  • Narrow map areas and resource distribution help eliminate potential enemy spawn points.
  • Look for hills and wood lines near enemy bases to plan proxy attacks or defensive walls.
  • Control water lines and hills for better defense and maneuvering.
• Defensive & Offensive Positioning:
  • Wall off key points near stone or hills to protect resources.
  • Use hills for sling attacks and to deny enemy stone.
  • Position military units strategically to control open areas and chokepoints.

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Key Tips & Summary Points

• Oasis has the most guaranteed starting food but requires careful early gazelle luring.
• Balance villager distribution to avoid idle time and delays in advancing to Feudal Age.
• Use resource pile sizes and positions to map out enemy locations.
• Random elements (elephants, forests) should not dictate your early strategy.
• Secure hills and stone patches for defensive advantages.
• Explore systematically to narrow down enemy base location using resource clues.
• Proxy attacks and walling strategies depend heavily on map geography and resource placement.

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Sources / Featured Gamer

The tutorial is presented by an experienced Age of Empires player demonstrating a blind playthrough of the Oasis map, sharing insights and strategies based on in-game experience.

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This summary encapsulates the tutorial’s guidance on mastering the Oasis map through efficient resource management, exploration, and strategic positioning.