i dont know..maybe microsoft is trying to get people to buy xp by saying that their best franchise needs it.

I am downloading it right now on Windows 2000, it is slow, but it works.

My other comp., the one that runs in XP, doesn't have the Internet conection...and I am feeling a bit lazy right now, so I'll just wait and see if some miracle happens and suddenly the game download will be at 99.9%.

Win2K is unsupported (just due to economics, not enough folks run it to validate the extra work/risk/whatnot). The installer doesn't let it go onto unsupported boxes. Given that we don't test on Win2K at all, this is the right choice IOO.

No, I don't expect this to make you happy. Just explaining.

dave

Then why have I seen AoE3 faqs where windows 2000 is listed as a compatible operating system?

If you are talking about online FAQs we have not had anything to do with creating them. Those are fan created.

[D4KU]

[This message has been edited by SuperTr00pers (edited 09-07-2005 @ 07:37 PM).]

Not that it affects me, but will the full-version of the game be functional for anything other than XP?

Oh well, I guess i'm not buying aoe3 unless theres a crack to play on 2000.

I dont think ill buy it either, oh well.
However, thanks Ykkrosh for helping those of us who have played ensemble games from the beginning but are now being left out because they didnt want to include a warning that says something like: "Warning-This operating system is unsupported. Any problems encountered due to the installation of this program is the fault of the user" but in more technical terms.
*goes to his moms computer*

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I would perfer getting that message (Since it showed that sort of message when installing zoo tycoon on a below-CPU requirements system.) instead of having it not allowing me to install the game at all... Time to find a bypass.

It's probably not ES's fault but rather some Microsoft Games policy. However maybe by release they manage to include that warning dialog instead of completely halting on non-XP systems.

OK I don't care one way or another if it is "supported" on Windows 2000. The original poster said it worked fine. So how can I get the thing to even install and get past the version check? I can understand that ES won't support me if I have trouble playing the game, but to forbid me from even installing it? Let's be reasonable here....

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*Cough* Not a smart thing to say. :/

Ok, I won't buy the game period then, even if there is a way to run it on 2000, happy?

[This message has been edited by soundwave991 (edited 09-07-2005 @ 10:13 PM).]

This is ridiculous. It is not like people are running Windows 3.1 or windows 95 or something.

As far as the cost effective answer. That is BS. Unless you mean it is more cost effective for Microsoft to force people to buy their new operating system to play games. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but so far this is the only game I have ever encountered that will not allow windows 2000 as an operating system.

Now I know what a mac user feels like.

Just to clarify. Is this minimum OS of Windows XP just for the demo or will that be for the retail version as well?

It's sounding like I won't be buying the game either. I'm not upgrading my Windows PC just to play one game. Very disappointing.

anyone tested installing on spare xp machine, then copying on 2k? does it really work? please lemme know

I meant "Cost effective" in the sense that we could not justify the expense of supporting Win2K for the expected return.

dave

Can't you just include a clause in the eula that says windows 2000 users are not supported?

I am a business graduate student; I know what cost effective actually means. I'm almost positive Microsoft and Ensemble is using that as a shield to hide behind.

I find it a little more the coincidental that a Microsoft Product is only usable on the latest Microsoft Operating System.

I would really be interested in the data you researched to come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the population is using Windows XP. Surely you will not come out with a Macintosh Version, since I'm sure more people who play games have Windows ME/2000/NT then people who have Macintosh.

Of course, Microsoft probably wouldn't come out with a Mac version for other reasons besides "cost effectiveness".

Most people do have windows XP now, so the win2000 people are a minority, and it wasn't worth them supporting it for the money they would get in return.

Is it that hard to understand?

I feel your frustration, but if you wanna play then you gotta get XP.

Its not worth including a disclaimer to get all of our money? its worth screwing over long-time ES fans to not include a little warning? Sorry, but thats *retarded*

And whoever asked, yes, it works fine. Im not sure if you have to copy the registry settings, but i did it anyway and it runs flawlessly (for a demo).

For those of you who have Windows 2000 and not Windows XP Pro, I think it's aweful silly of you to not have gotten XP Pro a long time ago. It's the 21st century folks. It's time to move on. If you don't upgrade to XP Pro, then tough turds. I guess you won't be playing AoE3 then. :/

IMO, it would be an absolute waste of time for ES to optimize it for 2000. They've already had to dedicate enough time to make this game as good as it is.

[This message has been edited by Lysimachus (edited 09-08-2005 @ 00:37 AM).]

Lysimachus/Ceres629,
You guys are ridiculous and rather self centered. Naturally that would be your response since you have windows XP.

To your question why don't people have Windows XP I answer . . . why should I?

Everything I need runs on Windows 2000. My comp is only 4 years old. The processer is the orginal Pentium II 1.8 ghz.

The only thing I have had to upgrade was my Ram from 256 to 512. I surpass all the specs for all the games I have ever bought. So why would I go out and buy a new computer if I don't have to.

Granted, this is a similar argument for people who maybe have 128 RAM and now need 256 RAM. But it isn't the same. That can easily be fixed by buying a cheap stick of memory. Now if I want to play I have to buy a new operating system which will not improve my performance that much, and the only reason I would be buying it would be for 1 computer game.

So other then for this one game, why do I need Microsoft XP?

How the **** did you get to be an angel. <_<

Win2k vs Winxp? Here is my Big List of Differences:
Xp=pretty
Xp=lockable task bar
Xp=better tweakui options
Xp=xp powertoys
2k=faster
2k=faster to shut down, xp=faster to boot.
Thats everything i can think of. So where does the "21st century" come into it?

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So basically what youre trying to say is, if we dont spend $80 on a microsoft product (or pirate it, or get it through mommy and daddy's jobs), es doesnt give a **** about us. Funny, that sounds almost like EA :-o

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Optimize for 2000? What the hell are you on? Win2k plays it just as well as xp. D'you remember a friendly little guy buy the name of cherub talon? Hes getting 8 fps on his comp which is technically better than mine. I have 2k and havent noticed a single slowdown on the highest settings. Sounds like something is screwed up in xp that isnt screwed up in 2k. Amazing.

And vindi, its worse for me. I have a brand new machine, built it myself, but im poor so i couldnt afford to buy winxp. I thought, hey, win2k is basically the same thing, and everything that works for xp works for 2k, so ill just switch over to that an noone will be the wiser. Well, i was right except for one single solitary program: Age of Empires 3. Of course, it *does* actually work, its just a pain to get it onto my comp.

[This message has been edited by Ender (edited 09-08-2005 @ 00:46 AM).]