Help and Tools

BUGS and FIXES

- If you have problems with resources not being displayed correctly in the UI please go to "Options" and press the "Restore Defaults" button.

- If the Patcher gets stuck at the end just close it and run it again as administrator.

- The mod's exe cannot accept CD Keys, you must start Asian Dynasties and put your CD Key there. If the CD Key doesn't save then run Asian Dynasties as administrator.

- If you have problems with settings not saving properly go to your game's directory and set "age3m.exe" to run in compatibility mode for WinXP SP3!

- If the game doesn't run on Windows 10, make sure you have DirectPlay enabled from: Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > Legacy Componenets > DirectPlay.

- If you get this error when starting the game "The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000005)", go to the game's main directory, right click on "age3m.exe" and disable compatibility mode.

- If you get the "Failed to join game" error then you probably need to open your ports for the game to connect to other players. More details bellow.

- If the mod's Patcher appears as a threat for your antivirus, know that it is nothing else than a false positive, as the Patcher is a custom made downloader.

- If you have "missing sounds" then it either means the mod installation is broken OR you are using torrent versions and you have the WarChiefs expansion registry bug. Buy the game.

- On a fresh install, before starting the mod's exe, make sure to run the original Asian Dynasties expansion at least once.

- Remember that the mod's Patcher is just for updating the mod, you can simply run the mod's exe "age3m.exe" and everything will work.

- If you experience "Out of sync" in multiplayer games (LAN) make sure lag is not an issue and that everything is up to date for all players. More details bellow.

- If you ever have problems with homecities, such as invisible cards that take up space in your deck, you should create a new homecity because it means I removed or changed a card.

- If you get AI errors then it means your game installation is broken. Reinstall everything and make sure you do not use a installer (like 5.4) and then update it with the Patcher because it will break the game again. Either use an installer version or the Patcher, do not use both on the same game. Note that the Patcher can download the entire mod on a clean game.





All modding tools, patches, fixes and Improvement Mod files can be found HERE!




A common problem between AoE3 mods is the "Out of sync" error which seems to happen on both LAN and ESO. It does not happen for everyone and it does not happen every time so depending on your situation you may chose how to play it, either way multiplayer should work.

There are several ways to avoid OOS problems:

First of all, to ensure that OOS won't happen in the middle of a game you need to make sure your computer and internet connection are not lagging; lag can and will probably cause OOS.

Second, make sure your game and your friend's game, with which you want to play, are absolutely identical, that they were installed in the same manner and you followed the exact same steps to install everything, including the mod.

Third, if everything from above is checked and OOS still happens then try THIS! little, but powerful fix. It might work for you and your friends or it might not.

Once you got OOS however, it is recommended to restart the game before you try again.


Playing Custom Maps might also fix the OOS problem for some, and the Improvement Mod comes with a healthy selection of Custom Maps taken from the community (while also granting them full credits).


We're still working on this problem but some things are simply beyond our power.
The Improvement Mod works on ESO and you should try and use it, but be warned that I am NOT responsible for any account problems you could run into, do it at your own risk.




If you get the "Failed to join game" error then you probably need to open your ports for the game to connect to other players. You do that by going into your router's settings. It's different for every router.

If you don't know how to do it then a VPN software should do the trick as well. One such software is Windscribe.
Run the VPN before starting the game and you should be able to join rooms now.




If ESO is not an option for various reasons then you can always use a third party LAN program.

Try one of these virtual network programs and see which works best for you:
Tunngle
GameRanger
Voobly
Hamachi

If you have problems making the game connect with one of the programs from above try to force an IP into AoE3.

To manually do this you must go to "My Documents/My Games/AoE3 Improvement Mod/Startup" and open the "user" file with Notepad.

There you will find this line "//OverrideAddress="1.2.3.4" ". Delete the "//" and type your IP address instead of "1.2.3.4", and by that I mean either your own IP or the IP given by Hamachi or Tunngle.

Save the file and you're done, the game will now use that IP.




Update: I'll be honest with you, I still have no idea. But someone told me to tell you to use "MONO" on Mac to make the mod work, including the Patcher. So yeah. Use THIS I guess.

or...

One of the most asked question and requests I got are related to the Mac operating system, if the mod is compatible with the AoE3 Mac version and how to install it. Well to be honest I never held a Mac in my hands so my knowledge of it is limited to the visits I made with Team Viewer in other people's Macs to try and make the mod work. I remember that one time, with the help of the owner, we managed to make it work though I have no idea how. And so, when recently another Mac user asked me how to install it I had no idea how to help him no matter how much I tried. But thankfully he managed to make it work by himself! Here's what he told me via email:

"I just opened "show open packages" on the age of empires 3 application. Copied the files from your improvement mod zip folder individually into different locations in ageofempires3/contents/resources/gamedata

Just move files to where they go, make sure you click, merge when you can or replace all.
Only way to delete mod is to reinstall the game.

The only thing I couldn't get to work is the new civilisation but that's fine."

Once again no idea what he's talking about but I hope it helps. The reason he couldn't get the American civ working is because it needs some files installed to "My Documents" which I don't know if it has an alternative on Mac. Basically they need to be installed where saves are stored on Mac (but as of version 6 there's no need to do this stuff).

199 comments:

  1. Hi all! I just found this mod. I have a problem, I do not see civilization USA yet I downloaded it to your blog. Do you have an idea?
    For information, I play a French game.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Brice, I had the same issue at first. I play the English game, but hopefully the issue is resolved the same way. Just go to Skirmish and set up a game as you normally would. Pick a gametype you want to play and in the lobby where you would normally choose your home city, the AI teams, the map, etc., just click on your home city and 'Philadelphia' should appear. Hope this helps!

      Delete
  2. The rifleman skin is not displaying, all actions are working properly but they are just shadow figures. I tryed fixing it by manually copy/pasting the "art\units\infantry_ranged\riflemanus" folder. I thought that the files didn't get pasted correctly, but still fix still shadow shapes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, I think I found a bug : the Germans don't have consulates, and in the last mission "Bring down the Mountain" of the Ice campaign insted of playing as the John Black mercenaries I play as the Russians.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. when i start the mod i dont have the warchiefs civs but i do have it installed, why?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The installation got bugged, probably because you pirated the game. Try re-installing it several times, might fix it.

      That's why I recommend the Steam version, has both expansions and its already up to date.

      Delete
  6. I don't know if the problems only exist for me, though the icons for the resources you currently have is kinda messed up. What I see is the food icon being replaced by the wood icon, the wood replaced by the coin, the coin replaced with the fame (I think)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that is a little weird UI bug. To fix it go to "Options" and press the "Restore Defaults" button. After that you can reconfigure the settings how you want them but you need to press that button at least once.

      Delete
  7. Hey, mate. I installed the 'improvement mod' and now my aoe3 game cannot start up. Please tell me how to uninstall it or even get the game started again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, first of all, I hope you're starting The Asian Dynasties expansion and not the normal AoE3, cuz the mod is only for TAD and it seems to brake vanilla.
      Second, just follow the incredibly simple steps which tell you in what order to install the game, expansions and official updates.

      And to uninstall it, well you have to uninstall the whole game and delete every folder, the ones from "My Documents/My Games" too.

      Delete
  8. Having an issue with the shipment for a second fort - the wagon comes through, but it can't do anything except move and get killed.

    ReplyDelete
  9. There is a problem with the Tunngle, etc fix. when i make the changes to override the ip and save the files and start improvement luncher it replaces the file/files i have saved with the default ones, both in my documents>mygames>and so on. And alo the startup.cfg in the game directory>startup
    I am currently unable to play mutiplayer because of this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then don't start the patcher... Problem solved. Start the game with the normal TAD exe, the mod is still there.
      The patcher is only for updating.

      Delete
  10. When I try to play in gameranger it say´s "games mismatch"!!
    what can I do resolve this problem?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You don't need to post on the blog AND send me a mail with the same message, just do one of them and I will see it.

      As I told you in the mail:

      Well, obviously your game and your friends game is not exactly the same. You don't need to be a scientist to know what "version mismatch" means...
      For example, maybe your friends installed a patch and you didn't and so your games are different.

      You have 2 options. Either one of you zips the game and sends it to the others, or re-install the game following these incredible simple steps, both you and your friends, and all will be solved:
      1. Install Age of Empires 3 (do not install any cracks after you finish, you just need a serial)
      2. Install The WarChiefs (watch out what pirated version of this one you install, some are broken)
      3. Install The Asian Dynasties (try not to run any of them until you complete all steps)
      4. Update Age of Empires 3 (latest version: 1.14)
      5. Update The WarChiefs (latest version: 1.06)
      6. Update The Asian Dynasties (latest version: 1.03)
      7. Install mod and run the patcher to update (run as administrator)

      The patcher from version 5.2's installer is too old and it might not work anymore, so instead look for a small tab on the blog's right side which is named "Fresh Start" and follow those instructions to install the mod.

      Delete
  11. when i play improvment mod , i can't hear the standard sounds
    can anybody help me please
    my email-adress: batu.zeren@gmail.com
    pls i can't play without soun
    thx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please add me on Skype at this ID: mandos-rex;
      Or on Steam at this ID: mandosrex.

      Delete
  12. I have a little problem...
    When I run the game, it asks me for a CD-Key.
    If I type it and accept, the game runs normally, but the next time I try to run the game, it asks me again for the CD-Key.

    I had this problem before, and I could solve it by adding a registry entry, but now I try to do the same and nothing changes! D:

    So... how can I solve it?

    Btw, I have Windows 7 x64.

    Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is it for The Asian Dynasties?
      Just google some keys and try them until one works.

      Delete
    2. The problem is not the key. The problem is that the game asks for it anytime I try to play it. I can enter the key anytime I want to play it, but it turns annoying.

      Delete
    3. Ok I figured out what was happening.

      Let's say that I'm new to Windows 7 and it's UAC protection, so I'm not used to run everything as administrator.

      So, when I tried to run the game and it asked for the key, it couldn't save it in the registry, cause it had no admin rights to save it there and then, everytime I would have tried to play the game, it would have kept asking for a key.

      Delete
  13. I can't play it says:

    Initialization Failed
    Could not load DATAPY.BAR

    ReplyDelete
  14. The mod works great, but my population limit is still at 200 and I still have the 8 limitation on outpost/towers that I can build. From my understanding, the mod makes both unlimited. Any idea on why just these two features of the mod aren't working?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. First of all, my mod makes nothing that was previously limited > unlimited, if you want some silly mod that makes crap unlimited go elsewhere.
      The max pop my mod offers is 300, the pop is increased every Age from 200 + a tech in the last Age.

      Second, MrUger... Cine esti si de ce imi folosesti semnatura la nume!

      Delete
  15. I downloaded the 5.5 patch and when I opened the game all my settlers were invisible and untouchable. There was no town center and my explorer was invisible. Any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 5.5...? When did that get released...? I thought 5.4 was the latest version since, you know, I made it.
      If you can't make the mod work then delete everything and don't re-install it.

      I could have tried to actually help you but the instructions are so simple and clear I'm simply too tired to do it again.

      Delete
  16. Sorry, meant 5.4. And I did follow the instructions. It says improvement mod when I open the game, I just can't see half of my stuff.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aaaand I already feel sorry for my response.
      The most important thing is to install 5.4 but DON'T run the ImpModPatcher.

      That is simply all, follow the instructions and it will work, there is no way around it. You're not the first to say the mod doesn't work, and I sually respond to such cases which don't fix themselves with this: add me on Skype or Steam and let me make it work with Team Viewer.

      I ALWAYS bitch slapped those who blamed the mod for not working when actually it was their fault, as I was able to make it work with Team Viewer.
      So you see, I have my reasons to act like an asshole whenever someone says the mod doesn't work.

      My IDs are "mandos-rex" on Skype and "mandosrex" on Steam.

      Delete
  17. Everything works, except for outpost and fort wagon in WC campaign, first mission (I just started, so I dunno if this bug is in another missions too). Wagon can't build nothing, just moving and get killed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, the Outpost Wagon should be able to transform into a Warhut, as for the Fort Wagon, I don't know what to give it for Natives.

      In case you're wondering, these cards will get proper use once you start playing as the americans a little later in the campaign.

      Delete
    2. Ok, I am now in the third mission (I guess, mission with defending redoubt on a island), and picture of resources are mixed, population is gold, wood is food, etc.
      Should I be expecting some other bugs?

      Delete
    3. Seriously, that again...? Read anywhere on the blog and you'll see this:

      If you have problems with the UI not displaying resources correctly go to "Options" and press the "Restore Defaults" button!

      Why doesn't anyone read it!

      Delete
    4. I've read it, I just informed you :)

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  18. In AD campaign, if I choose in consulate Dutch, I will receive only one unit named for example "military shipment" instead of 10 soldiers etc., when I choose American or Portugese or somebody else, I get nothing, no units.

    Same with free units from Dojo, only one soldier unable to fight stuck in animation of dying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Correction, only Sohei unit delivery from Dojo is one unusable soldier.

      Delete
    2. Hm, this again. I don't know why these TAD consulate campaign bugs appear, it makes no sense.
      I'll look over it.

      Delete
  19. But if you have windows XP, how do i install the mod? i cant run the .Exe File as admin and it keeps checking forupdate :/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You install it the exact same way... If you can't run it as admin on XP then don't.
      If the patcher keeps loading without giving any error then its all good, it means its working, it can work really slow depending on internet speed sometimes.

      Delete
  20. This mod is awesome! I had the 5.2 running a while but now i saw there is an update! The mod is getting better but with the 5.4 version i cant play lan anymore.

    Every time when in game within 10 seconds the game goes out of sync. I have installed them both the same way, updated the same way, added firewall rules, disabled firewalls,even copied the whole map from one PC to the other pc so there 100% identical accept the keys of course (located in register). The connection speed is good and never had trouble with it before. The connection runs true cat 5e cable's and a 1gb switch.

    The tool provided wont work.

    I used a cracked version but note that on 5.2 every thing worked flawless. (tested with 5 friends on a huge LAN map without OOS errors ore other crashes.

    ReplyDelete
  21. when I started Warchief, it said "Initialization failed". Do you have any idea? And what should I do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, for some unknown reason after installing the mod Warchiefs and AoE3 vanilla give that error if you try to run them. But since Asian Dynasties has everything the previous 2 have and even more it shouldn't be a problem.
      Sorry for the inconvenience.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. could you add more countries on your mod? and how can I get to age V in deathmatch,computer can do that but why I can't? Could you tell me how can I play TWC with improvement mod without error,please?
      your mod is the best

      Delete
    4. 1. I could but I won't.
      2. I have no idea, I've been trying to fix it for ages.
      3. You can't, I do not know why the mod breaks TWC but I already told you that if you have Asian Dynasties you don't need anything else as it contains everything TWC has and even more.

      Delete
    5. my problem is Why I can't play using Aztec,Iroquois,Sioux on TAD like on your screenshot?

      Delete
    6. If you can't play Native American civs in Asian Dynasties then you have the registry bug, download this version of the game and everything will work:
      http://extratorrent.cc/torrent/2890067/

      Delete
    7. thank you very much, but 1 more I can't train disciple when I use china, do you have any idea?

      Delete
    8. Uhm have you tried the War/Aid Tent? I might have moved them but I'm not sure.

      Delete
    9. I have tried, but I can't train them

      Delete
    10. Alright, will be fixed next update, readded to the monk.

      Delete
  22. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Could you make the game have a launcher like Napoleonic wars, so the game is separate from the original Age of Empires, so it does not mod the original Age of Empires? You will understand what I mean if you look at how the Napoleonic mod works.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you are talking about, but you need to understand that Napoleonic Era has an entire team behind it, full with people of many different skills and resources. I am all alone and do not have the required knowledge to do what they did, at least not easily.

      I'd love it if my mod was perfect but there's only so much one man can do alone with limited knowledge and for free.

      Delete
  24. So, I have the problem that I can't uninstall the mod, so i tried to manually do it. Now it won't even start. Problem is, I can't reinstall cuz I borrowed the game from a friend. Can you do something to help me please?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not a magician... You should have known the risks of installing a mod.
      And if you would have read the instructions you would have seen this:

      - to completely remove the mod please re-install the game after you've removed all remaining files from the game's installation

      Did you even have both expansions? Because if not, why did you even install it... You could try a torrent or something.

      Delete
    2. Yeah but I was playing online before...

      Delete
    3. You can still install it via torrent and just don't use any cracks, use your serial, since you said you were playing online.

      Delete
  25. I cannot play multiplayer with Improvement mod using Game Ranger.It says version mismatch

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right, well when both you and your friends will have the same version of the mod installed then you'll be able to play.

      Delete
  26. Hey, great mod!
    I've encountered one issue so far with some unit icons not showing up on the mini map, I can see the slightly lighter region indicating their range of sight, but not their coloured square icons themselves.
    Any idea what I can do to fix this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What? Could you post a screenshot?
      From the sound of it you might have problems with the Warchiefs expansion. Can you play with Native civs such as Aztecs, Sioux and Iroquois.

      Also, sorry for the late response but Google marked these mails as spam for some reason...

      Delete
  27. How do I turn off the Mod to play the normal version?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess you need to reinstall the game...why... I believe there is a clear answer to your question in the installation guide/ instruction section here on this blog...please do read it ...no offense though...dude...

      Delete
    2. Yes, there is no uninstalling option at the moment so you either make 2 copies of the game, one modded and one not (and switch between them), or you chose only one. In which case to remove the mod you need to completely delete and reinstall the game.

      Delete
    3. I make a backup. But whenever I try to play the un-modded version it still goes to the improvement mod.

      Delete
  28. mandos...first of all thanks for making aoe 3 more interesting game...yup your mod does great things to the base game. really I recommend this mod to all who know aoe 3. now i hope u will reply to one little concern i have...it goes like this...
    I like playing sioux,
    I want 25 vills all the time on fire pit :)
    in your latest mod update you reverted the pop to 200
    also now, vills cost 1 pop,
    so it actually reduces the overall strength of natives as one needs some 70 to 80 vills to feed the natives as well as do the dance ( it's taxing to spend that much pop on vills when it comes to attacking in big numbers)
    I humbly ask you...only if you find any logic in what I said...that can we have the vills pop cap free?... for me it make a huge diff...
    please reply

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand your problem but now I need you to understand mine.
      You're not the only one playing this mod, I have a few guys giving me almost daily feedback and here's the thing:

      Villagers costing 0 pop was a nice idea and I explained why, but ultimately this game needs to be as balanced and competitive as possible. For that to happen villagers need to cost pop.

      As for reverting max pop, it's actually 222 now. Again, one of the main reasons is balance and of course performance.

      Although there are many players out there with powerful computers, it doesn't matter how powerful your computer is as long as AoE3 is an old game and it's not made to use all that power, thus the game will lag with too many units in the game at once.

      And this is of course even worse for players with old computers.

      The firepit, yeah you are using 25 villagers on it but I wouldn't call it a waste, since the firepit gives you powerful bonuses which can help you turn battles and win.

      If you want you can edit the mod easily and make villagers free of pop for yourself.
      I can tell you how if you want, it's not hard but it's a little bit to explain so I'm not gonna do it now.

      Delete
  29. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sorry for double post, couldn't edit my previous comment. I am unable to update my mod because it keeps saying this:
    http://gyazo.com/3f317944c18adef26b815dc7e6b0c394

    Can you please help me? Thanks in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go to your game's main directory and delete the ".git" folder, then install the latest patcher and run as administrator to update.
      https://www.dropbox.com/s/7360e1kdq6yw3vl/AoE3ImpModPatcher.exe

      If for some godly reason it still doesn't work then you can manually download the latest version from the server to which the patcher connects to.
      https://github.com/mandosrex/AoE3ImpMod_Base

      Yes, you now have absolutely no excuse.

      Delete
    2. What can I say but say that YOU'RE THE MAN! The first option worked flawlessly ^^ ( I suppose that the patcher that comes in the 5.4 download is a bit buggy or maybe my pc was just being silly )

      Thank you so much for the help and fast reply!

      Delete
  31. Hey there Mandos!
    Here i come to you with an issue concerning the Fire campaign:
    Right now, the game works just fine, with all nations working properly, except in Fire Campaign screen there is no Home City button, and it seems to read in Philadelphia by default. However, i can play the maps, with all iroquois stuff in place, only just i seem to get the same choices of cards as in Ice. I can't build a deck with them, the selected cards just fill the roster tabs as far as their visual limits.
    Everything is patched as required, the mod had been actualized, i even tried the registry fix, though it didn't changed anything for me from before.
    If this rings a bell, please lend me a tweak lead.
    OZ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, no, the registry fix has nothing to do with campaigns, only if you don't get the Warchiefs stuff in Skirmish.

      Now, there's a looong story behind this problem but I'll try to make it short, I made it so that the original campaign (Fire, Ice and Steel) have the homecity button in the menu and not the Warchiefs campaign (Fire and Shadow) (the reason behind this is because, well the original campaign is bigger, with 3 Acts and stuff). No they can't both have it, again, long story.

      Now, here was my idea, I wanted to make it so that the Ice campaign (John Black) and Fire campaign (Nathaniel Black) shared the same homecity (as well as the Steel campaign to share the same homecity with Shadow), as they are close in timeline and setting (american revolution in the first case), so that, even though I removed the button from the Fire campaign, you could go back to Ice and change the homecity from the menu there.

      That was the plan at least. I am aware that for some people it doesn't work right though, so I plan to revert everything back.
      Even if the homecity button isn't in the menu, can you change the cards in the homecity visits between missions? Or doesn't that work as well?

      And that's it. And this was the short explanation...

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the reply!
      It does send me to the Home City between missions, but only with two options: Choose new cards, and Customization (Nothing to do here, only some items unlocked by default, no items to enable). There i selected new cards, that's how i noticed all every card get's into deck on it's own. For each age the deck fills, that's how i got like 50 cards to play with in the end. The filling isn't random either, he went in line starting from the resource cards. I am gonna check on the Ice Home City now, and try running a map from Fire after setting Ice cards. Worth a try! :)

      Delete
    3. I'm actually going to uninstall the mod because of this. Very unfortunate. This - and the fact that units get damaged from the trading post vehicles passing. Absolutely game breaking.

      Delete
  32. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  33. When i launch the game , the loading stuck at the money coin , steam version

    ReplyDelete
  34. When i start the game, the game stuck on the loading page. Not steam version. How do i fix this?

    ReplyDelete
  35. When I start the game, the sounds are automatically disabled and enabling in the options menu doesn't work.
    Non-Steam, PT-BR version

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PT-BR version? The prototype? If it's the prototype then yeah, I've experienced problems as well. Working on them.

      Delete
    2. Yep, Prototype, I hope it gets a fix soon.

      Delete
    3. Yeah, so, I also made the game to create it's own "My Documents" folder (where all the settings, custom maps and homecities are saved) but apparently this causes problems with settings and... I dunno how to fix them.

      If I don't find a solution then I'll make the game use the original folder again and... Well this won't really be a huge problem, only homecities will be shared between modded and unmodded games (as custom maps already have their own unique folder.

      Delete
    4. starting the game through Steam fixes this :/

      Delete
    5. But he was talking about the prototype which has it's own exe, how would you start it from Steam then?

      Delete
    6. It's possible to start the game as a non-Steam game if you didn't know.

      Delete
    7. Yeah but it still doesn't fix the settings problem.
      To fix that you have to:

      "Before playing the mod to go your game's installation folder and set "age3m.exe" to run in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3!"

      Delete
    8. I'm using Win XP SP3 and still, have this sound bug. But using Steam somehow fixes this.

      Delete
  36. Bug: Unable to use outpost wagon to build a blockhouse while playing as Russians.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I get DATAPY.bar failed to load. I tried to reinstall 4 times, no change. I used the patcher and it failed, I used direct install and it failed? It used to work just fine until I restarted my PC.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Replies
    1. Update: It works if I install the 5.4 back again, but it doesn't work with the 6.0 version even though it did work back in the past.

      Delete
    2. Oh, sorry, haven't been on Skype for a while.
      Version 6 is a PROTOTYPE, which means things will break and not work as they should. You can call if a beta if you prefer.

      I will fix it in time.

      Delete
    3. Thanks a lot for replying. It just that it used to work for me then suddenly stopped working, and re-installing didn't help. Thanks though!

      Delete
  39. how do I uninstall this mod? I did a fresh install on my pc without touching this and it's come back? getting crc mismatch on 2 exact copies of the game because of this mod. Why?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. uninstall the game> delete the 'Age of empire III' folder from your steam directory (if steam version) or from the Microsoft Studios/Games directory, then re-install the game

      Delete
  40. Okay.... So I just installed the Mod, started it up typed the CD-Key in from Steam, but it says it's the wrong key? I've typed it fully correct in?
    Please help someone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nevermind, opened the wrong version of it, instead of just opening it via Steam.

      Delete
    2. No.
      If you just installed the game and then put the mod over it, the mod's exe will ask for a cdkey but it won't take one no matter what you put it.

      You need to run the original game once (from Steam or whatever) so the game is registered in the windows registry and THEN run the mod's exe.

      Delete
    3. I'm having the same problem.
      I've run the original aoe3,tad and war chief expansion and even played the tutorial.
      Then I ran the age3m.exe but it's still not accepting the keys
      I'm running the complete collection on Windows 10 x86

      Delete
    4. Did you open TAD from Steam? It's important you do.

      I don't know how this is happening to you since it doesn't for me or the people I have on Steam. And so, if I cannot reproduce it, I cannot fix it.

      Add me on Steam and I will be able to help you.

      Delete
  41. This tool is working very well with Improvement mod ,but I've got a problem with Age Of Dynasties mod. Every time I play on LAN or ESO after 5 seconds i see out of sync.
    How can I fix it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. its written on the top of the post, this is a common out of synch issue
      to fix it, run this as administrator:
      http://aoe3.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=3486
      use this tool on every computer who will play LAN with you
      also, if that didn't worked, try not to play with custom maps (for some strange reason, they make the game crash our outsynch...)
      hope that helped ;)

      Delete
  42. Hi, amazing mod (it changes the way you plays the game)
    thanks a lot :)
    the only issue is that some basic voices (settlers, classic units...) are missing, could somebody help me ? :/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you have missing sounds or textures then it means you also have missing Native civs (Aztecs, Iroquois and Sioux) and so you have used the broken torrent which has a registry bug for the Warchiefs expansion.

      Please buy the game on Steam and everything will work.

      Delete
  43. Okay, i buyed the game on steam, now everythings normal
    still, the mod pacher keeps saying "Error Grabbing Master Server List."
    would be awesome if you could help me^^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh... That's nice.

      Just add me on Steam or Skype, then we use Team Viewer, we spend like 2 minutes avoiding useless barter and bum, both of us leave satisfied.

      Steam: mandosrex
      Skype: mandos-rex

      Delete
    2. yup, sended you an invite :p

      Delete
  44. Hi, wondering if anyone can help? I've bought age of empires 1 gold edition from Amazon and there are already saved games from the previous owner in the cd-rom, but when i go to delete them it won't let me. Any help appreciated on how to do this. Thanks laura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. if by "saved games" you ment the home cities and savegames, etc..
      just go into PC> Documents> My Games> Age of Empires 3> Savegame (or AoE3 Improvement Mod> Savegamm), find the files names that you want to delete and simply delete them

      Delete
  45. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  46. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  47. So I uninstalled Age of empires 3 and it's expansions, Then I reinstalled them. But Improvement mod is still there

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After you uninstall the game, the mod's files are still present in the folder where the game was installed.
      So go there and manually delete any remaining files before reinstalling the game.

      Why is this on the level of rocket science?

      Delete
    2. Because the mod should have an uninstall option. Not extending this courtesy (requirement?) to the users is insulting to your users and frustrating and honestly infuriating especially when their are major bugs and issues.

      Delete
  48. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  49. Hello, so im having trouble with the installer. I have tried installing with both the improvement mod setup wizard, manual, and the patcher. When I run the launcher it tells me it is having trouble writing to certain programs. When i run the patcher it gives me several system errors stating different files are missing from my computer. Please help the mod looks very fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From where do I even start? I shouldn't even need to ask this but do you have framework, visual c++, you know, the normal things games and programs need to run?

      Because by the sound of it...

      You also have to run everything as administrator. Have AoE3 and both expansions, preferably on Steam. If not on Steam then have both expansions and all official updates installed.

      It's all really simple but... I guess mentioning Team Viewer won't help.

      Delete
  50. Hi my Swedish home city deck does not have any unique cards its just the Russian deck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Swedish are not finished, they are a work in progress.

      Delete
  51. when i play a skrimish it says, missing standard ai and the ai dosn't do anything the whole match.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your installation is fucked.

      You need the Steam version, put the patcher in the bin folder, run it as admin.

      Bum, done. Easy.

      Refer to video tutorials of it's too hard:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOFQGitVKR0

      Delete
    2. thanks it works, is there any way to change the unit cap to a larger number

      Delete
    3. "it works"

      Now that is a rare sight.

      Changing unit caps requires modding. Open "protom" in the "data" folder and go nuts.

      Delete
    4. is protom a file that affects the main game or the mod

      Delete
    5. Mod. "Protom" > mod, "protoy" > Asian Dynasties.

      Delete
    6. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    7. but what exactly do i have to edit in protom

      Delete
    8. First you search for "Settler" in protom. Then you look for the line. Then you modify it.

      Delete
    9. Fuck, the BuildLimit line. Comments don't support arrows and it deleted the word.

      Delete
    10. and how do you raise the population cap

      Delete
    11. You can't just change a number. The game is hardcodded at a pop cap of 250. You need to install other software. And I will not explain that entire process here.

      http://aoe3.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=3776&f=&st=10&ci=

      Delete
    12. thanks you are very helpfull

      Delete
  52. i saw a post u made a while ago 2015 called no limits where u made it so villagers where 0 what happend to that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Changes. Lots and lots of changes.

      I still want to make some kind of tech that makes villagers take 0 pop but it doesn't really work code wise.

      Though, I might have some new ideas how to make it work.
      Will report back.

      Delete
  53. I have here what the problem: "00:00:00 (0) XS Error 0003: could not compile file 'aiLoaderStandard.xs'" What could it be ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your game is broken, bad installation, follow the tutorials, do not install 5.4 and update with the patcher.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOFQGitVKR0

      Delete
    2. And which version should I install then ?

      Delete
    3. Download this https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxZxW4IntQ3cUnlSMjgybVAtQ2c/view
      (also linked everywhere on this blog...)

      Put it in "steam/steamapps/common/age of empires 3/bin", right-click it, RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR, click PATCH, done.

      Delete
    4. Make sure your game is CLEAN! No other mods, no previous Improvement Mod versions, nothing. Just a clean install from steam.

      Delete
    5. But if I don't have the Steam version ?

      Delete
    6. Then you are out of luck. Get the CD Complete Collection.
      If you don't meet the mod requirements then... I can't do anything.

      Delete
    7. Work, I have not installed the 5.4 version and mod running stable. Thank you !

      Delete
  54. When I use the patcher, "AOE3ImpModPatcer.exe_bk" pops up and then the patcher loads again. When I attempt to start the mod, windows informs me that Age of Empires 3 has stopped working and "will close the program and notify you if a solution is available. Here is what I did to attempt to fix it.
    1) Uninstall each of the CD disks and reinstall the game on a fresh start.
    2) Update game again
    3) Reinstall improvement mod (running patcher as admin)
    4) Didn't work so I downloaded from drive and then when it didn't work, I did a system restore.
    5) Reinstalled the game on a fresh start again
    6) Update each disk and run the game at least once per disk trying.
    7) Reinstall improvement mod (running patcher as admin)
    8) Didn't work, attempted to download from drive again to no avail.
    I've had no issues playing the mod before on this PC. When I ran the patcher each time, I would get excited when it started showing percentages and file numbers, but when it was ready (after less than 2 minutes) the game simply crashed with the windows message that "Age of Empires 3 has stopped working 'A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.'" The game works fine when not on the mod. I really enjoyed your hard work on this mod and after attempting strenuously to fix it, I reach out to you with the hopes that I may be able to do so.
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  55. I'm so glad I solved the issue, the Improvement Mod has trouble with my PC because my desktop is extended onto two displays. Thanks again for all the work that you put in to making this mod a success!

    ReplyDelete
  56. I would actually like to request if the full mod installer could be made available for download, the patcher is taking to long to do the job, and i would like to have the full mod on hand for future use.

    Also, it goes without saying that this mod is excellent, I love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can manually download and install the mod from here:
      https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxZxW4IntQ3cNGx5Wk1mYXdHVUE

      I view installers as benchmarks for the mod, a installer release means that the version found in the installer is stable and complete.
      As it stands, I still have a lot of work to do on Swedish, African maps and unit descriptions. After this, basically all of my main work is done and an installer release will follow.

      Delete
  57. I believe there is an issue with the latest update (tried yesterday and today 16/04/2017)
    Error: Out of sync, which occurs 15 seconds into the game starting.

    Pretty confident it is the latest update because I have a copy of the previous C drive files of the Age of Empires folder which work fine.

    Tried clean installs etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hm, probably related to the African maps, working on maps can cause Out of sync. But here's the good news, a super update aimed at Out of sync issues is coming, you just have to wait until I finish the whole African stuff for everything to straighten out.

      Delete
  58. Hello,

    Great mod, running into a problem where I cannot select Japanese Isolation from consulate, any ideas?

    Thanks,
    -Paul

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Japanese Isolation has been replaced with American allies, and the units that were for Isolation can now be trained by daimyos.

      Delete
  59. i don't have a product key and i need it what is the mean

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Run the original game first (age3y.exe), enter the game's cdkey, and THEN run the mod's exe (age3m.exe).

      Delete
  60. Hello, does the patcher no longer work? Please clarify a question: does patcher need to be installed version 5.4? Or I can install the patch in the normal folder of Age 3. When it starts to update it says that it has some problem in the file.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Patcher works, if you get the latest version.
      https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxZxW4IntQ3cUnlSMjgybVAtQ2c/view

      And all your questions are answered here: https://impmod.blogspot.ro/p/downloads.html

      1. Install AoE3 Complete Collection (Steam version).
      2. Run Asian Dynasties from Steam at least once.
      3. Install the mod's Patcher in "/Steam/steamapps/common/Age of Empires 3/bin/".
      4. Right click the Patcher and run as ADMINISTRATOR.
      5. Tap Start on the Patcher once it finishes downloading or run "age3m.exe".
      6. Have fun.

      Delete
  61. I keep getting the error-
    The remote server returned an error: 404 Not Found.

    The error is on Windows 10.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The download of the files doesn't even start. The error shows up as soon as I start the patcher

      Delete
    2. Manually copying the files from github causes age3m.exe to say Could not initialize DATAPY.bar, which is present in the folder and untouched from the original installation. The patcher in the folder still gives the same error. It is in the correct directory.

      Delete
    3. Don't use Github, use Google Drive.
      https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxZxW4IntQ3cNGx5Wk1mYXdHVUE

      Does it say anywhere on this blog to use Github? No, But it does say to use Drive: "If for some reason the Patcher doesn't work you can download the full mod from Drive"

      You need Steam version of AoE3, run Asian Dynasties at least once, put the mod in the "bin" folder, run "age3m.exe". That's all.

      Delete
    4. Also: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/impmod/cannot-load-datapy-bar-t186.html

      Delete
    5. Thanks! The Drive files worked. The patcher still gives the same error as before but the game can now be launched.

      Delete
    6. Well, here's what happened.

      We've been using a free host/server someone provided to host the mod for the patcher to download. Unfortunately, it went down recently. Like all free things, it didn't last forever. Now we are looking for a new server. If we don't find a good free server, I might be forced to buy one, which is... not ideal.
      I'm doing all this for free and I am not particularly swimming in money personally so... it sucks to pay for this from my own pocket.

      I don't know what will happen next. I'm sorry.
      Thanks for playing.

      Delete
  62. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  63. So all I have to do is downlad the files from GD and then move them to the bin folder in my steam?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Oooor, wait a day or so because I will release a new patcher.

      Delete
  64. When try to start the patcher , it fails and it says "Unable to connect to remote server"

    ReplyDelete
  65. When I was trying to install it appears the message dont patch exe name, what should be done?

    ReplyDelete
  66. When I'm going to use the mod installer, a message about Patche exe.name appears, what should I do to fix this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have no idea what you're talking about.
      If you want help, Skype/Steam + Team Viewer.

      Delete
    2. We need to arrange a day for you to assist me in the installation.

      Delete
  67. Hey Mandos love this mod man used to use a version quite awhile ago (3.8 something I think?) anyway, I recently reinstalled the game and saw this patcher. while I followed the instructions, ran the game once, put the patcher in the directory and then ran the patcher. the problem I'm having is the patcher keeps displaying an error message saying: "An exception occurred during a WebClient Request", any idea what this means? and any idea how to solve it? I also get another pop up saying: "End of Central Directory record could not be found." Can you please help me? I have the complete collection edition and these messages pop up during installation.
    Many Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. If you had 3.8 installed, do not use the patcher to update it because it will break the game. Do a clean reinstall of the game. When uninstalling make sure you delete all remaining files and folders from the installation folder.

      2. Download the patcher and place it in the game's main folder, where all exes are. The "bin" folder for the Steam version.

      3. Run the patcher as administrator. Make sure your antivirus is not blocking the patcher or else it will not work.

      4. Start the mod/game from the patcher at least once, so the patcher can set the mod's exe to run in WinXP SP3 compatibility mode, which is required for settings to save properly. After you run the mod from the patcher at least once, you can run the mod's exe "age3m.exe" instead to play the mod.

      Delete
  68. Dude for the sake of God make us able to play at lower resolutions , not all of us have good PC , lower resolution forces cut screen edges , that's all I ask

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What? That's not my fault and it's not something I can change.
      The only thing I recommend is to make sure the mod's exe (age3m.exe) is set to run in Windows XP SP3 compatibility mode because settings will not save properly if it's not, other than that...

      If you have black lines when putting the game in a lower resolution than your monitor's max resolution, it might be because you installed a driver for your monitor (which is really not necessary), and instead of stretching the image on lower resolutions to make it fullscreen (which is not ideal either), it makes those black lines instead to keep the lower resolution consistent.
      I made this mistake once years ago on my old monitor.

      Also play around with the windowed setting.
      I don't know what else to tell you dude. Could you maybe send me a screenshot and more info on the monitor and resolutions?

      Delete
  69. Hey guys, I'm having a strange problem, the patcher is just getting stuck everytime, it goes fine around 30% or 40% then it stuck on a number... what to do? Or it really takes a really loooong time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  70. Ok, so now it seems like it got to 100%. But it gives me "Initialization Failed".

    Yes, I launched the game wich is original from steam one time before trying to start the mod.
    Yes, the mod is at the "Bin" folder at the game folder.

    I already played toons of mods in very different games but this one seems to not like me lol, I already spent some hours here trying to make this work but no succes. When it doesn't stuck, it just doesn't initialize. Please, I ask for help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Obs: The "Unknown" up above is me, I don't know what happened lol

      Delete
  71. i dont have a cd key. please tell me

    ReplyDelete
  72. The fist time I installed the mod I was able to upgrade my walls to fort walls. However I am now no longer able to do this. Is that something I should be able to do?
    Thanks for your help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For a bit more detail, the first time I installed it I used the installer not the patcher.

      Delete
  73. I played with this mod on my custom map, I do not have unlimited population, and cannons cost extra population. How do I get unlimited pop on a custom scenario?

    ReplyDelete
  74. unable to read data from the transport connection an existing connection was forcibly closed by remote host
    Help ?

    ReplyDelete
  75. same here , have you managed to solve it and have it running?

    ReplyDelete
  76. I would like to know if it is possible to change the language in the game . I am a Russian person, I know very little English . I would like to install a different language, but I can't . I apologize in advance for the clumsiness .

    ReplyDelete
  77. This mod is the best I've ever played

    ReplyDelete

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