Age of Mythology update

Age of Mythology, the next installment in Ensemble's Age of Empire series, is coming out next month, and the closed public alpha test is just about to wrap up. The multiplayer test will conclude tomorrow, September 13, so the team has time to prepare the servers for the launch of the final game.

Age of Mythology's producer released a list of the changes that have been made to the game in response to testing feedback. The online user interface has been completely redesigned, and it now has a quick teams option to make it easier to play friends and an online games list that will serve as an alternative to the game search function.

There have also been a number of balance changes. Some changes speed up the pace of the game, increasing training and gathering speeds, making later ages cheaper and faster to research, and placing gold closer to town centers. Additionally, the civilization bonuses now have a bigger effect, and the random maps have more variation. In terms of the gameplay specifics, the Norse now have a better counter to archers, the Egyptian barracks are now more expensive, and Greek gathering sites and military buildings are now cheaper.

Age of Mythology is scheduled for release in October. For more details, check out our extensive coverage of the game.