How to Use Age of Empires III Cheats

As more companies write games using XML, it's becoming easier to edit aspects of them that were difficult to modify before. In Age of Empires III, you can enter all the normal cheats, but there are several special cheats available to those with an interest in mucking with the game's code. Read on to learn how to use Age of Empires III cheats.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Enter the standard cheats by pressing "Enter" and typing one of the game's standard codes. For instance, "Enter" then "Medium Rare Please" will instantly give you 10,000 units of food.

2. Modify the amount of resources you begin a map with by opening the "proto.xml" file in the game's "data" directory. Find any of the "CrateOf" entries and modify the value "InitialResourceCount." This changes the amount of resources in the crates around your initial camp. For example, "CrateOfWood" then "InitialResourceCount" then "5000.00" gives you 5,000 wood per crate.

3. Open "sp_[yourcityname]_homecity.xml," located in the "Age of Empires III" directory in the "My Documents" folder to change your home city's level. Find the entry "&#ltlevel&#gt[number]&#ltlevel&#gt" and change the number in the middle to any two digit number; this will be the new level of your city.

4. Give yourself unlimited Unlock Points using the same file as in Step 3. Find the entry "&#ltskillpoints&#gt[number]&#ltskillpoints&#gt" and change the number to anything you want. This will be the number of points you have available to unlock upgrades for your hometown.

Tips & Warnings

• If the XML cheat doesn't show up when you enter the game, try playing a quick skirmish and it should update afterwards.
• Always use a plain-text editor, like Notepad, to edit XML files. Other editors will alter the file and corrupt your save or even the entire game.
• Always make backups of any file before you change it.
• Never modify game files while the game is running.

Resources

• Visit Gamespot for all the basic cheat codes.