A few people have reported not being able to launch the new patch. We've always had some people with problems with redistributables. In which case, check out this link for more details.

But for those that were able to run the last patch 4.7 without troubles and might be running into new problems with 4.8b, then here are a few things you can try:

• Bypass launcher:
  
  • Steam Client > Select Age of Empires > Properties > Local Files > Browse Local Files
  • Rename launcher.exe to launcher2.exe
  • Rename Age HD.exe to launcher.exe
  • Double click launcher.exe -- game should run. If you get a dll error, it's a Visual Studio 2015 redistributable error, and refer to the above link.
• Virus checker exception:
  
  • In general, you should make a global exception to your entire Steam Library installation directory. This is to prevent the game from getting quarantined, and we've seen this with patch 4.8.
  • Also doing this is important for performance reasons as virus checkers checking all the game files while running the game can create detrimental performance.

We have upgraded the MP restore system and improved the underlying lobby architecture to work with the current save / load structure and player profile systems.

• MP games can now be saved correctly and restored.
• File Transfer now functions correctly in the MP lobby.
• A green loading bar now displays progress for all players.
• MP saves, custom scenarios and custom maps now transfer correctly.
• Please note that old MP restore games may no longer load correctly (4.7 and older).

We have done extensive profiling and made significant improvements to the rendering system. Most machines (including minimum spec) have shown steady improvements, however, some configurations with integrated graphics cards may not see as significant FPS improvements.

Recommendations and Tools:

• If you are unable to hold 60 FPS:
  
  • Disable Vsync in the options menu. If your FPS is in between 30 and 60 you may attain a higher FPS average with vsync off.
  • Disable Render 3D Water in the options menu.
• If you have battery power concerns (running a laptop under battery power).
  
  • Ensure your setmaxfps is set to 60 or enable Vsync to ensure optimal usage.
• To view your FPS rate press F11 twice in game.
• To change your max FPS open the in game chat box and type “setmaxfps 60” (replacing 60 with the desired value). When you press enter you will see a chat notification. You will also
  need to disable Vsync in order to see FPS rates higher than 60.

•  
  
  • Scrolling improvements have been made.
  • Software limiter has been added.
  • FPS counter has been added (press F11 twice in game).
  • FPS limiter has been added and the max FPS is defaulted to 60 FPS when Vsync is disabled.

Vsync:

• Rendering Optimization:
  
  • Default Hardware Vertex Processing has been adjusted.
  • Terrain lighting and tile updates have been optimized.
  • Terrain rendering improvements have been made to the tile system to make them render more efficiently (this is most visible in LudiKris maps sizes).
  • Terrain rendering improvements have been to be more efficient in deciding what tiles to render (making L.
  • 3D elements have been optimized.
• Timing and Scheduling Changes:
  
  • Game now utilizes one CPU core more efficiently and requires less power consumption (specifically on laptops).
  • Scrolling has been improved and is now smoother in more situations.
  • Network events now respond faster.
• Game Focus:
  
  • Game now continues to render to the window when it loses focus.
  • Sound output will continue to shut off when the window loses focus.
• Mp3 Streamer Optimization:
  
  • Audio data now has a smaller buffer and loads more frequently.
  • Audio no longer loads when the music slider is turned down completely.

Thank you for your support in uploading your desync logs! These logs are vital tools in identifying and fixing these challenging issues and were used to address multiple desyncs.

• A rare crash was addressed when rapidly refreshing and joining multiple lobbies.
• Lobby co-op flow has been improved and player civs are now updated correctly.
• Lobby Location no longer includes DLC maps in Full Random.
• Civ jingles now play for all players when loading into gameplay (not just the host).
• In game score list now display AI leader names.
• In game flares now display in the sender’s player colour.
• In game help text (like town center upgrades) should now display correctly.
• Farms no longer appear or sound depleted when they are not.
• Save Chapter (F9) and Save Game (F12) now have a small delay between clicks to prevent performance spikes and crashes when the game is saving.
• Vote dialog now times out disconnected players after 20 seconds (down from 30). This is to ensure the remaining players receive the correct packet updates when a player disconnects.
• Beach terrain now correctly updates when other textures are placed over it.
• Various minor translation and localization issues have been addressed.

Workshop:

• The structure of the main-screen.json file has been altered. In order to prevent existing main menu mods from crashing, the file has been renamed to main-menu.json. Any existing mods will cease to work until they are ported to the new structure and republished.
• Publishing/Updating more than 1 mod in a row is now possible.

Units/Techs:

• Elite War Wagon has been updated (fixed armour Class 28 'Cavalry Archers' and Class 0 for all civs except Gaia)
• Base Genitours have been updated (fixed armour Class 28 'Cavalry Archers')
• Base Caravels have been updated (fixed armour Class 19 'Unique Units')
• Camels have been updated (fixed attack vs. Class 30 'HD Camels' and is vs. Class 0 for all civs except Gaia)
• Eagles have been updated (fixed attack vs. Class 30 'HD Camels')
• Eastern and Nordic Swordsmen have been updated (fixed attack vs. Class 21 'Standard Buildings' and is vs. Class 0 for all civs except Gaia)
• Archer, Crossbowman, Arbalest have been updated (fixed attack Class 13 'Stone Defense' which was previously only set for Gaia)
• Camel Archers now have anti-spearmen bonus (0 attack against spearmen), so Parthian Tactics can properly affect Camel Archers of other civs, like Saracen Camel archers in the first scenario of Berber campaign.
• Kamayuk now do +20 damage to Elephant type units.
• Trade Cogs now turn instantly when returning from a dock.
• Trade Carts now have a smaller collision radius (less blockages on trade routes).
• Yasama now fires 1 arrow less (down from 3 to 2).
• Genitours are now created faster when playing as the Aztecs.
• Kasbah is longer applied to the player researching it.
• Fortified Walls take the same time to build as Stone Walls (both 10s now, previously 11s/10s).
• Certain Gate orientations no longer construct faster than others (487&488).
• Ethiopian Skirmishers no longer have an increased fire rate (only Foot Archers are affected).
• Korean "Faster Fortification" bonus now properly affects Fortified Walls.
• Persians no longer randomly use Saracen villager voices.
• Indian Camel Armor bonus values have been removed (it incorrectly increased their now-defunct ship armor).
• Pavise no longer incorrectly applies to Skirmishers.
• Condottiero is now properly affected by the Malian armor bonus.
• Chieftains now properly affects Berserk damage vs Camels.
• Organ Gun is now properly affected by the Turkish team bonus.
• Mayan Team bonus now affects all gate types & orientations.

Game Balance:

• Arrowslits costs 250F 250W (increased from 150F 150W).
• Arrowslits removed from the following civilizations: Ethiopians, Goths, Huns, Indians, Magyars, Malians, Mayans, Mongols, Persians, Portuguese and Slavs.
• Arrowslits moved to Imperial Age.
• Effect from Arrowslits reduced from 2/4/6 to 1/2/3.
• ESkirm upgrade costs 200W 100G (reduced from 250W 160G).
• Husbandry costs 150F (reduced from 250F), research time reduced from 50s to 40s.
• Fire ships are now affected by Ballistics.
• Siege Tower costs 200W 160G (reduced from 300W 160G).
• Acacia Trees are now worth 150W (increased from 100W).
• Demolition Raft speed -0.1 (reduced from 1.6 to 1.5).
• Fire Galley -5 HP (reduced from 100 to 95).
• Aztecs: Military creation bonus (+16.5%) doesn’t apply to Monks.
• Aztecs: Get Demolition Raft.
• Berbers: Cavalry discount staggered to -15/20% in Castle/Imperial.
• Berbers: Receive Ring Archer Armor.
• Berbers: Non-elite Genitours -1 attack, +1 range.
• Byzantines: Greek Fire upgrade costs 250F 300G (instead of 250F 450G).
• Ethiopians: Upgraded scorpion projectile has 0.3 size.
• Ethiopians: Elite) Shotel anti-building bonus reduced to 0/1 (down from 2/3).
• Franks: Throwing Axeman (non-elite and elite) +10 HP.
• Huns: (Elite) Tarkans +1 pierce armor.
• Incas: Kamayuks +0.05 speed (same base speed as Samurais and Throwing Axemen).
• Italians: Gunpowder discount increased to -20% (was -15%).
• Italians: Fishing Ships cost -25W instead of having +2 LoS.
• Italians: Condottiero creation time increased from 11s to 13s.
• Japanese: Get Treadmill Crane.
• Malians: Lose Halberdier.
• Malians: Wood bonus no longer affects farms.
• Malians: Elite Gbeto attack reduced from 14 to 13.
• Mongols: Elite Mangudai frame delay increased from 0 to 5.
• Mongols: Elite Mangudai receive their original anti-siege bonus.
• Portuguese: Feitoria now cost 250g, 250s (changed from 250g, 250w).
• Portuguese: Feitoria production rates are now 0.8f, 0.8w, 0.45g, 0.25s (from 0.7f, 0.7w, 0.45g, 0.45s).
• Portuguese: Arquebus now has a smaller effect on gunpowder units (Ballistics is still enabled but projectile speed modifier reduced by 75%).
• Saracens: Elite Mameluke missile delay increased to 5 (up from 0).
• Slavs: Boyar speed increased from 1.35 to 1.4.
• Spanish: Team bonus for trade is 25% more gold instead of 33%.
• Teutons: Teutonic Knights speed increased to 0.7 (up from 0.65).
• Turks: Gold miners work 20% faster (up from 15%).
• Viking: Chieftains affect all infantry units.

Forgotten campaign:

• Sforza 1:Aqueducts can no longer be completed before the Luigeusi quest.
• Sforza 3:Sabotage missions now correctly affect events that occur later in the scenario.
• Sforza 3:Triggers in the second and third sections should now function correctly.
• Sforza 3:Some off-grid objects have been removed to improve pathfinding.
• Sforza 3:AI no longer resigns randomly.
• Sforza 3:AI now has enough resources to attack in the third section.
• Bari 3: Norman enemies should now be gray in color.
• Dracula 4: Player colors have been updated to use the correct color.
• Dracula 5: Player colors have been updated to use the correct color.
• Prithviraj 1: Opponents no longer walk around incorrectly.
• Prithviraj 2: Additional gold mines have been added near the beginning of the scenario.
• Prithviraj 2: Scenario can now be won when the purple player is destroyed after the others.
• Prithviraj 3: Additional gold and stone mines have been added near the beginning of the scenario.
• Prithviraj 3: Some off-grid objects have been removed to improve pathfinding.
• Prithviraj 3: Completing the Imperial Camel side quest now also researches the Heavy Camel technology.
• Prithviraj 3: Messages no longer trigger incorrectly after Prithviraj has been discovered.
• Prithviraj 3: Villagers no longer appear to roam the map incorrectly.
• Prithviraj 4: Player colors have been updated to use the correct color.
  Some off-grid objects have been removed to improve pathfinding.
• El Dorado 2: Completing the collect sail side quest no longer causes a sudden defeat.
• El Dorado 2: Missing text string for player 6 has been added.

African Kingdom campaign:

• Tariq ibn Ziyad 2: Merida is no longer able to build a wonder after being defeated.
• Tariq ibn Ziyad 2: Guadalajara now resigns more appropriately.
• Sundjata3: Djenne will now activate when under attack.
• Sundjata 4: Gbetos now spawn when the player has less than 15 Gbetos and 150 total populations.
• Sundjita 5: Red player now resigns more appropriately.
• Sundjita 5: Overall difficulty has been decreased.
• Yodit 2: AI should appear less passive and attack the player.
• Yodit 2: Player colors have been updated to use the correct color.
• Yodit 2: Player 8 has been removed from the scenario.
• Yodit 3: When Dagnajan reaches the pass the player is now correctly defeated.
• Yodit 3: Cyan AI difficulty has been decreased.
• Yodit 3: Missing ending dialogue has been added.
• Yodit 4: Red player now has access to additional wood.
• Yodit 4: Conquering all tribes now behaves as intended.
• Yodit 4: Stelae should now provide the correct resources.
• Yodit 4: Stelae should now only change ownership to the enemy AI if it has units next to it.
• Yodit 5: Stelae triggers have been updated.
• Yodit 5: Gadajan now correctly displays a custom hero.

We are actively working on additional improvements some include:

• Custom campaign cinematics/instruction screens do not function
• Population limit of a scenario game does not appear to be recognized
• AI Town Centers do not fire at enemy warships
• AI Villagers do not respond to weak attacks correctly
• Saladin 2 - Trade carts travel to your market instead of the other allied market
• Sforza 1 - Displays an objective at the beginning that isn't obtained till later
• Various Lobby UI improvements