I played when I was young (and an adult) and came back to DE.
So similar to the “childhood” one but I can’t say that being 24 when the game came out as being “childhood”. 😀
Since I watched Rage of Empires on RBTV.
~2019
I played AOE1 when it came out but got so frustrated by QOL issues like forgetting to make a walking space between buildings.
Ended up getting the AOE2 demo and was like, “Yep.” Bought the full version and later the expansions.
Still occasionally play DE.
Mostly watch videos on YouTube now.
Started with Age1 demo and never stopped
Conquerors man
1999, saw the game on my neighbor’s laptop and loved its look so much I wanted it too.
The first PC game I bought with my own pocket money!
Previously dad would buy games for me but only heavily discounted older games from the bargain bin (the old version of Steam sales).
I loved the look of it so much, and was really into medieval stuff, that I decided to buy it myself!
In 2000 I got The Conquerors when it came out.
AoE 2 was my favorite game back then.
Mostly played campaigns and post-imperial all tech deathmatch against the AI occasionally.
But mostly campaigns.
Bought HD on Steam in 2015, started my first multiplayer match, a free for all 1v1v1v1v1v1 where I got absolutely REKT and now here I am.
It’s funny, today we’re getting spoiled with new expansions (or DLC as they call them now), back in my early teens that would have been a dream come true!
“Came back to HD/DE”…
I didn’t come back though.
I just never stopped playing and never got good.
I don’t think there’s been a single one-year window since 2002 when I didn’t play this game (but that includes a lot more lan games, ai, campaigns, gameranger etc.
than competitive).
Since I was like 7 years old and now I’m 18 and still the best game i ever played
Just after the MSN Zone era, i.e.
the Hamachi era.
Back then L_Clan_Chris was the champion and Daut was the upcomer challenging him for the top place IIRC
My cousin brought aok and aoc to the home computer.
I played the hell out of it in early 2000s.
Bought HD in 2017, played only campaigns.
Bought DE in 2020, started playing ranked since late 2021.
Played AoK and AoC as a kid.
Campaigns and Sim City against easy AI.
Got the game again as a young adult with HD, basically just played with friends against moderate computers while having beers.
Didn’t play again for a few years but got back into it again with DE, which also coincided with a winter layoff / Covid lockdown, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand now it owns my life. 11
I played the Demo disc 1999.
Childhood, but never came back, I just never stopped.
Since Age of Empires 2 had the sickest opening cinematic in all of gaming.
I mean, I was producing units at a glacial pace in Age of Empires already.
Jeez, 6-year-old me had insane patience to play that game.
I remember taking hours to finish each Wallace scenario, wiping the fishes off the waterbodies, getting excited at the merlin.
Started with 4 to watch my sisters playing it.
They do not know how thankful i am