GUIDE · MAP STRATEGY
Open and closed maps
Open maps leave broad routes between starting bases, so early armies can reach exposed Villagers and resources quickly. Closed maps use walls, forests, water, or narrow approaches to limit access and create time to develop an economy. The terrain still varies by map, so scouting is needed before relying on a familiar opening.
Overview
Open maps leave broad routes between starting bases, so early armies can reach exposed Villagers and resources quickly. Closed maps use walls, forests, water, or narrow approaches to limit access and create time to develop an economy. The terrain still varies by map, so scouting is needed before relying on a familiar opening.
How this system affects decisions
Economic systems are shaped by worker travel, access to safe resource sites, and the time spent gathering versus building or moving. Compare a change by how many workers it affects and how long it remains useful, then balance it against the food, wood, gold, and population required to keep the army active.
How to use this reference
Open maps leave broad routes between starting bases, so early armies can reach exposed Villagers and resources quickly. Closed maps use walls, forests, water, or narrow approaches to limit access and create time to develop an economy. The terrain still varies by map, so scouting is needed before relying on a familiar opening. This mechanic links settlement layout to defense. Keep access routes open for your own units, and consider how the structure’s footprint or interaction changes the time an opponent needs to reach workers.
- Focus
- Map strategy
- Signature / category
- How it works
- Release / context
- Age of Empires II system
- Region
- Map strategy
- Classification
- Game systems