As soon as you launch Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, click the Multiplayer icon on the left of the home screen. Then choose Host Game, where you can create your own match with the options below:
- Name your lobby and then set the settings for your lobby:
- Lobby Type determines if it is unranked or ranked.
- Visibility determines who can see your lobby in the Lobby Browser.
- Players determines how many human or AI opponents you want to play with.
- Co-Op Campaign can be selected to play a co-op campaign with another person.
- Set Password requires anyone entering your lobby to know the password.
- Allow Spectators determines whether you will allow anyone to watch your match as you play.
- Hide Civilizations will hide player civilization choices until the match begins.
- Spectator Delay determines how long spectators must wait before they can view your match.
- Server/Region determines the region where your match will be hosted.
- Data Mod (available after creating lobby on Xbox) determines which mods (if any) you want to play with.
- Click the Create Lobby button again to finish creating your lobby.
- You can now set additional settings for your match while you wait for players to join:
- Game Mode determines what type of scenario you want to play as a multiplayer match. This also determines what other settings are available for you to choose.
- Map Style determines the type of map on which you play.
- Location (PC only) lets you choose the layout of resources, land, and water for the map you play.
- Map Size determines the distance between players at the start of the match.
- AI Difficulty sets the skill level of computer-controlled opponents.
- Resources determines the amount of wood, food, stone, and gold in each player’s stockpile when the match begins.
- Population determines the maximum number of units each player can create at any given time. (Note that higher numbers may have an adverse impact on game performance.)
- Game Speed determines the how fast units move and match time elapses.
- Reveal Map changes how much of the map is revealed at the start of the match.
- Starting Age sets the age in which the match starts for all players.
- Ending Age determines the maximum age to which players can progress during the match.
- Treaty Length prevents players from attacking each other for a set amount of time at the start of the match.
- Victory determines the victory condition that must be achieved to win the match.
- Time (PC only) sets a maximum time limit for the match, after which time the score determines the winner.
- Lock Teams prevents players from changing teams after the match starts.
- Team Together determines whether teammates are adjacent to each other or randomly placed on the map.
- Team Positions uses the player color to determine a player’s position on the map.
- Shared Exploration determines whether allies benefit from a shared line of sight.
- Handicap determines the level of handicapping for each player according to a percentage multiplier.
- Lock Speed determines whether players can change the match speed after the match begins.
- Allow Cheats determines whether cheat codes can be used during the match.
- Turbo Mode speeds up the production of units, resource gathering, building, and other aspects of the match.
- Full Tech Tree determines whether each civilization maintains a unique bonus or gains the benefits of all technologies and units.
- Empires Wars Mode can be selected as a secondary game mode. This will cause players to spawn with additional villagers, camps, houses and farms.
- Sudden Death Mode can be selected as a secondary game mode. This will cause players to lose once their home Town Center is destroyed. You cannot build additional Town Centers.
- Regicide Mode can be selected as a secondary game mode. This will cause players to spawn a King with additional villagers. If you lose your King, you are defeated.
- Record Game (PC only) allows you to record a match for posterity.
- Randomize (PC only) will chose randomly chosen options for the lobby.
- Once all the Open slots are filled and everyone has readied up, click Start Game to begin the match.