Age of Empires 4: How to Use the Tech Tree

Age of Empires 4 is the first instalment in the series in 16 years. So, as players can expect, the game hosts a wealth of new features to mess around with. The Tech Tree is not new to Age of Empires, but it looks slightly different to that of the previous games. While confusing at first, Tech Tree's provide incredibly useful information when it comes to building up your empire.

In this guide, we've explained how to use and navigate the Tech Tree.

Read More: Age of Empires 4: Which Civilisation Should You Pick

How to Access the Tech Tree

The Tech Tree for specific civilisations is generally the same. Specific units will often go by different names as players explore various civilisations, but for the most part, they will all perform a similar function.

If you want to explore the Tech Tree of a specific civilisation before playing, you can navigate to the 'Learn' area of Age of Empires 4's main menu. There's a bunch of useful information here, but by clicking on your civilisation of interest, you will be able to view all the information about them, their unique capabilities and their Tech Tree.

While in game, you can also open the escape menu and click on the 'Tech Tree' option if you need to check out some unit details during a match.

How to Use the Tech Tree

The Tech Tree will essentially show players what units they can construct in each Age; the Age system being something that works slightly differently now compared to prior games, requiring you to construct civilisation specific buildings in order to advance. By clicking the drop-down menu, which is the small arrow shown to the left of each unit, players can view the statistics of each building and what upgrades they can research.

As you advance through the Ages, you'll want to make a note of which upgrades you'd like for each of your units. From Mill's acquiring Precision Cross-Breeding, to the University providing Incendiary Arrows, it's always good to know how to best upgrade your empire and be prepared for battle.

That's all you need to know about accessing and navigating the Tech Tree in Age of Empires 4. As you familiarise yourself with each unit and their upgrades, you'll find yourself accessing this less and less. Yet, the Tech Tree's are always useful for being able to prioritise which upgrades you require first, depending on who your opponents are.

For more tips on how to play Age of Empires 4, we suggest checking out our beginners guide and all the hotkeys that the game features. While getting used to the game, we also recommend checking out Skirmish mode and playing as various civilisations to find who's best for you!