Age of Empires: 25 years of pathfinding problems with C++ [video]

youtube.com
February 13, 2026
52 min read
π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯
55/100
Summary
Age of Empires has faced over 25 years of pathfinding challenges in its C++ code. Raymi Klingers discusses these persistent issues and potential solutions at Meeting C++ 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Age of Empires has faced pathfinding issues for over 25 years, primarily due to limitations in C++ programming.
- The presentation discusses the evolution of pathfinding algorithms used in the game series.
- Improvements in pathfinding have been a continuous challenge for developers throughout the franchise's history.
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of optimizing pathfinding for enhancing gameplay experience.
Coverage & discussions
Hacker News Β· youtube.com
Community discussions
Hacker News discussion β
Historical count: 5 Β· 5 saved in sample Β· Historical sample
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Community Sentiment
Positives
- The community around Age of Empires is welcoming and helpful, fostering a positive environment for both new and returning players.
- The talk highlights significant improvements in pathfinding performance by simplifying algorithms, which could inspire similar optimizations in other AI applications.
- The use of AI vs AI matches for fuzz-testing algorithms demonstrates innovative approaches to validating game mechanics, showcasing the potential of AI in game development.



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