Resource

Resources are in game goods that are used to build structures and units and to research new technologies.

Gameplay

In Age of Empires Online, there are four resources. These are: food, wood, gold, and stone. Villagers are the primary resource gatherers. However, other units can fill this role as well.
Once harvested, resources must be brought back to a drop-off point. Town Centers, Storehouses, Ox-Carts and Docks serve as drop-off points.
Resources may be exchanged in a Market or Tributed to, or by an ally.
Special ability Consumables can provide varying amounts of resources as needed, subject to a 'cool-down' period of three minutes between uses.
Advisor: Queen Boudicca [Epic] - All resources trickle in at a rate of +2 per second.
Babylonian Garden: Cultivation tech allows small trickle of +0.5 Food per second per garden.
Milestones:
- Egyptian - Prosperity: Grants a small trickle of 0.25 Food, Wood, Gold, and Stone per second.
- Persian - Taxes: Grants a small trickle of 0.75 Gold per second.
- Babylonian - Surplus: Grants 25 starting Food, Wood, Gold, and Stone.

Food

Main Article: Food

Food is the most basic resource. It is primarily used to pay for the production of workers, infantry, and cavalry. Food is also necessary for the research of some technologies. Food can be obtained several different ways:

Berry Bushes: One of the most common and readily available resources, Berry Bushes are generally the first source of food that will be utilized in a match. There is almost always a patch of Berry Bushes near the player's starting location. An upgrade in the Storehouse can speed up the harvesting of Berry Bushes.
Hunting: Another way to collect food is by hunting animals. The player will usually spawn near a group of deer, which allows quick access to food. Animals, such as boars, can also be used as a food source once killed, but they will fight back if attacked. Some animals, like cows, can be herded, meaning that they can be controlled like normal units. Cows can be obtained by moving a unit near them. Remember, if you send this unit to a point on the map and it passes an enemy unit in route; the domesticated animal will change allegiance.
Fishing: In water maps, Fish is also a collectable food resource. Fish patches near the coast can be harvested by villagers, and patches in deeper water can be collected by fishing boats.
Farming: Upon reaching the Bronze Age, villagers can build Farms. Farms are unique as a food source in that they have an infinite amount of food.
Market Sales: A way to produce food is to buy food with gold, however the price for food with gold increases as you constantly use them, and will only decrease when you sell food for gold.

Wood

Main Article: Wood

Wood is most likely the second resource that players will collect. It is used to build almost all Structures, as well as boats, archers, and siege weapons. Some technologies also require wood as a research cost. Wood may only be obtained through one method:

Chopping: Wood can only be gathered by cutting down trees.
Market Sales: A way to produce wood is to buy wood with gold, however the price for wood with gold increases as you constantly use them, and will only decrease when you sell wood for gold.

Gold

Main Article: Gold

Gold is an economic resource, and its importance can vary depending on play style. It is used for the production of most military units, and also in the research of some technologies. There are several ways to obtain gold:

Mining: Gold can be gathered from gold mines by Villagers.
Trading: It can also be collected by setting up trade routes. A Caravan will travel between allied town centers and markets to collect gold. A Merchant Transport collects gold in a similar way, but they travel between Docks.
Market Sales: A way to produce gold is to sell food, wood, or stone for gold, however the price for these goods will decrease as you constantly use them.

Stone

Main Article: Stone

Stone is used almost exclusively to build defensive structures and town centers. Some technologies also require stone in order to pay for research. Stone is only obtained through one source:

Mining: Stone can be gathered from stone blocks by Villagers.
A way to produce stone is to buy stone with gold, however the price for stone with gold increases as you constantly use them, and will only decrease when you sell stones for gold.

Strategy

Upon initiating a quest, usually the most important resource to obtain is Food, as it will allow for the production of more Villagers which will help the player field a larger economy.
A player should be constantly producing Villagers, this will help maintain a strong economy. Many good players have 50 or more Villagers at a time collecting resources.
Farms should only be constructed if all nearby sources of Food are exhausted, as Farms are expensive and yield Food at a lower rate than other sources.
Aways try to reduce the distance villagers need to walk. This will improve your income greatly, and it is usually worth the investment in Storehouses. Proper storehouse placement consists of being as close as possible to wood and berries while being one space away from gold and stone mines.
Stone is generally regarded as the least important resource for normal play, as it is not needed to obtain any units or technologies. Only harvest stone if you have a clear need for it.
If you are a player that favors Fish as a Food source, control over the oceans on a map is important, as this will allow you to harvest Fish unhindered.
Fishing is the best source of food followed by hunting.