[Fun Fact] North is not in the North
In Age of Empires, the north of the game world does not appear to align with the top of the minimap, as we would usually expect. Instead, the top of the map seems to roughly be the northeast.
This cannot be determined precisely, as we can only use the shadows to estimate the direction of north. Without knowing the exact time of day, we can only assume it is roughly midday, with the sun positioned in the south. This assumption is not particularly accurate. Nevertheless, it seems quite unlikely that north is at the top of the map; it is more likely closer to the 9 o’clock position.
**Update:** found an old thread discussing the same topic: https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe2/comments/wqn0h6/screw_zodiac_signs_which_way_is_north_in_aoe_ii/
