This batch of Windows add-ons ranges from grand-strategy staples to very particular flight-sim cockpits, with a few ambitious RTS expansions between them.

1503 A.D.: Treasures, Monsters and Pirates

the 1503 A.D. expansion adds three campaigns, twelve scenarios, a battle tutorial, and ship boarding to The New World. Crocodiles, robbers, treasure hunts, adjustable warehouse sizes, and an expanded statistics screen give its Caribbean settlements plenty to juggle.

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the IL-2 prototype-aircraft add-on takes the Forgotten Battles line into fictional late-war sorties with 17 German and Soviet jets and rocket planes. Its three campaigns span 40 missions, but it requires Forgotten Battles plus Ace Expansion Pack, Pacific Fighters, Pe-2 Peshka, and Sturmoviks over Manchuria.

757 Captain

the 757 Captain package supplies Boeing 757-200, -300, and freighter variants for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 or Flight Simulator X. Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney engine choices, an Aircraft Configuration Editor, and more than 100 animations put the focus on airline procedures and aircraft setup.

757 Professional

the FS2004 757 add-on brings the Boeing 757-200 and -300 to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 with over 60 liveries. A programmable FMC with LNAV, VNAV, and FIX pages sits alongside a custom autopilot, weather radar, working doors, and visible wing flex.

911 Air Rescue

the 911 Air Rescue add-on turns Microsoft Flight Simulator for Windows 95 and FS 98 toward fixed-wing medical flights in a Cessna 182, Cessna 414, or SimAir 28 Tango Dash 8-300. Mountain strips, island runways, shifting weather, and possible mechanical trouble make a good case for comparing which aircraft you would trust on the tougher assignments.

A*M*E*R*I*C*A: Expansion Pack

the A*M*E*R*I*C*A expansion provides eight missions, with two for each of the original four factions, along with faction-specific units and buildings. It also includes a level editor, GameSpy support, sharper AI, and revised visuals for colonial-era skirmishes.

Act of War: High Treason

the High Treason expansion adds naval units, mercenary hiring, and a new single-player campaign to Act of War: Direct Action. Twenty-five multiplayer maps and the Marine One Down and SCUD Hunt modes push matches toward escorts, captures, and fights over coastal ground.

Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer

the Khitai expansion opens five Khitai zones, ten factions, hundreds of quests, and tiger and wolf companions for Age of Conan. Its Alternate Advancement trees let PvE and PvP activity feed General, Archetype, and Class progression without raising the level cap.

Age of Empires II: The Conquerors

the Age of Kings expansion adds the Aztecs, Huns, Koreans, Mayans, and Spanish, plus halberdiers, eagle warriors, new technologies, and three game modes. The four campaigns follow Bohemond, Attila, El Cid, and Montezuma, while balance changes also touch villagers, mangonels, and janissaries.

Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties

the Asian Dynasties expansion adds Chinese, Japanese, and Indian civilizations to Age of Empires III, each with different economic hooks such as shipments, shrines, or cattle. Three five-scenario campaigns, wonders, consulates, export, six minor civilizations, and four multiplayer modes make this a markedly different set of empire-building choices.

Which of these add-ons changed its base game most decisively for you: The Conquerors’ new civilizations, High Treason’s naval battles, or an aircraft package that made you learn a whole new cockpit?