If you are playing a multiplayer game, the game host can increase or decrease the 50-unit 
population limit by adding the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires command line. 
If you are playing a multiplayer game through Microsoft's Internet Gaming Zone, the game 
host must also add the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires registry. Players can check 
the population limit of a multiplayer game by looking for the Population Limit setting 
that appears in the Settings list after they join a game.

To add the Limit= parameter to the command line in the Age of Empires shortcut

1. In Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Taskbar, click Start 
   Menu Programs, click Advanced, and then double-click Programs. 
   -or-
   In Windows NT, right-click the Start button, select Open All Users, and then double-click
   Programs.
2. Double-click Microsoft Games, and then double-click Age of Empires.
3. Right-click the Age of Empires shortcut, click Properties, and then click Shortcut.
4. In the Target text box, type Limit=x after the existing command line text. Type the 
   population limit instead of the letter "x." For example, to set the population limit to 
   65, type Limit=65. You can type any number from 25 to 200. The default setting is 50. 
   Parameters must be separated by a space; capitalization is not important.

To add the Limit= parameter to the Age of Empires registry for multiplayer games using 
the Internet Gaming Zone

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
3. Double-click Hkey_local_machine/Software/Microsoft/DirectPlay/Applications/Age of Empires/
   CommandLine.
4. In the Value data text box, type Limit=x after the existing command line text. Do not 
   remove the word "lobby" from the command line. Type the population limit instead of the
   letter "x." For example, to set the population limit to 65, type Limit=65. 
   You can type any number from 25 to 200. The default setting is 50. Parameters must be
   separated by a space; capitalization is not important.

WARNING:Increasing the population limit decreases game performance. For example, 
with a 50-unit population limit, the potential number of concurrent units in an 
8-player game is 400. With a 200-unit population limit, the potential number of 
concurrent units in an 8-player game is 1600. This increase in the number of units 
can seriously degrade overall game performance.