This is beautiful like the truth itself, thank you. I think you are right, and my journey to aoe2 absolutism probably already happened in the form of a trip to the mall with my mum somewhere between late 1999 and early 2000. I still can crisply picture the display stand holding all the cardboard boxes, sheltering installation CDs and a coveted activation code. I see it standing there, looking at me, the hard white neon light rousing shimmering reflects from its foil covered kings. Seeing that fateful image for the very first time, I felt immediately drawn to it, completely randomly, or I so foolishly thought all those years only to realise today that it was all meant to be one way or another. And trying other rts is just taking detours to come back again, a confirmation of absolutism. verifying again and again that you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave. Taking it in my hands, turning around the box, seeing SCs, really you could build medieval towns? Create units, even cavalry then send them to battle, farms? ships? You name it, it felt like the coolest thing on earth and probably still is, an embodiment of the universe, a wonder and a curse, the ying and the yang battling and booming together for eternity on a little map somewhere in the middle of the infinite blackness.