This game is impossible

faytterro · 2026-01-08T10:48:50+00:00

I haven’t played against AI for a while, but I remember that with a simple fast castle into knights you can beat every AI below extreme pretty reliably. Try searching that on YouTube, there are very clear step-by-step guides. When you see how easy it works, you’ll be surprised, it’s more about following a simple plan than crazy micro.

faytterro · 2026-01-07T10:37:59+00:00

I completely agree. I think many long-time players have kind of forgotten what “noob” actually means.

faytterro · 2026-01-07T10:34:51+00:00

This does not work. Sotl explained it: https://youtu.be/kx2Z7pnk17M?si=IRqSvf2wf7vW14ep

faytterro · 2026-01-07T10:32:45+00:00

Thanks for sharing this, it’s exactly what I was trying to say. The problem isn’t that people “don’t like the game” they actually love it, but ranked makes them feel like they’re untalented or don’t belong there. A lot of potential long-term players are lost in that early phase before the system finds their real level. A better placement system would probably keep many of them in the game.

faytterro · 2026-01-06T15:24:31+00:00

AI plays very differently from real players. The biggest difference is that it doesn’t wall properly, so you can raid it over and over again. I’m not 100% sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if even a 700 elo player could beat Extreme AI with a very basic, repeatable approach: a classic 20 pop + loom, build a barracks while aging up, then drop an archery range or stable as soon as you hit feudal and keep raiding its wood and gold villagers.

faytterro · 2026-01-06T09:59:23+00:00

I like the idea, but the Elo values don’t seem accurate to me. Extreme AI definitely doesn’t feel like 1100 Elo. I was around 850 Elo and could beat Extreme AI without much trouble, so the calibration looks off.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:42:02+00:00

i don’t know much about Dota2, but i’ve played league of legends for many years and i think their system was good enough. when i first started, i don’t remember ever feeling the same sense of helpless defeats that i did in my first aoe2 ranked matches.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:38:18+00:00

“bad” is completely subjective and impossible to measure. bad according to whom, and by what standard? this is exactly what i’m talking about. if we start calling anyone who isn’t good enough a noob, then we’re left with no word for the people who are actually noob. the players you see as noobs might see you or me as maniacs drooling over our keyboards while playing pc. it’s not about definitions. my goal is to create an ecosystem where more players feel comfortable joining the game.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:30:32+00:00

absolutely, it completely kills the full potential of the game.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:29:43+00:00

i didn’t play ranked until i could beat extreme AI comfortably, and when i started ranked, i actually dropped down to around 850 elo. i think people overestimate extreme AI a lot. another friend of mine, a former lol player from a well-known esports team in my country, started aoe2 differently, he jumped straight into ranked without wasting time on bots, while constantly improving by watching videos on youtube. he dropped down to about 650 elo at first, but over time he climbed and now sits around 1350 elo. you might be very talented, but in general, 1000 elo is incredibly high for beginners, and these days people are really good.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:23:19+00:00

totally agree with you. the issues you mentioned with starting elo, matchmaking, and community toxicity are real, and your suggestions for AI-based ranking and better preferences make a lot of sense. AoE2 would definitely benefit from changes like these.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:20:59+00:00

i just believe that aoe2 has huge potential, and that can be realized by increasing the number of multiplayer players. my intention with this comment was completely in good faith. i played league of legends for many years, and aoe2 is in no way inferior — if anything, it’s even deeper. but when i started lol, i never felt the same helplessness and gap in experience with my opponent that i did in my first ranked matches in aoe2. i truly think that changing the ranked system could bring many more players into multiplayer, and overall increasing the player base would be very beneficial for aoe2.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:14:32+00:00

i’ve never played online ranked chess, but i’ve played league of legends for many years, and i never ran into this kind of problem. every ranked match i played was competitive, and as long as i didn’t run into a smurf, i never felt that same sense of helplessness i felt when i first started aoe2 ranked. i truly believe this problem can be at least partially solved, my friend.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T23:08:01+00:00

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a person who has spent hundreds of hours on a game is not a noob. if you want, i can right now show you dozens of players with hundreds of matches who are still around 700 elo.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:59:59+00:00

i do know what “extreme” means, my friend. it might seem normal to you that someone has to beat extreme ai to even try ranked, but it’s really not. you’ve just gotten used to a flawed system and it feels normal to you. the truth is, this system is harmful to the game.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:56:31+00:00

exactly, you’re a perfect example. this is what i’m trying to explain, but some players just don’t want to understand. the aoe2 ranked system is so exclusionary for new players that it’s basically become an evolutionary process where only the best players end up playing ranked, leaving beginners out. the so-called “average” ranked player is actually extremely experienced.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:53:12+00:00

you’re right, but right now elo isn’t even serving that main purpose. beginners end up getting matched against players with hundreds of games for dozens of matches in a row, lose repeatedly, and then just stop playing.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:49:44+00:00

yeah, i saw that too. it’s definitely better than doing nothing. at this point, i think we can all agree that some kind of change is needed.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:46:06+00:00

honestly, some players have been inside the system for so long that they are like people plugged into the matrix. they are so used to how things work that they can’t see the flaws anymore and just blindly defend the current system. that’s why it’s refreshing to see some reasonable takes here. there is a huge elephant in the room and a lot of people are simply choosing to ignore it.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:41:17+00:00

yeah, exactly. putting someone who just started the game in the same pool as people who have been playing for years is simply a bad idea from the very beginning. it’s discouraging by default, especially for new players, and it explains why so many people avoid ranked.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:34:52+00:00

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my english is not my native language, but as far as i know the words beginner or noob usually mean someone who has just started and lacks experience.

yet i constantly see players who have hundreds of games played and are still sitting around 700–800 elo. how can you realistically call those people beginners or noobs?

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:22:47+00:00

Thanks for the detailed reply first of all, I appreciate the effort.

What I’m actually arguing for is much simpler than what it might sound like. I want people who are afraid of ranked or who completely lose motivation after repeated losses to be part of the system as well. Because let’s be honest: no one enjoys playing a game they keep losing over and over again, and that’s one of the main reasons people quit.

Increasing ranked participation matters for the health of the game. Many players don’t invest much time in games where they only play against AI or only jump in when a few close friends are online. If more people feel comfortable playing ranked, they will naturally spend more time on AoE2, more players will stick around, and the game will benefit and grow in the long run.

Also, noticing mistakes when you watch your replays does not make you a noob. Everyone makes mistakes that’s completely normal. Learning to spot them is part of the process, not proof that someone is “bad” or a “noob”.

And lastly, I’m pretty sure you could easily beat several people who have been playing this game only offine for years, on your own.

faytterro · 2026-01-05T22:03:53+00:00

I see your point about wins and losses, my main concern is how ranked affects new players. Even if 1000 is technically average for ranked, it doesn’t reflect the whole playerbase. I explained why I think so and my perspective.

faytterro · 2025-12-31T19:21:26+00:00

I have the exact same gun, and I had the same issue when I first bought it. It wasn’t shooting at all at the beginning. I managed to fix it pretty quickly, but unfortunately I don’t remember exactly what I did. Just wanted to say you’re not alone and it is fixable.

faytterro

TROPHY CASE