In many modern AoE2 matches—whether 1v1 or team games—you’ll often see players “deer pushing” during the Dark Age. In other words, most players focus on gathering deer instead of fully engaging in more dynamic early-game strategies. This practice makes the Dark Age feel repetitive and uneventful. One key reason for this is that the in-game score provides too much early information: opponents can immediately see if someone is about to execute a rush (for example, a pre-mill rush) without needing to scout the map.
Here’s my suggestion to improve the situation: Instead of having the in-game score available from the start, why not tie it to a technology? In other words, players could only view the score once they’ve researched a specific tech—say, a Castle Age tech that either serves as a prerequisite for Spy or is granted automatically when you hit Castle Age. Removing this free information early on would force players to scout more actively during the Dark and Feudal Ages. Without a score giving away timing (like knowing when your opponent clicks up to Castle Age), players would have to rely on actual reconnaissance, leading to greater diversity, chaos, and ultimately more engaging—and punishing—gameplay for tactics like deer pushing.
This change would reward players who scout actively and plan their strategies based on what they actually see on the map rather than relying on the “thermometer” of the score, making early-game decisions more challenging and fun.
hmm, score is useful to find an AFK player in dark age.
I can’t get info if opponent will go rush from score. However, how about deleting score drop by spending resources. Resources point will become resource collect point as you can find in Capture age.
The more I deer push, the more I realize I don’t really enjoy it too much. But it has somewhat become a necessary evil. I’m okay with waiting a while longer before getting rid of it, but I’m starting to get tired of it, personally… which is very different than what I thought just a week or two ago when I first learned about deer pushing. I’m starting to hope more people feel the same way
I think that could be a really igood idea for the game in general; not just for dissuading deer pushes, as you state, too. I just made this post over in a different thread that talked about scores. See the first half of my post there. I propose a “Messenger” tech researchable at TC from the start, and have it be fairly cheap and fast to research like Loom, but have it cost some Food so there is some decision making going on – and not so expensive that players go too frustratingly long without seeing scores.
I don’t know when the best timing for research would be, but I was thinking early- or mid-Feudal could be good. I think that’d be nice, but might be swayed maybe to go a little longer without it, by either making it more expensive, or requiring a different tech to be researched first. I think waiting until Castle is probably too long to go for most any AoE2 fan.
One issue with waiting too long, though, is that the game might already be decided in many cases, more or less, by the time you get around to researching Messenger tech. So, knowing the scores at that point will be meaningless.
Early rushes would have occurred already, and/or Age up advancement timings will be very well known, and possibly other indicators.
I lean back to early- or mid-Feudal at the latest. I think tuning the tech to be researched by most players in early Feudal should be the sweet spot.
My post:
I was originally a proponent of score banishment for AoE4, but I quickly came around, after realizing how knowing the scores can create some tension and excitement. I think by making score reveals a tech, it has the potential to be a fun gameplay element.
Hmmm I donno deer pushing kinda gives you something to do in dark age. There really isn’t much else to focus on. And there is deer on the map, why not use it? I dont see the sense in making it so that a resource that is on a map shouldn’t be taken advantage of. If people want diversity maybe its worth thinking about having certain maps that don’t have deer. That way you can have different strategies on different maps. But Arabia with deer is find tbh.
Exactly. I don’t mind moving this to be available at any age, the idea is to not give out the score for free and make deer pushing way more punishing since people will have to either scout, pay for the price to see the score, or accept the risk of being rushed.
The fundamental idea is not to take away any style you want to play the game with. If you want to push deer then you can still do so. I don’t think deer pushing is the real issue. The real issue is the fact that people don’t need to scout to know what is coming.
The sense of security given by the in game score should not exist without cost
I think Hera might disagree with you Seems like there’s a lot you can do in Dark Age if you’re up to the task. Granted, the vid was made 2 years ago so it may be a little outdated, and there aren’t any deer on it… but still
Seems like there’s a lot you can do in Dark Age if you’re up to the task. Granted, the vid was made 2 years ago so it may be a little outdated, and there aren’t any deer on it… but still