A topic I am mildly qualified to talk about, woo!
I am a freelance esport writer and a reviewer contributor for the Age of Empires Liquipedia. Been following the AoE2 scene for a little over a year.
When it comes to my personal expectations for AoE 4’s competitive scene, I think it all depends on the tools given to organizers and competitors. Things like Replays, fully developed observer tools, in-game news about events, MS/World Edge funding, and more.
Replays and observer tools, in particular, will be crucial. Being able to make good quality content about competitive AoE is gonna be vital. Lowering the barrier of entry of analytical content across the board with good reviewing tools can help cement the idea that there are ways to improve when people inevitably stall their progress in the ladder. The more people making that content, the better it is for everyone.
In-game news is the next big one. AoE 2 already showcases some of the big events on their menu, something similar to that (or Dota’s/CS:GO’s menu that shows current high ranking matches or pro matches) will go a long way in normalizing the idea of competitive AoE to people that might not have been too interested or not known about it.
Funding is also not necessarily about cash on hand. Many devs have been embracing the idea of twitch drops (or even youtube drops) for watching esports events. I could imagine a world where things like badges or icons, or unique models for units, or any number of cosmetic things are given away for people watching tournaments. Yes, it inflates viewer numbers with people just in for the drops, but every bit helps, and you might catch a cynic who turns into a fan after a few matches.
As for my personal opinions and what I’ll be doing, I will be organizing events, casting, interviewing players, analyzing games, doing writeups, sharing events, etc. Basically anything and everything I can do within the scene to help. I’ve been part of the Liquipedia project for AoE pretty much from day 1, so I want to try to give the scene even more positive momentum when the new game rolls in.
I think AoE 4 is not gonna blow people’s minds with cutting-edge, adrenaline-filled tournaments. But it most definitely has room to breathe and expand after release.