Can you participate in a 9-player ranked room with three factions, 3v3v3? Maybe Age of Empires is a competitive game, but a significant number of players like me cannot handle simultaneous micro-management in three different battle zones. We can’t defend against enemy cavalry while also attacking, building walls, and advancing to new ages. However, we do enjoy the core of the game; it’s just that we can’t consistently derive enjoyment from the gameplay. I believe 3v3v3 could allow everyone to experience less time-pressured combat and more strategic depth, and even in defeat, players could gain immense satisfaction from the tactical interplay.
If a 9-player battle room is too demanding in terms of technical requirements, could an 8-player ranked room with 2v2v2v2 be introduced? It must be a ranked mode, not just a custom game room. In custom matches, players often don’t care about winning or losing, which severely disrupts the experience for those who genuinely want to play the game properly. Existing maps can be used—we don’t need the developers to create new balanced maps. What we need is strategic depth, where weaker players can also survive in the game, not just a game where only elite cavalry or conquistador players can have fun.