So generally, the DM community is enjoying the game, but there are two serious problems.
Map pools:
Highland, where there is only one crossing, has led to some of the most boring 3 hour long games in my life. Thankfully there are only 4 relics on the map, otherwise we’d have relic wins.
Also…sometimes this happens: (3 gold piles vs 5 gold piles)
The other maps are extremely difficult to build a proper (DM style) economy on - I spend more time figuring out where I can place my TCs, than fighting, or raiding.
Cumans:
Putting aside the whole steppe lancer issue. This civ is just incredibly strong in DM. The player currently occupying the top spot for DM is a well known, very strong player. But…he is rusty and somehow has managed a 92% win rate. The trick? He picks exclusively Cumans.
But…the goths can already spam units! What’s the difference? The Cumans can rush cavalry units AND archer units. Even if you have the “perfect” build order, with the right civilisation, you’re always going to start this match up a few villagers down, without pressuring the enemy AT ALL. In DM - that in itself is huge.
Then…they have fully upgraded Paladins, SOs, SRs and a completely OP castle unit.
If you build halbs to counter fast incoming hussars, you die. The cav archers destroy the halbs and it’s gg in under 10 mins.
If you build paladins, or camels (ideally with halbs as well) - you lose a lot of villagers and are instantly under a huge amount of pressure - but you “can” hold off the rush. Unless you are technically a much better player, you are a long way from victory.
Oh, and if you thought a Mangudai trade raid is normally game winning…I’ve lost 40+ trade carts in under 30 seconds to the mighty Kipchak.
Cumans vs Lithuanians (for example):
Ok, this is also a super strong civilisation in DM, if you can collect the relics super fast. But at least to take this advantage there is skill involved, and the opponent has a chance to counter it (protect the relics, or collect themselves).
The only way to counter the cumans in DM, is to pick them - boring.
TLDR: The maps in the current map pool for DM do not lead to good DM matches (at all…). The Cumans are just OP, end of, in both game modes.