What do you think about adding a feature to hide the scores?
Several options are possible:
Hide all scores (individual and team)
Hide the individual scores but leave the team score visible.
The score being one of the fundamental elements of the game, I do not propose to hide the scores all the time. But simply to add a box allowing to propose games without scores for those who wish it.
I find that the score sometimes makes the game too predictable and it is very easy to know who is investing in an army in the feudal or early castle age.
On the other hand, and although it is a respectable strategy, it would be interesting to avoid the fact that a player with a high score finds himself the target of the whole opposing team at the same time.
This could also be interesting in ranked and be the subject of a new mode (in addition to random, deathmatch, empire wars).
I think this is just one of those things that people repeat without really think about it. Is really a fundamental thing? Or is something that players learned how exploit it to have some adventage?
I’m on a lost crusade to remove scores. I think that giving a game mode without scores will be useless. Nobody will use it because people not only are used to it but It gives info for free and some security feeling to know what could be the other player is doing.
In 1v1 you can supose with really good probability if the opponent is going drush, pushing deer or exploring, going CAstle age of Imp age if the score is even, etc.
In team, I didn’t really though it until you mentioned, is true, usually the highest score is the target.
Even in tier A tournaments some matches are decided by scores when they have time limit, so the players start researching any tech without any sense with the purpose of inflate the score instead of use others variables like relics, K/D, even I would prefer a kind of battle royal mechanic instead…
In my opinion, the score is a fundamental element because it has existed since the beginning. Players are used to playing with the score and a large part of the community doesn’t want to change.
That’s why I suggest to add an option to play without score so that the community is not divided.
If a no-score rank mode appears, we will see with time if it is popular or not.
But in general I agree with you that the score gives too much information. And even if the information is wrong, just sending signals to the enemy via the score should not be possible.
In the interests of democracy I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, I just ask for a possibility to play without scores.
There was a feature to hide scores on Voobly. But as far as I know it was pretty much never used.
I played a few games using it to hide the score, but it didn’t really change much. In practice while the score can give you some information, you’re almost always aware of that information anyway if you’re paying attention while playing. It’s just a bit more fun to play with the score being displayed, especially in TGs with randoms where it can help you get a read on your teammates’ situations without needing to type to them.
If you would pay a bit more attention to the topic, you would probaly understand that the point was to hide scores to everyone. There is no point in taking away a valuable advantage by being the only one who does not see the scores.
not being able to score scout would ruin the balance we currently have though, especially on island maps it would be too easy to early feudal into galleys without your opponent being able to react.
It will not ruin the balance as Im not suggesting to take away the score. Just to add the possibility to play a game with no scores visible for no one.
It would be a new content that certainly does not require much investment. Offering new possibilities regularly is also what makes this game sustainable.
And as @Martinurello said, it’s easy to artificially increase your score. Even on a water map by exploring the map with 2 or 3 fishing boats for example.