We can mostly agree that AOE3 is much less competitive than AOE2 or even AOE4. Some of the reason may include lack of official support from MS, like lack of presentation in Redbull Wololo. There are some decisions in the back but there are some front-end issues I can think of. Addressing them may improve both the competitive aspect on players and, most importantly, improve the viewership.
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Map pools: players being able to ban/favorite maps in ranked map pool can encourage them to practice a play within the rank system. They do not need to resolve the need in the causal lobby.
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Mirror Civ Random: Make a toggle in ranked that both players turn it on, they play the game with random civ instead of the pre-selected one. By giving imitative, like +15/-15% ELO adjustment factor, this can diversify the ladder and encourage players to use more than 1 or few civs. Tournament required playoff with more than 1 civ, such toggle can help players come out of their comfy zone to engage in competitive plays.
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Improvement of Spectator Mode:
a. Remove the awkward password chatbox when you try to spectate ranked game. It is totally reductant.
b. Fix the error of spectating ranked game still in 5min game delay. Currently it just shows error message and exit you back to menu if you click a game in before 00:06. It should better put viewers in query for the game delay to end instead.
c. Improve UI of Spectator Mode: This is the most important point. Viewership is the key for promoting competitive game and eventually the game in general in modern day gaming. AOE2 revitalize partly because the exposure of AOE2DE playoff with better casting, it is a snowballing effect.
i. Real time statistic – an option to opt to check detail statistic including resource gathered etc. it should be able to check in any time, not just in ended game as it is now.
ii. Real time statistic table – a table to list all players res, shipment, K/D, vill pops, those panel game data in normal gameplay should be in table form for easy compare in casting
iii. List all players query together without needs of switching viewpoint -
Improve the game statistic display: The graphs in the end of game still lack of many useful info. Better casting ananlysis can be done with enabling checked those directly in game, namely kill, vill kill, res floating etc
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Improvement of game records:
a. Fix the issue of constant out of sycn of game record.
b. Fix the issue of locking view point of players
c. Same with 3.c.i. &ii