Currently the Observe tab only lets you watch games currently being played.
This makes it hard for people to cast/watch older replays.
Being able to do so is important if Aoe IV is to have a competitive scene as being able to learn from high tier players and casting games is extremely important.
So for example if I want to learn from a top ladder player like LucifroN7, I have to find him in the “add friend” section first
Only then can I attempt to see their match history. And some top tier players even hide their games which makes the entire process pointless.
How is the competitive scene expected to learn and improve?
How are casters supposed to be able to find old replays easily?
The current system isn’t very intuitive and doesn’t lend to the viewing needs of the competitive scene.
Compare this with an Esport like Dota 2:
There are even indicators that tell me whether the player I am watching is a pro player.
Within the watch tab there is even a function that lets me search for specific heroes in the game.
In aoe IV, it could allow players to search up replays for a specific civ instead. (such as Mongol replays, French replays, etc.)
Notice that there is even a match ID players can use to share/find specific games.