🏰 Proposal: A Medieval Prestige Rank System for Age of Empires II

Age of Empires II: DE II - Discussion
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:castle: Proposal: A Medieval Prestige Rank System for Age of Empires II

Age of Empires II is a medieval strategy game, yet player progression is currently represented almost entirely by numbers.
This proposal introduces a purely visual medieval rank system tied to ELO — without replacing or hiding ELO in any way.

ELO will continue to be fully visible at all times.
The rank would appear next to the player name as an icon and title, adding flavor and identity rather than replacing information.

What This System Is (and Is Not)

  • :white_check_mark: ELO stays visible (profiles, lobbies, leaderboards)

  • :white_check_mark: Ranks are visual only (icon + title)

  • :cross_mark: No matchmaking changes

  • :cross_mark: No balance or gameplay impact

  • :cross_mark: No hidden information

Think of it as a prestige layer, not a replacement.

Why This Is a Reasonable and Low-Risk Addition

  • Extremely easy to implement
    This requires only:

    • ELO thresholds

    • text labels

    • small icons
      No mechanics, no UI redesign, no balance testing.

  • Fits AoE2’s identity perfectly
    Medieval titles feel natural in a medieval game.

  • Adds motivation without pressure
    Players climb toward status, not power.

  • Community-friendly
    This does not take anything away from anyone.

Honestly, it’s hard to see a strong argument against this.
Anecdotally, similar cosmetic prestige systems in other competitive games are received overwhelmingly positively, and within the AoE2 community specifically, this kind of flavor addition is usually welcomed rather than resisted.

My strong expectation is that the vast majority of the player base would react positively, or at worst neutrally.

Proposed Medieval Ranks (by ELO)

Vassal (0–899 ELO)

A sworn follower bound to a lord by service and obligation.
Represents the lowest formal level of the feudal military hierarchy.

Freeholder (900–1199 ELO)

A free landholder entitled to bear arms and defend his property.
Historically a clear step above vassal status.

Bailiff (1200–1499 ELO)

A local military and administrative officer acting on behalf of a lord.
Responsible for enforcement, levies, and order.

Castellan (1500–1699 ELO)

Commander of a castle and its garrison.
A position of trust and strategic responsibility.

Seneschal (1700–1999 ELO)

One of the highest officers in a lord’s domain, overseeing military and estates.
Symbolizes experience and centralized authority.

Warden (2000–2399 ELO)

Guardian of border regions and frontier defenses.
A senior military authority with autonomy and command.

LORD (2400+ ELO)

The peak of feudal prestige and authority.
Rare, symbolic, and intentionally difficult to reach.

Design Principles Behind These Ranks

While creating this system, I focused on a few key principles:

  • Historical authenticity
    All titles are real medieval ranks with documented use.

  • Era consistency
    No modern or anachronistic military terminology.

  • No unit-name overlap
    Ranks do not clash with existing AoE2 unit names.

  • Charisma at every level
    Every rank sounds respectable, regardless of ELO.

  • Clear hierarchy
    Each step feels meaningfully higher in authority and prestige.

  • Minimal complexity
    Simple, readable, and visually clean.

Closing Thought

This proposal doesn’t try to change Age of Empires II.
It simply gives its competitive ladder a medieval identity that matches the world the game already represents.

ELO remains.
Gameplay remains.
Only the atmosphere improves.

Example icons:

ranks
ranks1536Ă—1024 518 KB

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If you want the post to attract attention, please like it.

3

What about using names of units from the game?

  • Vassal —> Villager
  • Freeholder —> Scout
  • Bailiff —> Man at Arms
  • Castellan —> Knight
  • Seneschal —> Cavalier
  • Warden —> Champion
  • LORD —> Paladin

If needed, some others could be added:

  • Militia
  • Longswordsman
  • Two-handed Swordsman
  • Light Cavalry
  • Hussar (probably the best one that’s not in the main list)

We could have the top 3 being “Hussar” instead of “Paladin” (representing late Imp raidings).

4

That’s an option, but I think it would be boring and simplistic. My suggestion is something newer. It would bring novelty and excitement to the game.

5

Minor point: Elo is a person’s name, not an acronym. It’s “Elo”, not “ELO”.

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So we’ll have to disagree.

I would be more excited when going from “Man at Arms” to “Knight” than from “Bailiff” to “Castellan”.

The AoE4’s approach is also good.
I think it’s:

  • Bronze
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Platinum
  • Diamond
  • Conqueror
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surely in this case:

  • militia
  • man at arms
  • longswords man
  • two-handed swordsman
  • champion

to add to this: it should also be “Elo rating”, not “Elo”.

it’s annoying that aoe2 even makes both of these mistakes on their own website:

“Highest ELO” and “ELO” as column headers.

to respond to the original proposal. I am not opposed to it, but i think there are more pressing concerns. Knowing how well stuff gets tested in this game, i suspect a change like this will introduce a bug that allows lumber camps to train longboats, but only if you play as Khmer.

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Instead of “lord” you can pad it by the list of titles : knight baron count duke king emperor. Possibly with the option of selecting the civ it’s taken from (sultan or khan or rajah at the king-tier for example).

As for “vassal”, too broad. The Duke of Burgundy was still a vassal of the King of France (though only nominally at the end, but Charles the Bold failed making it a kingdom) and he’d be considerably more powerful than a bailiff.

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9

You didn’t, the chatbot did.

3 Likes