Stabilize the Random Map (Normal Start) Queue (methods included)

Forcing players to not play arabia will never be the answer just like how removing family share in its entirety will never be the answer to smurfs; what should happen is to change the environment for the better.

In terms of making it better for the map pool would be to stop placing non-random map(non-normal start) gamemodes such as the nomad gamemode and nomad maps as well as mega random(until mega random starts with a minimum and maximum of 1 tc, 3 vills,+civ bonus, 1 normal scout or eagle warrior depending on civ, it will be considered a separate game-mode for this argument, and once it gains the normal start of the random maps queue proper it will deserve its place in the random maps(normal start) queue.) To reduce the amount of ‘instant ban’ maps and allow for more possible maps the playerbase will actually consider playing.

Another item is to allow multiple starred or favorite/preferred maps, around 2 or 3 to improve player satisfaction when being able to have a chance to gain a map they like rather than getting set together with a player that bans the only map you favorited out of a list of very few wanted maps and most being insta bans and ones you just hate less which increases the odds to 100% of them getting their preferred map if you didn’t ban that one.
And if both players happen to star a map together it will be the one to be played which will increase satisfaction even more. If more than one is starred together then either way whichever is picked the player’s happiness levels will improve.

For you anti civ picker users out there, the closest restriction I will ever approve of is simple; you pick the civ, you start the queue, the civ is locked in just like the civ bans/favorites are.

Civ picking, specifically hidden civ picking is a wonderful boon for the playerbase and should never be taken away.

This is my opinion: remove ranked mirror, it’s frustrating when playing against the same civ, it’s alright if both players pick the same civ, but it should never be intentionally mirrored.

(Some ideas borrowed from other threads of mine as well as a few recent replies towards some posts I heavily disagree with)

Further: Add chat for parties before the queue starts as well as within the queue itself to allow for consistent and better player to player communication in-game.

For both team and 1 vs 1 place a max 2k normal elo limit, and place an additional elo counter that starts when above 2k yet has no effect on who you’re queued against(the system will count you as 2k elo, and to go below 2k just lose the second counter’s elo to 0) this will allow the current setup to continue while having the populace receive a proper push back into their proper elos on both 1 vs 1 and team games while removing elo inflation from the equation properly, which will also in turn make it harder to smurf using elo disparity, since elos will be condensed properly without inflation.

Instate a 500 elo difference limit in ranked team games for the players on the same side to further reduce possible smurfing using elo disparity.

Reset the team game elo once the 2k limit is in place, as it is much too inflated.

Don’t reset 1vs1 elo as inflation isn’t high enough there to justify the reset, just have elo above 2k set towards the second elo counter.

For those anti-family share users out there; the only restriction I would allow would be to keep them away from the 1 vs 1 and team random map and empire war ranked queues and later the ranked lobbies. However, the unranked lobbies must gain a ranking system of their own that the family share users may play in so that smurfing does not worsen there. The users of lobbies, be them ranked or unranked must have an ingame visible rank so that the playerbase regains player to player regulation that befits the users. No more ‘noob lobbies’ filled with unranked accounts, because that’s where smurfing is most prevelant. add visible unranked lobby ranks. And add the 2k limit + secon counter elo to all future elo rankings.

1 vs 1 has the least smurfs, team games have some, but the lobbies is where it’s most prevalent; do not worsen things for our new players. Do not worsen things for the ranked queues by adding overly restricting features, instead make the environment healthier for the playerbase while at the same time reducing the chance to smurf using the same. No overly restrictive features and most certainly no outright removing family sharing or forcing players off certain maps without giving them a chance to have other maps starred and stop putting insta-ban seperate game-modes into both the 1 vs 1 and team ranked queues.

Let’s ensure age of empires 2 outlives chess and the board-game ‘go’

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Nomad and megarandom are still maps that Belong to aoe2 and fit their place because of the spice they being of unpredicted gameplay and ofc change of strategy i know playing one strategy is good but adapting to these Situation that the maps can cause is better

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They would do well to be added to the ranked lobby system alongside death match and regicide

But since these 2 are game maps aka rsm random Script map it doesnt fit the criteria of being a gamemode so it should stay as a map

They are not normal start random map scripts, they are nomad random map scripts that belong to the game-mode nomad - as for mega random, it can be as random as it wants, but needs to be set up as a max and minimum of 1 tc, 3 vills +civ bonuses and 1 normal scout or eagle scout depending on civ to be considered for the normal start random map script queue.

As of current they do not apply towards what elo you actually are because players don’t practice them, which is apparent by the mass insta-bans towards them. Players that happen to practice them and get them will more often than not win as if they were 200 elo above the opponent that has no wish to play it and assumes the opponent will ban it so they ban the maps they happen to hate less, only to be dragged into a game-mode that has nothing to do with what game-mode they’re trying to increase their elo on.

Regardless of what each map throws at you and changes what strategy you may intend to go for - the start absolutely must remain consistent (1 tc, 3 vills, 1 scout + bonuses) with low resources and either a map’s usual starting surrounding resources, or entirely random surrounding resources like mega random.

False because like i said they are listed as rms and so they count. And lemme tell you again these 2 are here to spice up the usual boring maps that you play over and over

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That is false, simply because a game-mode suddenly is listed under random map scripts doesn’t make it a normal start random map game-mode worthy of basing your elo on. That’s like saying that a map that’s made specifically for death match or regicide or empire wars or king of the hill or a custom made water start nomad map for diplomacy for that matter and gets listed under the random map script that it’s suddenly worthy for the normal start random map ranked queue; it’s not.

I want to see more maps I want to actually play and consider to play - like valley, crater, runestones, team islands/islands, arabia, fortress, arena, 4 lakes, black forest, and others whose names I’m forgetting and more maps I’m interested in but haven’t gotten the chance for yet especially since the queue is always cluttered with game-modes that do not belong and take the space of maps that could make a debut.

Multiple map stars will also increase the odds of getting those maps, especially maps both players agree on, and the playerbase will be better for it, and the ranked queue will become much more straight forward to incoming players with the basic foundation of 1 tc, 3 vills+civ bonuses, and 1 scout/eagle scout.

If you want a random-map/random game-mode queue, replace empire wars’ queue.

So naive its been there since aoe2 2013 8 years and was always listed under the normal maps just because your narrow minded and dont like this map shouldt it be in ranked rm

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That was without a queue to force you into it. Separate game-modes are well and able to have their own and share map scripts in certain regards.

Well yes but it still valiated it so stop trying to push something were it doesnt belong because of bias

Pushing nomad and megarandom(in its current non-standard start state) into the standard start ranked queue as you are doing is just that.

Even marketplace is pushing it.

And all of them are there for a reason diversity and spice

Dont get what your problem is

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That’s well and able to provide such spice by adding to the diversity of modes in a secondary ranked queue or adding modes to the ranked lobby system to increase the ranked lobby system’s useage/popularity.

Hate to break it to you but megarandom is supposed to be… random. You never know what map and start you will get and actually helps you adapt with the map you are in instead of doing BO’s like a robot

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The map can be as random as it wants, the start needs to be consisten with 3 vills, 1 tc, 1 scout+civ bonuses. I would love mega random if it had that as its premise. Instead of camel scouts, 2 tcs/6 vills, etc

Dude just because its not a consistant start that whst makes these 2 maps good

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@HealFortress maybe take an Inspiration from this or stay stubborn but i tell ya nobody gonna support this idea just bc your bias

Maps, be they as different as light and dark as islands, arabia, black forest or arena or 4 lakes - all of these change the strategy you use while keeping one thing, one very important thing especially important to the ranked queue - the standard start practice. It’s the one thing that is the great equalizer, the one thing that matters regardless of how ‘random’ the map becomes.

and if you wanna get suprised and or just thrown in the mix tjen nomad and megarandom are there for you they solidify a aspect that everyone needs unexpectableness and thats their reason to be in ranked queue

If I wanted that, I would go to the lobby system, or a separate queue.

I want mega random, but not in its current state.

I also want nomad, but not in this queue.

Want to know why we have people shouting for unlimited bans? Because seperate modes(insta-ban) exist in the queue and maps they actually want to ban but can’t lest they risk playing an entirely different mode are left unbanned.