I would like to suggest a major redesign of the multiplayer system.
1. Make Ranked exclusively 1v1
The current ranked system should only contain 1v1 matchmaking. Team games would be removed from ranked matchmaking and moved into a redesigned lobby system.
This would make 1v1 the clear competitive ladder while team games will continue to be played in a more specialized and balanced way. The biggest gain here will be balanced team game matches. Both those who want to play team games for fun and team game pros who want to compete expertly only on specific maps will be able to play.
2. Create a new lobby structure
Instead of having one general lobby, divide it into dedicated sections:
- 1v1 (Unranked)
- Team Games (Ranked)
- Team Games (Unranked)
This would make finding games much easier and greatly improve lobby activity.
3. Ranked Team Game Section
Instead of having a single Team Game lobby, the Ranked Team Games section should be divided into separate tabs (pages), with each map having its own lobby and its own independent rating.
When a player opens the Ranked Team Games section, they should see:
- Arabia Lobby
- Arena Lobby
- Black Forest Lobby
- Nomad Lobby
Each tab would only display lobbies for that specific map, and players would only gain or lose rating by playing games in that lobby. In other words, Arabia Elo, Arena Elo, Black Forest Elo, and Nomad Elo would all be completely independent from one another.
The Nomad Lobby could include three similar maps:
- Nomad
- African Clearing
- Land Nomad
This would allow each map to develop its own competitive community. Arena players could easily find Arena games, Black Forest players could stay within the Black Forest community, and Arabia players could do the same. It would also make the lobby system much cleaner and easier to navigate.
4. Unranked Team Games
The unranked TG section would allow players to host and join games on any map without affecting rating.
This would remain the place for casual games, custom settings, learning new civilizations, or simply playing for fun.
Why this would be better
- The lobby would become much more active because almost every team game would be hosted there.
- Players could easily find games with people close to their own rating.
- Popular maps like Arena and Black Forest deserve their own competitive ladders. These are already among the most played maps in Aoe2 team games.
- Players who enjoy only one map would finally have meaningful progression instead of being forced into a mixed map pool.
- Casual players would still have complete freedom through unranked lobbies.
- Competitive players would enjoy a much more accurate rating system.
I believe this approach would make both the competitive and casual multiplayer experience significantly better while bringing much more life to the lobby system.
Let’s face it, the current ranked team game system is terrible. Building balanced teams is impossible. That’s why I’m proposing this radical solution. Sometimes big changes are necessary. I hope you like this suggestion.