ESOCommunity

It seems to me like the site is really pumping AoEO heavily and focusing less on AoE3. This could be my own (pro-AoE3) bias, but if it's so it what would be the reasons:
1) Are ppl bored with the old game? 2)Is there a corporate "push" to fuel the new game? 3) Something I don't get?
I dont have time to learn the nuances of a new game and I cant stand the "cartoony" graphics of AoEO (I avoided playing Fate and other games for that reason...), so I'm hooked to the old game.
Is there hope for me, doctor?

I also prefer AoE3 by a lot, it's just the hype of a "new" game I guess (I know it's not new but it made a comeback or sth like that).

Aoe3 is always a new game until you beat aizamk.

abbadan wrote:It seems to me like the site is really pumping AoEO heavily and focusing less on AoE3. This could be my own (pro-AoE3) bias, but if it's so it what would be the reasons:
1) Are ppl bored with the old game? 2)Is there a corporate "push" to fuel the new game? 3) Something I don't get?
I dont have time to learn the nuances of a new game and I cant stand the "cartoony" graphics of AoEO (I avoided playing Fate and other games for that reason...), so I'm hooked to the old game.
Is there hope for me, doctor?

If you don't like AoEO, don't read AoEO posts. They are in separate, clearly-labelled sections - it's kind of a no-brainer. As for the points you made:

1. Clearly not, since the vast majority of users here are AoE3 players

2. Please don't impugn the motives of volunteers just because you're mad. AoEO is 100% free - nobody is making dime from that project, just as nobody on the ESOC team has gotten any money for the many hours they have poured into making this site what it is today.

3. All ESOC resources flow toward AoE3. The AoEO project is distinct from ESOC - all we did was offer them a spot on an established forum instead of forcing them to start up a new one.

There's an effort to push AoEO heavily right now because we want to bring the AoEO community onto ESOC. The long-term goal is that ESOC becomes the main community hub for both AoE3 and AoEO, which is expected to drive increased activity in both games. I could see why it would look like ESOC is pushing AoEO at the expense of AoE3 right now, but hopefully I can address your concerns with a few points:

• In general, we won't be making current staff divide their efforts between AoE3 and AoEO so much as we'll just add new staff to the team to do AoEO things. There's a bit of a transition period while, for example, current Media members help new AoEO members get acquainted with how ESOC generally prefers to organize streams, but as time goes on the number of dedicated AoE3 staff shouldn't decrease due to AoEO
• We're looking into organizing the forum such that AoEO can be integrated into your experience as much or as little as you want it to be. You're currently able to disable AoEO in your user settings,
  although there's more improvements that can be made here. Actually, some changes to the forums organization are being right now.
• We in the post-season for the AoE3 Spring tournament and pre-season for the AoEO ZZC, so coverage will naturally ramp up for AoEO and down for AoE3. Once the Autumn tournament starts, coverage for AoE3 will pick up again. Likely this will be starting a little bit later than it started last year to give the Media team a break after TWC.

2. Please don't impugn the motives of volunteers just because you're mad. AoEO is 100% free - nobody is making dime from that project, just as nobody on the ESOC team has gotten any money for the many hours they have poured into making this site what it is today.

3. All ESOC resources flow toward AoE3. The AoEO project is distinct from ESOC - all we did was offer them a spot on an established forum instead of forcing them to start up a new one.

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I wasn't meaning to impugn the ESOC staff; I have nothing but the highest regards for them and the work they do. i don't always agree with them, but I know that they're doing excellent - and volunteer - work. I was implying that the support from "above" whether that's Microsoft or whomever, might be pushing to hype AOEO. If there is no such support, then that's why it was listed as a possibility; I would never accuse without proof.

abbadan wrote:

2. Please don't impugn the motives of volunteers just because you're mad. AoEO is 100% free - nobody is making dime from that project, just as nobody on the ESOC team has gotten any money for the many hours they have poured into making this site what it is today.

3. All ESOC resources flow toward AoE3. The AoEO project is distinct from ESOC - all we did was offer them a spot on an established forum instead of forcing them to start up a new one.

I wasn't meaning to impugn the ESOC staff; I have nothing but the highest regards for them and the work they do. i don't always agree with them, but I know that they're doing excellent - and volunteer - work. I was implying that the support from "above" whether that's Microsoft or whomever, might be pushing to hype AOEO. If there is no such support, then that's why it was listed as a possibility; I would never accuse without proof.

Microsoft is certainly not pushing AoEO. If anything, there's a substantial fear Microsoft could shut the project down due to legal issues if it becomes too big.

Microsoft recently reached out to me they asked "hey cal-dawg you want us to shut down aoeo?" I said "HECK NO MICROPLOPPED!"

u welcome

AOEO doesn't take away much, if anything, from my AOE3 experience.

Papist wrote:

abbadan wrote:It seems to me like the site is really pumping AoEO heavily and focusing less on AoE3. This could be my own (pro-AoE3) bias, but if it's so it what would be the reasons:
1) Are ppl bored with the old game? 2)Is there a corporate "push" to fuel the new game? 3) Something I don't get?
I dont have time to learn the nuances of a new game and I cant stand the "cartoony" graphics of AoEO (I avoided playing Fate and other games for that reason...), so I'm hooked to the old game.
Is there hope for me, doctor?

If you don't like AoEO, don't read AoEO posts. They are in separate, clearly-labelled sections - it's kind of a no-brainer. As for the points you made:

1. Clearly not, since the vast majority of users here are AoE3 players

2. Please don't impugn the motives of volunteers just because you're mad. AoEO is 100% free - nobody is making dime from that project, just as nobody on the ESOC team has gotten any money for the many hours they have poured into making this site what it is today.

3. All ESOC resources flow toward AoE3. The AoEO project is distinct from ESOC - all we did was offer them a spot on an established forum instead of forcing them to start up a new one.