Future tournament rules?

[Lunatic_Fringe]

Hi everyone
I really appreciated the last tournament and it is great to see another successful AOE 3 event.
However, a lot of viewers/players complained that the game has recently become stale. Some civilizations were facing each other too much, while some maps were most of the time vetoed. I have a suggestion that might make the next tournament more interesting.
How about making the choice of maps more interesting?

Instead of selecting a map pool before the series, why not do it during the game? I agree that electing random maps for each game would bring the luck factor too high, but we could have something such as before a match, there are only 2 or 3 maps possible.
The players chose their civs first (hence not entirely based on a specific map), and by having a fair draw system on the stream, the casters would help to select the deciding map. After each match, new maps or the unchosen map(s) can be used and the draw happens again.

Using this system, we will see less of India vs Dutch on ESOC Grand Chaco, or Ports vs Ottomans on ESOC High Plains all the time.
I believe that knowing the deciding map before each match takes the adaptability skill away from the game.

Just imagine if there are choices such as ESOC Klondike (good for ATP but low hunts), ESOC Arkansas (TP and good hunts) and ESOC Bengal (no TP and ok hunts). Player 1 could bet on British because of choices 2 and 3, and the Player 2 chooses Germans because of choices 1 and 2.
Player 1 could think of a booming strategy, but if he gets ESOC Klondike, he has to adapt his build.
Player 2 could have chosen Germany because of the 2 TP maps, but if he gets ESOC Bengal, he also has to adapt.

That would also solve the problem of people who complain on guys like Kynesie. If the latter has 2 water map options and a land map option,he might go Ports because of the sea, but ends up on a land map. Jence, the water player will have to adapt on land. Meanwhile, it gives a chance to the opponent, and after the match, Ports would not be available, which would make the series more interesting.

This new map system is not as random as Quick Search on the RE, while not as rigid as the current rules. I am sure that this system can be refined, but I hope that this idea can be used as a base to develop something new.
This system can be tested in some small events first, before implementing it in a big tournament.

Thank you everyone!

[VooDoo_BoSs]

Agreed, this would be great.

Would also love to see more variety in gameplay rather than the same old SUP. Maybe throw in a game on the exotic maps like Ceylon, Texas, Regicide, or some Nomad style maps or even Blitz Treaty. Doesn't need to be a whole tourney dedicated to this style but have a BOX where every game has a different theme.

Some of us have been playing this game for 10+ years yet we don't take advantage of the unique game modes as much as we could.

[Interjection]

I like threads like these.

I think in general a little bit of change would go a long way to keeping this game fresh. I often see complaints that our events are just the same old civs doing the same old things.

If the Definitive Edition is going to last long at all, there needs to be a few things different for returning players to have fun with for an afternoon or a week or a month or longer.

*Politicians: This is such an easy and natural way to inject something new into the game. Half the Age 2 options are dead content, and even more of the Age 3 options are too.
*Some minor changes to the saloon - (e.g., adding a third merc to it OR knowing what's in it beforehand OR the units train faster OR adjust their cost OR whatever option you like best)
*Recost some of the wood heavy minor natives or at least give players a reason not to ignore settlements
*The church could give some pop like a house. This would be an interesting experiment to see if people will make church units/techs since they have a church anyway.

[aligator92]

A Quicksearch style minor tournament where you wouldn't even know the opponent (by using newly created smurf accounts for everyone and only staff knowing who is who) was discussed last year i think but never happened. I would really like to see that
As for the random map idea, it might also be fun for a minor event but I think it has no place in the major ones as it is very far from competetive and among good players something like germany vs ports on indonesia is absolutely impossible. Also properly preparing for a series should be part of the competetion .

[Hazza54321]

That would be sick

[Interjection]

Oh my god a secret quicksearch event would be awesome, holy moly

[pecelot]

well you can use EP QS, no one uses it anyways EleGiggle

[Challenger_Marco]

Great idea! That would be good ,cause a good player must know to adapt at any situations!

[edeholland]

We talked about it before here: viewtopic.php?t=11729, for reference.

[HUMMAN]

I dont think tourney was stale at all btw. Both finalist played unstandart.

[Jaeger]

I think the OP idea is really cool for viewers, but I think top players would be really mad. So I think its gonna depend on exaxtly how mad they are

[lemmings121]

A Quicksearch style minor tournament where you wouldn't even know the opponent (by using newly created smurf accounts for everyone and only staff knowing who is who) was discussed last year i think but never happened. I would really like to see that
As for the random map idea, it might also be fun for a minor event but I think it has no place in the major ones as it is very far from competetive and among good players something like germany vs ports on indonesia is absolutely impossible. Also properly preparing for a series should be part of the competetion .

A simplified version of this could be achieved, for a smaller event:

on signup you specify all your civs picks, and you HAVE to play with that civs, in that order.

ie: bo3> brit india brit, bo5> ports india china china brit, bo7> (...) etc.

after that you make a random map pool and the seeds, and let people cry because they got hardcountered. oh well, thats qs. it wouldnt be qs without hardcounters. (but people will at least have some time to think while schedulling "oh shit I have a german vs ports in indonesia, thefuk i do now?" )

[gibson]

It also is cool to not know your opponent, although the community is small enough that after game one most people will know who they're playing, or Atleast have it narrowed down to one or two players

[hayasaka]

It also is cool to not know your opponent, although the community is small enough that after game one most people will know who they're playing, or Atleast have it narrowed down to one or two players

what about a tournament where there are only smurfs and you dont know your opponents at all, at least in the beginning

[VooDoo_BoSs]

I like threads like these.

I think in general a little bit of change would go a long way to keeping this game fresh. I often see complaints that our events are just the same old civs doing the same old things.

If the Definitive Edition is going to last long at all, there needs to be a few things different for returning players to have fun with for an afternoon or a week or a month or longer.

*Politicians: This is such an easy and natural way to inject something new into the game. Half the Age 2 options are dead content, and even more of the Age 3 options are too.
*Some minor changes to the saloon - (e.g., adding a third merc to it OR knowing what's in it beforehand OR the units train faster OR adjust their cost OR whatever option you like best)
*Recost some of the wood heavy minor natives or at least give players a reason not to ignore settlements
*The church could give some pop like a house. This would be an interesting experiment to see if people will make church units/techs since they have a church anyway.

This!

Or, we could even have some random rules.

For example, before the game, the casters can roll a "dice" of some kind and determine a particular rule. For example, both teams can only make heavy infantry or spies or native warriors.

The starvation mode games were really great for this reason and we can expand that idea to a round robin type system, with one major "restriction" on each game in a BOX.

There is SO much variety to this game that we never touch on and I think we shouldn't be afraid to start really thinking outside the box to have more fun.

I would be happy to donate an amount directly proportionate to how unique / varied the tournament rules, or future patch changes are :)