Update 13088

[juhjuh]

No matchmaking elo filter = bad update

dont be over critical it anyways is only a problem for maybe 30 players

Not really

im in the top 150 and i never had to wait for more then 7 mins, of curse it would be great to have an elo filter but still there are some good changes so its not a bad update

[Kaiserklein]

It's not about how long you wait, it's about how big the skill gap with your opponent is. E.g you can be PR 5 and wait only 5 seconds, yet you may well be matched against me.
I know some people say they never got matched vs a top player so far. They're just being lucky. I've matched against plenty of lower level players who complained about this.

[Jotunir]

It's not about how long you wait, it's about how big the skill gap with your opponent is. E.g you can be PR 5 and wait only 5 seconds, yet you may well be matched against me.
I know some people say they never got matched vs a top player so far. They're just being lucky. I've matched against plenty of lower level players who complained about this.

Why did they complain if had the honour of being obliterated by @Kaiserklein ?

[juhjuh]

It's not about how long you wait, it's about how big the skill gap with your opponent is. E.g you can be PR 5 and wait only 5 seconds, yet you may well be matched against me.
I know some people say they never got matched vs a top player so far. They're just being lucky. I've matched against plenty of lower level players who complained about this.

im not saying its not a problem but i think for 95%of the esoc population 99% of the games are fine

[Astaroth]

I know it's really annoying for the players, but as a viewer, seeing a top player matched up vs. a pr <5 pr is bloody hilarious. Especially the streamer's reaction when e.g. the opponent gathers lots of coin age1, loses his explorer for no reason, ages up at 6 mins etc.

(also no harm done to anyone aside from some time lost, the opponent loses maybe 1 elo pt)

[Jotunir]

I know it's really annoying for the players, but as a viewer, seeing a top player matched up vs. a pr <5 pr is bloody hilarious. Especially the streamer's reaction when e.g. the opponent gathers lots of coin age1, loses his explorer for no reason, ages up at 6 mins etc.

(also no harm done to anyone aside from some time lost, the opponent loses maybe 1 elo pt)

Those are awesome games to watch.

[Jets]

The gap is huge rn and there aren't many players around.

I think the Flintlock card should do something different, to diversify the sweden army. Such as enable Grenadiers at the barracks and grant them a ranged attack perhaps, instead of granting +3 range.

[lordhung2]

Sorry, this suggestion is a little noobie...

but will the developer consider setting units (esp. cannons) having a higher priority in shooting enemy units over buidlings?

but buildings don't move... just tell your cannons to be less lazy!

Actually i am alright with it (the cannon attack building in priority and i have to set attack to unit manually). But i guess we should change the game in the way that beginners with less apm can easily adopt. Moreover, AI (bot) will definitely need that to make them more "clever".

While we talk about bot, i think the developer can watch a few ESOC videos and learn about how to improve the AI, that will make the AI more playable and a good counterparty to play with, in particularly:

1. standard starting flows of the civils;
2. don't attack wall;
3. send 2 huss to keep raiding;
4. herding;
5. hit and run
6. protect cannons

AI are too stupid right now... one med player can counter 3 expert level AI easily

[SquidTheSid]

So, since it seems like the devs have no idea what to do with Sweden now (and they look like they're in the dumpster tier based on VODs by Aussie_Drongo and Mitoe), I'm going to throw my hat into the ring and come up with some ways to rework Sweden into a more cohesive civ, while being more unique (special thanks to dansil92 for helping me out with ideas).

1). Let Sweden train Halberdiers and Crossbowmen by default in their Barracks. The former is to actually give their melee infantry/cav combat cards some real usage in matches and melee meatshields (given that pikes aren't particularly useful units lategame beyond siege sticks) and the latter gives them some answers to age 2 light cavalry (like Zamburaks) while not giving them an explicit lategame skirmisher unit (unless you go Papal Guard). Keep in mind that Halbs would see a speed buff to 4.5 in general, since they're too easily kited as is.

2). Hakkapelita are now reworked to be mounted skirmishers. They'd have strong bonuses vs. light cavalry and heavy infantry, but hefty penalties vs. heavy cav and infantry skirmishers. Rough stats (colonial) would be:

• Cost: 80 Food, 100 Gold
• 220 HP
• 40 Range Resist
• 21 Attack w/ 2.0 ROF, 14 Range (no more splash damage)
• 0.75x Heavy Cav
• 2.0x Light Cav, Eagle Runner Knight
• 0.5x AbstractInfantry
• 0.5x AbstractVillager
• 2.5x AbstractHeavyInfantry (1.25x net)
• 2.0x AbstractArtillery
• 7.25 Speed
• Tags: AbstractCavalry, RangedLightCavalry, GunpowerCavalry, AbstractLightCavalry

These multipliers against Heavy Infantry and Dragoons can be increased at the arsenal with a civ-unique rifling tech for Hakks (+1.0x Goons, +1.0x HI [1.75x net])

3). Caroleans are now reworked to be a more conventional musketeer.

• Melee damage is greatly reduced (19 --> 14), but 2x multipliers are added to AbstractHeavyInfantry and AbstractCavalry, 1.5x for AbstractLightInfantry/ShockInfantry.
• Ranged damage is slightly increased to 20, but ROF is standardized to 3.0 from 2.5. Small ranged bonus to HeavyInfantry (1.25x) is added to compensate in musketeer wars.
• Platoon Fire now provides a flat +20% ranged damage bonus to Caroleans and Grenadiers (could also be +25%), but no longer increases multipliers. Svea Lifeguard no longer provides ranged armor.
• Speed reduced to 4.0 from 4.25. Melee charge speed bonus (global) increased to 1.50 to compensate

4). Torp Adjustments. Torps currently have this awkward position as a house boom, and with blueberries and engelsburg being stomped into the ground, they don't feel like a particularly powerful way to boom. The suggestions I have would let Sweden focus on Age 2 pressure/sustained colonial play/Torp booming, or Age 3 merc spam.

• Cost: Increased to 135 Wood from 125 (bounties adjusted accordingly)
• Berry bushes now contain 150 wood, and Blueberries are reverted to launch status
• Engelsburg Ironworks buff reverted fully/partially to +150%/200% mining rate, BUT moved to Fortress Age
• Great Northern Forests moved to colonial age.

5). Merc Changes. With these changes, mercs can be scaled back a bit, since Sweden has a proper unit comp now. Therefore, Black Riders/Jaegers/Landskecht would still be available at the saloon by default, but Sweden can no longer train them from the barracks/stable in any way, shape, or form like all other civs. Instead, they'd be able to construct an additional Saloon each age (starting in fortress). German Mercenary Contracts still provides the merc HP/ATK bonus, but now lets you build an additional 1(or 2) Saloon(s) and Saloons now heal nearby units. Oh, and remove 6 Mamelukes INF, it's a dumb shipment that doesn't make sense thematically or in real life.

6). Mine shipments are removed in favor of pure homestead wagon shipments. These can have a small bonus to their respective gather rates similar to the Japanese Rice Paddy Wagon shipments. Say 2 Homestead Wagons + 5% livestock/mill/estate in colonial, and 3 Homestead Wagons +10% in fortress. This would keep the identity of Sweden's boom as powerful but limited, while letting them transition more easily to mills/plantations as needed.

7). Other changes. The unique church tech would see an update. Now that Halbs are trainable, doesn't make sense for a colonial age shipment. Therefore, it'd be replaced with an industrial age 26 Guard Yeomen for 2000 Gold (to give Sweden some unique anti-infantry option that doesn't overlap with Hakkapelita or Jaegers). Stealth Jaegers is a terrible idea conceptually, so it'd be replaced with a fortress age 8 villagers + 1 Homestead Wagon for 1000 wood. This would help you boom if you choose to use Torps for wood rather than gold. Finally, Push of Pike would see an update. Rather than increasing their speed and train time, it now gives Halberdiers and Pikemen a bonus against heavy infantry (1.25x and 2.0x, respectively) while increasing train time by 15%. Finally, Dalecarlean Rebellion is redundant, so it'd be reworked to allow Pikemen and Halberdiers to perform a melee charge (much like the Caroleans, but on separate cooldowns), allowing them brief massive speed bursts to chase down units.

The overall changes would make Sweden a unique civ, in that they'd lack a conventional skirmisher. They'd have a heavy emphasis on melee infantry, moreso than nearly any other civ in the game, and can choose to specialize in wood for sustained Torp booming or aggressive sustained colonial play OR into gold for their powerful mercenaries.

[Jets]

Hakkapellits as RR is a nice idea, still they should have their high melee dmg. Caroleans should work as a musk unit not as a skirm one, unlock the charge ability and give them melee multipliers as other musks, charging is a tool to close distances between them an other squishy units like skirms and artillery.

Xbows and Halbs are necessary to Sweden army atm.

[jonasnee]

@Le Hussard sur le toit blueberries won't work for not yet built torps mate, it's a change

I had not understood this part. Seems like the card will never be worth it in supremacy then.

frankly i dont think the card will be any better in say treaty, i really dislike trying to balance something by making it this complex, if the card needed ners then change the age, or just change the cost of the house. not saying i know the answers to everything but this change is 1 of the most needlessly bizarre changes.