Goodspeed wrote:Imo focus on learning the game from an AoE2 perspective. Mention ways in which the game is similar, but also, importantly, ways in which the game is vastly different. For example the snare effect and how this often means you have to commit to fights, how armies ideally consist of 3 unit types and how to micro them, how "unique" units typically fit into a defined unit type (often not the case in AoE2), how much more decisive hunt control is in this game compared to gold control, how games can actually end in colonial age, how to plan a build order with shipments in mind, how booming is typically something you do by using your civ bonus or water, not by building more TCs, etc.
As for mechanics versus the thinking aspect: Mechanics aren't the challenge here. He's an AoE2 player, which is much more challenging mechanically, so effective use of hotkeys, creeping treasures and all that will come on its own. Knowledge and good decision making is where the steep learning curve is for someone who is new to this game but experienced at RTS. It's also what makes this game fun, so I'd focus mostly on that. Rather than play micro scenarios I'd have him just play the game first, then improve on micro once he's reached captain+ level. Unless he just enjoys them a lot of course.
And stick with 1 civ for a while, if he's serious.
I agree with all this.
As for @
Interjection's suggestion. I think that telling someone what to do definitely helps him to play better, the issue is that Robo might not understand why he had to do what you told him, and thus improve slowly.
In my opinion, it's much more important to teach a "plan". I'm surprised by the amount of people (even at pr30) who play without a plan. Just try to ask mid tier players why they lost at the end of a game and the answer you'll get most of the time is "I didn't micro well" or "civ X is op". Then ask them about their game plan, and most will just say something like "it's the standard brit BO, I make musks and eco, it's good !". Build orders are very important, and I don't think that learning a game with learning the build orders is a good idea, however build order just give a flexible start, then you have to adapt and make the right unit composition and hit the right timings.
I think that in general, working on "plans" would not only help the new players but also the players who are stuck under pr35 and who are serious about improving. What I try to do before a game start is to see how I want the game to go.
Example: I want 5 pikes at 6:00 to hold the raid, then I want to boom as hard as I can, age and hit a timing at 9:30 when I'll have more units.
With experience you'll understand that some plans don't work (and why), and you'll get a better knowledge of the game. You might become more creative as well.
, in the first segment I started him out against the AI just telling him what to do & what to send to get a feel for how the game flows. Robo has pretty solid RTS mechanics and is about 1900 on Voobly for AOC so, as expected, he picked it up quite quickly, and by the end of the segment we defeated the expert AI and managed to win a game on ESO (albeit against a hunt-screwed corporal). 
