Hard mode to OP/moderate too easy.

[Merouac]

moderate is easy af. Hard is just mental. AI has full army before i can even build 10+ archers. Please either nerf AI on Hard or make moderate even close to a challenge.

[Kampfschwein Fjonda]

Moderate + 150% Handicap. You're welcome.

[Taoist Ascendant]

Honestly OP has quite a fair point. As a new player who recently picked up the game I feel like the jump from Moderate to Hard is quite substantial. Hard AI is quite aggressive and while I stomp Moderate, my battle against Hard was pretty tough.

[James3157]

I disagree. Moderate difficulty overall sometimes seems challenging enough and fair, but not too hard or too easy depending on what map is being used for skirmishes and depending on what mission, campaign, or historical battle is being played. Hard difficulty depends on whether it is a campaign, historical battle, or a skirmish with skirmishes I think is overall easier on hard difficulty than campaigns and historical battles besides maybe with arabia maps. However, there are some missions even on hard difficulty that seem like they are too easy even on hard difficulty such as the entire William Wallace campaign, some of the missions from V&V (but it is worth mentioning that some of these missions do not seem like actual campaigns which is I why I call them missions instead of campaigns), the four newest campaigns added to RoR, and probably various other missions/campaigns as well to name just a few examples of this.

Historical battles also have the same problem with campaigns and missions where some of them overall seem like they are too easy even on hard difficulty. There are not very many missions and historical battles I can think of that might need to be nerfed besides Lake Poyang (Historical Battle but might also need to be nerfed for moderate difficulty and not just hard), The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy (too hard on hard difficulty because of that annoying timer and even on moderate difficulty this was a struggle for me where I only had seconds left before I finally won after I had to restart the game a number of times before I finally won), The Fall of Rome (because it is supposed to be only one sword difficulty which seems difficult even on moderate difficulty), and Sacred Waters (contrary to the others on this list only hard difficulty might need to be nerfed slightly and not moderate but to be fair this is supposed to be three sword difficulty). Others worth mentioning but need to made easier for achievement only and not for nerfing hard difficulty include Rome was destroyed in one day (increase the time limit to 40 minutes or at least 35 minutes), Truly Countless bodies (increase the time limit to at least 35 minutes), The Go-Getter (make it take longer before the hero unit arrives at least on standard difficulty), I was in China before (make it take longer before yellow is ready to build a wonder at least on standard difficulty), and Hot & Spicy (make blue and red less aggressive towards orange on standard difficulty and/or remove cannon galleons on standard difficulty to make it easier to defend orange) which even on standard difficulty I did eventually get achievement but it was very difficult.

[Puason]

i do agree that the skill gap its big betwen those 2 but hard is still easy, just produce army and vils all the time and u should be fine.

Any basic tutorial should help a lot.

[James3157]

Originally posted by Puason el gordillo:

i do agree that the skill gap its big betwen those 2 but hard is still easy, just produce army and vils all the time and u should be fine.

Any basic tutorial should help a lot.

I do not think that hard difficulty is necessarily easy, but it depends on the campaign (including custom campaigns), historical battle, and mission involved, because they have varying degrees of difficulty on hard difficulty. If you think that skirmishes on hard difficulty is easy I could understand why, but some missions, historical battles, and and campaigns are clearly harder than others. Also, some missions and historical battles may not even allow you to make villagers which forces a player to use different strategies than only just booming an economy.

[Puason]

Originally posted by James3157:

Originally posted by Puason el gordillo:

i do agree that the skill gap its big betwen those 2 but hard is still easy, just produce army and vils all the time and u should be fine.

Any basic tutorial should help a lot.

I do not think that hard difficulty is necessarily easy, but it depends on the campaign (including custom campaigns), historical battle, and mission involved, because they have varying degrees of difficulty on hard difficulty. If you think that skirmishes on hard difficulty is easy I could understand why, but some missions, historical battles, and and campaigns are clearly harder than others. Also, some missions and historical battles may not even allow you to make villagers which forces a player to use different strategies than only just booming an economy.

in my mind op was talking about skirmishes against AI and not campaings, i thought campaigs had "normal" and "hard" levels only

[James3157]

Originally posted by Puason el gordillo:

in my mind op was talking about skirmishes against AI and not campaings, i thought campaigs had "normal" and "hard" levels only

The op did not specify that it was only in reference towards skirmishes. The player however did give a hint by saying "AI has full army before i can even build 10+ archers", but the op could have been a little more specific. If it is only in reference towards skirmishes the op did not specify what maps are being used either, but I am guessing it was not a water map.

[TheDiaper]

The AIs are ♥♥♥♥, period.

[James3157]

Originally posted by TheDiaper:

The AIs are ♥♥♥♥, period.

Merouac is probably a noob. Also, take notice the Merouac's Steam level is 0.

[Uh Playoffs?]

Your right. It has notoriously been quite the jump ever all the way back in 99. Most people here are just gonna suggest you strike early or do some kinda cheese. Not everyone has GOSU mechanics or magic APM.

[TheDiaper]

Originally posted by Uh Playoffs?:

Your right. It has notoriously been quite the jump ever all the way back in 99. Most people here are just gonna suggest you strike early or do some kinda cheese. Not everyone has GOSU mechanics or magic APM.

https://youtu.be/zuujrdlhvTs?si=tNZm2AtyfWpo5tmS

3 games in a row
-Aztecs vs Mongols
-No army until imp
-No walls
-No towers
-No castles (Except getting UT and consription)
-Not attacking opponents base until the 1 hour mark




Using only mouse against extreme AI
https://youtu.be/k7JJOsKGiD0?si=I56EPAGD1ofJXfyF




-First video proves you dont need to rush / cheese
-Second video proves you dont need crazy APM

[Motori]

If you are trying to boom your economy turtle your base with buildings and woodens walls to not instantly lose to a raid.

[CptKerion]

the jump between them is quite substantial. I'd say another difficulty between the two would definitely help newer people to advance in the game.
Ignore the people telling you it's easy, they've been playing long enough to forget how hard it was when they started. Sure I've been playing RTS games for decades too, but some of my formative memories were of just how hard it was to get started.

[TheDiaper]

Originally posted by CptKerion:

the jump between them is quite substantial. I'd say another difficulty between the two would definitely help newer people to advance in the game.
Ignore the people telling you it's easy, they've been playing long enough to forget how hard it was when they started. Sure I've been playing RTS games for decades too, but some of my formative memories were of just how hard it was to get started.

1) Around 50% of the players on the 1v1 ladder can beat the Extreme AI.
2) Around 80% of the players on the 1v1 ladder can beat the Hard AI.
3) Once you can barely beat the Hard AI, you will find the next level (Hardest AI) too strong.
4) And when you can beat Hardest, you will find Extreme too strong.
5) Point is, the jump from Hard to Hardest isnt particularly huge.
6) Theres already the handicap feature for players to make AIs (or themselves) stronger.
7) Unless OPs referring to campaigns which have no handicap feature, I dont see a point tweaking a particular difficulty level.

[James3157]

Originally posted by TheDiaper:

1) Around 50% of the players on the 1v1 ladder can beat the Extreme AI.
2) Around 80% of the players on the 1v1 ladder can beat the Hard AI.
3) Once you can barely beat the Hard AI, you will find the next level (Hardest AI) too strong.
4) And when you can beat Hardest, you will find Extreme too strong.
5) Point is, the jump from Hard to Hardest isnt particularly huge.
6) Theres already the handicap feature for players to make AIs (or themselves) stronger.
7) Unless OPs referring to campaigns which have no handicap feature, I dont see a point tweaking a particular difficulty level.

On the 1v1 ladder it is probably somewhere in between 60% and 100% win rates against AI on hardest difficulty depending on what map is being used. Arena maps and water maps probably has much higher win rates on 1v1 than arabia maps on hardest difficulty. Also, even 50% of players winning on a 1v1 ladder for extreme difficulty may not be entirely accurate at least on water maps and arena.

It may not be more than 90% win rates on 1v1 arena for extreme difficulty, but it is probably a lot higher than 50%, because any player smart enough would know how to use the exploit of blocking gates early to prevent the AI from taking any relics and keeping them trapped in the walls in addition to killing any few villagers who get outside of the walls early. Additionally, even when it is extreme AI from my personal experience when trapped within the walls on 1v1 arena they are not smart enough to build any trebuchets even if do build a castle or two within the walls. This contradicts AoE III: DE skirmishes where you are not allowed use this exploit if it is too close to a town center. Meaning that you are not allowed to snipe town centers on AoE III: DE skirmishes with fortresses (similar to castles but not named differently), town centers (probably rare to use them for sniping them against AI unless if the Lithuanians perhaps, but it is possible), towers, and walls contrary to AoE II: DE.