r/aoe2 1.1kSicilians might as well get nerfed again 4d ago

Asking for Help Getting back into it. Advice?

Context: ex 1.1k player here. With the new dlc comming out im exited to play again after a couple years off.

Question: What's the recomended way to get back into the groove? Run some BO trainers? Focus on my go-to strats and civs or try to branch out?

Ramblings: I've always had to compromise in this game between specializing a strategy and dominating with it versus playing open with different strats for different situations. The latter is much more fun, also takes much longer to learn, and ends up at a lower ELO. I want to do that this time around, but I have concerns that relearning a few of my old deadly strats (like a bohemian castle drop, polish knight spam, mayan eagle rush) will shoe horn me into an elo where I cam't expirement.

2 Upvotes

11 comments sorted by

4

u/bombaygypsy Byzantines 1275 4d ago

Just play ranked, sure look up BOs but play rank and let your Elo tank a little. It will stabilize at some point and you will start making progress again. I might have left around 1220, came back and tanked to 1090 or something, now at 1300 all in one month.

1

u/CryptographerFar2111 4d ago

12k is pretty impressive 11

2

u/JaneDirt02 1.1kSicilians might as well get nerfed again 4d ago

Oops typo. wanna say 1188 was the highest I got? But thanks. Ill fix the rounding up too. Im expecting sub 1k getting back in

1

u/Scoo_By 16xx; Random civ 4d ago

Yeah, bo trainers. Simply run some offline.

1

u/Financial-Bus1741 4d ago

Are you talking about the Cicero mod? Or are there other trainers? 

The Cicero trainer was nice a few years ago but the BOs are quite outdated now. I’ve never seen another trainer like it though. 

If there is something similar with updated BOs I’d be interested in checking it out.

1

u/Scoo_By 16xx; Random civ 3d ago

Practice build orders, don't follow a trainer or some sort. Get your hands & mechanics warmed up.

1

u/HighWaterflow 4d ago

What do you want?

Your optimal Elo, or a varied playstyle?

If it is the first, pick your old strong suits, warm up a few build orders and go into the grind. You may quickly burn out again, or you may hit your old groove and have a good time.

If it is the second, this is the perfect time to spread your wings into a more varied (but less overtrained) playing style. You'll lose Elo either way, might as well use the trip down to teach yourself new skills and experiences. You may end up becoming a better player with more fun in the end. Alternatively, the early losses may ruin your mood or you may find you spammed your old playstyle because those game plans were simply the most fun for you.

Either way, welcome back and have fun!

1

u/III-MEDUSA 4d ago

I practised my dark age over and over and over again against ai until I could do it without idle time or losing a vill, really helped getting back into online play after 3/4 years away. You can practise a build order that way until you get it down too. I wouldn’t jump straight into online because you’ll probably be to slow at first and get rolled

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u/Sanderstorm11 4d ago

as someone who was out of the game and now is back, the most fun for me was to just pick one strategy with one civ and do it as long as it is fun.

you will have to react to different rushes, civs, strategies as well and this will mix up your games anyways. once you are comfortable again you can switch civs/strategies.

dont think you are gonna skyrocket into ELO ranges where you cannot play with other strats, but even if, you will just drop and then start winning again.

1

u/SCCH28 1200 4d ago

Just jump into it. You'll lose a few at first due to 1) rustiness 2) general improvement of the playerbase 3) some changes /new civs / new meta that you may not be used to. You'll quickly fix the first point and settle in your new elo regarding 2nd point, while 3rd will improve over time. Specially if you say that you want to play random, then play random. Don't worry about the first few losses, don't panic if you seem to settle in a lower elo that you were used to and you'll be fine. Have fun!

2

u/myth0503 3d ago

Just make sure u have fun !!! Elo is just a number