Is It a Silly Query?
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I have been playing Age of Empires 2 since the original game and the Conquerers expansion, but stopped playing in 2003.
Recently, I started again a few months ago, but only in skirmishes.
I am interested in trying out ranked games, but I want to be better at the game before I risk my ELO.
Would playing the campaigns help me to improve my skills?
Are they worth playing for any other reason?
At low level, yes.
They give you problems and make you solve them with a certain starting condition.
They also a way to learn about all the civs.
For higher players campaigns are just a way to have some fun.
They are very much worth playing, but I wouldn’t consider them a useful tool to improve at the game.
Some of them are very good (some of them are very much not as well), but if you want to improve, single player against the AI is probably the way to go if you aren’t using MP to practice.
I have found campaigns awkward and harder than just playing multi-player.
They limit you too much (can’t go past castle age, you start in feudal or castle age, etc.).
But some people love playing them, and I am sure that both multi-player and playing campaigns somewhat help you become better.
You learn to adapt to unique situations.
I just prefer mult-player.
Campaigns are for casual players like me most of the time.
Campaigns have special mechanics and limitations (to you and the enemy AI), such as inability to age further or enemies’ fixed army composition.
On the other hand, the AI is not smart and can be tricked or spoiled by walls and castles; they move to unwalled areas as long as you have an open entry, and they always try to rush your castles down first when they are built by that entry without harassing your inner base.
Difficult missions are difficult because the AI are set to be aggressive and have stronger economy, tech, and army in the beginning.
But once you are able to sustain yourself and make it through, you can eventually catch up.
There are many aspects that are hugely different from multi-player games, in which players can switch to another tactics depending on situations while the AI do not.
I guess you can practice your macro and micro and basic stuff, but you still need quick reaction and countermeasures to real players as your opponents can change their strategies and tactics just like you.
In limited cases, yes.
In general, campaigns do help you learn the strengths and weaknesses of each civ if you play according to the hints.
I think the campaigns help with figuring out army compositions and learning the civilizations which can be applied to ranked online.
As far as gameplay though the ranked meta is too different from the campaigns to really develop skills that will make you better at ranked.
They are very fun to me though and that’s what games should be about, having fun!
They help you get familiar with the game and are certainly doing something.
But they certainly also arent nearly as effective as just player multiplayer, training build orders etc..
Even Skirmish against AI trains you a lot better.
So they dont do nothing for you, but if you just want to improve there are better ways to spend your time.
They’re fun, but they’re not exactly good practice for ladder games.
What it often gives you though is an experience for what civ has which techs.
Meaning, you will probably remember certain civs having Bombard Cannon, because you had Bombard Cannons in their Campaign.
And that goes with many techs and units, because the campaigns focus on showing you what that certain civ does.
I think thats one of the most useful thing the campaigns give you in terms of competitive AoE2, and many people undervalue that or dont see that effect 🙂
Don’t worry about trashing your ELO, just make sure your familiar with the concepts in the Art of War tutorial then hop into ranked play.
Unless you really care about bragging rights, think of your ELO more as the tool to give you balanced games.
After your initial 10-15 games you’ll be roughly at the right ELO and should be matched with players around your level where you’ll generally win about 50% of the time.
No, the campaigns are completely unlike multiplayer in every way
No, but you can prescribe your hotkeys there
For me, at least, it is generally the other way around: in campaign mode for some reason I play very risk averse, tend to boom incessantly and over rely on static defenses as the AI just suicides itself in your castles for the most part.
So I pick up bad habits when playing campaign.
I wouldn’t say those habits necessarily carry over to multiplayer but I am pretty sure I’m not learning to be a better pvp player
I prefer PvP or fighting the ai on extreme.
But the campaigns are a good introduction if you like strategy puzzles.
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