** Ok, so far I'm really only at point 3 and trying to achieve points 4,5,6,7 at the same time. So these next points are based off of the differences I see between the way I play and the way the "great" players play. 5. Raiding and knowing how to properly execute an attack: 6. Use your keyboard: 7. Micro your battles: Have fun out there.
1. Understand how to make a viable or efficient economy:
Heavens_Myst wrote a good article on how to make an efficient economy(
2. Understand how to use your military:
Make sure you understand what unit counters what. Along with this know in advance what resources each unit costs. This advance knowledge will let you know that depending on knights isn't going to work on a map with few mountains around. Understand the importance of using your units in battle, a slinger sitting in your barracks for three ages isn't helping you out. Generals, spies and scouts these three units have special abilities, know how to use them and when. Also learn the importance of good scouting both for ruins at the start and then intel during the middle and end of the game. Some reference articles:
3. Understand how to modify your efficient economy to allow you to counter your opponents moves or take advantage of map features:
You know how to manage an efficient economy but can you do this under pressure? As in someone starts to strongly border push you. What do you do? What happens if your opponent is the Mongols, Japanese, Mayans, Aztec or British? Do you know what strats these nations are likely to use and how to counter them? An ancient rush happens, how do you defend your city and keep your economy going. Being able to answer these questions and those of this flavor will help you. Start watching recorded games or just play more and when a certain strategy occurs against you try that same strat out yourself. When it doesn't work against an opponent figure out why and what they did to stop it. Learn about the rare resources and which ones should affect your army or economy building strat.
4. Know the maps:
I've played a few 1v1 lately and seen some common trends. People love to win. Ok, ok everyone knows that but to make sure they win many of the games I've played lately people have been presetting the map. I'll then see this same player playing the same map for days at a time. Some maps allow you to border push easily, others don't, some maps have tons of mountains, trees or rare resources, others have resource laden islands, still others have a center filled with rare resources. If you know the characteristics of the map you are playing, you can take advantage of them. This will give you a basic strat for some of the maps (
Raiding, raiding, raiding. Lately in some team games I've been able to raid people into submission. Lately in some team games, I've been raided till my economy is in ruins. Learning to not get overly involved in one battle, or setting up your economy, but being able to accomplish all these tasks while looking at the big picture will help you. The big picture includes being aware of when a raid needs to be countered and when some raids will run themselves out with little work from you. Have you been attacked by the 8 Heavy Infantry and 2 Light Infantry well after classical? Know when a strat will work, know when it is too late to use a given strat. Know your enemy and if you army is going to win. Should you send in a large force of Heavy Cavalry and siege to take a Japanese town? Know how to create a viable effective army and how and when to use this army.
These articles have given me a basic understanding and watching recorded games have helped as well.
I've started playing a few games where I force myself to use the keyboard for all actions where it is possible. I've been losing quite a bit lately because it takes me longer right now to use the keyboard vs. the mouse. However for those few short cuts I do have memorized using the keyboard saves me quite a bit of time. As you improve the time you spend organizing your economy, battles, tech, etc will affect the outcome of the game more and more. You will need to find ways to become faster and faster at doing the same action.
Here is a list of the shortcut keys:
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Can you snipe all your opponents generals and scouts, then bribe their three siege units and perform a counter attack? With proper micro skills you should be able to turn around a battle even if you are outnumbered. Learning how to take care of your economy, tech, creating combat units, scouting, expanding your borders and also micro a battle or two at the same time will separate the men from the boys. Ok, so this is what it looks like some players are able to do not sure if they really are doing this, but I'm hoping at some time in the future I will also be able to accomplish this feat as well. I don't know of any articles that help in doing this, I believe it just takes time and more time playing RON.
Hope this helps people or possibly inspires a more experienced or more articulate player to write something along the same lines. Then again if you think it's utter rubbish, let me know.