Originally Posted by
Achilles
The one thing, in my opinion, that absolutely needs to be addressed is the advantage given to the sheer luck of setups.
Luck was always a huge part of TAO, but there was a difference between the luck of a block in game, and the chance that your setup matched up well against another player's. The chance-based blocking component of the game was formulaic, and while in individual games it could sway against you, it was ultimately fair when you took data from tons of games from tons of players.
After the release of the last few units though, TAO began to heavily rely on how lucky you got in regard to your setup matching well with your opponent's. This, in my opinion, is what killed the gold game. Not that I want a game based entirely in turtle formations, but before the newer units came out, people could match up better against me, but I could still hunker down and outplay them despite the setup disadvantage. Eventually, your chances of winning almost entirely rested upon setup matchup to a very large degree. If there's anything in a new TAO I want, it's this. I don't mind chance with blocking and first turn, but I want both parties to have a fair chance regardless of their setup.