(Part 2) Top products from r/aoe2

I recommend read a book called The Chimp Paradox. In this book the author explains how the mind could be looked at like it is in 3 different parts.

The first part is the Human, which is the person that you want to be. You want to nice, happy and in control just playing Age of Empires in this case.

The second part is the chimp... this part of you represents your more basic needs. Anger, needing respect, seeing things in black and white all come from the chimp inside you.

The third part is the computer. The computer contains pre-programmed almost like "macros". The human in you and the chimp in you first refer to the computer as a frame of reference as to what to do. So for example... if every time I ate an apple and got wildly sick after eating it, it would be programmed into my computer that apples make me sick. If there was a child who had an abusive child hood because her dad beat her might see all father figures in a negative light because of her terrible past in this regard.

I say this because it sounds to me like in the past maybe some kids bullied you or picked on you and maybe you played Age of Empires as a release from them or from whom ever it was you might have had negative associations with.

When you play age of Empires the human in you is going "Age Of Empires... Great fun game. The chimp in you refers to the computer as you do and both of you find that the computer says "Age of Empires equals Fun!". You play the game and you enjoy it. The chimp relaxes as you having fun gives him nothing to do but relax and chill the beans.

But then someone flames you, shouts abuse, just says negative silly stuff. Both your human and your chimp are alerted to this negativity. Here is the thing though, the chimp reads from the computer ALWAYS before you do. This is simply a feature of the chimp. So the chimp sees that the computer says "Flaming, trolling, picking on me equals negative". On seeing this the chimp goes wild. The chimp is offeneded. The chimp is screaming "who are these people thinking that they are better than me", or "they have no right to say that to me". The chimp in you looks at the screen and figured "the best way to stop all this is to stop the game... i want to put my fist through the screen to end the game".

Now of course, you do not put your fist through the screen because your human not kicks in and is rational, and nice. Your human says "no I will not put my fist through the screen as i need the screen for more than just Age of Empires. I need it for email, work and music etc." Your human is rational and writes to Reddit to look for an answer. That is where I come in writing this. I hope you read it, and keep and open mind to it. I do not know you but I know something about you. You are a kind, understanding, loving, smart and amazing person. You dealt with silly fools on the internet thats all. You are wondering why you reacted with the thoughts and feelings you did.

I would advise you to read the book below. I read it and lets just say it helped me too.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chimp-Paradox-Management-Programme-Confidence/dp/009193558X

TL:DR
You dealt with silly people whilst playing a childhood game that triggered some feelings from your childhood I think.

http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Becoming-David-Sirlin/dp/1411666798/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405106616&sr=8-3&keywords=playing+to+win

Read "Playing to Win". It will help you articulate and quantify strategy evolution (essentially what you are trying to encourage with your friends). It will probably also make you a better player regardless of skill level.

For the Saladin Campaign, Paul Cobb's "The Race for Paradise". It's not only about Saladin, but the Islamic perspectives on the Crusades as a whole.

This?

http://www.amazon.com/SpongeBobs-Kitchen-Mission-Cookbook-Battle/dp/047063944X

Because it is now.

Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Is this on Voobly? If not, I can't help, sorry! As a Roman history buff, I can recommend "The Gothic War" by Torsten Cumberland Jacobsen.

https://www.amazon.com/Gothic-War-Torsten-Cumberland-Jacobsen/dp/1594160848

It's one of my favorite books, and it's a play-by-play, year-by-year commentary and analysis of the war in North Africa, Italy, and Spain.

If you don't feel like reading, there's a condensed, TL;DR series by Extra Credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_2E0RxVHH4

So, there's your source material, if that's one of the many problems in your campaign.

If it's on HD, I can't help, but I wish you well with it!

As taken from Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

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> The Chinese noted with surprise and disgust the ability of the Mongol warriors to survive on little food and water for long periods; according to one, the entire army could camp without a single puff of smoke since they needed no fires to cook. Compared to the Jurched soldiers, the Mongols were much healthier and stronger. The Mongols consumed a steady diet of meat, milk, yogurt, and other diary products, and they fought men who lived on gruel made from various grains. The grain diet of the peasant warriors stunted their bones, rotted their teeth, and left them weak and prone to disease. In contrast, the poorest Mongol soldier ate mostly protein, thereby giving him strong teeth and bones. Unlike the Jurched soldiers, who were dependent on a heavy carbohydrate diet, the Mongols could more easily go a day or two without food.

Veganism made for weak men.

In addition to your analysis, I was under the impression that the Mexica people used their melee weapons for slashing instead of stabbing. It was the stabbing mixed with the brittle obsidian that caused the Aztecs to be inferior to the Spanish instakill stabbing steel.

Also there fighting styles were a different from their European counterparts.
>"Because Aztec warfare was designed largely to capture rather than kill, stone blades were sufficient against similarly armed Mesoamericans.

That quote is from a book I read last semester for a class.

Thanks again for doing this. Love 'em.