The Grand Melee - Announcement and Discussion

Some time ago, the secretive Order of the Sheep teased us The Grand Melee, an Age of Empires II: DE happening in Hannover at the DreamHack LAN event, from the 15th to the 17th of December.

We are now happy to deliver the full message to you.

Settings specifics
The whole event will be played using the DWL game mode, also known as 9 villagers start game mode. It will allow for quicker action, while keeping the openness and strategic diversity of the standard RM mode.

Main event
The Grand Melee main event will consist of a single elimination bracket, featuring a total of 8 players.
15th of December
Quarter finals best of 5
16th of December
Semi finals best of 7
17th of December
Third place match best of 7 and Grand final best of 9

Participation
Firstly, as per their performance in the RedBull Wololo: Legacy tournament, Liereyy and TaToH has been granted an invitation to the main event.

Secondly, the other 6 participants will have to come on top of the entirely open qualifiers happening on the 3rd and 4th of December. The registration is already open and you can sign up here on start.gg

Prize money reward
The monetary reward will amount to a whopping $100,000 split between the 8 main event players as followed:

1st place: $40,000
2nd place: $20,000
3rd place: $14,000
4th place: $10,000
5th to 8th: $4,000

Where to watch?
The whole event will be streamed on Twitch at: https://www.twitch.tv/theorderofthesheep

On top of that, the qualifiers will be completely open to broadcast, so you can catch them live at your favourite streamer’s channel on the 3rd and 4th of December!

Details for the broadcasting policy of the main event will be announced soon. Stay tuned...

Join the Discord server now!
Chat with us and get all the latest updates regarding The Grand Melee at https://discord.gg/vT9NWJJtp5

You can also use this announcement thread to discuss about the tournament and to send your questions and feedback.

See you soon!

 

✂️ clip

59 seconds · Clipped by Dragonstar_AoE · Original video "Bill Burr Wants Charities Out Of Sports | CONAN on TBS" by Team Coco

youtube.com

 

so just like Russians get offended and complain politics when game devs annouce donating money to help Ukrainian civilians suffering from the war or are against the war. There either is no war or you cannot talk about it because people dying is not relevant, it is reallly just political talk according to you. I guess classicpro got admin loss for politics in Warlords and not because there happens be war causing power outage.

Mouttie: "i don't want to hear about thigns i don't like so i say it is political"

Calling for boycott is most defnitely political. Do people think because something is for a good cause that it makes it not political? Not to mention the amount of misinformation thrown around but people are fine with it as long as it aligns with their views. Do you not see how keeping something like that out of the official stream is the best thing to do?

 

10 people in the crowd. Lol. This is almost embarrassing. Actually, with that bagpipe, slow walking intro, it is fully certified embarrassing. Sheesh. Only a dramatic 4-3 (5-4, it is Bo9?) can save this.

 

Nili was right and the concept of the stadium joke was funny (although after watching the clip, the delivery is a bit weak). However, none of that matters at all because his remarks were inappropriate in a professional context and undermined the organizer’s stated goal of attracting people to the community.

 

Looks like a healthy crowd to me. Nili and Dave are fantastic. I remember when both started casting years back and it's amazing how much they've improved over the years. Same can be said for all the prominent casters we are lucky to have, actually

 

Don't think that's nice of Nili to say political stuff. Hope he learns from it and stays professional.

 

Ornlu doing a great job of justifying Redbull's decision to exclude him; Nili getting himself de-platformed; Dave regurgitating cliches; Ellie's nails on a chalkboard laugh; and new presenter is a cardboard cutout in a suit.

You're familiar with the expression "If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole."?

Kind of applies here. If you have nothing good to say about any of the commentators or hosts, all very different personalities with very different styles, that's on you more than them. Ornlu is doing great. Artosis is literally one of the most respected people in esports history and you just called him a cardboard cutout. Cliches are part of casting. Go watch the French stream if you're so offended.

 

I am a guy that has a regular job so I am desperately trying to rewatch the weekday streams to catch up before I watch this weekend live. I finished Thursday yesterday and am looking for the Semifinals/Friday, which is not on Twitch.

Can someone confirm me via PN (i don't wanna read posts here to stay spoilerfree) that this incredibly well organized tournament managed to not record their main stream on Friday, meaning I have to watch a Spanish stream (i don't speak Spanish lol) because those muppets had to make it closed casting in English but forgot to make a recording of a frickin weekday stream available online? The ONLY English stream, as they made sure? Are you serious? Thanks a lot guys, very cool!

I actually had my girlfriend google if they maybe had no matches on Friday to stay unspoilered lol - "ok love go to Liquipedia, press on that one, no the other one, what names does it say there? etc etc"

 

I am a guy that has a regular job so I am desperately trying to rewatch the weekday streams to catch up before I watch this weekend live. I finished Thursday yesterday and am looking for the Semifinals/Friday, which is not on Twitch.

Can someone confirm me via PN (i don't wanna read posts here to stay spoilerfree) that this incredibly well organized tournament managed to not record their main stream on Friday, meaning I have to watch a Spanish stream (i don't speak Spanish lol) because those muppets had to make it closed casting in English but forgot to make a recording of a frickin weekday stream available online? The ONLY English stream, as they made sure? Are you serious? Thanks a lot guys, very cool!

I actually had my girlfriend google if they maybe had no matches on Friday to stay unspoilered lol - "ok love go to Liquipedia, press on that one, no the other one, what names does it say there? etc etc"

 

That algerian coper is the reason I completely stopped watching Memb and supporting him :D cannot subscribe to someone with a mod like this, when I started trolling here and there Hera rightfully deprived me of the powers on his twitch channel and here u have a dude justifying people's death and nothing being done lamao

 

I just wanna say that the idea that you shouldn't be discussing human rights violations in order to be inclusive of their perpetrators is rather hilarious to me

 

I am a guy that has a regular job so I am desperately trying to rewatch the weekday streams to catch up before I watch this weekend live. I finished Thursday yesterday and am looking for the Semifinals/Friday, which is not on Twitch.

Can someone confirm me via PN (i don't wanna read posts here to stay spoilerfree) that this incredibly well organized tournament managed to not record their main stream on Friday, meaning I have to watch a Spanish stream (i don't speak Spanish lol) because those muppets had to make it closed casting in English but forgot to make a recording of a frickin weekday stream available online? The ONLY English stream, as they made sure? Are you serious? Thanks a lot guys, very cool!

I actually had my girlfriend google if they maybe had no matches on Friday to stay unspoilered lol - "ok love go to Liquipedia, press on that one, no the other one, what names does it say there? etc etc"

it got deleted somehow, watch the argentinian one on youtube

 

I just wanna say that the idea that you shouldn't be discussing human rights violations in order to be inclusive of their perpetrators is rather hilarious to me

Its not about including perpetrators, is about making stream about what it is. Telling to vaccinate or to boycot wont achieve anything as was already mentioned. You can agree with those statements, that doesn't matter, people who cares already knows about situation. And if people are against vacinating 1 year after covid situation, talking about on TV won't make change their mind either. So in the end, what you achieve with talking such things/politics? People just want to chill watching their liked game. I have seen enough about Qatar in 9gag already.

 

I just wanna say that the idea that you shouldn't be discussing human rights violations in order to be inclusive of their perpetrators is rather hilarious to me



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At least for me it’s not about being political and criticizing Qatar (imo that’s common sense) - it’s about ridiculing the victims. Imagine knowing one of the construction workers who died and a random Nili comparing him to aoe2 villagers building a castle. It’s just really really bad taste and out of place. Nili could at least admit that - instead he apologizes to the organizers, wtf

 

At least for me it’s not about being political and criticizing Qatar (imo that’s common sense) - it’s about ridiculing the victims. Imagine knowing one of the construction workers who died and a random Nili comparing him to aoe2 villagers building a castle. It’s just really really bad taste and out of place. Nili could at least admit that - instead he apologizes to the organizers, wtf

He apologizes to the organizers because that's the only thing that could potentially get him in trouble.

And again, there was no mass construction worker deaths. Qatar does have a problem with human rights but what everyone is repeating like a parrot did not actually happen. That is what shows nobody actually cares and all will be forgotten after tommorrow.

So, the only unlikable player ends up winning it. Kinda figures for this tournament, lol. Not the one to remember for sure.

 

I wonder if Dreamhack will be happy with these viewers' numbers, 10k on the main channel during the finals doesn't seem that high tbh. On the other hand, hours weren't favorable for Americans and Sunday wasn't utilized. Still, i worry that might be it for Dreamhack interest in aoe2 scene.

 

That ending was so rushed and weird. It's nice to have original ideas, it's better to have good original ideas.

e/ The tournament was still very enjoyable thanks to great games & series.

 

And again, there was no mass construction worker deaths. Qatar does have a problem with human rights but what everyone is repeating like a parrot did not actually happen. That is what shows nobody actually cares and all will be forgotten after tommorrow.

Ah I am sorry - maybe you should share your wisdom with CNN, The Guardian, Le Monde & many more. Maybe you have the correct sources and there's no modern slavery in Quatar after all, what a relief.

 

So, the only unlikable player ends up winning it. Kinda figures for this tournament, lol. Not the one to remember for sure.

you are unlikable, dude

 

Frankly, i loved almost every series in this tournament. So many close series with peak performances from everyone. Infact, i enjoyed the casting by Jordan and Daut as well. Happy for Ornlu to have got the stage he deserved.

I am sure Dreamhack will learn from the feedback, if they plan to do another installment in the future. Gratitude to them and congratulations Hera. He played phenomenal and absolutely deserved to win his first LAN tournament.

 

Good grief, Ellie... this post-match interview...

That was one of the worst tournaments I've seen, if not the worst, for AoE. Had some brilliant games but that was it. Liereyy not even congratulating Hera was a tad weird as well! Or should Hera have gone to Liereyy, I don't know.

 

Lots of lessons to be learned from this tournament, but overall I think it went pretty well given the short notice. Tons of really great sets, and while I definitely want to see open streaming in the future I thought the casters they brought in (and Daut!) did a good job. The Dave/Ornlu cast is a great combo.

And people malding over Nili's joke need to chill the **** out. It was funny.

 

Good grief, Ellie... this post-match interview...

That was one of the worst tournaments I've seen, if not the worst, for AoE. Had some brilliant games but that was it. Liereyy not even congratulating Hera was a tad weird as well! Or should Hera have gone to Liereyy, I don't know.

Hera should go to Liereyy as Liereyy went to Viper after he won against him.

 

Good grief, Ellie... this post-match interview...

If someone has seen @Ellie4K stream even for 15 mins this wouldn’t be a surprise

 

Nili was right and the concept of the stadium joke was funny (although after watching the clip, the delivery is a bit weak). However, none of that matters at all because his remarks were inappropriate in a professional context and undermined the organizer’s stated goal of attracting people to the community.

AOE2 is one of the least "professional" esports, and I honestly love that. It's a scene of individuals and personalities, and I'd much rather have that than the bland corporatized experience so many other games offer.