Inside The Mind Of An AoE2 Pro | Episode 1

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

Want more of this style?

[@emilienguido]

Really cool serie the fact that that you give us the way you think make it more interesting and easy to understand/watch thx to for the content keep it UP 👍

[@kylljaden]

Really interesting idea Hera!! Would love to see more of this. Great work coming with these kind of ideas.

[@javiloscertales]

totally yes, please!

[@joshuagraham9770]

Yes please

[@Maronijogurt]

definitely!

[@kizerah]

I'm 30 and only started playing AoE2 casually during the pandemic. I watched a few tournaments recently (where Hera won lol) and now that I've been binging Hera's videos, I'm completely in love (addicted) to the game. Your content is fantastic, not too click-baity or desperate for attention. I gained so much respect for you when you said in another video that you want to share the knowledge of how pros play the game, not hide anything. You're a treasure and inspiration to the community

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

Wow thats an amazing comment! Thank you very much ❤

[@SaladEsc]

This is SUCH an amazing series already. We keep hearing that this game 99% is about decision making, yet most content is just surface level with impressive looking micro with entertaining comentary. These decisions and way of thinking comes naturally to you, but taking the time to explain it all is amazing. I could listen to this for hours.

[@proper_noun436]

You're kinda spot on that i more often watch your videos when I'm in a more energetic mood, while t90 videos have the slow pace that i can watch before bed. I like this style and I think from an information value perspective, it's peak value. I don't normally expect this pace from your videos but it's enjoyable

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

Yeah im usually too frantic to pull this off! Maybe this could be the middle ground for some competitive and some chill viewers

[@konradpyszniak976]

Like it. Though voice at the begging was too slow. I would like to see the sum up at the end what did Yo do wrong - the enemy perspective

[@lucrainville7095]

Thank you so much, this is exactly the kind of video I am looking for. I might book a coaching with you very soon because I like your teaching approach.

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

Thanks! You’re always welcome for the coaching

[@hassu6755]

Hera coaching stonks 📈

[@minikawildflower]

Inside Hera's mind: picture of a Hussar

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

11

[@maxs713]

The calmer/slower voice is so good because it reminds you that you can keep calm and stick to cautious planning and not get overwhelmed during gameplay

[@tedschlegel4978]

Great analysis, Hera. Not seen in regular commentary of matches as mentioned. You're on the right track with your content and I like that you're producing this at a young age. It's clear you're dedicated to the process and health of the community.

[@sireagle60]

Hera, This was AWESOME! Very helpful to hear you explain what you are thinking regarding the strategy behind your actions. We would all benefit from more videos like this. Many Thanks and a job Well done. Happy Holidays!!!

[@kenc00l]

I love this video on so many levels. I love how much attention you put into what your audience will like. At the beginning I thought the narration was going to be slow, but then I was working around the room had wireless earphones on, visualising everything you were saying. Such a great experience! And I had my berries raided last game, gotta play more open maps to get used to feudal play.

[@randmacfarlane1456]

Hera: I am going to talk slower. Me: instantly clicks 2x speed.

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

😂😂

[@amundskrullebakken8140]

Yyeeesss this is so perfect! Me and a couple newbeginner mates just decided YESTERDAY to start grinding AoE. And then this vid dropping, is *exactly* what we all need! Keep these coming, it's super good

[@n4bb12]

Phenomenal, this type of content is what I'm here for. You learn so much.

[@gruntgg]

This is going to be one of my favorite series, no doubt. Decision-making is a key and essential part of AoE2 and having a good one, together with good knowledge of the game, is what makes players improve. It's always interesting and insightful to know what someone like you, on the very top of the playerbase, thinks and why he thinks like that. Keep up the great work, Hera. You're an essential pillar of the AoE2 community!

[@TobingerAoE]

That certainly was a great video! I bit more chill and very informative while being quite entertaining. I really hope this series goes well!

[@albertcao5144]

having you breakdown the application of your pro skills/game knowledge in an actual game helps way more than all the aoe2 theory videos I’ve watched. Would love more of these!

[@alijabevrnja4310]

This is a very nice addition to your other videos.They form a great base for AoE learners, having the fast-paced action seen first hand, but then also a much slower, detailed explanation of strategic elements behind the scenes.

[@Garenex]

I find commentary like this fascinating. Its so interesting the amount of information you have to already know and be able to process to play at this level.

[@packmanbp]

Awesome concept, more please ! I'm at the level where I go into full panic mode when I see a (very) small army make its way into my base, I always wondered how you (and other pros) could be so calm and see clearly what is needed under so much pressure.

[@Pilgrim_HYR]

This is gold content. So much to learn from in a single game. Tower rush and its counter are advanced topics. At my level (1500) I have dealt with a lot of tower rush wish just vil fights. But this is a more realistic situation, when opponent walls in his towers.

[@MrAJ437]

Definitely need more of this! Getting back into the game after 10 years, you and Spirit of the Law have been my saving grace lol

[@xavierpironier59]

REALLY good idea, i think this kinda vid is gonna help me the most alongside tips videos to improve my gameplay , keep it up hera :P

[@CuddlingPenguin]

I'm a big fan of this style. Big props for being so self aware and trying to change it up! I think this will do well and fit into a nice niche that hasn't been covered much.

[@euph5348]

the amount and type of content you're putting out is next level! Keep up the good work, but don't burn out too quick ;)

[@peterneumeier3766]

This format is what AoE2 community playing 1v1 ladder needed. Great stuff. So much more value than commenting live.

[@CBATOTHINKOFANAME1]

looking forward to the rest of this series bro your content is just getting better and better, roll on 100k subs!

[@Troy-mv8io]

This is really cool. Just seeing how you piece together the overall strategy, the units and upgrades required to make your units competitive is very insightful and helpful. I also love how you know how to balance your economy while being bashed around by Mr Yo (who is also very cool to watch play). Thank you for choosing this as your career.

[@EivindWrsted-mk4ko]

I find this type of content very useful. I am always analysing my own games (particularly losses) to see where I could do better. Watching videos like this one helps me to learn how to think about the strategic choices in a game

[@glowaru]

This kind of content feels perfect for helping AoE2 casuals like myself understand the nuances of how the game really works at its core. Helps to bridge that divide between thinking like a simcity player and thinking like a more advanced player.

[@AskJakeChemistryVideos]

Love this video so much! For me this is the best video you have ever done. I just can't handle watching your streams as it is all too fast and crazy to follow but having you calmly talk through you thinking was just fantastic. Can't wait for the next one, thank you.

[@smiller504]

This is your best video so far. Please continue this series! So helpful!

[@kotapainting]

Great video Hera, it's so informative to get to know how a pro thinks and what's important to consider at specific points in the game. Very very goos job, especially for your first one of these. Talented gentleman!

[@TheOrder96]

Awesome stuff! I’d theorize that this type of longer form educational content wont get as many views as more casual stuff, but the viewers and fans it does attract will be a bit more dedicated. Educational hungry viewers like me always come back hoping to find more!

[@Xoraly]

These are gonna be gold mine videos my dude. What a great game to start it off with too! Defending the forward and Tower Rush is a tough one. Keep em coming good sir!

[@DrJacobsMD]

You're pretty good at talking through games while you play on stream, but this kind of detailed breakdown is amazing for us to learn strategy and reading the game!

[@lukesz8459]

That was a great vid. Very informative. Looking forward to seeing more like these in the future. Cheers!

[@Mortaall1]

Hera doing a great service to the Aoe 2 community! I really liked this new kind of video. Thanks for the great work Hera.

[@OneGoodLeg]

Would love to see more videos in this series. It would be cool to see how your decision making changes on different maps, with different civs and on team games too.

[@FirstDraftPhilosopher]

I love the breakdown of the strategy and mindset! There is definitely a lot to think about. As a newer player I feel the thing I struggle with more than the strategy is actually just the control of my units/buildings. I find I am very slow as I am clicking on most thing instead of trying to learn/set up hotkeys. There are also things that don't seem to be explained well (like the use of the shift key and assigning units as they spawn/ungarrison) that I am learning very slowly. I look forward to more of this style of video and hope to learn a lot more as I get more experience in the game.

[@ohiocoder8313]

thanks Hera, appreciate your efforts into your channel. it also helps me on my decision making, I like this format

[@beauthepotato3353]

Super helpful, loved the format and breakdown!

[@DukePegasus]

Good stuff as always Hera, i like that you lay out the format and think about it. I think these vids could have a lot of utility, hope it goes well :).

[@andrewparr2297]

Thank you for this analysis!! It’s very helpful to see how you analyze and respond to each situation on the map! I’d love to see more!!

[@david_oliveira71]

This really is rare, and the more insightfu- thanks a lot Hera (oh and Dravidians are great 11)!

[@jamesfstokes]

I love the video😊 It was very interesting to watch your thought process as you were going through one of your games. I also liked how you were able to speak a little slower than you normally do while in game considering how fast you have to move. I enjoy both styles but for learning how to play the game better your introspective slower style for this video is helpful.

[@pedrocarvalho7480]

Amazing content. Already excited for #2.

[@Sev017]

This is a great idea. Even as someone mostly just enjoying the videos these are super cool and I'll be hoping for more match review type things.

[@theparabox]

Imo this is the best kind of educative content you can create mr Hera, I think both gameplay and guide videos lack the deep thinking proccess we could use to learn, but this is perfect, thank you for sharing this

[@brianokeeffe6195]

Loved this, so so interesting ti hear you inner strategys!

[@Tom4SEO]

tons of value here. putting a mindset to a scenario. thnkyou

[@RedneckChemist1]

This is one of the most insightful aoe2 videos I’ve seen. Thanks Hera! Please make more (and finish the road to 2K?)

[@flathead789]

Love the content. Look forward to seeing more of it.

[@NolifeAddicted]

The tone felt like ASMR and I didn't have to put the speed in 0.75x for my non english brain to understand , we love that ! 😄 Great beginning of a new serie, doing some strong youtube content theses days! keep it up

[@ajfish9514]

Very nice! This is exactly the content i was looking for! One thing i find particularly interesting is the explanations of why you're picking fights, and when you find it worthwhile to engage into an army - especially when it consists of counter units. As a newer player, it's very difficult to judge if the resource value of army units is worth trading for the more nebulous value of setting the pacing and having map control, and also how to and if you can take these fights in the first place.

[@ar1sm70]

I absolutely LOVED this and congrats on coming up with new and interesting content, besides the games themselves which are obviously great. PS: Only thing I'd change is having you talk at your normal speed, but it's a minor gripe :)

[@booradley6832]

19:10 "I couldnt really get it up because he had elephant archers around him" It's okay, it happens. We all know that feeling, man.

This is gold! Please make more of these!

[@jkgmember]

This is the best format! Keep em coming!

[@DarwinDavidGarciaMaya]

top notch! quality information that 900 ELO like myself can take advantage of. I loved the format and cadence

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

Thanks for the comment bro more coming 👊

[@discoepfeand]

Fantastic and educational video, thank you so much. Not often that you get to listen to a global leader in a field do a full breakdown of their thoughts.

[@quackqueck4038]

thank you for this hera i always wondered how pros think when they play etc i could hear on stream you talking about about some things u should do but as u said there are many small things that happen in the game that u simply cant explain live! i cant wait for the next one its also helping me gain more knowledge and understand the game better hopefully u do this with some archer civ too since that would help me a lot knowing how to play with archers more. PS its ximg123 from your stream always nice to watch your content

[@酸民-u3q]

Nice analysis! World Champ!

[@camro14]

This new series content is so valuable! Love this idea as i am always wondering what the thought process is behind pro player decision making. Keep it up 👍

[@ectorinooo]

Hi Hera! Really enjoyed this video. Hope you do more of this style. I also really liked seeing you coaching other 2k players, i thought that was really informative. I would also appreciate if you would do this kind of video, but commenting someone else's game (even lower elos), cause you know lower elo players do completely different things and make also completely different mistakes. Lower elos would maybe identify themselves more. But nevertheless really enjoyed this video. Much love ❤

[@jonathanramos6148]

also great video ty for the detailed explanation. I would like to see more like this. You have a great idea here.

[@synt4x1e]

Damn, I remember houngoungagne (csgo youtuber) doing this years ago "Inside the mind of a global elite". Helped me learn a ton. This is great educational content.

[@smaruhmaruh6955]

Absolutely awsome idea to do a indepth game review with the focus on strategy. Some points to improve on would be: 1. Tune up the voice a little bit, it was quite a bit lower than usual. 2. You could introduce a structure in those videos like start with the civ matchup than the map than the strategy for feudal and early castle 3. try to minimize narrating what is happening and focus more on why it is happening But those are just some minor improvements the overall video was fantastic!

[@rynominnie83]

Absolutely love this! MORE like it please

[@whiteswan6550]

I really liked this. I not only training my gaming skills, but also my english skills by listening :)

[@TheFrankHorringan]

This was a great vid, thanks Hera!

[@ruffymaru]

Hera, you are the best content creator. I loved your interview with my fellow brazilian Tomahawk. I can sense your passion for the game on your words. Keep going, man!

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

Thanks bro the brazilian community is amazing

[@jonathanramos6148]

Mr. Yo is always out to get map control. He's soooo good at putting pressure. You did a great job defending. GGWP

[@benjamminSon]

This is nice format Hera, more plz

[@ordinaryrat]

Hera what do you think about the Genitour? I never seen them used in pro gameplay but they seem pretty good tbh.

[@bernkbestgirl]

I like this, it's kind of like a coaching video but better because the information is much deeper. You're not just telling a 1k player to stop idling his TC.

[@XavierLagrimas]

love it . perfect video ! need more

[@andrewg3196]

I love breakdowns like this! I'd love to see more stuff like this but I think I have some tips that would help your stuff in the algorithm so that this content is worth making for you and we get to see more of it. First of all just cut the first 2 minutes of intro stuff. I totally agree with everything you're saying about why this kind of content is good and needs to be made, but that doesn't mean it needs to be said. There's no need to convince the viewer to agree with what you're saying there, if they clicked on the video that means they're already interested. That two minutes of intro is just a whole two minutes for people to get bored and click off. Second putting "Part X" in the title kills videos. I see it all the time. You can look at anyone's channel with "Part X" series and the views just consistently get lower and lower with each video because people see "Part 5" for example and think "I haven't seen 1 2 3 4 so I won't have all the context so I won't watch". Just title it something like "Battle with Mr Yo" and that way any viewer might click because they won't feel like they're behind on a series. Also that could help since Mr Yo is very famous in the scene so people might click when they see his name. Also with gaming videos, the moment the match is over, viewer retention absolutely craters. If you go into the analytics you can see this for yourself. This is important because the youtube algorithm judges your video based on the average percent of it that a viewer watches. If everyone is clicking off when the match ends, but the video still goes on for a long time with post match commentary, it can bring down the average watch time so try to keep things succinct when wrapping up.

[@albertonavarro8581]

Love this content Hera!!

[@monsieurbaggins3458]

How to be pro: "play in the blue, of course." (Hera, 2024) Love the idea, man. Keep it coming !

[@eliacomandu2548]

I think this content is very good for me as a low elo player, I can comprehend more what is the thought process that brings you towards one direction or another.

[@pianospeedrun]

I'm a piano teacher and somehow your educational content inspires me a lot in my work. "What's going on in my mind" is very important and neglected topic imo, for musicians especially improvisers it's very very important to get the point where you listen to the music in your mind, without having any doubts or thoughts about technique or theory... in your game the best decisions are the ones that make most sense, you follow the flow of the game and execute better, sure you have a game plan but even that game plan flows from your civ choice most likely. Same in music, you shouldn't try hard to find something to play, following the flow of what your hear in your mind and reacting to internal feelings is almost always the best course of action, there should be, ideally, very little choice involved... does that make sense ? From my perspective this game illustrates it perfectly...

[@FeastOvGoreglutton]

I must say you are by far my favorite content creator for AoE2 right now. Awesome video.

[@HeraAgeofEmpires2]

ma man

[@jorgemcortesm]

Love it. Please make more of these videos

[@noedevin3302]

Enjoyed the video man hope to see more like this !

[@joeldunnington1515]

I like that you are a professional content creator who is putting in the work to expand their brand. Keep it up!

[@joshrossman3796]

this was really helpful, thank you

[@kiwi-mf2do]

Love this type of content!

[@MADMartinQc]

18:40 I liked the cat commentary!

[@javierfabeiro5983]

This si exactly what intermediate players like me need. The thought process is gold!

[@galbollus]

Great video! Just one recomendation, try to talk more about why are you going for the units that you are . For example at 18:29 you say you are trying to go knights but dont explain why. :)

[@moritzmonska9912]

Love this so much hera. See you on the ladder

[@machopcr]

Excelent content Hera :D

[@ljmjordie]

Yeah I can see these style of vids becoming addictive

[@yeudybarbozacastro2564]

Absolutely loved it❤ thx

[@m.benylazar3648]

Thank you Sir for your insight. It's very nice to see what your thought process is. Keep up the good work 😊

[@TomDallison-lh5xf]

Nice video I like this format 👍🏼

[@sven3557]

Excellent video! More like this please

[@The76Malibu]

Great idea/follow-through for a video. AoE II moves at light speed.

[@hiiwave11]

This is awesome 👍👍👍 Thanks Hera

[@astian4567]

Episode 1? Hope this gets to episode 1000 ! Great content