Whats wrong with AQ? Let me explain, with a few examples.
Economy. This is where AQ hurt the community the most. A noob would come normally make maybe 10 villagers create a few units, fight, lose, find that he doesn't have the eco to back up his units and then consequently resign. Result, noob remains noob, opponent progresses to rook and then inter and so on.
How did AQ destabilize this balance? Simple. Noob turns on AQ. Noob gets lot of vils. Now noob doesn't bother about eco, but the comp keeps it up for him, so he can continue the game. Occasionally he switches the way point and plays on. Result: Rook or inter is not winning the game despite the fact that they remember to make vils, research techs and what not jus tbecause noob has the comp doing it for them. The rook/inter may win, but it is a immense waste of time and the noob seems to be better than they really are.
Seige. I've done this myself and so I can vouch for its authenticity. I have a little problem with remembering to make enough seige. In TT, I used to put the seige camp on AQ, the only thing I used it on. After a while, golly, I got 12 seige towers,hmmm, what do I do? Oh, I know, let me erase this TC I've been trying to capture for half an hour. I get TC, he loses game. Why should I have won? I forgot to make seige. I should have lost. But the comp did it for me. It wasn't fair to the other guy.
Warcraft. In the heat of microing battles in Warcraft, I often forget to make back up units. This costs games. If they had AQ in Warcraft because a large proportion of the 30000 people who are present on Battle net at any hour of the day are noobs, we wouldn't be seeing arthas' face flying from the WCG, or the CPL or any other pro gaming event. Why is pro gaming so important to the survival of a game? I don't need to answer that, the question is self evident.
Forgetting to make units isn't a crime? Its a sin. Oh, I forgot to buy ammo, now my AK's out and you've killed me with an awp. No fair!
I like to play strategically is an excuse for a person to sit back with his chin nestled in his hand, clicking about the map slowly, plotting great battles and fortifications. Achtung! This is a game, as competitive as any. Speed, precision and skill reign supreme here. We don't object to you playing it otherwise, just don't do it with us or root for features detrimental to our way. How did halflife survive for 6 years and now look set for a much longer reign? A little thing called Counter Strike. A little competitive thing called counter strike. People like competitiveness. People like having experts to look up to. People like aspiring to be an expert. People like that strange sense of glory, of achievement. And this pinnacle of gaming is what AQ destroys.
[This message has been edited by VoRtiGaUnT (edited 04-17-2005 @ 11:52 AM).]