An Age of Empires 2 match typically lasts less than an hour, averaging around half that duration. That's because, even if one player doesn't capture a strategic advantage early on, resource scarcity leads to an inevitable conclusion in a relatively short fashion. Yet, as one ongoing Age of Empires 2 match has now proven, sometimes matches can go longer -- significantly longer, at that. An Age of Empires 2 match between Rubenstock and Andre_2i has passed over 70 hours of game time.
When Rubenstock and Andre_2i joined into a game of Age of Empires 2's 1v1 Ranked Queue, they almost certainly did not expect to end up in a grueling marathon lasting over 70 hours. Rubenstock chose the Berbers, with Camel Archers and increased villager speed, while Andre_2i chose Vikings, with Berserk infantry units and 20% increased infantry health beyond the Feudal Age. Rubenstock was aggressive early, attempting to cut off Andre_2i's resource collection., but Andre_2i was persistent, to say the least.
Mid-game progressed as expected, with both players increasing their technology while vying for strategic positioning over wood and other resources. Rubenstock remained the aggressor for the most part, but Andre_2i smartly defended. It was, ultimately, an excellently-played match by both players from a micro and macro point of view. At 60 in-game minutes, Rubenstock Camel Archers and Knights were terrorizing Andre_2i slower Zerker and siege units, but sloppy play allowed Andre_2i's defensive structures and play to maintain an even playing field.
By two in-game hours, both players had taken control of around half the map and were stripping them bare of resources. Rubenstock's Camel Archers and Hussar darted around the map, struggling to gather wood. Andre_2i's slower troops doing targeted strikes. By three in-game hours Rubenstock had dominant control of the map again. At four hours Andre_2i's win conditions were limited, but he remained defensively strong. At five in-game hours, it was clear neither player could secure a clear victory. It was an Age of Empires stalemate.
The dozens of hours since led to both players sneakily destroying their opponent's buildings and stealing kills as they were able. Through these AFK battles, both players have reached the point of effectively holding a single Castle and their Town Center. That's the status quo since around 33 hours in-game. It would seem there might be no way to end the game. However, there are outs.
At 33 hours in-game, Rubenstock confirmed that he could kite the arrows of garrisoned units in a Castle with a single unit while the rest of his units destroyed the building. However, it only works when Andre_2i is AKF, otherwise he can target Rubenstock's attacking units rather than the distraction. If Rubenstock catches Andre_2i AFK for an extended period of time, it's game over.
Andre_2i is playing a different game. He's aiming for one of two things, either Rubenstock will be forced to quit or server maintenance will take down the match without a victor. It may seem like the coward's way out, but there's a bigger story here. The astonishing 70+ hour match has led both players to have a huge spike of attention on their Twitch channels. In that regard, both players have already won.
Age of Empires 2 is available now on PC.