View source for ESOC/About

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'''What is ESOC?'''

[https://eso-community.net/ eso-community.net] ('''ESOC''') is an Age of Empires 3 website run by the community for the community. ESOC initially began as a hosting website founded in 2015 for the drought-ending tournament "Age of Empires 3 Spring Championship" (ASC Spring). The event, a resounding success (its Grand Finals reaching an unprecedented 1000 concurrent viewers!), inspired ESOC to continue to host seasonal, free-to-enter, crowdfunded tournaments. 

As the website grew, so too did the brand; tournament notation changed from ASC to ESOC, YouTube and Twitch accounts were launched, and ESOC became the focal point for Age of Empires 3 community. The website now boasts over 15,000 forum members, a balance patch crafted by the game’s top minds (ultimately incorporated officially into the game's Definitive Edition remaster by Microsoft), and roughly 60 completed tournaments totaling over $28,000 USD in cumulative prize pool handouts. Through the generosity of community donors and the dedication of an all-volunteer staff, ESOC has created a sustainable model to provide you, the community, with the best Age of Empires 3 content on the internet.

Home to newcomers and seasoned veterans, top players and conscripts alike, the [https://eso-community.net/ ESOC website] offers a variety of content we think you’ll enjoy:

*[https://eso-community.net/strategy-wall Strategy Wall]
*[https://eso-community.net/tournaments Tournament history]
*[https://eso-community.net/viewforum.php?f=65 Active tech support]
*[https://eso-community.net/viewforum.php?f=982 General AoE3 discussion]
*[https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=auhg4ju1btq7bt9fj10u3cv1a4%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=UTC Event Schedule]
*Twitch streams with well-known casters
*Community-maintained [https://eso-community.net/esoc-patch.php ESOC Patch] (EP) for the legacy game, consisting of:
**Anti-cheat protection
**[[ESOC_Patch/Version_history#Effective_changes_from_the_official_.28Robot_Entertainment_or_.22RE.22.29_patch_.E2.80.94_TAD_1.03|Improved civilization balance]]
**[https://eso-community.net/maps.php More than 50 new and polished maps]
**Tons of [[ESOC_Patch/Version_history#Bug_fixes|bug fixes]] and quality-of-life features
**Integrated [https://eso-community.net/viewtopic.php?f=176&t=7148 Treaty Patch], with its own set of changes tailored to that game mode
**[[XPMOD]]
*[https://eso-community.net/ladder.php?patch=esoc&mode=1v1&type=supremacy ESOC ELO Ladder] (for the legacy game)
*Recorded Games
**[https://eso-community.net/recorded-games Simple Search]
**[https://eso-community.net/viewforum.php?f=984 Discussion]
*[https://eso-community.net/population-statistics Legacy AoE3 Population Statistics]