An excellent way to promote a mod is to bash other mods.

An excellent way to promote a mod is to barge into threads about other mods that have somewhat different goals than yours, and say that the mod is garbage because "IT'S NOT ORTHODOX ENOUGH!!1111". I think you're confusing apples and oranges, because it wasn't me who barged into your threads about the mod and tournaments, but the other way around. So think about who is "bashing" whom.

It's not bad; it was developed over many years with an emphasis on equal initial conditions for all factions. Yes, it's a bit specific, and playing it takes a considerable amount of time. But if you only need fun, entertainment, and laughs in strategy games, maybe you should just play tanks or Dota - it's dynamic, there are a lot of people, and it's fun :D

I like people who resort to dirty tricks in arguments, namely hyperbole, exaggeration, and absurdity. No, sir, you don't have to go that far (to tanks, Dota, etc.). You can look at your old, good competitor: the hRTA discipline. hRTA is dynamic, interesting, diverse, and viewer-friendly; it has a significantly lower barrier to entry for newcomers. This is reflected in the high online viewership on hRTA streams and the total number of subscribers on these channels. And don't tell me that "the games are interesting, it's just that no one from the TE community streams." I actively follow the activities of player alex_nv, who has 18-25 viewers on his hRTA streams, and 2-3 on his TE streams (and one of the regular viewers is your favorite "basher").

Now the mod resembles a sequel to TE, but only with the whims of 'we'll do everything ourselves'.

I think you just don't quite understand the specifics of playing on standard settings. As someone rightly said, in our changes, we first focus on the balance in the final battles, secondly, on the balance in the pace of development on the map, and only then on the rushes. In TE, everything revolves around rushes, and the balance is built around this aspect of the game. The ideology of the game in TE is to create a build that allows you to quickly and efficiently clear out mobs and grab all the best loot before your opponent, and in the final battle, be the strongest just because of better stats and artifacts. That's why it's not customary in TE to evaluate the artifact setup, plan the final build, or micro-manage the upgrade path during the game. As a result, we get a game called "50 Shades of Ranged, a Little Chaos, and a Pinch of Summoning." In the original, especially on equal templates (Z8, Z4, Z12), it is necessary to do this. Let me give you the most striking example: the Necromancer's Blood Dragon Potion (BDP) and why we didn't ban it, as in TE. There are a number of matches where the Necromancer simply cannot survive without a strong defense (against Human, Dwarf, Elf, Barbarian), so you can increase your rush speed with BDP, but at the same time, significantly reduce your position in the final battle. And here begins what I call micro-managing the upgrade path. You have a choice, as in the case of two chairs, where one has sharp tacks and the other has *censored*. In games focused on mob clearing, the choice will be clear, but in games where tactics and strategy in the final battle are also important, the choice will be ambiguous. This is the gameplay that we would like to achieve, because it is much more interesting and... well... skill-dependent. I hope I have explained my position on why the principles of TE don't work here, with all due respect to your mod, which I have played for about six months.

Added 8 minutes ago

This is a very one-sided interpretation.
Let's not make unfounded and incorrect conclusions.
Right now, we're having a dialogue like this: I haven't read it, but I'm judging it.
BUT, to be fair, there is a certain bias in the assessment of TE towards its "nerdiness," "mob clearing," etc., which leads to very clear conclusions about those who use these expressions...
I hope we will communicate in a different way: like adults. Please please take this phrase correctly and don't be offended.
I hope for understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation...

The thing is, I played TE and I know its specifics quite well. I also periodically watch TE streams from alex_nv, who is much more skilled than me in this discipline, and is generally part of the top players. So, believe me, I know what I'm talking about. I understand the specifics of the game in TE, what works and what doesn't; how you need to approach the process of choosing upgrades; how to plan logistics; where and what to upgrade. But you don't understand the specifics of playing on standard settings and you are trying in every way to remake it in the TE style.

But, in fact, I agree that this argument has dragged on and it is unlikely to have an effect on people with a rigid mindset.