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Message from Wicc:
Well, the fact that the average skill level in SOD is noticeably lower is no secret to anyone. This has been repeatedly confirmed by various inter-portal competitions, selection rounds for the CIS championship, and even ordinary tournaments. WT players consistently beat SOD players on their own turf.

I think Nagan-4 rightly pointed out the variance in skill. We'll get better :)

For a competitive game, a very important factor is the dispersion of results depending on skill. In SOD, this dispersion is much higher, which is its main drawback. The main factors that create instability are morale and the variance in the starting army. Plus, there are many other minor factors.

The problem of army variance can be solved, but being able to deal with external morale factors is also an indicator of skill, especially since you yourself say that in games between top players, morale of neutrals is not particularly important in SOD, so why remove it completely if it accounts for a negligible share in determining the outcome of the game?

For a competitive game, a very important factor is the dispersion of results depending on skill. In SOD, this dispersion is much higher, which is its main drawback. The main factors that create instability are morale and the variance in the starting army. Plus, there are many other minor factors.

Let's say two castles, both with all buildings at their maximum level, start a game. Essentially, a war unfolds, a theater of military operations, in which the one who uses their chances better will win, but also taking into account chance (let's read Napoleon's words :) ).
In all games in the world, whether it's football, hockey (especially noticeable in team games), volleyball, or basketball, there is a factor of luck, and it cannot be eliminated. Let's say a basketball player, in a very difficult situation in the center of the court, throws the ball into the basket, and it bounces off the rim, hangs there for a bit, and then goes in. What will most people say? If you reason it out, it means that the player lacked the skills to make that shot in that particular situation, they haven't practiced enough, etc. But in reality, you can't blame the player for not practicing that shot in that situation, because it's impossible to practice for all possible situations (there will always be situations that the player is not prepared for). So, no one will criticize the shooter for their lack of professionalism, but will say that they were unlucky. I'm saying all this because the game becomes more interesting and more spectacular for people when there are such moments, when there is a chance for a miraculous save. Let's remember football and the "great" Mr. Filimonov in the game against Ukraine, when he practically scored an own goal, because you can't say that he doesn't know how to catch the ball, but he didn't catch it, and maybe it was due to external factors - lighting, a slippery field, nervous overexertion, which is also an external factor. Over time, people get used to some external stressful situations, and in this way, skill is honed, and ALWAYS, if you know that morale is possible, you count on it as a possible blow to the back, thereby positioning your troops, for example, against stompers two turns away instead of one cell away from a morale-inducing unit.

By the way, I really don't understand why you dismiss morale and GS so much, because in another thread you wrote about winning easily, taking castles without a fight, well, in general, about moments in which there is a bit of luck, deservedly earned through cunning, ingenuity, and intelligence....

P.S. Luck must be earned, and in at least 80% of cases, it is given to the strongest, although it is still unpredictable.

Message from Wicc
Currently, the situation is such that you can only earn a reputation as a good player by winning WT tournaments, on normal maps, with normal settings, etc. You can win as many games as you want in SOD, but the attitude towards this will be at most "yes, there is such a player." SOD needs a very representative tournament (like a world championship or a CIS championship) so that the title of winner of such a tournament means something. But the winner of even a mid-level tournament in WT immediately attracts the attention of the public, simply because the lineup in these tournaments is quite strong, and they don't let anyone win easily.

I think Heroes players will unite if SOD is improved and rid of some WT drawbacks. It's clear that both have their drawbacks, so we need to combine the best of both.
And the fact that most of the TOP players are currently playing WT is a historically established factor + a convenient interface, and also a balance that can be achieved in SOD