"Mirrors"

When skill levels are close, a "non-global" approach is perfectly sufficient. Plus, there's a psychological aspect here – standard templates are geared towards a "quick and aggressive" playstyle, where you rapidly gather resources, rush back, and strike hard. This is an aggressive, risky strategy "against the map." On a mirrored map, it's harder to execute because too many players can spread out and develop quickly in the first week. It's difficult to gain an early advantage without tavern upgrades. Therefore, the mid and late game, as well as playing "against the opponent," become more important – analyzing their position, developing a strategy "based on the opponent," rather than "based on yourself." This is unfamiliar to many. P.S. I'm still waiting to see reports comparing actions and opponent actions, with some mind games and so on. So far, it's too classic – everyone gathers resources, compares their progress, and the outcome is roughly the same, with some random factor like a lucky skill upgrade deciding the game.