So it happens almost every single time. How are these 14xx players getting full imp and full tech army in 32 minutes. I have watched lots of youtube videos, live streams and recorded games and still have no idea where they come up with the resources to have that much. Back on the zone, a 14xx player was a noob or bad player, here on voobly a 14xx player will feudal at 12, castle at 15 and imp at 28. I go back and watch the recorded game from their perspective and magically thousands of resources are gathered with 20-30 less villagers. Can anyone explain how someone can get all of that with 100-110 villagers and I have just clicked imp with 150-160 villagers? I don't hold back resources, I use what I have when I get it on eco and eco upgrades so it's not like I'm sitting idle with loads of stuff. I'm asking how is it possible to get that much with thousands less resources?

Here are my two cents (I am by no means a "pro player")

Something is obviously missing in your calculation, if you "don't hold back resources, I use what I have when I get it on eco and eco upgrades so it's not like I'm sitting idle with loads of stuff".

Is there raiding involved? Are you idling villagers? Are you using resources efficiently? If you want to boom, you should focus on food and wood, then gold when you want to go up to the next age (that means little to no stone) Of course booming is risky because you are focusing your resources and efforts on economy and not military/defenses.

But in theory the fastest boom will be 3+ town centers, all being used the entire time (never idling), with villagers focused on wood and food until you need to go up in which case you will start to mine gold (plan ahead for this so your food and gold simultaneously satisfy resource requirements for advancing).

Perfect example is a BF map where it's walled off. I usually end up with 4 or 5 TCs, I constantly check my idle villie button and keep everyone working, I also rebuild closer lumber camps to wood and mill farms that are further away from a TC. I usually keep around 4 or 5 villies on gold and 3 or 4 on stone just to have a little when I need it.

There's your problem.

If you can be bothered to dig through some of my recent BF games, I have some pretty nice BF booms + playing like 17++ in some of them.

I usually go 4-6 TC depending on civi, but I only have 3 on gold (since end of dark) and go on stone only after 24 mins. I buy stone from market for extra TCs.

Your 3-4 on stone is probably too many. What's your lumber to farm ratio also? I always spend all of my wood on farms unless I'm close to another TC, which I then buy wood from market or just wait 30 seconds for enough to place the TC..