Getting to a hundred pop a minute faster beats any of this optimizations hands down.   Indeed, much more useful.

That's quite helpful. Here is my current theory what's happening: While we don't use mTLS, there is support for that in ejabberd (the XMPP server we're using for the multiplayer lobby). Part of that is instructing the client (0ad) to optionally send a client certificate if it has one available (SSL_VERIFY_PEER option for SSL_CTX_set_verify of OpenSSL). For most Windows users that's not the case, as they never used client certificates. However, for users which have client certificates installed, SChannel (the TLS-library used by 0ad under Windows) picks an invalid certificate and sends it to the server under certain circumstances. As it's invalid the connection gets terminated, resulting in errors when trying to connect to the lobby. As sending a client certificate to the server is optional and not used by us, that should be an avoidable problem. @Shad_: Could you do me a favor and figure out what's considered a valid client certificate by SChannel in this case? Is it just any client certificate or does it have to have certain properties (like being issued by Let's Encrypt for example). That would help us to find a way to work around the issue in 0ad or the lobby server so users don't have to manually take action.

I had this problem recently, it might be your issue. I have many security certificates installed by various programs in my Windows 10 Personal Store.  When 0AD tries to connect, it uses wrong info from the first 'valid' certificate it finds, whereas having none at all connects fine.  Reinstalling Windows, Creating a new Windows user or removing the certificates in the Windows 10 Personal Store does the same thing to fix that issue.  To check, just hit Win+R and type certmgr.msc and look at the Personal/Certificates folder.  If you have  certs in there, it may be the issue.  I was able to back them up and remove them to test it out. How to back up security certificates May be an issue with how mTLS interacts with Windows   

I'm very much for keeping the "injured" selection.

It could be different to the point of changing the outcome of the next battle, for example: if he needs half his CS to fight, and the other half to collect resources, and they are all of the same rank, but have different experience, then choosing the half with more experience to fight would be the better option, expecting a higher proportion to rank up during the next battle. It's a detail, but in theory having sliders to filter those with HP, experience, etc, higher or lower than the chosen value from a selection could be a thing (I know there's the "injured" selection, but this could replace that, being clearer and more flexibly customisable).