Downloaded, play it right to Bay of Pigs, mental AIs, 3 v 3, no SW no crates, random facts (my most used setting).
First impression: Love how those SUVs dancing around..
At first trial, I'm ded in about 15 minutes, incapable of defending my own base. But now, when I learned the patterns, I could make an absolute stationary defenses..
Sure it is hard at first times, but I think as the players get themselves accustomed to the AI, eventually they will say it is boring, too easy, need more units, etc..
Sure, one will say to me "too easy? try maps with more than one way to get inside your base" "try 1 v 5". Everyone has their own play style, and for me I love to play as a support/defense while aiding my allies.
I don't know what base the mentalmeisters use for the AI patterns, but maybe they need an automatic progressive tactic? Like, at first enemy would send 6 T1 units, after some requirements met, they will start sending 6 T2 with 4 T3, etc. More like, auto counter-measure. I remember I saw enemy immediately start training dogs only when I just trained my first Spy class unit in MO 2.0. In MO 3.0, I like the idea of the enemy detector units will automatically targets spies.
The requirements can be timing-related (reached specific seconds, units send will doubled/more tactical according to what our base currently have), resources value (reached a specific amount, and enemy will send a 'reasonable' bulk of units against your base so you would spent your money, the units sent also tactical; if our base has too much AAs, they will send land/naval forces).. For now, the pattern is almost always linear, so it won't be hard at all when the players know what the enemy will do, how much units the enemy will send, what unit the enemy will send..
But then again, these all just my opinions, no offense.. :(
Some things that I somewhat want them back:
-MO 2.0 health bar
-Defenses rank graphic
Since EA is a defensive sub faction, how about adding naval defense turrets/towers? And replace its Aircraft Carrier and Aegis Cruiser with one defensive unit..? Like, an anti-armor, anti-infantry and anti-air with no minimum range and each weapon can function at the same time? Probably like Aegis's missiles for tanks and aircrafts and some turrets for infantries? And probably make Mirage Tank's more precision strike like the vanilla..? Because for now, the only thing that I like about EA are Thor Gunship and Aircraft Carrier...