A couple questions before buying aoe2 on steam

I've played Aoe on and off for a decent amount of years, but never competitively or anything. I read something about matchmaking on a steam review and was wondering if someone could explain how it all works.

Is it built into the game like in sc2? (I found aoe2.net and was wondering if you primarily play there) Are there plenty of people playing so I won't have to wait too long for a game? Are there enough bad people so that I can ease into trying to play at a high level?

Thanks all!