Is it just me or is ranked team matchmaking unplayable without friends?

After climbing a lot with my friends, I decided to queue alone this week while I'm on vacation, as they're busy. I though team matchmaking in games like League was bad, but AOE3 is so much worse.

• You constantly get people that never communicate. Ask them if they want to rush? They don't respond and then just build up an idle army in base and dont join your FB or join when you attack. Tell them you will fast fortress? They say nothing, then rush without you and die.

• People frequently just quit for no reason. I'm not talking about quitting due to connection loss, I'm talking resigning over the slightest thing. Enemy raided and killed 2 villagers? Better surrender, doesn't matter that your teammates are 10k up in score. Enemy stole your 90 coin treasure? Better surrender. Teammate doesn't want to rush because they're not a good civ for it? Better surrender.

I don't understand how opponents like this are at such an ELO. My opponents will know how to scale their economy and how to micro, but then I get teammates that seemingly don't understand the basics of the game.