Info about ENDLESS™ Space 2 - Awakening:

Official game description:
**Endless Space 2: Awakening** introduces the Nakalim playable Major faction as well as the Academy Empire. You will now be able to interact and negotiate directly with Isyander. As his grand plan begins to unfold and rumors of the Lost begin to circulate, the Academy is set to take a more active role in the future of the galaxy.
NAKALIM FACTION
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A once-vast galactic empire that fell into decline when their gods, the Lost, were slain, this ancient race of devout explorers dreams of the day when those same gods return. The fact that they have been reawakened means half of their prophecy has come true. And the rest... ?  
They have a large Technology head start, but are very poor at Science and must rely on discovering lost Relics to learn new technologies. Their relationship with the Academy allows them to gain control over other systems through the Influence of their Temples, then convert them to work for the Academy (in exchange for a handsome reward, of course).
FOUR NAKALIM HEROES
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The Nakalim are a devout and ancient faction of explorers, warriors, and believers. Their Heroes focus on exploration as well as the development of systems and diplomatic influence, where they can gain strong bonuses.
NAKALIM FLEET
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Powerful on defense and oriented towards exploration, Nakalim fleets are the tools of an empire seeking to rediscover and take control of its ancient territories.
XIRMISALA MINOR FACTION
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The Xirmisala are Dust-sensitive philosophers, skilled at improving Dust revenues and exploiting exotic and unusual planets. They seek only calm, an outlet for their curiosity, and not to be exploited for their unusual skills.
THE ACADEMY EMPIRE
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The Academy becomes an empire that can manage star systems, fleets, and colonize new worlds. Isyander, the leader, will send requests asking you to contribute to its expansion--and can reward you with unique powers like Academy Roles and Named Ships.
ACADEMY ROLES
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Four very powerful Academy Roles assigned by Isyander to those who contributed the most to their expansion:  
*   **"The Spear of Isyander"** is given temporary command of one of the Academy’s two attack Master Fleets, along with the flagship “The Colorless Fist”.  
*   **"The Master of Dust"** has the keys to the coffers of the Academy (specifically to the diplomatic reserves) to use as they see fit, plus the ship “The Sum of All Pains”.  
*   **"The Vault Keeper"** allows you to pick a political party not currently in your Senate and temporarily make all the party’s laws available to you. The ship “Instrument of the Will” also becomes yours.  
*   **"The Librarian"** gets access to privileged information, for a price. The questions vary from economic, military, diplomatic, etc. to secrets of the history of the galaxy, and they also receive the ship “Warden of Knowledge”.

Release date: Sep 12, 2019

Categories: 4X, Space Exploration, Faction Management, Diplomacy, Resource Management, Strategic Combat, Multiple Endings

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair / No Predatory Monetization; summary: The user reviews for Endless Space 2 DLCs contain no evidence of real-money microtransactions, pay-to-win mechanics, or predatory monetization. The 'buying' actions mentioned are in-game features using game resources, not purchases with real currency. The feedback centers on DLC quality, bugs, and balance, which are outside the scope of monetization analysis. The game appears to be a one-time purchase with traditional DLC expansions.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $3.00 - $5.00
  - Reasoning: The community consistently indicates that the DLC is not worth its full asking price and should only be purchased on a steep discount. A specific sale price of 3 euros is mentioned, and multiple reviews advise waiting for a sale. This suggests a fair price range well below the original price, likely between $3 and $5, aligning with typical sale prices and the perceived value.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The only explicit playtime is 'about 10 hours' which appears to be total time spent with the DLC, not tied to completion, story, session, or endgame. The other mentions are vague ('several hours', 'a few hours') without specifying which metric they represent. No review provides hours for game completion, story completion, typical session length, or endgame progression, so all playtime metrics are unsupported.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The DLC's early game is ruined by overpowered Academy fleets and broken mechanics, making the game frustrating and unenjoyable from the start, with no later improvement.
  - Stance: Never clicks
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Overpowered Academy fleet in early game; Indestructible Academy home system; Infinitely re-spawning fleets; Buyable fleet destroys early game balance; Nakalim science handicap; Gamble mechanic in early game
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Playing in multiplayer; Playing against Academy; Playing as Nakalim; Early game phase
- Player Archetypes:
  - Balance Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Maintaining game balance and fair competitive play
    - Playstyle: Engages with multiplayer and AI challenges, analyzing faction strengths and weaknesses
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Stellaris
  - Achievement Hunter (no buy)
    - Motivation: Completing all achievements and unlocking every in-game milestone
    - Playstyle: Focuses on achievement-specific runs, often using version rollbacks or specific strategies to secure unlocks
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - New Content Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing fresh factions, mechanics, and gameplay variety
    - Playstyle: Explores new content, experiments with different playstyles, and enjoys the novelty of added features
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Nakalim faction well received (weight 0.62): The Nakalim faction is praised for being interesting, fun, and uniquely designed, with a cool aesthetic and story. Players enjoy the challenge of mastering their relic-based mechanics and find them competitive when enough relics are found.
- Academy adds engaging mechanics (weight 0.54): The Academy is praised for adding depth and interesting mechanics, such as bidding for roles, customizing behavior, and competing for control. It is seen as a fun, interactive addition that enhances gameplay for all factions, especially in multiplayer.
- DLC improved after patches (weight 0.4): The DLC is now considered fixed, playable, and a worthy addition after the Re-Awakening update and subsequent patches. The updates addressed previous issues, rebalanced problems, and improved faction interaction, making the DLC safe to buy.
- Nakalim relic mechanic engaging (weight 0.16): The relic-based mechanic is unique and provides strong bonuses to heroes and fleets, such as significant damage and health increases. Relic hunting and quests are neat, and collecting relics can cover science needs and make the faction competitive.
- DLC worth the price (weight 0.16): The DLC is considered worth the price, even if the additional challenge isn't enjoyed. With the ESG Mod and academy expansion disabled, it becomes a very good expansion pack, and the major and minor races are cool.
- DLC lore and story praised (weight 0.15): The lore pieces in the DLC are described as incredible, and the story is deeper and clearer. The Nakalim faction is interesting from a story perspective, and Isyander's addition as a non-playable faction makes the narrative more interactive.
- Nakalim start with many techs (weight 0.12): The Nakalim start with a lot of already known technology, including access to all technologies from the first two tiers. This gives interesting tactical possibilities and can make the faction overpowered at the start.
- Academy roles provide benefits (weight 0.12): The Academy's four positions (fleet admiral, legal advisor, envoy, librarian) offer useful benefits, such as revealing leaders and providing top fleets. Bidding for these roles can economically put players ahead and is considered the best part of the expansion.
- Academy adds strategic depth (weight 0.12): Dealing with the Academy adds depth to the game, and its abilities can offer a fresh change of pace. The Academy's territory and roles are a very good addition, and it gains substance with borders, attack power, and stronger relations.
- Nakalim ships visually appealing (weight 0.11): The design of the Nakalim ships and the faction in general is praised as beautiful and pleasant to look at. The new music and art are also considered good, contributing to the overall positive reception.
- Academy can be customized (weight 0.11): Players can customize the Academy's expansion, fleet strength, and behavior at the start of the game. This allows for adjusting the challenge and can even turn off the Academy while keeping the good parts of the DLC.
- Developers responsive to feedback (weight 0.11): The developers have recently started owning up to their mistakes and respond to player feedback. They hotfixed many issues in a couple of days, and the upcoming patch should reverse broken additions while keeping the good.
- Nakalim early game strong (weight 0.1): The Nakalim can earn money quickly with religious laws early on, and their early scout ships have high combat power and many slots, usable as fighters. The Spear of Isyander is strong early but has been patched to prevent an early win in 1v1.
- Academy competes for control (weight 0.09): The Academy now competes with the player for control of the galaxy, adding depth and a new challenge. It can turn into an empire, and players can interact with it by competing for special ranks and managing its aggression.
- Academy exploitation possible (weight 0.08): The Academy can be exploited for resources, fleets, population, and information. Donating to it grants a powerful fleet that dominates the early-mid game, and giving it systems in your sphere of influence yields relics and income.
- Xirmisala minor faction welcome (weight 0.03): The Xirmisala minor faction is a welcome addition to the game. It adds to the variety and enjoyment of the DLC.
- Destroying Academy satisfying (weight 0.03): Destroying the Academy and killing Isyander was a satisfying experience for players. This adds to the interactive and engaging nature of the DLC.

Common complaints:
- Academy faction is unbalanced (weight 0.35): The Academy faction is considered overpowered, especially in the early game, with fleets that are too strong and attacks that unbalance the game. This makes the faction annoying and detrimental to gameplay.
- DLC adds little content (weight 0.14): The DLC is considered weak and not essential, adding nothing significant to the game. Players feel it does not justify its cost or provide meaningful new experiences.
- Nakalim AI is useless (weight 0.07): The AI is unable to play the Nakalim effectively, making them a weak opponent and reducing the challenge. This is a significant issue for players who enjoy facing competent AI.

Gameplay feedback:
- Academy is interactive faction (weight 0.44): The Academy is an NPC major faction that players interact with for approval, rewards, and roles. It acts as a resource sink, requesting donations and offering positions that grant various benefits.
- Academy roles provide powerful rewards (weight 0.42): Players can bid for roles like Fleet Admiral, Legal Advisor, Envoy, and Librarian, each granting unique advantages such as control of a powerful fleet, extra laws, diplomatic resources, or intelligence. The Spear of Isyander role specifically grants a temporary powerful fleet.
- Nakalim rely on relics (weight 0.37): The Nakalim's core mechanic revolves around collecting relics scattered across the map, which provide research, bonuses, and hero enhancements. Without these relics, their science output is crippled, making them weak in the late game.
- Academy expands aggressively (weight 0.34): The Academy actively colonizes systems, competes for control, and can block trade routes, making it a significant map presence. It often expands faster than players, especially on lower difficulties, and can be aggressive during elections.
- Nakalim start with advanced tech (weight 0.26): The Nakalim faction begins with technologies from the first two tiers already researched, giving them an early head start. However, this comes with a severe science penalty, making them reliant on relics to progress.
- Academy spawns fleets without cost (weight 0.22): The Academy can spawn fleets instantly and repeatedly without economic constraints, making them a persistent threat. These fleets are often powerful and can be rented out to players, but they have static stats and can be avoided with high movement.
- Academy can be influenced or disabled (weight 0.2): Players can reduce the Academy's military power, customize its behavior at game start, or ignore it entirely. However, the Academy faction cannot be disabled, and its home system is indestructible, limiting player agency.
- Academy has four positions (weight 0.16): The Academy offers four distinct positions—Fleet Admiral, Legal Advisor, Envoy, and Librarian—each with unique benefits. These positions are awarded through a bidding war that occurs periodically.
- Academy can be exploited for systems (weight 0.14): Players can donate systems to the Academy in exchange for rewards, including relics and income. This can be used strategically, but it also means the Academy may take over systems that players want to keep.
- Nakalim have unique temple mechanic (weight 0.13): The Nakalim can construct temples that consume resources and allow them to take over nearby colonized systems. This mechanic is costly but provides a unique way to expand and gain influence.
- Nakalim have science penalty (weight 0.13): The Nakalim suffer a -50% science penalty and have no base science output, making research extremely slow until enough relics are collected. This forces them to rely on alternative methods like pillager ships and religious laws.
- Nakalim have access to market early (weight 0.12): The Nakalim can access the market and colonize many planets from day one, giving them an economic advantage. They also have quicker access to the marketplace and can boost production, gold, and influence with relics.
- Academy is central to story (weight 0.12): The Academy is a central faction in the game's story, led by Isyander, and fundamentally changes the game's dynamics. It acts as a separate faction that can be interacted with or played around.
- Nakalim are early game power (weight 0.12): The Nakalim are strong in the early game due to their tech head start and access to colonization, but they fall off in the late game without lucky relic spawns. They are considered a strong starter but a poor finisher.
- Academy provides late game content early (weight 0.11): The Academy expansion introduces late game content, such as powerful fleets and special roles, early in the game. This can significantly shift the balance of power, but only one player is guaranteed to receive these benefits.
- Academy can be weakened (weight 0.06): Players can reduce the Academy's military power to nearly nothing, and the Academy's fleets become obsolete after midgame. This allows players to mitigate the Academy's threat over time.
- Nakalim have no supporting laws (weight 0.03): The Nakalim lack supporting laws and parties, which limits their political options. They must rely on relics and temples to compensate for this deficiency.
- Nakalim are space Egyptians (weight 0.03): The Nakalim are described as an ancient race of space Egyptians reclaiming tomb worlds, which adds a unique thematic element to their gameplay.
- Academy has customizable behavior (weight 0.03): The Academy's behavior can be customized at the start of the game, allowing players to adjust its aggressiveness and expansion. This provides some control over the Academy's impact.

Performance notes:
- DLC causes bugs and crashes (weight 0.04): Players report that the DLC introduces new bugs and crashes, negatively impacting the overall experience.

Recommendations:
- Buy only on sale (weight 0.44): A significant portion of feedback suggests waiting for a sale before buying, as the DLC is considered overpriced for its content. This applies to both positive and negative reviews.
- Positive recommendations exist (weight 0.17): A minority of reviewers recommend the DLC, praising its mechanics or overall quality. These positive views are often conditional on sales or specific playstyles.
- Faction-specific value (weight 0.13): Some reviewers find value in the DLC for the new factions, particularly the Nakalim, but only for dedicated players. The faction content is a highlight for some, but not enough to justify full price.
- Conditional purchase advice (weight 0.07): Some reviewers suggest buying only if you are a hardcore fan or respect the developer. The DLC is seen as optional for casual players.

Other player notes:
- DLC improved post-launch (weight 0.54): Multiple reviews note that the DLC received major updates and patches after its initial release, fixing many issues. The community and modders contributed to these improvements.
- Mods fix DLC issues (weight 0.2): Players suggest using mods like the ESG Mod to rebalance or disable the Academy. These mods are seen as necessary to make the DLC enjoyable.
- DLC can be disabled (weight 0.18): Players can turn off the DLC via the options menu, but they cannot get a refund for the money spent. Some reviewers have disabled it and will not reactivate it.
- Nakalim faction compared unfavorably (weight 0.17): The Nakalim faction is compared to the Necrons from Warhammer 40k, but reviewers say it does not feel like them. It is also compared to other factions like the Empire, Hissho, and Horatio, and found to be worse or more monotonous.
- Outsourced development criticized (weight 0.16): The DLC was outsourced to NGD Studios, which also created subpar expansions for Endless Legend. This is seen as a reason for the initial poor quality.
- DLC compared to other content (weight 0.14): The DLC is compared unfavorably to the base game and previous DLCs like Vaulters, and to other games like Endless Dungeon and Stellaris. It is also compared to a hypothetical Civ VI expansion.
- Developer communication improved (weight 0.11): Developers have started acknowledging their mistakes and communicating with players on forums. They also released hotfixes within days and provided an optional beta patch.
- Academy customization options (weight 0.07): The Academy's expansion and fleet strength can be customized with sliders, from vanilla to very annoying. This allows players to adjust the difficulty to their preference.
- Negative reviews outdated (weight 0.07): Many negative reviews were written before the major update and are now out of date. The DLC has been fixed since then, so those reviews do not reflect the current state.
- DLC part of digital deluxe (weight 0.03): The DLC was included in the digital deluxe version of the game, which may affect how players perceive its value.
- Reviewer bought despite reputation (weight 0.03): One reviewer bought the DLC knowing its bad reputation, indicating curiosity or a desire to see if it had improved.
- DLC preferred over Penumbra (weight 0.03): Some reviewers prefer this DLC over the Penumbra DLC, suggesting it is not the worst in the series.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.4): The Academy faction is overwhelmingly overpowered, with fleets that can wipe out player forces and seize systems with no counterplay, breaking game balance. Numerous game-breaking bugs, including broken quests and save-wiping issues, compound the frustration, and the DLC remained unfixed for years despite player complaints.
- Disappointment (weight 0.19): The DLC is underwhelming and unpolished, with the new Nakalim faction feeling hollow and clunky, and relics underperforming. The Academy mechanics are disappointing and break the game, while the art style and design lack the quality expected from the series.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): After the Re-Awakening update, the DLC was fixed and rebalanced, making the Academy a fun and properly balanced addition. The faction is now enjoyable to play, and the developers' responsiveness to feedback has turned the expansion into a worthy purchase.
- Anger (weight 0.05): The Academy has plot armor and attacks without warning, imposing wars and taking over systems, with an overpowered death fleet that dwarfs player ships. Developers appear indifferent to fixing these issues, and lore inconsistencies, such as the Vodyani serving Isyander, add to the anger.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): The DLC is fun to play with the new faction after the update, and the Academy is a manageable and enjoyable addition. Players have had more fun with the Nakalim recently, enjoying the challenge of mastering their unique mechanics.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): The developers fixed the DLC's problems with the Re-Awakening update and acknowledged player feedback, rebalancing the content. The bidding for special roles is a highlight, and the new faction's concept of starting strong but needing to maintain advantage is appreciated.
- Relief (weight 0.03): The DLC was patched into a playable state, and the faction was nerfed to a more balanced place. This success restores faith in Amplitude, especially after the failure of Endless Dungeon, and the outsourcing of the DLC has been seen positively.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): The Academy as an active faction is more annoying than engaging, preventing expansion and constantly draining resources. The main quest is bugged and cannot be completed, adding to the frustration.
- Hope (weight 0.02): The rework patch fixes just about every gameplay issue, and there is hope that the developers will continue to address the Academy's problems. The DLC might be worth trying after these patches.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): The lore pieces and the Nakalim are incredible, and the major update prompted a reinstall of the game. This excitement is driven by the potential of the new content.
- Interest (weight 0.01): The new faction's backstory of a hibernating giant empire returning to a changed galaxy is intriguing. The mechanics of accessing all tier 1 and 2 technologies and collecting relics add depth.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): The DLC is the most boring one, with meaningless mechanics and repetitive Academy quests that offer no meaningful rewards. This leads to a lack of engagement.
- Resentment (weight 0.01): The scripting around the Academy is a source of resentment, as it forces unwanted interactions and limits player agency.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): The Academy can be exploited for resources, fleets, population, and information, providing a source of amusement for players who find creative ways to use it.
- Respect (weight 0.01): Developers have recently started owning up to their mistakes, which earns respect from the community for their transparency and accountability.
- Optimism (weight 0.01): An upcoming patch should reverse broken additions while keeping the good elements, leading to optimism about the game's future balance and quality.
- Contempt (weight 0.01): Most Academy rewards are described as crap, garbage, or trash, indicating a strong contempt for the quality of the content provided.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Players cannot enjoy the new faction because it is tied to the Academy, which is a source of frustration and sadness as it limits the fun of the DLC.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Buying the DLC without reading reviews was a mistake, leading to regret over the purchase given the poor state of the content.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Finally conquering the last system and finishing the game brings a sense of joy and accomplishment, providing a positive end to the experience.}