Info about Shieldwall:

Official game description:
Shieldwall is a funny third-person tactical battle simulator with strategy elements. It allows you to feel like a squad leader right on the battlefield.  
_Caesar needs you! Gaul won't be conquered by itself. Stand under the Eagle and lead the legion for the glory of Rome!_
Features:
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*   Control troops formation while playing as a single character  
*   Enjoy extremely dynamic and fun-filled battles  
*   Siege an enemy and defend your own castle in one match  
*   Create your own strategy in a game of 2-4 teams  
*   Feel the real Rome while passing the campaign based on real Caesar's battles

Release date: 18 Apr, 2023

Categories: Third-Person Perspective, Tactical Combat, Strategy, Unit Management, Real-time Combat, Single-player Story, Competitive Multiplayer, Character Progression


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


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:
- Highly enjoyable and fun gameplay (weight 0.99): Players overwhelmingly find the game highly enjoyable, fun, and engaging, both in single-player and multiplayer modes. Its casual nature, strategic depth, and charming style contribute to a positive overall experience.
- Engaging strategic gameplay (weight 0.24): The game is praised for its strategic depth, requiring players to think and adapt. It offers a good balance of challenge and accessibility, making it appealing to strategy game enthusiasts.
- Appealing historical theme (weight 0.16): Fans of historical settings, particularly Roman history and figures like Julius Caesar, appreciate the game's theme and its humorous yet engaging depiction of ancient warfare. The historical accuracy and Roman aesthetic are well-received.
- Accessible and intuitive controls (weight 0.14): The game is noted for its intuitive controls and easy accessibility, allowing players to quickly pick up and enjoy the gameplay without a steep learning curve. It's suitable for short, satisfying play sessions.
- Strong future potential (weight 0.12): Many players see significant potential for the game's future, believing it can become even better with further development and updates. They appreciate its current state but anticipate more content and refinements.
- Charming and appealing art style (weight 0.1): Players generally like the game's art style, describing it as cute, charming, and visually pleasing. The graphics, character designs, and animations are considered good and original for the genre.
- Varied and well-designed maps (weight 0.07): The game offers a good variety of well-designed maps, which contribute to replayability and ensure that each round feels unique and unpredictable.
- Enjoyable multiplayer experience (weight 0.07): Multiplayer mode is a significant highlight, with players enjoying online interactions, playing with friends, and the social aspect it brings to the game.
- Dedicated developer effort (weight 0.05): The community highly respects the developer's effort, especially given it's largely a solo project. The developer's responsiveness to feedback and consistent updates are also appreciated.
- Fast-paced dynamic battles (weight 0.05): The game features fast-paced, dynamic battles that combine strategic elements with quick action, providing an immersive and engaging combat experience.
- Satisfying tactical commands (weight 0.04): Players enjoy the specific tactical commands available, such as using pilums for ranged attacks and testudo formations for defense, which add an authentic feel to the ancient infantry battles.
- Competent AI opponents (weight 0.03): The game's AI is considered competent and has shown improvements, providing a decent challenge for players in single-player modes.
- Good upgrade system (weight 0.03): The upgrade system is well-received, with players appreciating the variety of upgrades available for their units and the developer's responsiveness in adding requested improvements.

Common complaints:
- Unbalanced and Frustrating Difficulty (weight 0.81): Many players find the game's difficulty to be uneven and frustrating, especially in later levels and acts. This leads to a tedious and repetitive gameplay loop, often requiring excessive grinding or exploiting AI.
- Unfair and Exploitable AI (weight 0.7): The AI is frequently described as 'cheating' due to infinite resources, instant respawns, and disproportionate gold income. This creates an unfair advantage, forcing players into repetitive 'cat and mouse' chases or relying on AI exploits rather than genuine strategy.
- Limited Content and Depth (weight 0.51): The game is criticized for its lack of content, including limited game modes, short campaigns, and insufficient unit variety. This results in low replayability and a shallow strategic experience, making the game feel incomplete.
- Overpowered Catapults and Sieges (weight 0.25): Catapults are a major source of frustration, being overpowered, highly accurate, and capable of instantly killing units or the player. Sieging castles is also difficult due to these mechanics and constant enemy reinforcements.
- Perceived Developer Abandonment (weight 0.19): There is a strong perception among players that the game has been abandoned by the developers, with a history of infrequent updates and similar past projects left unfinished. This raises concerns about future improvements and support.
- Monotonous Map Design (weight 0.09): The game's maps are often described as monotonous, repetitive, and lacking variety. This contributes to the overall feeling of tedium and boredom during gameplay.
- Inactive Multiplayer Community (weight 0.07): The multiplayer experience is severely hampered by a lack of active players and empty servers. Issues with connectivity and limited game modes further detract from its appeal.
- Repetitive Campaign Structure (weight 0.07): The campaign mode is criticized for being repetitive, lacking a coherent story or meaningful decision-making. Its design often feels like a series of disconnected, frustrating battles.

Gameplay feedback:
- Multiplayer mode highly requested (weight 0.14): Players desire a robust multiplayer experience, including co-op and competitive modes, to enhance social interaction and replayability. The current state of multiplayer is unclear or perceived as lacking.
- Commander-focused strategy gameplay (weight 0.12): The game is primarily a first-person strategy game where players command an army as a single commander. It emphasizes tactical decision-making and leading squads in dynamic battles, rather than complex RTS micromanagement.
- Core objective: Capture points (weight 0.1): The core gameplay loop revolves around capturing and defending flags and strategic points on the map. Missions include variations like Conquest, King of the Hill, and Capture the Flag.
- RPG elements and upgrades (weight 0.09): The game features RPG elements such as a leveling system, skill trees, and upgrade paths for units and player stats. Players can improve gold generation, attack, defense, and health regeneration.
- Javelin throwing mechanic (weight 0.04): Players can utilize javelins as a ranged weapon, which can be switched from the default sword. This provides a tactical option for engaging enemies before close-quarters combat.
- Repetitive battle mechanics (weight 0.04): While battles have similar core mechanics, each map presents unique challenges. However, some players feel the individual player's impact on battle outcomes is limited, and the strategic depth could be improved.
- Ancient Roman setting (weight 0.04): The game is set in ancient times, specifically focusing on the Roman Empire, with mentions of Greek and Persian empires. Players assume the role of a Centurion leading their legion.

Performance notes:
- Mixed performance and optimization (weight 0.13): Player feedback on performance is mixed, with some users reporting smooth gameplay even on older hardware, while others experience significant lag and optimization issues, especially on lower settings. There's a general sentiment that the game might be more demanding than expected for some setups, and lacks granular optimization options.
- Crashes and troubleshooting attempts (weight 0.01): One user reported attempting common troubleshooting steps like driver updates and running as administrator to resolve crashes, indicating potential stability issues for some players.
- Workable game size (weight 0.01): A single review mentioned that the game's installation size is manageable, which is a minor positive point for storage-conscious players.

Recommendations:
- Buy Only On Sale (weight 0.45): A recurring theme is the recommendation to purchase the game only when it is on sale or at a significant discount, often specifying a price point (e.g., under 20 units of currency). This suggests that while the game has merit, its current full price is considered too high by many.
- Mixed to Negative Recommendation (weight 0.38): Many players do not recommend the game, citing various reasons such as high price, lack of strategic depth, frustrating difficulty, or specific impossible levels. Some express regret over their purchase and suggest waiting for fixes or significant discounts.
- Better Alternatives Exist (weight 0.03): Some players suggest alternative games like Total War, modded Warband/Bannerlord, or Warlord Britannia, implying that these titles offer a superior or more complete experience in similar genres.

Other player notes:
- Demand for more content and multiplayer (weight 0.36): Players consistently express a strong desire for more content, particularly multiplayer modes (PvP and co-op), additional maps, and general game expansions. There's a clear sentiment that the game has significant potential but needs further development and updates to reach it, with some noting its age.
- Expand unit variety and upgrade systems (weight 0.23): There's a strong call for increased unit variety, including new types like archers and cavalry, and more factions. Players also want deeper upgrade systems for units and commanders, and an increased maximum unit cap to allow for larger armies and more strategic depth.
- Refine and add specific gameplay mechanics (weight 0.13): Several specific gameplay mechanics are requested for improvement or addition. These include better troop movement and deployment, general leveling and respawn options, manual control and health adjustments for city gates, permanent upgrades, and more strategic base/city defense options.
- Relaxing and broadly appealing experience (weight 0.05): The game is noted for being a relaxing experience that can be completed quickly, yet also surprisingly engaging, leading to extended play sessions. It is also considered suitable for a wide range of ages.
- Add Chinese language support (weight 0.05): There is a clear and specific request for the addition of Chinese language support, highlighting its importance for immersion and accessibility for native speakers.
- Discovered via YouTube, purchased on sale (weight 0.02): Some players discovered the game through YouTube and purchased it, often when it was available at a discounted price.
- Simplify Battle of Alesia level (weight 0.02): One specific level, the Battle of Alesia, is highlighted as being excessively difficult, with a request for its simplification to improve player progression.
- Requires decent PC specifications (weight 0.02): There's a mention that the game requires a decent PC, which could be a barrier for some players.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.23): Players feel satisfied due to the game's overall quality, strategic depth, and engaging tactical gameplay, especially when playing with friends. The game's value for money, historical theme, and smooth performance also contribute to a positive experience, leading to enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment upon completion.
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Frustration stems primarily from unfair AI behavior, including cheating with resources and infinite spawns, and overly difficult or unbalanced levels. Players also experience frustration due to game-breaking bugs, janky controls, repetitive 'cat and mouse' gameplay, and overpowered catapult mechanics that make progression difficult.
- Disappointment (weight 0.15): Disappointment arises from the perceived abandonment of the game by developers, leading to a lack of updates, content, and a dead multiplayer. Players also express disappointment with shallow gameplay, limited unit variety, and the game not living up to their expectations for scale, strategic depth, or overall quality.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy is experienced through fun, fast-paced, and strategic gameplay, particularly when playing with friends. The game's addictive nature, engaging combat, and overall entertainment value contribute to a positive and enjoyable experience.
- Hope (weight 0.06): Hope is driven by the game's potential for future improvements, new content, and continued development, especially given its early access status. Players express a desire for more units, modes, and fixes, anticipating a richer and more complete game experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement comes from the game's thrilling and unique gameplay, its quality compared to other titles, and the anticipation of future updates and features like an open-world mode. The historical setting, chaotic tactics, and the challenge it offers also contribute to an exciting experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Players enjoy the game's art style, campaign, and the experience of leading an army, especially when playing with friends. The humor, multiplayer, and the process of developing strategies also contribute to overall enjoyment.
- Desire (weight 0.04): Players desire more content, including new civilizations, unit types like archers and cavalry, and additional game modes such as 2v2 multiplayer. There is also a strong desire for more frequent updates, bug fixes, and specific features like Chinese localization.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger is caused by perceived AI cheats, such as infinite money and unfair targeting, and game-breaking bugs that render the game unplayable. Players also express anger over unbalanced mechanics, particularly overpowered catapults, and a high price for what they consider low quality or a 'scam'.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom sets in due to repetitive and unengaging gameplay, especially in the single-player mode, and a lack of varied tactics or environments. The game quickly becomes monotonous once the initial novelty wears off or the campaign is completed.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance stems from repetitive and tedious gameplay, particularly due to AI turtling, enemy respawns, and constant interruptions from environmental elements like bushes. Inconsistent mission difficulty and frustrating mechanics like annoying catapults also contribute to player annoyance.
- Challenge (weight 0.01): Players experience challenge due to difficult levels, particularly on harder modes, and missions that require significant tactical depth to achieve gold medals. The game's overall difficulty and the need for strategic thinking contribute to this emotion.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from a lack of clear guidance within the game, uncertainty about its long-term purpose after initial enjoyment, and issues with combat logic or realism. Technical problems like disk space issues also contribute to player confusion.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is derived from the game's humor, including humorous descriptions of difficulty and the visual appeal of its characters. The simplified gameplay loop and specific quirky elements like gladiator minions also provide entertainment.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret is felt by players who either regret purchasing the game due to a negative experience or, conversely, regret not buying it sooner due to its unexpected quality. Some also express regret over playing the game for excessively long periods.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concern is primarily related to the game's price, its performance on lower-end PCs, and the potential for gameplay to become repetitive over time. There is also concern regarding the developer's history of abandoning previous games.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is sparked by the game's historical setting, particularly its Roman history theme, and the insights it provides into ancient history. The game's genre and the diversity of its heroes also contribute to player interest.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is expressed for the game's overall design and the quality of its AI. Players view it as an excellent or even the best strategy game, indicating high regard for its core mechanics and execution.
- Engagement (weight 0): Players feel engaged by the game's strategic gameplay and the tactical challenges presented by battles, which allow them to play for extended periods. The overall fun factor also contributes to a highly engaging experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0): Appreciation is shown for the game's art style, graphics, and audio quality. Players also appreciate the ability to understand the game's English vocabulary, even without specific language support like Chinese.}