Info about Millennia:

Official game description:
Updated Roadmap November 2024
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Millennia: Premium Edition
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About the Game
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Create your own nation in Millennia, a historical turn-based 4X game that challenges your strategic prowess across 10,000 years of history, from the dawn of humanity to our possible futures. Set the course of history and experience different timelines in every playthrough as you write an epic story through your actions. Lead your people through times of crisis and ages of discovery, face great challenges and opportunities, and build a civilization that prospers through the ages.  
Dictate the course of history across ten ages, from the first cities to space travel. Accomplish certain objectives and you can move time into a Variant Age - an alternate history with new rules, new technologies, and new units. But beware Crisis Ages; following a path of chaos and disorder may plunge the world into a future filled with war, sickness or ignorance. Then again, a wise ruler can always turn a crisis into an opportunity.... Choose the path with care, as the ages you pass through will have a lasting impact on your people and the world.  
Customize your nation by adopting unique Nations Spirits over the course of your game. Will you be a nation of warriors or explorers? Are your people lead by a Great Khan or a builder of monuments? Are you known for defining pop culture or for dominating global finance? What parts of your culture will reverberate across history?  
Manage your economy with care and create a juggernaut of growth and construction. Start with basic resources to gain food, wealth, and production. As your advance, decide how to best convert these simple goods into more valuable products through research and improvements. Specialize your regions, turning iron into weapons or tools, wood into paper or lumber, gold into coin or jewelry. Ship surplus goods where they are needed, allowing the breadbasket of your empire to feed far-flung colonies or your industrial heartland to supply troops near your enemy.  
Pursue knowledge to research scientific and cultural advances, unlocking new units, buildings, and improvements to grow your cities or strengthen your armies. Research Defense to train the first archers, Smelting to master iron production, or Guilds for making wine. Variant and Crisis Ages feature unique alternatives, introducing everything from Cloud Estates in the Age of Aether to underwater cities in the Age of Utopia.  
Achieve your ultimate success through a Victory Age. Toward the end of the game (or earlier if your strategy is sound), dominance allows a nation to dictate the winning conditions. The rest of the world must decide if they will struggle to achieve victory before the leader ... or oppose the leader's attempt. Risk everything to take victory in the Renaissance or carefully plan for triumph in the modern era.

Release date: Mar 26, 2024

Categories: 4X, Turn-based Strategy, Civilization Building, Resource Management, Era-based Progression, Complex Combat System, City Management, Choice-driven Narrative

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 70; verdict: Aggressive Monetization; summary: The game is criticized for feeling unfinished at launch, with significant content being sold as expensive DLC packs. This practice has led to a perception of the game being a cash grab, designed to monetize through continuous DLC releases rather than providing a complete experience upfront. The base game is seen as shallow, with essential content withheld for paid expansions, frustrating players and leading to negative reviews.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The game has several significant issues that detract from the user experience. The most prominent problems include insufficient in-game information, leading players to rely on external resources, and confusion regarding game mechanics and AI behavior. Additionally, there are criticisms about the game's UI and graphics. Despite these issues, the game has a strong strategic element that some players find appealing.
- Steam Deck: score 70; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals several key issues affecting the user experience. UI/UX issues, particularly small font sizes, make the game difficult to read on certain screens. Performance issues, such as the slow loading of the Paradox launcher, negatively impact the startup process. Stability issues, including game crashes, are critical problems that severely affect the user experience. However, there is also positive feedback regarding the art direction and interface, which enhances the overall experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $25.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that the community generally finds the game worth purchasing only at a discounted price. Multiple reviews mention that the game is not worth the full price of $40 but is more appealing at a discounted rate, specifically around $20 or less. This indicates that the fair base-game price range, as perceived by the community, is significantly lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 260.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 6.0h
  - Endgame: 0.5h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes a range of playtime experiences from different users. One user mentions having over 260 hours of playtime, indicating a high level of engagement and suggesting a long game completion time. Another user spent the vast majority of a game session in a specific age, implying a significant session length. Additionally, a user mentions spending about 6 hours just figuring things out, which suggests a substantial initial investment of time to understand the game mechanics. Finally, another user describes spending the last twenty or thirty turns in a session, which provides insight into the typical endgame duration.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a steep learning curve and complex early game mechanics that can be overwhelming, but once players understand the basics, they begin to enjoy the strategic depth and empire management aspects.
  - Stance: Fun after learning curve
  - Anchor: Understanding the game mechanics and strategies
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Steep learning curve; Poor tutorial; Early game pacing issues
  - Unlock drivers: Understanding game mechanics; Effective empire management
  - Conditions: Solo play; Patience to learn; Strategic mindset
- Player Archetypes:
  - Strategy-Focused Builder (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoys complex systems and strategic depth.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on resource management and strategic planning.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: 4X fan; strategy gamer
    - Reference games: Civilization; Spellforce: Conquest of Eos; Victoria 3
  - Casual 4X Fan (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoys 4X games with a preference for familiar mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Casual and exploratory, with a focus on enjoyment over optimization.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: Civilization fan; casual gamer
    - Reference games: Civilization; Humankind
  - Multiplayer Enthusiast (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeks multiplayer experiences and collaboration.
    - Playstyle: Competitive and collaborative, focusing on multiplayer interactions.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: multiplayer gamer; co-op player
    - Reference games: Civilization; Master of Magic


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:
- Unique age and era mechanics (weight 0.51): The game features different age variants and a unique era system with special effects and conditions. This adds a layer of strategy and variety to the gameplay.
- Deep production chains (weight 0.28): The game includes sophisticated and well-made production chains that are important and rewarding. These chains add complexity and depth to the gameplay.
- High replayability value (weight 0.23): The game encourages replayability through different epochs and varied gameplay experiences. The timeline system and focus trees add depth and variance.
- Game with significant potential (weight 0.22): The game is recognized for its potential and interesting concepts. It is well thought out and has a lot to offer, making it a promising title.
- Complex combat and city management (weight 0.22): The game features a complex combat system with different unit types and strategies. City management is also intricate, adding to the overall depth.
- Exciting and fun gameplay (weight 0.21): The gameplay is described as fun and exciting, particularly in the early stages. It offers a lot of depth and complexity, appealing to fans of strategy games.
- National spirits add depth (weight 0.2): The national spirits system adds new strategic elements and depth to the game. It allows nations to develop uniquely over time and adapt to geopolitical situations.
- Superior to Civilization (weight 0.2): The game is considered better and more strategic than the Civilization series. It offers unique elements that differentiate it from other games in the genre.
- One of the best in genre (weight 0.12): The game is considered one of the best in the 4X genre, offering a good renewal and standing out among its peers.

Common complaints:
- Poor graphical quality (weight 0.61): Many players have noted that the game's graphics are outdated, lackluster, and visually unappealing. The graphical presentation of battles and overall visual quality are considered subpar.
- AI behavior issues (weight 0.55): The AI in the game is frequently criticized for being stupid, illogical, and overly aggressive. Players also note that AI behaviors are predictable and lack variety, making interactions feel unrealistic.
- Difficult and unclear UI (weight 0.47): The user interface is often described as cluttered, busy, and difficult to navigate. Important information is hard to see, and the overall design is considered poor and cumbersome.
- Game feels abandoned (weight 0.41): Players feel that the game has been abandoned by the developers, with development stopped and issues left unresolved. This has led to a perception of the game being unfinished and poorly maintained.
- Poor diplomacy system (weight 0.4): The diplomacy system is criticized for being shallow, poorly implemented, and lacking depth. Players find it irrelevant and poorly integrated into the gameplay.
- Flawed combat design (weight 0.29): The combat system is seen as lackluster, tedious, and poorly developed. Players note that combat can feel random and not well thought out.
- Multiplayer issues (weight 0.14): Multiplayer functionality is either missing or not functional, which has been a significant disappointment for players expecting this feature.
- Lack of customization options (weight 0.14): Players have noted a lack of customization options for game settings and map generation, limiting their ability to tailor the game to their preferences.
- Performance issues (weight 0.12): The game suffers from severe performance issues, running poorly and providing a suboptimal gaming experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Complex production and resource chains (weight 0.43): The game features a sophisticated economy system with interconnected supply chains and complex resource management, which are crucial for success and development.
- Ages mechanic with unique features (weight 0.33): The Ages mechanic offers different mechanics and units, alternate timelines, and crisis ages, making it unique and impactful.
- Era-based progression (weight 0.25): The game features an era system where progression is influenced by player actions and choices, introducing new rules and circumstances.
- Complex and unique combat system (weight 0.2): The combat system is intricate and involves different unit types with specific roles and interactions, requiring strategic engagement.
- National spirits system (weight 0.2): The game includes a variety of national spirits that offer unique bonuses and units specific to each era, shaping the nation and balancing gameplay.
- City management and development (weight 0.18): The game includes city-building mechanics with evolving urban needs and multiple development paths based on starting location and adaptation.
- Challenging barbarian mechanics (weight 0.17): The game features challenging barbarian mechanics that require constant attention and micromanagement.
- Deep and detailed gameplay mechanics (weight 0.16): The game offers extraordinarily detailed gameplay mechanics, including combat and alternate timeline mechanics, which add depth and replayability.
- High complexity and challenging AI (weight 0.13): The game's complexity increases rapidly in the midgame, requiring reading and understanding, with an aggressively challenging AI.
- Choice-driven and narrative gameplay (weight 0.12): The game features choice-driven and narrative gameplay, adding depth and complexity to the player's experience.
- Regions and towns management system (weight 0.12): The game includes a management system for regions, towns, and vassals, adding another layer of strategic depth.
- Chaos events impacting gameplay (weight 0.1): The game features chaos events that can significantly impact gameplay, adding variance and unpredictability.
- Domain points for policy actions (weight 0.1): The game focuses on domain points, which are required for domestic and foreign policy actions, adding strategic depth.

Performance notes:
- Late-game performance issues (weight 0.27): The game experiences significant slowdowns and performance drops in the later stages, making it frustrating for players. This includes severe lag and poor optimization during late-game gameplay.
- Frequent crashes and stability (weight 0.2): The game has issues with frequent crashes and stability. Some players report game-breaking bugs and corrupted save files, while others find the game stable.
- General optimization problems (weight 0.18): Players report poor optimization overall, leading to slowdowns and performance issues during gameplay. This affects the overall experience and smoothness of the game.
- Performance with many entities (weight 0.1): The game experiences slowdowns and performance issues when many entities or active objects are on screen. This also extends to large maps with many nations.
- Mixed performance reports (weight 0.08): Some players report that the game runs steadily on modern systems, while others experience significant performance issues.
- Launcher issues (weight 0.07): Players report problems with the game launcher, including slow performance and technical issues.
- UI improvements needed (weight 0.06): The user interface is criticized for being rudimentary and in need of improvements to enhance the overall user experience.
- Mod performance impact (weight 0.04): The game becomes very heavy and experiences performance issues when running with mods.
- Positive performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.03): The game plays well on Steam Deck, indicating good performance on this platform.
- Long turn times (weight 0.03): The game has performance issues with long turn times, affecting the overall gameplay experience.

Recommendations:
- Worth buying on sale (weight 0.25): Many reviewers suggest purchasing the game on sale, indicating that it offers good value for money when discounted. Specific price points mentioned include 20 euros or less.
- Recommended for 4X and strategy fans (weight 0.21): The game is frequently recommended for fans of 4X and strategy games, particularly those who enjoy the Civilization series. It is seen as a great alternative to Civilization and a must-have for veterans of the genre.
- General purchase recommendations (weight 0.2): The game is generally recommended by reviewers, with some suggesting it is worth trying at a reasonable price. Others strongly recommend it without hesitation.
- Suggestions for game improvements (weight 0.14): Reviewers suggest various improvements such as adding more content to the economy system, making combat more interesting, improving the UI, adding more content to ages, and expanding the diplomacy system.
- Hopes for future improvements (weight 0.04): Reviewers express hope for a sequel with better graphics and combat system, indicating areas where the current game could be improved.
- Avoid due to developer concerns (weight 0.04): Some reviewers advise avoiding games by this developer due to concerns about game abandonment. This suggests a lack of trust in the developer's commitment to their games.
- Comparison to Civilization 5 (weight 0.04): Some reviewers feel that Civilization 5 is a better and cheaper alternative, which may influence potential buyers' decisions.
- Positive feedback on expansions (weight 0.04): The Atomic Ambitions expansion is specifically mentioned as being worth it, suggesting that the additional content provided is valuable.
- Not for casual players (weight 0.04): The game is not recommended for casual players, indicating that it may have a steep learning curve or require a significant time investment.
- Desire for more DLC content (weight 0.04): There is a desire among reviewers for more content to be added through DLC, suggesting that players are looking for additional gameplay experiences.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.22): Players feel disappointment due to the game's unfinished state, lack of updates, and developer abandonment. Issues such as poor graphics, unbalanced mechanics, and the absence of promised features contribute to this sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Frustration stems from numerous gameplay issues including AI behavior, lack of updates, and game crashes. Players also report problems with game mechanics, performance issues, and a lack of support from developers.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the game's unique mechanics, strategic depth, and innovative gameplay features. The game's engaging and addictive nature, along with its high replayability, contribute to this positive sentiment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Satisfaction comes from the game's enjoyable gameplay, good balance, and unique systems. Players appreciate the game's depth, complexity, and the improvements made over time.
- Disappointed (weight 0.04): Players feel disappointed due to the game being abandoned by developers, poor game balance, and lack of engagement. The game's graphical presentation and lack of updates also contribute to this sentiment.
- Frustrated (weight 0.04): Frustration arises from AI behavior issues, game balance problems, and difficulties with multiplayer connections. Players also report issues with graphics, UI, and game optimization.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement is generated by the game's unique and refreshing gameplay mechanics, innovative approach to the 4X genre, and the richness and depth of the game. Players also appreciate the varied ages and timelines.
- Hope (weight 0.04): Hope stems from the game's potential and the desire for future improvements and updates. Players express a desire for more content creators to play the game and hope for future projects from the developer.
- Anger (weight 0.04): Anger is caused by developer abandonment, poor game quality, and lack of refunds. Players also report issues with game design, AI behavior, and poor interface optimization.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Enthusiasm comes from the game's deep and rewarding gameplay, unique mechanics, and economy system. Players enjoy the game's unique mechanics and potential for future updates.
- Excited (weight 0.03): Excitement is driven by the game's unique take on the 4X genre, innovative mechanics, and interesting domain powers. Players also appreciate the unique age system and high replayability.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy comes from enjoying every aspect of the game, including the gameplay loop, graphics, and high replayability. Players appreciate the game's fresh ideas and consider it a strong competitor to other strategy games.
- Positive (weight 0.02): Positive sentiments arise from the game's flexibility, tactics, and convenience. Players appreciate the game's features, originality, and interesting spin on progression.
- Hopeful (weight 0.02): Hopeful sentiments stem from the desire for game improvements, updates, and potential future development. Players express hope for a game revival and future growth.
- Negative (weight 0.01): Negative sentiments are driven by disappointment with developers for not fulfilling promises and abandoning the game. Players express anger and disappointment with the developers for taking money and not improving the game.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game comes from its alternate age mechanic and new, clever mechanics. Players appreciate the innovative and unique gameplay features.
- Sadness (weight 0): Sadness arises from the feeling that the game is abandoned and incomplete. Players feel a sense of loss due to the game's unfinished state.}