Info about ENDLESS™ Space 2 - Dark Matter:

Official game description:
**ENDLESS™ Space 2 - Dark Matter** views the ENDLESS™ Universe from the underbelly of events and discoveries that have, on occasion, been dark indeed…  
From a series of quests investigating the strange events that preceded the fall of the Endless to simple problems of unruly subjects, enjoy the gamut of experiences and adventures from 12 new quests to discover, all set in the vast strangeness of the ENDLESS™ Universe!

Release date: May 6, 2021

Categories: 4X, Space Exploration, Turn-based Strategy, Faction Management, Quest-driven Progression, Resource Management, Diplomacy


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The provided reviews exclusively discuss the DLC, not the base game. They indicate that the DLC's content is not worth its price, but no direct sentiment about the base game's fair price is given. Given the lack of base-game evidence, I infer a conservative price range typical for indie games with limited scope, while acknowledging high uncertainty.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence indicates the DLC content is short and can be completed quickly, but no explicit playtime hours are provided. The half-hour quote likely refers to a single quest or mission, not the entire DLC, and the other quotes are qualitative. Therefore, no reliable playtime metrics can be extracted.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Bug-Averse Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: To enjoy the game without frustration, seeking a stable and bug-free experience.
    - Playstyle: They disable the DLC or avoid it until it is patched, focusing on the base game.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no 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:
- Developer fixed major bugs (weight 0.24): The developer addressed the most criticized bug that blocked colonization, along with other issues like freezing and academy problems, making the DLC playable and improving overall gameplay.
- DLC adds story and lore (weight 0.21): Multiple clusters indicate the DLC provides additional story, lore, and quests that enrich the game's narrative. This content is appreciated by players for adding depth to the experience.
- New quests enhance gameplay (weight 0.18): The DLC introduces new missions that are more exciting than vanilla ones, with dynamic elements like moving ships and tempting rewards, adding RPG-like depth to the strategy game.
- Base game visuals and music praised (weight 0.12): The base game's art direction and soundtrack are highly praised, contributing to an excellent visual and auditory experience that enhances overall enjoyment.
- DLC provides additional activities (weight 0.1): The DLC gives players more to do, including a few inconsequential but enjoyable additions, and offers a planet that can be bought, expanding gameplay options.
- DLC meets expectations and value (weight 0.09): Players feel the DLC delivers what it promises and is worth the price, indicating satisfaction with the content's quality and quantity relative to cost.
- Umbral Choir faction is interesting (weight 0.08): Players find the Umbral Choir faction cool and appreciate that it offers peaceful options first, adding a unique diplomatic element to the game.
- Players support developer efforts (weight 0.04): There is a sentiment of support for the developers, acknowledging their responsiveness and dedication to fixing issues and improving the game.

Common complaints:
- Game-breaking colonization bug persists (weight 0.6): A critical bug prevents colonization of star systems not connected by starlanes, often triggered by the 'Death Without a Corpse' quest. This bug breaks quest chains and makes many systems unplayable, with no workaround available.
- DLC lacks meaningful content (weight 0.59): Players consistently report that the DLC adds almost nothing to the game, offering no new weapons, support modules, or interesting gameplay. The content is described as short, thin, and not worth the price, with quests being forgettable and rewards weak.
- DLC introduces numerous bugs (weight 0.46): The DLC is criticized for introducing a host of bugs that hinder gameplay, including issues with turns not advancing, quests failing, and ships from other factions breaking mechanics. These bugs are seen as game-breaking and annoying.
- Quests are boring and unrewarding (weight 0.42): Quests are described as uninteresting, nonsensical, and lacking in lore or gameplay value. Rewards are often useless ships or minor items, making quests feel like chores rather than engaging content.
- DLC not worth the price (weight 0.41): Many players feel the DLC is overpriced for the content provided, especially when bundled with larger faction DLCs. The lack of substantive additions and persistent bugs make it a poor value proposition.
- Bugs remain unfixed for years (weight 0.38): Players report that the colonization bug and other issues have been present for over 2.5 years, with developers failing to acknowledge or fix them. This lack of support has led to frustration and a perception of abandonment.
- Quests can break quest chains (weight 0.22): Certain quests, especially those involving colonization, can break other quests and faction quests, leading to incomplete objectives and a broken progression. This is a major source of frustration.
- Developer communication is poor (weight 0.18): Players express frustration over the lack of developer response to reported bugs and issues. The absence of acknowledgment or fixes for years has led to a loss of trust in the development team.
- Specific bugs break game mechanics (weight 0.17): Various specific bugs are reported, such as the inability to colonize independent systems, quests targeting impossible goals, and ships that cannot merge into fleets. These issues disrupt core gameplay loops.
- DLC feels rushed and unfinished (weight 0.11): Players perceive the DLC as rushed and made at the last minute, with a thin content offering and numerous bugs. The lack of polish and depth suggests a lack of care in development.
- Art style inconsistent with base game (weight 0.1): The DLC's art is noticeably different from the rest of the game, with mismatched visuals and lower quality compared to earlier content. This inconsistency detracts from immersion and polish.
- Technical issues with graphics and UI (weight 0.1): Players report technical glitches such as invisible characters, static on population screens, and missing tech asset graphics. These issues further degrade the experience.
- DLC has no workaround for bugs (weight 0.08): The colonization bug has no known workaround, leaving players stuck and unable to progress. This is particularly frustrating as it affects core gameplay and cannot be circumvented.
- DLC re-enables annoying mechanics (weight 0.07): The DLC is criticized for re-enabling overpowered or annoying game mechanics, such as pirate invasions and overpowered factions, which detract from the overall experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Colonization system with starlanes (weight 0.15): Players highlight a colonization mechanic tied to star lanes, allowing isolated systems and planets to be colonized. This appears to be a core gameplay feature.
- DLC adds pirates and quests (weight 0.08): The DLC includes pirate content and a few new missions, expanding gameplay with additional objectives. This is a common but somewhat vague addition.
- DLC missions involve ship tracking (weight 0.08): Missions require moving ships to track down and completing tasks to receive ships. This adds a specific mission type to the DLC.
- Starlanes connect constellations (weight 0.05): Systems are connected to constellations by starlanes, forming the game's map structure. This is a core mechanic.
- Turn-based gameplay (weight 0.05): The game is turn-based, a core gameplay style. This is a fundamental characteristic.
- Includes hacking feature (weight 0.05): A hacking feature is included, adding a new gameplay mechanic. This is a specific addition.
- Factions control Academy super fleet (weight 0.05): Factions can be given control of the Academy's super fleet, adding a strategic layer. This is a specific feature.
- Starlink connection mechanic (weight 0.05): There is a starlink connection mechanic, likely related to the starlane system. This is a specific feature.
- Dark Matter DLC exists (weight 0.05): The game has a Dark Matter DLC, which is the subject of many reviews. This is a specific expansion.
- Expands Eternal faction story (weight 0.05): The DLC expands the Eternal faction story, adding narrative depth. This is a content addition.

Performance notes:
- Freezing bug fixed (weight 0.05): A freezing bug that players encountered has been resolved, improving overall game stability.
- Hotfix introduced new bugs (weight 0.05): The hotfix intended to address issues instead created additional bugs, leading to further player frustration.

Recommendations:
- Only for lore fans (weight 0.12): The DLC is recommended only for players interested in the broader universe and lore. Those not invested in the setting can skip it without missing out.
- Buy only to support devs (weight 0.09): Some reviewers suggest purchasing the DLC only as a tip to support the developers, not for its content. This implies the DLC's value is primarily as a donation.
- Recommended for fans (weight 0.08): A clear purchase recommendation is given for fans of the franchise, while non-fans are advised against it. This indicates the DLC is tailored to existing fans.

Other player notes:
- DLC is cheap and simple (weight 0.2): Multiple reviewers note the DLC is inexpensive and matches its description, but it offers little content and is not considered important. The low price makes it a minor purchase.
- Developer ignores reported bugs (weight 0.15): Several reviews state the developer has not fixed issues or publicly acknowledged them after many months, and some bugs were reported without any response. This lack of communication frustrates players.
- DLC acts as commercial (weight 0.12): The DLC is structured to draw attention to other DLCs, with some quests rewarding factions that are only available in paid expansions. This is seen as a marketing tactic.
- DLC adds random quests (weight 0.09): The DLC provides about 10-12 extra quests, which are described as random and not integrated into a larger narrative. This content is seen as filler rather than meaningful expansion.
- DLC includes a pug hero (weight 0.08): A notable feature is the addition of a pug hero or dog character, which some players find charming. This is a unique selling point for the DLC.
- Compared to other faction DLCs (weight 0.08): The DLC is compared to other DLCs that add factions, and it is nearly 50% cheaper than a comparable one from another game. This price comparison is favorable.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.54): The DLC introduces numerous game-breaking bugs, particularly a quest that prevents colonizing systems without star lanes, which remains unfixed months after release. Players also report that the Academy's super fleet can be given to a faction and destroy all colonies due to balance issues, and that the developer has not addressed these problems.
- Disappointment (weight 0.21): The DLC is widely seen as adding almost no meaningful content, with quests that are poorly designed, insignificant, and offer weak rewards. The art is also noted as visibly worse than the rest of the game, and the developer's lack of updates and fixes contributes to the letdown.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): Players feel satisfied that the game plays better now, with the freezing bug and Academy issues fixed. The DLC provides some story and is exactly as described, matching expectations and being worth its price despite having no serious impact.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the opportunity to support the developers through the purchase, and the quests add an RPG-like element to the strategy game. The game also provides an excellent visual and auditory experience.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players are angry that the developers have not addressed the glaring problems with this DLC, including bugs that remain unfixed and unacknowledged. The lack of response to these issues fuels the anger.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): The DLC acts as a commercial for other DLCs, which annoys players. Additionally, weird bugs occur when Academy ships appear without the Awakening DLC installed, adding to the irritation.
- Ripped off (weight 0.01): Players feel ripped off because they paid a high price for forgettable optional missions that feature mismatched art, making the content feel not worth the cost.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players feel relief that the game-breaking bugs introduced with the content were fixed, resolving major issues that had hindered gameplay.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): The DLC leaves more questions than answers, sparking curiosity about the story and mechanics that are not fully explained.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): The missions from this DLC are more exciting than the standard missions from the vanilla game, providing a more engaging experience.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): The science tree names and lore do not make sense, leading to confusion about the game's narrative and progression systems.
- Disbelief (weight 0.01): Players express disbelief that the DLC is absurdly classified as an expansion, given its limited content and scope.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): The DLC's many bugs add a black humor style to the dark story, providing an unintended source of amusement for players.}