Info about Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals:

Official game description:
Dive into the heart of Africa as you explore a new continent for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition with two brand new civilizations and their kingdoms, the Ethiopians and the Hausa!  
Using an Age up mechanic unique to the African civilizations, gain new Alliances with every age and use your Influence to hire your allies' units or research their technologies. Construct a Palace to recruit Mercenaries, Alliance units, Imported Artillery or the new Gatling Camel. Build a Granary to lure hunted animals and boost your food gathering, or a Livestock Market to trade Sanga and Zebu Cattle, or go all in with a legendary Royal Banquet, securing a generous amount of Influence for your allies to strengthen your armies.  
2 New Civilizations  
Ethiopia:  
Make the "Roof of Africa" your home with Palaces and Mountain Monasteries, while Shotel Warriors break the enemy lines and your mortars rain explosive shots on enemy units and buildings alike. Train the mighty Oromo to cut down enemy cavalry charges, deploy Neftenya to take potshots at the opposing infantry, or use any of the alliances at your disposal to orchestrate the perfect strategy for your playstyle.  
Hausa:  
Build a flourishing Hausa Kingdom with inspiring Griots, lucrative Livestock trades and influential Universities, then guard your possessions with Maigadi guards and imported cannons. Get ahead of your adversary early, by razing their empire with a mix of resourceful Fulani Archers, fast Raiders, and imposing Lifidi Knights.  
3 New Historical Battles  
The Battle of the Three Kings – Sebastian of Portugal, a young and jealous king, has launched an invasion into Morocco under the pretense of a crusade. The Saadis, however, are not impressed and gather their army to meet the invaders. The Iberians may have superior technology, mercenaries, and the help of a local puppet sultan, but the sultan’s forces are fighting to protect their homes.  
Fall of the Hausa – Exiled from the Hausa city-state of Gobir for criticizing the greed and immorality of the city’s elites, the scholar, writer, and military leader Usman dan Fodio united Fulani nomads, Hausa peasants, and escaped slaves to spark a revolution on West Africa’s Sahel.  
The Era of the Princes – For over a century, Ethiopia struggled as local warlords vied for power in the declining old empire. There seemed to be no way out of the conflict until a man named Kassa Hailu stepped in. Kassa, a veteran of the Ethiopian-Egyptian wars, could no longer bear to watch as his country was torn asunder. He would fight the warlords and gift the loot to the impoverished Ethiopian peasants.

Release date: Aug 2, 2021

Categories: Real-time Strategy, Historical Strategy, Base Building, Unit Management, Single-player Campaign, Multiplayer, African-themed Gameplay

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair / Traditional Paid DLC; summary: The reviewed content is a set of paid Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition expansion DLCs. Reviews debate DLC price, historical-battle content, sale value, and technical access, with one isolated allegation of multiplayer pay-to-win around DLC civilizations. There is no evidence of an in-game cash shop, real-money gacha, loot boxes, currency obfuscation, battle pass, or post-purchase convenience monetization. Under the scoring rules, traditional paid DLC and expansion complaints cannot push the score above 20, so the monetization profile is assessed as fair and non-predatory.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00
  - Reasoning: All usable signals in the reviews are value judgments anchored to the expansion's own price point: reviewers repeatedly call a roughly €10 expansion "a fair deal," "worth it" for the content, and describe the lower price as the reason it delivers, while cautioning that full price is only acceptable and that discounts are the better buy. Because the community treats a modest expansion of this scope as fair at about €10 and treats full price as the tipping point for value, the base game, which reviewers frame as the larger purchase that the expansion supplements and which contains far more content (core civilizations, campaigns, maps), should sit clearly above the expansion price but still within an impulse-friendly premium range rather than a full $40-$60 AAA tier. That supports an approximate fair base-game range of about $20 to $30 USD, with the lower end reflecting the sale-preference sentiment expressed in the non-English reviews.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 3.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The Chinese review states three historical battles were cleared in under three hours, supporting storyCompletion at about 3 hours. The Spanish review says the DLC was tried for several hours, and another review mentions a 5-minute match, but these do not clearly define a full game completion time, average session length, or endgame duration for the DLC. No reliable target-specific evidence supports the other metrics.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Players report immediate fun with the new civilizations in solo, co-op, and AI modes due to unique mechanics and variety, while multiplayer balance, weak defenses, and performance issues create significant friction.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Multiplayer imbalance and unfairness; Weak Hausa and Ethiopian defensive structures; Performance stutter and low playability on some systems; Limited historical battle co-op content with only three maps
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Playing with friends or solo; Enjoying skirmishes vs AI, historical battles, or online multiplayer; Playing mostly lobby or multiplayer games; Having no interest in multiplayer; Multiplayer balance state; System performance
- Player Archetypes:
  - Single-Player Skirmish Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying new civilizations and historical battles against the AI
    - Playstyle: Skirmish and compstomp matches versus the AI, plus historical battle scenarios
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: casual player; single player
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Competitive Ranked Multiplayer Player (sale)
    - Motivation: Achieving balanced, competitive ranked matches with a healthy meta
    - Playstyle: Ranked ladder and online multiplayer focused on balance and the map pool
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Civilization Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Exploring new civilizations, units, and mechanics
    - Playstyle: Experimenting with unique civ strategies, shipments, and age-up choices
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Value-Conscious Deal Hunter (sale)
    - Motivation: Getting good content value relative to the price paid
    - Playstyle: Purchasing the DLC on discount and evaluating cost-benefit before buying
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - 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:
- New Civilizations Praised (weight 0.57): The addition of two new civilizations with unique mechanics is widely praised. Players find them fun, creative, and a highlight of the DLC.
- New Maps Well-Received (weight 0.46): The new maps are frequently described as beautiful, enjoyable, and adding variety. They enhance the overall experience.
- Historical Battles Enjoyable (weight 0.27): The new historical battles are fun and well-designed. They are seen as a good addition to the game.
- African Theme Appreciated (weight 0.2): The African setting and content are highly valued for bringing diversity and life to the game. Players appreciate the representation.
- Unique African Gameplay (weight 0.2): The African civilizations play very differently from European ones, offering a fresh experience. This distinctiveness is praised.
- Beautiful Graphics and Design (weight 0.19): The graphics and visual design are praised as beautiful and pleasing. The new civilizations are well designed visually.
- High Replayability (weight 0.11): The DLC adds enormous replayability, according to players. This is a key strength.
- Better Treasure Rewards (weight 0.1): The new maps offer improved treasure rewards, adding extra incentive. This minor point was noted by a few.

Common complaints:
- Serious Balance Issues and Unbalanced Civilizations (weight 0.94): The new African civilizations are widely considered overpowered, dominating multiplayer and ranked ladders. Balance problems persist, with some players feeling they are not addressed properly and that games can end quickly due to unbalanced mechanics.
- Lack of Content for the Price (weight 0.5): The DLC offers only two new civilizations and a few historical battles, which many consider insufficient for the price. It falls short of the content volume seen in previous expansions like The Asian Dynasties.
- No New Campaign Added (weight 0.48): The DLC lacks a traditional campaign, offering only historical battles instead. Many players expected a full campaign similar to previous expansions and consider this a major shortcoming.
- Bugs and Glitches in Gameplay (weight 0.45): Various bugs affect gameplay, such as treasures that cannot be collected, buildings that cannot be destroyed, and issues with unit upgrades. These bugs detract from the overall experience.
- Civilizations Feel Unpolished and Rough (weight 0.4): The two new civilizations have unpolished mechanics, missing content, and rough edges compared to other factions. Issues include missing unique units, poor scaling, and unintuitive resource systems.
- Incomplete and Poor Translations (weight 0.34): Localizations, especially Chinese and Russian, are unfinished or contain errors such as untranslated cards, wrong building names, and confusing unit names. This degrades the experience for non-English players.
- Historical Battles Are Underwhelming (weight 0.34): The historical battles are criticized for being short, unoriginal, and lacking in quality. Only three are included, and some feel they are too similar and not as engaging as a full campaign.
- DLC Access and Installation Problems (weight 0.32): Many users report that purchased DLC does not appear in the game or library, cannot be downloaded, or shows as invalid after login. This prevents access to the new African civilizations and content entirely.
- Poor Performance and Frequent Crashes (weight 0.32): Players experience random crashes, stutters, and lag spikes even on high-end systems, making the game nearly unplayable. Crashes can occur within minutes of gameplay, affecting both new and old civilizations.
- Historical Accuracy and Representation Concerns (weight 0.32): Some players question the choice of civilizations, feeling they do not represent the entire continent as implied by 'The African Royals'. Others point out historical inaccuracies regarding the depicted time period.
- Feels Like a Money Grab (weight 0.27): Some players feel the DLC is a cash grab, released unfinished with minimal content to make money. The lack of testing and high price contribute to this sentiment.
- Additional Content Not Accessible (weight 0.22): Some players cannot access additional content, such as new nations failing to load or campaigns not appearing. This further adds to the frustration of an incomplete release.
- AI and Single-Player Experience Lacking (weight 0.22): The AI difficulty feels lower, and single-player content is considered perfunctory and uninteresting. Players who prefer solo campaigns are advised against purchasing the DLC.
- Game Crashes with Hausa Civilization (weight 0.21): Crashes occur frequently when playing as the Hausa civilization, including a specific crash when clicking a card that grants archer ability. The issue persists in both offline skirmish and online matches.
- Multiplayer Maps Are Poor Quality (weight 0.19): The new maps are considered terrible, with issues like inadequate hunts and resource placement. They clutter ranked play and provide unbalanced experiences for players.
- Community Concerns About Developer Support (weight 0.16): Players worry that developers do not listen to top players and that balancing is slow, potentially leading to community abandonment of official patches. This could harm the competitive scene.
- Weak Defensive Structures and Mechanics (weight 0.15): Defensive buildings of the new civilizations are too weak, easily destroyed by artillery such as Falconets and flame arrows. This makes them vulnerable in multiplayer and reduces strategic depth.

Gameplay feedback:
- Historical battles included (weight 0.49): The update adds several new historical battles based on real events, providing players with scenario-based challenges. This mode offers an alternative to full campaigns.
- New civilizations added (weight 0.45): The DLC introduces two new civilizations, specifically the Ethiopian and Hausa factions. These additions expand the roster and offer new strategic options for players.
- New maps and scenarios (weight 0.43): The DLC adds numerous new maps, including those set in northern Africa and across the African continent. These maps provide varied environments and strategic opportunities.
- Unique mechanics for civilizations (weight 0.4): The new civilizations feature unique gameplay mechanics that reflect their historical backgrounds. These include special buildings, shipments, and units that differentiate them from existing civilizations.
- Influence resource system (weight 0.2): A new resource called Influence is introduced, which is used to obtain special military units. This adds a layer of economic and military strategy for the new civilizations.
- Livestock trade economy (weight 0.12): The new civilizations utilize livestock trading as part of their economy, with a cattle market system. This unique economic approach sets them apart from other civilizations.
- Hausa cavalry focus (weight 0.12): The Hausa civilization is cavalry-focused, emphasizing mounted units in their military strategy. This specialization offers a distinct playstyle for players who prefer mobility and shock tactics.
- Deck-building card system (weight 0.11): The game includes a deck-building system with cards that players can use to customize their strategies. This feature adds depth and replayability to the gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Frequent game crashes reported (weight 0.25): Players report frequent and random crashes across various systems, including after updates and during matches. These crashes occur on up-to-date drivers and prevent completing games.
- Hausa civilization causes instability (weight 0.12): Selecting the Hausa civilization leads to crashes in both offline skirmish and online matches, with heavy stuttering especially in the first battle. This makes the civilization unplayable for many.
- African map loading issues (weight 0.11): Players sometimes cannot enter the African map, and loading errors occur when trying to play new factions. This prevents access to new content.
- Online mode click lag (weight 0.06): In online mode, clicking causes a noticeable lag that disrupts gameplay. This input delay affects responsiveness during matches.
- Card crash bug hotfixed (weight 0.06): A launch bug caused specific cards to crash the game when sent, but it has been hotfixed. While resolved, it was a significant issue at release.

Recommendations:
- Widely recommended despite price (weight 0.85): Numerous reviewers strongly recommend the DLC and state no regret, often advising players to pick it up alongside the base game. The overall sentiment across most clusters is positive endorsement.
- Wait for discount or bundle (weight 0.23): Several reviewers advise waiting for a sale, bundle, or discount before purchasing, citing poor value at full price. This is a recurring caveat even among those who otherwise like the content.
- Mild recommendation for AoE3 fans (weight 0.16): A few reviewers give a mild recommendation specifically for those who already like Age of Empires III. It is not a broad endorsement.
- Not for solo campaign players (weight 0.15): Some reviewers explicitly warn against buying the DLC if you mainly play solo campaigns, suggesting it lacks content for that playstyle. However, others say single-player skirmish fans will enjoy it.
- Incomplete, wait for patches (weight 0.1): Some advise waiting for patches or buying only after the company ensures the DLC is complete. This suggests launch quality concerns.
- Refund requested (weight 0.06): One reviewer simply states 'Refund', indicating strong dissatisfaction with the purchase. This is a clear negative signal.
- Niche value for cannon fodder (weight 0.05): One reviewer says the DLC is only for those who want more cannon fodder for nations people actually play or want 100% completion. This is a narrow use case.

Other player notes:
- African civilizations and content added (weight 0.34): The expansion introduces African civilizations, new maps, and neutral tribes. It also adds new campaigns, including The Fall of the Hausa.
- Comparison to other Age games (weight 0.3): Reviewers compare the DLC to Age of Empires II, Age of Empires IV, and previous expansions. Some feel it follows the same expansion model or is not as good as Asian Dynasties, while others see it as a major expansion.
- Game and saga underrated (weight 0.21): Reviewers describe Age of Empires III as underrated, the black sheep of the saga, and a game that refuses to die. It is part of a great saga.
- Players want more DLC (weight 0.2): Several reviewers express a strong desire for additional DLC or expansions for the game. This suggests the current content has left players wanting more.
- Great quality and price ratio (weight 0.15): Reviewers note the DLC offers good value for its campaign and added civilizations, especially compared to Age of Empires II Definitive Edition DLCs. The price is considered reasonable or justified.
- First real expansion since 2007 (weight 0.11): The African Royals is considered the first relatively major expansion after 2007's The Asian Dynasties, feeling like a real expansion compared to other civilization DLCs.
- Developer support and improvements (weight 0.1): The developer releases patches monthly and has been fixing issues, with the experience improving after two weeks. This shows ongoing support for the game.
- Mexican and USA DLC mentioned (weight 0.09): The Mexico and USA DLC are also mentioned, with one reviewer noting that combined with the USA DLC it feels like a full expansion.
- Playstyle preferences mentioned (weight 0.09): One reviewer mostly plays compstomp and had no interest in single-player campaigns. This highlights diverse player preferences.
- Better than Age of Empires IV (weight 0.06): One reviewer advises playing this instead of Age of Empires IV. This is a strong endorsement.
- Content released 16 years later (weight 0.06): The content was released 16 years after the game came out, which is a notable gap. This shows long-term support.
- Local wildlife lacks encyclopedia entries (weight 0.05): The local wildlife lacks encyclopedia entries, which is a minor content gap. This affects the completeness of the game's reference material.
- Faction design comparison (weight 0.05): Compared to the more well-established design of other factions, the new civilizations may lack polish. This is a minor critique.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.25): Players are disappointed by the lack of a proper campaign and the small amount of content relative to the price. They also cite balance issues, poor historical battles, and incomplete translations.
- Frustration (weight 0.22): Frustration stems from frequent crashes and bugs, especially when playing as the Hausa or Ethiopians, as well as severe balance problems that make multiplayer unplayable. Many also struggle to access or download purchased DLC.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players feel satisfied with the new civilizations, which are considered fun, well-designed, and balanced after release. The maps and influence systems add enjoyable variety.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Enjoyment comes from playing the historical battles, experiencing the beautiful African maps, and using the unique mechanics and units of the new civilizations. The voice acting and historical setting also contribute.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciate the well-made age-up mechanics, the high civilization identity, and the beautiful African art style. The strategic depth and unique units are also valued.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Excitement is driven by the unique and challenging gameplay of the African civilizations, the beautiful new maps, and the high replayability. Experimenting with new mechanics is a key source.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance is caused by frustrating field mechanics, cavalry players getting free wins on bad maps, and the unpredictable AI. These issues detract from the overall experience.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Players hope that more civilizations will be added in the future and that remaining issues will be fixed. They also wish for continued DLC support.
- Relief (weight 0.02): Relief is felt because a crashing bug was hotfixed and because African civilizations are rarely seen on the ladder despite being overpowered. One player is relieved they did not buy the DLC for their sister.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement arises from overpowered African civilizations easily defeating European units, the humorous effect of Hausa small trumpets, and the classical farms that only two settlers can work on.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players express love for the new campaigns in the DLC and the new civilizations. These additions are highly valued.
- Indifference (weight 0.02): Indifference is expressed because some view balance changes as just gameplay and find the added content meh. Neither strongly positive nor negative.
- Concern (weight 0.02): Concern is raised that the community might abandon official patches and create a second EsocPatch, and that Ethiopia's inability to counter gatling guns could harm balance.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the civilizations once they understand them. The depth and design lead to a positive impression.
- Waste (weight 0.01): The DLC is considered a waste, likely due to unmet expectations or poor value. No further details are provided.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy comes from seeing more and more world cultures becoming accessible in the game. This inclusion brings happiness.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is felt because there is no new campaign included. The absence of a narrative mode is disappointing.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is high because the two new factions are sensational and change the way of playing. They bring a fresh experience.
- Irritation (weight 0.01): Irritation is caused by new civilization unit voice lines having low quality sound and being very quiet. This audio issue detracts from the experience.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from unit names being translated as mounted infantry and melee cavalry mixed together, making them hard to understand. This translation issue hinders gameplay.}