Info about Trailmakers: High Seas Expansion:

Official game description:
Take to the seas and dive headfirst into a new Trailmakers experience, with our completely revamped physics-based system for weather - the wind and waves in High Seas will challenge your skills like never before!  
High Seas presents players with a sandbox playground, complete with new elements to play with. Explore a gigantic, stunning new map both above and below water, and delve into four new distinct environments in the High Seas islands (each with 35 artifacts to find):  
🌴 Coral Cove: A tropical paradise, the perfect place for a pirate ship to call home.  
⛰️ Green Haven, a vision of Viking wilderness with towering pines and dramatic rock formations.  
❄️ Sub-Zero Archaeology Base, a frozen desolation in the north of the High Seas.  
🌋 Mount Magma, a molten mountain that’ll test your resourcefulness and resolve.  
The vast new landscape that is home to each new island comes with its own unique vegetation, animal life to explore and hundreds of hidden treasures and secrets to uncover.  
Embody your inner sailor with one of the new hats, use the new functional blocks to become master and commander of the waves in the builder, and make anything from giant surfboards to luxury yachts or fully rigged tall ships in the world of the High Seas, and make it all your own with the exclusive new vanity blocks.  
High Seas features:  
*   A large new map with four new islands to explore  
*   100+ hidden treasures to collect  
*   Secret locations to uncover  
*   A brand new weather system with wind and wave physics  
*   A wide selection of new functional and accessory blocks including sail blocks and new seats
Additionally, the skins available from the Skin Pack DLC’s are compatible with the new Hull Blocks used to create ships.

Release date: Dec 10, 2021

Categories: Sandbox Creation, Exploration, Vehicle Customization, Physics Simulation, Multiplayer, Resource Gathering, Underwater Exploration

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 55; verdict: Aggressive Monetization; summary: The user reviews for Trailmakers indicate significant concerns regarding the game's monetization strategies. Key issues include the fragmentation of game content through paid DLCs, poor value for money, aggressive monetization of cosmetic and functional items, and the release of unpolished DLC content. These practices have led to a perception of the game being incomplete without additional purchases, and have frustrated users who feel they are not getting sufficient value for their money.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows a mix of opinions on the pricing of the game. Some users find the game worth the $10 price tag due to the content provided, while others feel that the full price is not justified for the amount of content. The mention of a supporter pack at $5 suggests that some users find value at a lower price point. The general sentiment indicates that while $10 is seen as reasonable by some, a lower price point around $5 is also considered fair by others.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: 10.0h
  - Session length: 1.3h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides some insights into the playtime metrics for Trailmakers: High Seas Expansion. One review mentions building a drone in half an hour and collecting every artifact in 1 to 1.5 hours per area, which suggests a session length of around 1 to 1.5 hours. Another review states that there is a lot of playtime in the expansion pack, indicating a significant amount of game completion time. Additionally, a review mentions having played 'MANY hours,' which further supports the idea of extensive playtime. Finally, the requirement to return all artifacts to all 4 bases implies a substantial time investment for game completion.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is most enjoyable in multiplayer mode with friends, but lacks progression which can deter some players.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Multiplayer with friends
  - Time to anchor: 0h 15m
  - Friction: lack of progression; repetitive tasks
  - Unlock drivers: playing with friends; exploring the map
  - Conditions: multiplayer; playing with friends; exploring the map
- Player Archetypes:
  - Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Discovery and exploration
    - Playstyle: Explores the map thoroughly to find hidden items and secrets.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: completionist
    - Reference games: Stranded in Space
  - Sandbox Builder (buy)
    - Motivation: Creativity and building
    - Playstyle: Enjoys building and creating without restrictions in a sandbox environment.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: sandbox player
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Story Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: Engaging storyline and challenges
    - Playstyle: Prefers structured gameplay with a clear storyline and challenges.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: story player
    - Reference games: Stranded in Space
  - Multiplayer Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Social interaction and cooperative play
    - Playstyle: Enjoys playing with others, cooperating, and engaging in multiplayer activities.
    - 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:
- Wind and wave mechanics praised (weight 0.97): Players appreciate the realistic and enjoyable wind and wave mechanics, which add a new layer of challenge and fun to the gameplay.
- Map design and features appreciated (weight 0.95): The map is praised for its size, detail, and unique features like whirlpools and coral reefs, offering a rich and engaging environment for players.
- New blocks and parts enhance gameplay (weight 0.89): The addition of new blocks and parts, such as sails and motors, has been well-received, providing more building options and enhancing the overall experience.
- High replay value and content (weight 0.7): Players highlight the extensive content and long playtime, including treasures to discover and collect, making the game engaging and worth the investment.
- Positive reception of the DLC (weight 0.51): The DLC is well-received for its new content and updates, with players finding it brilliant and worth the money, especially during sales.
- Sandbox potential highlighted (weight 0.34): The game's sandbox potential is noted for being incredible and limitless, offering new ways to build and expand creativity.

Common complaints:
- Lack of progression and objectives (weight 0.67): The DLC is criticized for not having a proper progression system or meaningful objectives, making the gameplay feel shallow and repetitive.
- Limited new blocks (weight 0.59): Many reviews mention that the DLC does not add enough new blocks, and the ones that are added are often not useful or functional.
- Map size and quality issues (weight 0.57): Players frequently complain about the map being too small, not exciting, and having various issues such as bugs and performance problems.
- Sail and boat physics problems (weight 0.52): There are numerous complaints about the sail physics being unrealistic and boats being difficult to use, often leading to instability and sinking.
- DLC and monetization issues (weight 0.45): There are complaints about important features and blocks being locked behind DLC, and the overall monetization strategy being seen as unfair.
- High cost and low value (weight 0.43): Players feel that the DLC is overpriced for the amount of content it offers, and that it does not provide enough meaningful content.
- Performance and technical issues (weight 0.39): The DLC is reported to have various technical issues, including lag, crashes, and bugs that affect gameplay.
- Lack of new and meaningful content (weight 0.34): The DLC is criticized for not adding enough new and meaningful content, making it feel lackluster and not worth the price.

Gameplay feedback:
- Wind and sea mechanics impact (weight 0.83): The game introduces wind and sea mechanics that significantly affect gameplay. Strong winds and waves can make navigation challenging, especially with boats. Players need to consider wind direction and sea conditions while using ships and sails.
- Item collection mechanics (weight 0.48): A core aspect of the game involves collecting various items, such as totems and artifacts, and transporting them to designated locations. This collectible nature adds a layer of strategy and exploration to the gameplay.
- Extensive map exploration features (weight 0.41): The game offers a variety of map exploration activities, including discovering islands, containers, artifacts, and unique environmental features. Players can explore different parts of the map to find various items and engage in exploration gameplay.
- Building and gameplay mechanics (weight 0.3): New mechanics are introduced for building and gameplay, offering players more variety and options in how they approach construction and interaction within the game world.
- Boat and vehicle gameplay (weight 0.25): The game features boat and jet gameplay, including boat and plane battles. Players can engage in various vehicle-based activities and challenges.
- Sandbox and PvP modes (weight 0.19): Players can enjoy sandbox mode and PvP (Player vs. Player) modes, offering different gameplay experiences and challenges.
- Underwater exploration (weight 0.19): The game allows players to explore the deep sea using submarines and discover underwater life and artifacts, adding a unique dimension to exploration.
- Gameplay duration and missions (weight 0.15): The game includes missions to retrieve objects and offers a balance between storyline and sandbox gameplay, affecting the overall duration and structure of the gameplay experience.
- Multiplayer servers (weight 0.14): Players can engage in multiplayer gameplay with friends, enhancing the social and cooperative aspects of the game.
- Vehicle design and customization (weight 0.13): Players can design and customize vehicles for different tasks, adding a layer of creativity and strategy to the gameplay.
- Unique challenges and Easter eggs (weight 0.12): The game features unique engineering challenges and Easter eggs, providing players with additional goals and surprises to discover.
- Cosmetics and visual customization (weight 0.1): Players can collect cosmetics and coins to customize the visual aspects of their vehicles and characters, adding a personal touch to their gameplay experience.
- Resource gathering (weight 0.07): Resource gathering is a key aspect of the game, requiring players to collect various resources to progress and build.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues on weaker hardware (weight 0.27): The game experiences significant lag and frame rate drops, particularly on the map and with water rendering, when played on less powerful devices.
- General bugginess (weight 0.08): Players have reported encountering various bugs throughout the game, affecting overall gameplay experience.

Recommendations:
- Worth the price (weight 0.45): Many players feel the game or expansion is worth the purchase, especially during sales or discounts.
- Recommended for fans (weight 0.21): The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy the genre or have liked similar games such as Trailmakers.
- Must-have content (weight 0.15): Considered a must-have expansion for everyone, indicating high value and enjoyment.
- Positive feedback and support (weight 0.13): Players are encouraging the developers to keep up the good work and are helping to push the rating to positive.
- Negative purchase experiences (weight 0.12): Some players express strong dissatisfaction, advising others not to buy the game or to get a refund.
- Test before committing (weight 0.12): Players recommend buying and testing the game within a short period or specifically testing the multiplayer features.
- Good for challenge seekers (weight 0.09): Perfect for players looking for new challenges and additional content, including new maps.
- Time-consuming game (weight 0.08): Suggested for players who have a lot of time to invest in the game.
- Appeals to wide audience (weight 0.08): The update is recommended for both casual and hardcore players, indicating broad appeal.

Other player notes:
- New content and map conditions video (weight 0.08): A video showcasing the new content and map conditions has been mentioned by players.
- Free expansion for beta testing (weight 0.07): Some players received the expansion for free as part of a beta testing program.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.24): Players feel disappointed due to the lack of meaningful content, new blocks, and objectives in the DLC. The high price, repetitive gameplay, and various bugs, such as crashing issues and sail malfunctions, also contribute to this sentiment.
- Excitement (weight 0.23): Players are excited about the new map, gameplay mechanics, and features introduced in the DLC. The new blocks, water physics, and the overall adventure of exploring the map contribute to this excitement.
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated with the lack of challenge, various gameplay issues, and the difficulty in using boats due to strong waves and wind mechanics. Bugs, glitches, and the repetitive nature of collecting items also add to this frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the new wave physics, map, and gameplay mechanics. The variety of items to build and the fun of exploring the deep sea and collecting items contribute to their enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players are satisfied with the new mechanics, building skills, and the detail put into the update. The new ship hull blocks, water motor engine, and sails work as intended, providing a positive experience.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Players find joy in the fun gameplay and the wind and wave mechanics. Exploring the depths of the abyss and the overall fun mechanics contribute to this emotion.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players find the gameplay repetitive and boring due to the lack of meaningful content and objectives.}