Info about HUMANKIND™ - Together We Rule Expansion Pack:

Official game description:
  
Unite HUMANKIND™ with the Together We Rule Expansion Pack!  
The HUMANKIND™ Together We Rule Expansion Pack includes:  
*   New feature: Inter-empire Forum: Congress of Humankind  
*   New Currency: Leverage  
*   New Quarter: Embassy (unlocking new interactions with other empires)  
*   New Unit Family: Agent  
*   6 New Cultures with a New Affinity: Diplomatic  
*   6 New Wonders  
*   15 New Narrative Events (including 4 inter-empire events)
**Congress of Humankind**  
Get involved in an inter-empire forum with the Congress of Humankind.  
The congress will allow players to vote and decide on global doctrines and arbitrate international conflicts together.  
No matter how big or small the Empire, all have their say in the world order, but the weight of their words will depend on the new Leverage currency. Together you will rule the world!  
**Embassy**  
This new Quarter will bring your negotiation tactics to a higher level!  
Deepen ties and sign agreements beneficial for both your empires. Or use the new currency, Leverage, to force an empire to take specific actions to your benefit.  
**Agents**  
Use this new unit family to gather Leverage! They will also allow you to infiltrate, sabotage and disinform other empires.  
There are three units in the Agent family:  
*   The **Envoy**, or diplomat, will move freely on the map without diplomatic restrictions, collect Leverage and influence Independent People.  
*   The **Spy**, to focus on infiltration.  
*   The **Spymaster**, for two additional sabotage actions.
**6 Diplomatic Affinity Cultures**  
The new Diplomatic Affinity allows its cultures to have a more active role in the world’s diplomacy. Their Active Ability allows them to demilitarize a territory for 10 turns, while their Passive Ability allows all their units, beyond just agents, to collect Leverage.  
This Affinity also introduces a new way to gain Fame, Diplomatic Stars, earned by collecting Leverage during each era.  
**Era 1 – Sumerians  
Era 2 – Han Chinese  
Era 3 – Bulgarians  
Era 4 – Swiss  
Era 5 – Scots  
Era 6 – Singaporeans**  
PLUS 6 NEW WONDERS, 7 INDEPENDENT PEOPLES, 15 NEW NARRATIVE EVENTS (WITH 4 INTER-EMPIRE EVENTS) & NEW IN-GAME THEMED MUSIC TRACKS COMPOSED BY ARNAUD ROY

Release date: Nov 9, 2022

Categories: 4X, Diplomacy, Espionage, Turn-based Strategy, Empire Building, Political & Espionage Systems, Multiple Victory Conditions

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair (no predatory monetization); summary: The user reviews focus almost entirely on the value and price of a $20 DLC expansion. There is no evidence of microtransactions, in-game currency, loot boxes, pay-to-win mechanics, or any post-purchase monetization. Complaints are about the upfront cost of a traditional expansion, which is not considered predatory. The game appears to be a one-time purchase with optional DLC, and the score reflects the absence of predatory monetization despite price dissatisfaction.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The community expresses mixed sentiment: one review finds the base game well worth it, while another notes it still needs significant work. Given the current price of $19.99, the fair value likely sits below that, reflecting the need for improvements while acknowledging the game's core appeal. A range of $10-$15 balances these perspectives.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 7.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The 7-hour run explicitly describes a full playthrough of the game with the DLC, indicating that a complete game takes about 7 hours. The other quotes report total accumulated playtime in Humankind (200, 300, 400 hours) but do not specify completion time, session length, or endgame duration, so those metrics remain unsupported.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a steep learning curve and early frustration, but becomes more engaging in the late game with diplomacy mechanics, though some players find late game tedious.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Late game diplomacy mechanics (spies, congress, crises)
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: steep learning curve; cannot earn diplomatic stars early; tedious envoy system; tedious way to gather diplomatic currency
  - Unlock drivers: getting spies; late game mechanics; crises becoming a diplomacy battleground; mid and late game becoming more dynamic
  - Conditions: understanding the systems; playing with other people; having open borders; investing early game influence and gold; reaching the late game; reaching the mid game; getting spies
- Player Archetypes:
  - Competitive Meta-Gamer (no buy)
    - Motivation: Winning at high difficulty through optimal culture selection and efficient use of mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Optimizes culture picks and leverages mechanics to gain a competitive edge, often playing on higher difficulties.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Multiplayer Diplomat (buy)
    - Motivation: Engaging in deep diplomatic interactions and strategic maneuvering with other players.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on multiplayer diplomacy, using grievances, spies, and ambassadors to outmaneuver human opponents.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Base Game Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying and supporting the base game with new content and improvements.
    - Playstyle: Plays both solo and multiplayer, appreciates new features and is willing to overlook minor flaws for the overall experience.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Disappointed Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a meaningful expansion that respects existing mechanics, but finding the new systems disruptive and unpolished.
    - Playstyle: Prefers established gameplay and finds the new diplomatic systems forced and incompatible with their usual approach.
    - 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:
- Diplomacy system greatly enhanced (weight 0.74): The expansion significantly enriches the diplomacy system with new mechanics like leverage, embassies, and the Congress of Humankind. This makes diplomacy a more active and engaging part of the game, allowing for non-military influence and world domination.
- Congress of Humankind praised (weight 0.31): The world congress allows voting on global laws, international crises, and world ideology, with many considering it the best version of the feature in any game. It adds a strategic layer that makes the late game more dynamic and engaging, especially in multiplayer.
- Leverage system is innovative (weight 0.24): Leverage is a new currency collected from grievances and other interactions, used for diplomatic actions like ultimatums and revealing spies. It encourages awareness of inter-nation relations and adds meaningful complexity to diplomacy.
- DLC adds new cultures (weight 0.22): The DLC introduces several new cultures, including diplomatic ones, which are praised for adding variety and depth. These cultures offer unique quirks and diplomatic options that enhance gameplay.
- Spy mechanics add depth (weight 0.21): Spies can infiltrate territories, steal resources, gather intelligence, and sabotage enemies, making the modern era more significant. The stealth rework is praised for adding new strategic possibilities and being fun to use.
- Base game remains strong (weight 0.19): The base game is described as fun and good, with a lot going for it, and the DLC builds on this foundation. The expansion is seen as a significant enhancement to an already exceptional game.
- New mechanics add complexity (weight 0.18): The expansion introduces many new mechanics, such as envoys, pressure points, and agreements, which add meaningful complexity and strategic options. These are seen as essential parts of the game that enhance the experience.
- Independent peoples improved (weight 0.14): Independent peoples now serve a functional role, offering science, cash, recruitment, and more advanced troops, and can be made into satellite states or puppets. This rework adds depth to interactions with minor nations, moving beyond simple bribe and assimilate options.
- Graphics and performance praised (weight 0.07): The game has prettier graphics, real height differences, and no performance issues, with some preferring its comic style over Civ 6. This contributes to a more enjoyable overall experience.
- Developer listens to feedback (weight 0.05): The developer is dedicated to listening to players and making changes based on feedback, which is appreciated. This has led to improvements in the game and DLC over time.

Common complaints:
- DLC overpriced and low value (weight 0.2): Players consistently report that the DLC is not worth its price, describing it as bland, tedious, and adding little value. Many recommend waiting for a significant discount before purchasing.
- DLC breaks base game (weight 0.15): The DLC is reported to introduce serious bugs and imbalances that ruin the base game experience. Players feel it is a paid fix for existing problems and an insult to the community.

Gameplay feedback:
- Envoy and leverage mechanics introduced (weight 0.42): Envoys are new units that walk the map, collect leverage, and can be micromanaged, while leverage serves as a diplomatic currency with multiple actions. This adds a hands-on diplomatic resource system.
- Spy and espionage systems added (weight 0.37): Multiple clusters highlight the addition of spies, espionage, and stealth mechanics, including infiltrating territories, stealing resources, planting rumors, and being detected or fought. This is a major new gameplay layer.
- World congress and voting systems (weight 0.36): A world congress or Congress of Humankind is added, featuring voting on laws, crises, and global principles, with percentage-based voting and demands like converting religion. This provides a central diplomatic decision-making body.
- Diplomatic cultures and era stars (weight 0.26): New diplomatic cultures are introduced, each with era stars to earn, and interactions with major and minor nations. This expands cultural progression and diplomatic engagement.
- Diplomatic pressure and leverage actions (weight 0.23): A leverage system includes five actions, attacks on the player, and manual conversion, while diplomatic pressure points are collected. This adds strategic depth to diplomacy.
- Embassies and diplomatic buildings (weight 0.19): Embassies are added as new diplomatic buildings, along with treaties and an international parliament. These structures likely serve as hubs for diplomatic actions and pressure.
- Stealth and ambush mechanics (weight 0.18): Stealth and ambush mechanics are present, with stealth agents that can be exposed using leverage. This ties espionage to the leverage system.
- War support and placate mechanics (weight 0.13): War support is a new mechanic, alongside placate actions and diplomatic pressure points collected on the map. This affects war dynamics and diplomatic pressure.
- New wonders and narrative events (weight 0.08): The DLC adds new wonders, independent peoples, and narrative events, enriching the game's content beyond diplomacy.

Performance notes:
- Crashes and stability issues (weight 0.1): Multiple players report crashes, especially on Mac and after the DLC launch, with some noting the expansion was unplayable at release. Crashes also occur after visual bugs in the diplomacy screen.
- Performance lag and low FPS (weight 0.08): Players experience significant lag, especially in the late game, with low FPS when zooming, and the game can freeze entirely. This is more pronounced on lower-end hardware.
- Recurring turn pending bug (weight 0.06): The turn pending bug has returned after a recent update, causing players to get stuck at the end of turns or in battles. This is a persistent technical issue that disrupts gameplay.
- High memory usage (weight 0.06): The game now uses over 10GB of memory, up from 3-5GB, which is higher than comparable titles like Warhammer Total War 2 and Civilization 6. This indicates poor optimization.
- Bugs increase with progression (weight 0.05): Crashes and recurring bugs become more frequent as the game progresses, making late-game sessions particularly unstable. This suggests a lack of optimization for extended play.

Recommendations:
- DLC not worth price (weight 0.21): Multiple reviewers strongly advise against purchasing the DLC, citing poor value even at half price. They recommend waiting for a significant discount or skipping it entirely.
- Base game sufficient without DLC (weight 0.09): Reviewers note that the DLC is not essential for enjoying the base game, and newcomers can skip it without missing critical content. It is seen as optional rather than required.
- Recommended for Humankind fans (weight 0.05): The DLC is positively recommended for players who already enjoy Humankind or similar 4X strategy games, suggesting it enhances the experience for the target audience.
- Must-have for supporters (weight 0.03): One reviewer calls it a must-have for fans of the base game who want to support development, framing it as a way to contribute to the game's future.
- Generally well worth it (weight 0.03): A reviewer states the DLC is generally well worth it, indicating overall satisfaction with the content provided.
- Adds depth for veterans (weight 0.03): The DLC adds depth for players who have already completed several base game runs, providing new challenges for experienced players.

Other player notes:
- Humankind compares favorably to Civ (weight 0.14): Several reviews compare Humankind to Civilization games, with some stating it is better or has more potential. This indicates a positive reception relative to the genre's benchmark.
- AI weaknesses in DLC (weight 0.07): The AI is noted to have military and diplomatic weaknesses, and it has a heavy bias on new stealth and emissary troops. This can affect gameplay balance and challenge.
- Game has low player numbers (weight 0.05): The game has low player numbers and little online traction, which may impact multiplayer and long-term support. This is a concern for the game's future.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.44): The DLC's new diplomatic systems, particularly the Congress of Humankind and leverage mechanics, are widely criticized for being broken, unfair, and overly complex. Players report constant micromanagement, random and tedious resource gathering, and a lack of counterplay against AI decisions, leading to a frustrating experience that often forces unwanted wars or surrenders.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): The expansion is seen as overpriced and underdelivering, with weak new cultures, a poorly implemented Congress, and a lack of meaningful international projects. Many feel the DLC fails to fix the base game's issues and instead adds shallow, buggy mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the new diplomatic options, such as sabotaging rivals, building sway in congress, and forming deeper alliances. The leverage system and spy mechanics add strategic depth and replayability, making the game more engaging and fun for those who appreciate complex diplomacy.
- Annoyance (weight 0.06): The constant need to micromanage envoys and collect intel across the map is a major source of annoyance, leading to frequent skirmishes and tedious gameplay. The AI's aggressive use of spies and the inability to disable espionage further irritate players, making the new systems feel more like a burden than an enhancement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): The DLC is praised for significantly improving the base game, adding meaningful diplomatic options and a more dynamic mid-to-late game. Players appreciate the new features and feel the expansion brings the game back to life, offering a richer and more satisfying strategy experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): The new strategy layer, including crises, spies, and the international parliament, adds tension and excitement to the game. Players are thrilled by the expanded possibilities and the developer's responsiveness, which increases the game's potential and playability.
- Approval (weight 0.03): The expansion is approved for enhancing diplomatic gameplay and providing non-military paths to victory. The new crisis system and spies are seen as positive additions that help balance the game against militaristic strategies, making it more competitive and enjoyable.
- Regret (weight 0.02): Many players regret purchasing the DLC, feeling it was a waste of money and that the features should have been in the base game from the start. Pre-ordering is particularly regretted, as the expansion failed to meet expectations and introduced more problems than it solved.
- Unfairness (weight 0.02): The Congress mechanic is perceived as deeply unfair, forcing players into wars or stripping away bonuses without reasonable counterplay. Players feel powerless when other nations vote to take their cities or when they cannot bribe opponents on critical votes, leading to a sense of injustice.
- Sadness (weight 0.02): The DLC's poor execution and lack of post-launch support have led some players to abandon the game entirely. There is a sense of loss over the game's unfulfilled potential, as technical issues and unbalanced mechanics overshadow its promising concepts.
- Interest (weight 0.02): The new diplomatic options, including the human parliament and UN-like congress, spark interest by adding depth and non-war means of interaction. Players are curious to explore these systems and see how they can be used to influence the game world.
- Anger (weight 0.02): The DLC's war and surrender demands, along with game-breaking bugs, have incited anger among players. The developer's marketing is also criticized for promising diversity and story while failing to deliver functional culture and religious systems, compounding the frustration.
- Love (weight 0.01): The leverage system is loved for making diplomacy an active and engaging gameplay element, while the Congress of Humankind builds on existing systems in a positive way. These features are seen as innovative and enjoyable additions to the game.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Players are concerned about the lack of repercussions for nuclear weapons and the potential imbalance of African civilization units. These issues could undermine strategic depth and fairness, raising worries about the game's long-term balance.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): The Diplomacy system is confusing to players, and the game's high memory usage (over 10GB) is puzzling compared to other similar games. These factors contribute to a lack of clarity and potential performance issues.
- Gratification (weight 0.01): Players feel gratified when they can control other empires through diplomacy and manipulation, achieving victory without direct warfare. This sense of strategic mastery is a rewarding aspect of the DLC.
- Contentment (weight 0.01): Some players are content with the game and want to support its development, indicating overall satisfaction with the DLC despite its flaws. This positive sentiment reflects a willingness to overlook issues in favor of continued improvement.
- Stress (weight 0.01): The DLC introduces more unrest and stress than fun, particularly in the mid and late game. The constant pressure from new mechanics and AI actions makes the experience more taxing than enjoyable for some players.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): The content is appreciated for fleshing out diplomacy and independent city-states, offering more options and nice new cultures. This expansion is seen as a great addition that enhances the game's depth and variety.
- Offense (weight 0.01): The DLC's price of $25 is considered offensive given the limited ways to spend leverage, making the content feel shallow and overpriced. Players feel the cost does not justify the amount of gameplay added.}