Info about Age of Empires II (2013): The Forgotten:

Official game description:
Welcome to Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten; the first new official expansion for the Age of Empires II universe in over ten years. Challenge friends with five additional civilizations and technologies, battle through seven campaigns, vanquish opponents in new game modes on massive maps, or shoutcast a match and stream it all through twitch.tv.  
Crafted exclusively for Age of Empires II: HD Edition; The Forgotten expansion builds upon the Age of Empires II: HD experience and includes Steam workshop support, steam trading cards, and more!  
Explore a host of new features with Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten including  
*   Five New Civilizations  
    *   Italians - Set sail to Venice and take the role as general in one of the Italian republics that emerged from the chaos after the collapse of the Roman Empire!  
    *   Indians - Put vast armies under your command, comprised of countless Camels and powerful Elephants.  
    *   Slavs – Even after the dissolution of the Mongolian Golden Horde, these icy plains of Eastern Europe still echo under the thundering hooves and countless boots of your soldiers.  
    *   Magyars - Lead the mighty Black Army over the Hungarian plains and command the fiercest cavalry forces that Europe has ever witnessed in the Middle Ages.  
    *   Incas - Lead your armies along the shores of Lake Titicaca, defend your wealth and heritage from the invading Conquistadors and erect mighty structures to withstand the test of time.
*   Seven new Campaigns  
    *   Alaric: The trauma of the Hun invasion in the 4th century has shaped Alaric, the fearsome warrior king of the Goths. But can the beloved king secure a new homeland for his people in the territory of the collapsing Roman Empire?  
    *   Sforza: Always hungry for glory and wealth, Sforza wanders around 15th century Italy, offering his services to the highest bidder. Will he pick the right battles or make the wrong enemy? Take the fate of the young mercenary captain in your hands.  
    *   Bari: 400 years after the collapse of the Roman Empire, Italy is still up for grabs. Relive the tale of the port city Bari from the point of view of a Byzantine family, rising from the common soldiery to the nobility. Beware, for not only Bari is at stake, but also control of Southern Italy.  
    *   Dracula: History forged an incredible legend around the man who ruled Wallachia in the mid-15th century. Holding his ground against the vast armies of the expanding Ottoman Empire, his cruel tactics made him the most feared man in all of Eastern Europe. Shall his thirst for blood and the loyalty of his soldiers hold the Turks back for good?  
    *   El Dorado: Join Francisco Orellana and Gonzalo Pizarro on their quest to find El Dorado, the legendary Lost City of Gold, thought to be hidden somewhere in the vast Amazon rain forest. Will their quest along the Amazon river lead to lifelong prosperity or will they drown in their sorrow?  
    *   Prithviraj: As the 12th century comes to a close, India is divided between the ruling Rajput clans. One of them, the Chauhans, have just been blessed with a new king. His name is Prithviraj and his determination to unite the rival states is unprecedented. But what happens when he falls in love with the daughter of his enemy? And does he have the strength to stop a full-scale Muslim invasion from the west?  
    *   Battles of the Forgotten: Time has faded the names of many of the greatest leaders ever known. During their age they were famed for their fierceness on the battlefield, their just rule and their quest for power. Witness the path to glory of Richard the Lionheart, Minamoto no Yoritomo, Sultan Osman Ghazi, Khosrau and many more.
*   New LudaKRIS map size  
*   Twitch.tv streaming integration  
*   Spectator mode  
*   New Game Modes  
    *   Treaty - Popularized in later titles, the economically focused “Treaty” gametype will be available in AoF. Also commonly known as “No Rush”, Treaty mode enables a limited duration of battle-free early growth before focusing on military might.  
    *   Capture the Relic - For a quick paced, action oriented battle the new “Capture the Relic” will see players rushing with their monks to take control of a single treasure and return it safely to base.

Release date: Nov 7, 2013

Categories: Real-time Strategy, Historical Strategy, Base Building, Campaign, Multiplayer, Empire Building, Civilization Simulation

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair / Traditional Paid DLC; summary: The audit finds only traditional paid DLC/expansion monetization. Reviews complain about bugs, value, and a free mod being turned into paid DLC, while another reviewer praises the price-to-content ratio. There is no direct evidence of in-game purchases, real-money gacha, loot boxes, pay-to-win, convenience items, currency obfuscation, or a cash shop. The score remains in the Fair range.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews are mainly about an add-on rather than the base game, so direct base-game price evidence is limited and confidence is low. Still, the community consistently rejects full-price add-on content, recommends waiting for discounts or bundles, and points to the definitive edition as the better-value complete package. That value sentiment suggests the fair base-game price should sit in the mid-tier rather than at a premium: roughly $10 as a discount/sale anchor and up to $20 for a complete, worthwhile base package.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.8h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first quote gives a concrete per-level playtime of 30-60 minutes, so I set sessionLength to 0.75 hours as a midpoint for a typical level-focused session. The second quote shows that some campaign scenarios can stretch to 5-6 hours, indicating wide variation in session length but not a consistent typical value. No review states the total time to finish the DLC, all campaigns, or the story, so gameCompletion and storyCompletion are null. No post-story/endgame playtime is reported, so endgame is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The expansion is widely reported as immediately enjoyable, especially its multiplayer modes and new historical content, though some campaign scenarios are tedious and boring.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Tedious, unfair campaign scenarios; Campaigns that drag on and on; Backtracking through oversized, under-utilized maps; Boredom during map exploration
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Playing multiplayer, especially with friends; Interest in historical scenarios; Being an Age of Empires fan; Choosing multiplayer or standard games over campaign scenarios; Joining strangers' multiplayer games
- Player Archetypes:
  - Campaign-Focused AoE2 Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing high-quality single-player campaigns and completing them.
    - Playstyle: Plays through official campaigns, evaluates mission design, dialogue, triggers, and narrative flow.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: veteran AoE player; player who values games on their singleplayer campaigns; completionist
    - Reference games: Age of Empires II; Age of Empires II HD
  - Multiplayer Standard-Game Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Competitive and social online play with new civilizations, units, and modes.
    - Playstyle: Plays online standard, team, and new multiplayer modes such as Treaty and Relic Conquest, often with friends or strangers.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Discount-Seeking Content Fan (sale)
    - Motivation: Getting new civilizations and content at a low price while avoiding full-price disappointment.
    - Playstyle: Buys DLC on sale and plays the added civilizations, campaigns, and multiplayer modes as a content add-on.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: student
    - Reference games: N/A
  - New-Civ Skirmish Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Exploring new civilizations and testing strategies in skirmish or standard games against AI.
    - Playstyle: Plays single-player skirmish or standard games, experiments with new civ tech trees and units, and adjusts AI difficulty.
    - 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:
- Adds five new civilizations (weight 0.5): The expansion introduces five new playable civilizations—Incas, Indians, Italians, Magyars, and Slavs—significantly expanding strategic options. Reviews highlight this as a key feature that spices up gameplay.
- New civilizations are fun and interesting (weight 0.37): Players find the new civilizations enjoyable and strategically intriguing, with unique units and balanced design that adds fresh gameplay possibilities.
- Includes seven new campaigns (weight 0.35): Seven new single-player campaigns are added, with reviewers noting they are well-developed and as good as or better than the originals. Standout campaigns include Vlad Dracula and Alaric.
- Best value among Age of Empires II DLCs (weight 0.32): With five new civilizations and seven campaigns, this expansion offers the most content of any DLC and is frequently praised for its excellent quality-to-price ratio.
- Adds two new game modes (weight 0.14): Two multiplayer game modes, Treaty and Capture the Relic, are introduced. These additions enhance the multiplayer experience and strategic variety.
- Features impressive graphics and textures (weight 0.13): Reviewers praise the improved graphics and new building textures, which enhance the visual appeal of the game.
- Improves game balance and strategy (weight 0.11): New civilizations come with balance improvements for the standard game mode, adding fresh strategic possibilities without disrupting existing gameplay.
- Enhances multiplayer enjoyment (weight 0.08): The expansion provides enough content to make multiplayer sessions fun and engaging, with new civilizations and modes adding depth.
- Great soundtrack (weight 0.07): The music in the expansion is highly regarded, with players noting it as very good and adding to the overall experience.
- Increases population limit to 500 (weight 0.07): A new feature raises the population limit to 500, allowing for larger armies and more expansive gameplay.

Common complaints:
- Campaigns are poorly designed and unfun (weight 0.93): A large number of reviews describe campaigns as bad, horrendous, boring, tedious, or unredeemable dumpster fires. They are often considered inferior to the original campaigns, with poor writing, unfair difficulty, and little classic RTS gameplay.
- Campaign triggers frequently broken preventing progression (weight 0.71): Many campaigns and scenarios are unplayable due to broken triggers, bugs, or scripting errors that halt progress or make missions unwinnable. Specific examples include Alaric, El Dorado, Sforza, Bari, Dracula, Cyprus, and Forgotten campaigns, with critical bugs preventing completion.
- Missing voice acting throughout campaigns (weight 0.65): Multiple clusters report that campaigns lack voice acting entirely, with dialogue delivered only through text. This significantly reduces immersion and atmosphere, especially for players accustomed to fully voiced main-game campaigns, and quest texts can be too short or disappear quickly.
- Buggy pathfinding causes units to get stuck (weight 0.45): Pathfinding is widely described as abysmal or buggy, with units getting stuck on roadsides, in forests, or on flat ground, and taking winding detours around obstacles. Even attack-move fails, and moving large armies through forests is a disastrous experience.
- New campaigns lack polish and feel rushed (weight 0.43): The new campaigns are described as unpolished, rushed, and lacking the quality of the originals, with messy instructions, amateurish design, and little attention to detail. They feel like fan-made mods that were monetized without sufficient developer work.
- Excessive scripting and cutscenes disrupt gameplay (weight 0.37): Missions are overloaded with scripted events, unskippable cutscenes, and forced interactions that interrupt flow and remove player control. Long intros without voice acting and constant camera changes during combat make the experience frustrating.
- Fake difficulty from cheating AI and imbalanced design (weight 0.37): Difficulty is often imbalanced, with the player in Castle Age facing Imperial Age enemies, or having to fight infinite technologically superior forces with small armies. This creates fake difficulty that is unrewarding and discouraging rather than captivating.
- Campaigns are long tedious and exhausting (weight 0.36): Campaigns frequently take many hours, involve killing thousands of units, and require backtracking across oversized maps. Many missions feel like tedious map-running sections with little payoff, leaving players exhausted and dreading continuation.
- Objectives unclear and constantly changing (weight 0.35): Many missions suffer from unclear objectives that change every few minutes, with heavy scripting and no clear goal from the start. This confuses players, forces trial-and-error learning, and sometimes requires cheats to understand map layouts.
- Maps are cluttered and navigation is frustrating (weight 0.32): Maps are often overly detailed, cluttered with bushes, rocks, flowers, and grass, causing units to get stuck and making navigation infuriating. Narrow winding paths, invisible walls, and oversized empty areas further worsen the experience.
- RPG-style hero missions replace classic RTS (weight 0.28): Many scenarios adopt a pseudo-RPG format focused on hero units that must survive, with fixed forces and little base building. This deviates from the classic build-and-destroy RTS gameplay and reduces strategic freedom.
- Enemy AI gets unlimited resources and spams units (weight 0.23): Enemies are reported to have unlimited resources and continuously spawn massive numbers of units, sometimes without resource costs, turning missions into tower defense scenarios. This leads to four-digit kill counts, overwhelming difficulty, and tedious gameplay.
- Campaign structure overly linear and restrictive (weight 0.23): Campaigns force players onto preset paths and heavily scripted sequences, punishing any deviation from the intended route or method. This lack of freedom reduces replayability and makes the experience feel like following a hero unit around the map rather than engaging in classic RTS gameplay.
- DLC installation and access issues (weight 0.22): Multiple users report that The Forgotten DLC does not appear after purchase, cannot be installed, or is missing from the library and main title screen. This prevents access to new civilizations and campaigns.
- Historical accuracy and immersion concerns (weight 0.21): Some reviewers criticize historical inaccuracies, such as altered facts, anachronistic civilizations, and overrepresentation of the Roman Empire. The inclusion of certain factions and units is seen as ridiculous or breaking immersion.
- Poor graphics and ugly new models (weight 0.21): New units and models are described as graphically crude, rough, or ugly, sometimes looking like crooked free mods. The game is also said to lack full HD quality despite its name, and some new artwork is recycled.
- Price too high for content offered (weight 0.21): Many reviewers feel the DLC is too expensive for the amount of content and quality provided, especially compared to the free mod version. The remastered version requiring payment again is also criticized.
- Bugs corrupt saves and freeze progress (weight 0.2): Some bugs can freeze progress or corrupt saves, and many issues persist without patches. Players often have to use cheats like 'i r winner' to pass broken campaigns, which doesn't grant achievements.
- Balance issues with civilizations and units (weight 0.2): There are balancing issues, such as enemies having too many arbalests, cavalry unable to accelerate, and one civilization lacking faith technology. New nations don't make a strong impression and some units are poorly made.
- No LAN support and multiplayer issues (weight 0.12): The game lacks LAN support, unlike previous titles in the series, and multiplayer lag is reported to never be fixed. Spectator mode can also cause crashes.

Gameplay feedback:
- New campaigns added (weight 0.57): Clusters frequently mention the addition of new campaigns, with some specifying seven campaigns consisting of multiple scenarios. Campaigns are a major content addition.
- DLC content overview (weight 0.43): The DLC adds a combination of new civilizations, campaigns, units, and technologies. This comprehensive content expansion is highlighted in several clusters.
- Campaign scenarios and objectives (weight 0.2): Campaigns consist of scenarios with specific objectives and map layouts. Objectives may change during missions, adding dynamic gameplay.
- New units introduced (weight 0.19): The expansion adds new special units alongside civilizations and technologies. This is a common point across several clusters.
- Multiplayer support (weight 0.16): The game includes multiplayer modes, including solo play. Specific modes like 'Contract' and 'Relic Conquest' are mentioned.
- New technologies added (weight 0.13): The expansion introduces new technologies for civilizations. This is mentioned in a couple of clusters.
- DLC for Age of Empires II HD (weight 0.08): The product is a DLC for Age of Empires II HD edition and installs automatically within the game. This clarifies the platform and installation.
- RPG-style campaigns (weight 0.07): Some campaigns use RPG-style gameplay with fewer units, focusing on character progression rather than base building. This offers a different experience.
- Population limit increased (weight 0.07): The expansion raises the population limit, allowing for larger armies. This is a gameplay tweak mentioned in one cluster.
- Unit pathing mechanics (weight 0.07): Unit pathing and pathfinding AI govern unit movement. This technical aspect is noted in one cluster.

Performance notes:
- New AI causes lag (weight 0.12): The new AI is a major performance bottleneck, with lag specifically tied to its improved pathfinding when many units are on screen. This lag does not occur with the old AI.
- Scenarios unplayable due to lag (weight 0.12): Multiple reports confirm that some scenarios, especially new campaigns with many NPCs, become unplayable due to severe lag. The issue persists in the HD version.
- Spectator mode crashes game (weight 0.05): Entering spectator mode causes the game to crash, disrupting multiplayer observation. This is a critical stability issue.
- Stuttering bug persists until game ends (weight 0.05): A stuttering bug occurs during gameplay and continues until the match concludes, severely impacting the experience. It likely relates to performance or AI issues.
- Multiplayer lag issues (weight 0.05): Lag is a common problem in multiplayer sessions, making online play frustrating. This may be related to the new AI or network performance.
- Campaign scenarios bugged after update (weight 0.05): Certain campaign scenarios have become bugged following the final update, possibly due to compatibility issues. This affects existing content.
- Speed-dependent gameplay issues (weight 0.04): Playing at certain speeds can cause unspecified issues, likely related to timing or performance. This may affect game balance or stability.
- Long lifespan added (weight 0.04): The game now offers a very long lifespan for units or gameplay, extending the duration of matches. This is a positive addition noted by players.
- Improved on-screen rendering (weight 0.04): Greater on-screen rendering has been added, enhancing visual quality. However, this may contribute to performance issues.

Recommendations:
- Buy on sale for extra content (weight 0.32): Many reviewers advise purchasing only on sale, especially for the extra civilizations and game modes. Full price is often considered too high.
- General positive recommendation (weight 0.26): A large group of reviewers simply recommend the game or DLC without detailing specific reasons. The feedback is consistently positive but often vague.
- Get Definitive Edition instead (weight 0.23): Many reviewers advise playing the Definitive Edition of Age of Empires II rather than this older version, as it includes this content and more. This is a clear purchasing recommendation for most players today.
- Recommended for Age of Empires fans (weight 0.19): Reviewers say this content is recommended for all Age of Empires fans, and that any new content for the game is good. It appeals strongly to the existing fanbase.
- Avoid paying full price (weight 0.18): There is strong criticism against paying full price for this DLC, with some calling it a scam or not worth it until issues are fixed. Reviewers recommend waiting for discounts.
- DLC not recommended (weight 0.17): Some reviewers cannot recommend this DLC, citing a lack of enjoyment and advising against purchase. This negative feedback is specific to the expansion.
- DLC strongly recommended (weight 0.15): Several reviewers specifically recommend buying this DLC, calling it great, affordable, and refreshing. It is seen as a worthwhile addition.
- Tips for buying and playing (weight 0.14): Some reviewers suggest keeping provided tips in mind if you decide to buy, and recommend it only for hardcore fans or multiplayer players at a significant discount. Single-player-only players looking for campaigns should be cautious.
- Must-buy for AoE2 lovers (weight 0.12): For those who love Age of Empires II, this expansion is considered a must-buy to keep enjoying the game, with five new civilizations and seven campaigns. It offers excellent value for dedicated players.
- New civilizations are well-received (weight 0.12): Reviewers mention the new civilizations as nice to have and recommend the game specifically for them. They are a key selling point for many players.
- Not recommended due to campaigns (weight 0.12): Some reviewers do not recommend the game or DLC because of the campaigns, which they find lacking or frustrating. One advises skipping them unless you enjoy suffering.
- Not a good commercial product (weight 0.09): Some reviewers do not recommend this as a commercial product, citing poor value and questionable business practices. They criticize paying multiple times for the same content.
- Adds great solo content (weight 0.08): The expansion provides substantial single-player content, which is appreciated by reviewers. It adds value for those who prefer playing alone.
- Good for multiplayer fun (weight 0.08): The content is said to provide enough for multiplayer enjoyment, and it is recommended for online matches. Multiplayer-focused players find it worthwhile.
- Best purchased in bundle (weight 0.08): Reviewers suggest buying this in a bundle with the base game or other DLCs for better value. It is often seen as a good addition when bundled.
- Worth the price (weight 0.08): Some reviewers state the content is worth the price or worth buying. However, this is a minority view compared to those complaining about cost.
- One of the best strategy games (weight 0.05): The base game is praised as one of the best strategy games ever. This positive sentiment reflects the overall quality of Age of Empires II.
- Workshop fix for bugged campaigns (weight 0.05): A workshop fix is available for bugged campaigns, which some reviewers recommend subscribing to. This helps address technical issues in the expansion.
- Good for low-end computers (weight 0.04): The game is recommended for owners of less powerful computers, as it may run better than newer versions. This is a niche but practical consideration.
- Mod ports old versions to DE (weight 0.04): For those interested in old versions, a community mod exists that ports them over to the Definitive Edition. This offers a way to experience classic content in the modern version.

Other player notes:
- Originated as free fan mod (weight 0.47): The Forgotten started as an unofficial fan-made mod called Forgotten Empires, created by modders in 2011. It later became official DLC after gaining popularity.
- Included in Definitive Edition (weight 0.32): The content of The Forgotten is already part of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, which offers quality-of-life improvements. The newer version includes an altered version of the DLC integrated into the core experience.
- Campaigns lack voice-over (weight 0.27): The new campaigns in The Forgotten do not have voice acting, unlike the standard campaigns. Only text-based dialogue is provided, and cutscenes are not voiced.
- Compared unfavorably to other expansions (weight 0.26): Some reviewers find the single-player content weaker than The Conquerors and other expansions, and the campaigns are considered worse than the base game. The overall quality is seen as lower than later DLCs.
- Developed by original modders (weight 0.26): The DLC was created by the original modding team, Forgotten Empires LLC, in collaboration with Microsoft and Skybox Labs. The modders later became professional developers for the Age of Empires franchise.
- Definitive Edition overhauled campaigns (weight 0.2): In the Definitive Edition, most campaigns from The Forgotten were completely redesigned with unique voice acting and bug fixes. The DE scenarios are different from the original HD version.
- HD version has limitations (weight 0.18): The Genie Engine has limitations, and the HD version only improves resolution visually. The game is still being updated, but mods often require the DLC to run properly.
- First DLC after HD re-release (weight 0.18): The Forgotten is the first expansion released for Age of Empires II: HD Edition, marking the return of official content after many years. It was released in 2013, 13 years after the original game.
- Expansion was originally free (weight 0.16): Before becoming paid DLC, The Forgotten was available as a free add-on and was widely downloaded. The paid version is essentially the same mod with some patches and campaigns added.
- Pricing and discounts (weight 0.15): The normal price is considered expensive for the added features, but the DLC often has higher discount rates and can be found in bundles. It is the cheapest way to get full access to the expansion dataset.
- Campaign bugs in HD Edition (weight 0.14): As of update 5.7, the campaigns in the HD Edition have bugs, but a patch fixed many issues including in Dracula and Sforza campaigns. A workshop fix removes extra AIs and fixes triggers.
- Historical campaigns and scenarios (weight 0.14): The expansion includes campaigns based on historical events such as Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire and Vlad Tepes' stand against the Ottomans, as well as a Vietnam chapter. Specific scenarios like Bari and El Dorado are mentioned.
- Multiplayer variety, weaker single-player (weight 0.14): The DLC adds variety to multiplayer with new civilizations, but the single-player experience is considered weaker than previous expansions. Multiplayer can be played without the DLC but with restrictions.
- Miscellaneous content additions (weight 0.14): The expansion adds a History section and new campaign stories, and it keeps the same mechanics and interface without major transformations. It includes a handful of additional races.
- Value diminished by newer versions (weight 0.13): The existence of the Definitive Edition reduces the value of this DLC, as the newer version includes all content and more. Charging existing owners again for a remastered version is seen as a scam by some.
- Comparison to Definitive Edition (weight 0.13): The Definitive Edition's Forgotten campaigns are completely different from the 2013 HD Edition, with better quality and voice acting. Reviewers recommend picking up the DE version as the HD Edition isn't the complete package.
- Modders became professional developers (weight 0.13): The people behind the mod went on to work professionally on the Age of Empires franchise, and the expansion was a collaboration between the community and developers. The product gave the team confidence to continue.
- Paved way for future content (weight 0.11): The success of The Forgotten led to further balance changes and DLCs for Age of Empires II, including The African Kingdoms. It gave the modding team confidence to continue developing content for years.
- Localization and text issues (weight 0.07): The German version contains some English text, and campaigns are localized in Japanese. There are mixed language issues in some versions.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.23): Players are disappointed by buggy and unpolished campaigns, with many missions breaking or becoming unbeatable. The lack of voice acting, weak writing, and restrictive design make the single-player content feel subpar compared to earlier Age of Empires titles. The DLC also feels like a half-finished, third-party mod rather than a proper official expansion.
- Frustration (weight 0.17): Frustration stems from severe pathfinding bugs, broken campaign triggers, and missions that force players along a single intended path. Tedious objectives, unfair difficulty spikes, and the inability to install or access purchased content further worsen the experience. Many campaigns become unwinnable or require constant restarts.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Satisfaction comes from the expansion's strong value for money, offering numerous new civilizations, campaigns, units, and improvements. Players appreciate the authentic level design, balanced multiplayer additions, and the overall amount of content provided. The new features and civilizations are seen as interesting and well-executed.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Players enjoy several new campaigns, particularly the Bari Byzantine campaign, and find the new civilizations fun and unique. The Battle of Forgotten scenarios and the Kurikara scenario offer enjoyable base building and flexibility. The old-school RTS LAN feeling and novel campaign gameplay contribute to the fun.
- Anger (weight 0.04): Anger is provoked by game-breaking bugs that freeze progress or corrupt saves, as well as unfair mission design where enemies cheat with massive unit spawns. Players feel monetized without corresponding developer effort, and new campaigns remain unplayable due to unfixed lags and bugs.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Annoyance arises from mission designs that require spamming military buildings against infinite enemy spawns and excessive arbalests. The lack of voice acting, loss of army control, and annoying camera changes during campaigns add to the irritation. Bugs that prevent continuing also contribute.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Enthusiasm is driven by engaging historical campaigns and new content that revitalizes the classic game. Players love the sensational multiplayer and campaign, and appreciate new units, civilizations, game modes, and Twitch.tv integration. The addition of fresh elements to a 16-year-old game generates excitement.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): Confusion results from technical issues like campaigns appearing without Rome in matches, or purchased DLC not showing in the library. In-game quests are often confusing, and historical inaccuracies in the narrative add to the bewilderment. Players struggle to understand why content is missing or misrepresented.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is expressed for the effort put into designing campaign maps and the substantial content of the DLC, including seven new campaigns and nations. Players value that the game is still being updated and that the DLC renews the franchise without altering the core experience.
- Disgust (weight 0.03): Disgust is caused by campaigns described as irredeemable dumpster fires and an expansion lacking base building, voice acting, and featuring clunky mechanics. Confusing quests and historically implausible units, such as a Subsaharian female warrior killing a Teutonic knight, further repel players.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Nostalgia is evoked by classic childhood memories of playing the original game as one of the first gaming experiences. Comparisons to older expansions and the legacy of Ensemble Studios bring back fond recollections. The game holds a special place in players' hearts from their early gaming days.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is felt for the story of a fan-made mod becoming an official Microsoft expansion and the team becoming a major development partner. Players also admire the game as one of the best strategy games ever, praising its amazing graphics and good music.
- Exhaustion (weight 0.02): Exhaustion results from backtracking through oversized, under-utilized maps and scripted missions that feel like guided on-rails objectives. Campaigns lasting 5-6 hours and requiring the killing of thousands of units drain players. Constant interruptions and tedious design contribute to fatigue.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the announcement of a new expansion after 13 years, bringing new civilizations, campaigns, and game modes. Players are hooked again on the game and its DLC. The prospect of fresh content after a long wait fuels anticipation.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom arises from lengthy and boring gameplay, with the Sforza campaign singled out as very boring. New players are expected to get bored, and completed Gothic and Dracula campaigns were considered mediocre. The overall experience fails to maintain engagement.
- Dislike (weight 0.02): Dislike is directed at the Dracula campaign's historical inaccuracies and missing beheading, as well as crude new unit graphics and amateurish civilizations. These elements detract from the overall quality and authenticity of the expansion.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love is rooted in the original game making players fall in love with the RTS genre. The game is deeply cherished, and the new HD textures are considered incredible. This enduring affection for the franchise shines through.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope stems from the classic game being revived with a promising future, and players wish for the developers to improve detail in the next expansion and patch this one. There is optimism that the franchise will continue to grow and address current shortcomings.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is caused by free mod content becoming paid DLC, which feels like a loss of community spirit. Players mourn the transition from a freely shared project to a commercial product. This change evokes a sense of disappointment and nostalgia.
- Insult (weight 0.01): Insult is felt when using stumps and farm textures for harbors in a paid product, which players see as a sign of disrespect. Such corner-cutting in a commercial release is viewed as an insult to the player base. The lack of quality assets in a paid expansion is deeply offensive.}