Info about Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Mountain Royals:

Official game description:
Prepare to embark on a legendary journey as we introduce the "The Mountain Royals" DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Unlock the rich history and untold stories of two remarkable civilizations, the Armenians and Georgians, and immerse yourself in three captivating new campaigns: Tamar, Thoros the Great, and Ismail.  
Lead the Charge!, Forge Empires! Get “The Mountain Royals” DLC Now and Conquer History Anew!  
The Armenians  
Rebuild your ancestral kingdom in the mountainous terrain near Lakes Van, Sevan, and Urmia. The Armenian unique units are the Composite Bowman, a skilled archer capable of piercing even the sturdiest armor, and the Warrior Priest, an infantry unit that can fight and heal allied units.  
The Georgians  
Carve out a sturdy kingdom in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains and use the rugged terrain to your advantage as you repulse countless foreign invasions. The Georgian unique unit is the Monaspa, a brawny cavalry unit whose strength increases in numbers.  
3 Thrilling New Campaigns  
Tamar's Ascension  
Brought up on stories of David the Builder, the young and impassioned Tamar ascends her great-grandfather’s throne with elaborate plans for her bustling kingdom. However, she quickly finds out that wielding such power is more than a simple matter of birthright. Can Georgia’s first queen overcome her skeptics and leave an imprint to endure well beyond her lifetime?  
Thoros The Great  
The tiny kingdom of Cilician Armenia lies between hostile empires, its ruling family in Byzantine captivity. When Prince Thoros escapes, he embarks on a dangerous campaign to liberate his homeland, but the vengeful Byzantines are not his only foes. The Seljuk Turks covet the region as well, and a ruthless Frankish crusader is pursuing his own schemes to the south.  
Ismail  
The orphaned prodigy Ismail leads the mysterious Safavid Order through war-torn Persia! Will this charismatic visionary lay the groundwork for one of the most illustrious empires of the Islamic world, or will his delusions of grandeur be his ultimate undoing?  
The Mountain Royals DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition offers endless hours of immersive gameplay, strategic conquest, and unforgettable storytelling. Secure your place among the legends and be part of history's most epic moments.

Release date: Oct 31, 2023

Categories: Real-time Strategy, Civilization Building, Campaign Mode, Historical Simulation, Multiplayer, Turn-based Strategy, Single-player Campaigns

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 20; verdict: Overpriced with Perceived Value Issues; summary: The analysis of user reviews reveals several key themes related to the monetization and perceived value of the DLC. The most prominent issues include the high price for less content compared to previous DLCs, regional pricing disparities, and the perception of pay-to-win mechanics. Additionally, users express dissatisfaction with the cost relative to the limited new content provided. These factors contribute to a negative perception of the DLC's value proposition.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users find the game to be a good value when purchased on sale, typically around $15 or less. Many users mention waiting for sales to buy the game, indicating that the perceived fair price is lower than the current base price. The repeated mentions of sales and discounts suggest that the community considers a fair price range to be significantly lower than the full price, with $15 being a commonly accepted fair price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 17.5h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides some insights into the playtime metrics for 'Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Mountain Royals.' The first quote suggests that the campaigns provide at least 15-20 hours of gameplay, which can be used as an estimate for story completion. The second and third quotes indicate that the campaigns can be completed relatively quickly, suggesting that individual sessions might be short. The fourth quote mentions passing the campaigns in 2 hours, which could imply a shorter playtime for some players but may not be representative of the typical experience.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes enjoyable primarily in co-op or multiplayer modes, with early gameplay friction due to weak early mechanics and repetitive missions.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Co-op or multiplayer mode
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: weak early game; repetitive missions
  - Unlock drivers: playing with friends; multiplayer modes
  - Conditions: co-op; multiplayer; skirmish vs AI
- Player Archetypes:
  - Strategic Team Player (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of strategic depth and team dynamics.
    - Playstyle: Slow-paced, economy-focused, team-oriented.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: veteran player; team player
    - Reference games: Age of Empires II; Civilization
  - Campaign Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Engagement with single-player campaigns and storytelling.
    - Playstyle: Campaign-focused, narrative-driven.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: campaign lover; story enthusiast
    - Reference games: Age of Empires II; Total War
  - Veteran Critic (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and high standards for new content.
    - Playstyle: Critical, experienced-based, nostalgic.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: veteran; long-time fan
    - Reference games: Age of Empires II: The Conquerors; Age of Empires


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 are fun and unique (weight 0.96): The addition of new civilizations, particularly the Armenians and Georgians, is well-received. Players find them enjoyable, original, and interesting with unique traits and gameplay elements.
- Enjoyable and successful campaigns (weight 0.6): The campaigns are highly praised for being fun, well-designed, and entertaining. Players appreciate the depth, difficulty, and narration of the campaigns.
- Unique units and mechanics (weight 0.54): The new civilizations introduce unique units and mechanics, such as mule carts and fortified churches, which players find refreshing and enjoyable.
- High-quality DLC content (weight 0.19): The DLC is considered a worthy purchase, with high-quality content that is highly recommended by players.
- Excellent narration and voice-acting (weight 0.11): The narration and dubbing in the campaigns are highly praised for their quality, adding to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Challenging and varied objectives (weight 0.11): The missions offer varied and challenging objectives, which players find engaging and well-designed.
- Tamar campaign is a highlight (weight 0.11): The Tamar campaign is particularly highlighted as the best and most enjoyable campaign in the DLC.
- Beautiful and large maps (weight 0.1): The maps in the game are praised for their beauty and size, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- Caucasus as a connecting point (weight 0.09): The Caucasus environment is well-described and serves as an interesting connecting point in the game.

Common complaints:
- High price concerns (weight 0.63): Many players feel that the game and its DLC are overpriced, with specific complaints about the price increase from $10 to $15 without sufficient justification or added value.
- Bugs and stability issues (weight 0.38): The game and DLC have introduced many new bugs and have existing bugs that are being ignored. Players also report encountering gameplay instability and balance issues.
- Lack of new content (weight 0.38): Players are disappointed with the lack of new architecture, flora, fauna, and graphic additions. There is also criticism about the lack of significant new content compared to previous DLCs.
- Lack of creativity (weight 0.25): Players feel that the game lacks unique features and creativity, leading to repetitive and uninspired campaign missions.
- Translation and text issues (weight 0.21): There are notable translation issues, particularly between simplified and traditional Chinese. Players also report poor text quality and display issues.
- Campaign difficulty unclear (weight 0.09): The difficulty standards for campaigns are unclear and misleading, causing frustration among players.
- Repetitive campaign mechanics (weight 0.09): The Ismail campaign is criticized for being repetitive and lacking variety in its mechanics.
- Overused Mediterranean architecture (weight 0.09): Players feel that the Mediterranean architecture set is overused and needs more variety.
- Historical inaccuracies (weight 0.09): There are criticisms regarding historical inaccuracies in the representation of civilizations and unique technologies.

Gameplay feedback:
- Unique gameplay mechanics (weight 0.49): The introduction of unique mechanics, such as fortified churches and mule carts, adds depth and variety to the gameplay experience.
- New civilizations and campaigns (weight 0.39): Players appreciate the addition of new civilizations and campaigns, which bring fresh content and unique mechanics to the game.
- Georgian and Armenian civilizations (weight 0.38): The Georgians and Armenians are highlighted for their unique traits and units, including defensive cavalry and mobile resource collection points.
- Persian civilization rework (weight 0.34): The Persians have been reworked with new unique technologies, units, and bonuses, providing a refreshed gameplay experience.
- Campaign design and depth (weight 0.32): Campaigns are praised for their depth, numerous side quests, and well-designed missions with unique mechanics and narratives.
- Gameplay strategies and mechanics (weight 0.25): Detailed analysis of gameplay features and strategies, including level design and game balance, is appreciated by players.
- Co-op and multiplayer modes (weight 0.21): The game offers co-op and multiplayer modes, including ranked mode and competitive play, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- AI behavior and issues (weight 0.21): Players have noted issues with AI behavior, particularly with allies, which can affect the gameplay experience.
- Historical representation and nostalgia (weight 0.11): Campaigns bring a sense of nostalgia and historical representation, which is well-received by players.

Performance notes:
- Pathfinding and unit issues (weight 0.19): There are notable problems with unit pathfinding and interactions, including collision issues.
- Game crashes frequently (weight 0.12): The game experiences frequent crashes, which significantly disrupts gameplay.
- Synchronization and disconnection problems (weight 0.11): Players encounter synchronization errors and high disconnection rates, impacting multiplayer experiences.
- Poor optimization (weight 0.11): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues.
- Initial DLC bugs (weight 0.06): The DLC had numerous bugs at launch, affecting the overall experience.
- Various interaction bugs (weight 0.06): There are multiple bugs related to interactions within the game.

Recommendations:
- Worth buying on sale (weight 0.26): Multiple reviews suggest that the DLC is worth purchasing, but only when it is available at a discounted price. This indicates that while the content may be enjoyable, it might not be valued at its full price point.
- Recommended for fans (weight 0.15): Players who enjoyed the base game and have completed all the campaigns are likely to find this expansion worthwhile. It is particularly recommended for those with a keen interest in specific regions like Georgia and Armenia.
- Polish technical details (weight 0.06): There are concerns about the technical aspects of the DLC, with recommendations that it should not have been released until bugs and other technical details were polished.
- Pricing concerns (weight 0.05): There are mentions of the DLC pricing, indicating that it might be a consideration for potential buyers.

Other player notes:
- DLCs focusing on new regions (weight 0.06): Players are suggesting that future downloadable content should focus on regions such as the Americas, Africa, or Oceania.
- Try Georgian cuisine (weight 0.05): There is a recommendation for players to try Georgian cuisine, specifically mentioning the dish Satsivi.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.18): Players are satisfied with the new civilizations and campaigns introduced in the DLC, appreciating the quality and variety of the content. The reasonable pricing and the inclusion of helpful strategy guides also contribute to this positive sentiment.
- Disappointment (weight 0.18): Players express disappointment due to the high pricing and lack of significant new content in the DLC. Issues such as translation errors, repetitiveness in campaign missions, and lack of new architecture sets also contribute to this sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.17): Players are frustrated with the game's instability, crashes, and bugs, which affect gameplay and performance. Additionally, issues like AI cheating, high pricing, and lack of new content contribute to this frustration.
- Appreciation (weight 0.09): Players appreciate the depth and design of the new campaigns and civilizations, as well as the unique mechanics introduced. The overall positive assessment of the DLC's worthiness and the detailed campaign maps also contribute to this appreciation.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Players enjoy the new civilizations and campaigns, finding them fun and challenging. The unique aspects of the new civilizations and the interesting campaign stories add to this enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Players are excited about the new civilizations and their unique features, as well as the new campaigns and missions. The dynamic and entertaining campaigns, along with the new mechanics, contribute to this excitement.
- Frustrated (weight 0.07): Players are frustrated with the high price point and the bugs encountered, including issues with Steam achievements and villagers getting stuck. The perceived lack of justification for the price increase adds to this frustration.
- Criticism (weight 0.06): Players criticize the new campaigns for being disappointing and rushed, as well as the price increase and lack of new architecture sets. The misleading difficulty indications and imbalance in campaign difficulties also contribute to this criticism.
- Happy (weight 0.04): Players are happy with the enjoyment of the DLC and competitive play, as well as the satisfaction with the expansion content. The cultural aspects and gameplay also contribute to this happiness.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Players are angry about the high pricing and perceived lack of value in the DLC. The perceived greed and lack of content, along with gameplay issues, contribute to this anger.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Players are enthusiastic about the new campaigns and civilizations, particularly the Thoros campaign and the Armenians civ. The unique gameplay and content added by the DLC contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Content (weight 0.01): Players are content with the enjoyment of the Safavid campaign and the new civilizations introduced in the DLC.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players are disappointed with the soulless campaigns and uninteresting new civilizations introduced in the DLC.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.01): Players have mixed feelings about the DLC, appreciating the campaign design and civilization balance but criticizing the price increase and lack of new content.}