Info about Zero-K:

Official game description:
  
Commander wanted! Construct giant robots, build an army of a thousand Fleas. Move mountains if needed. Bury the enemy at all cost!  
*   Traditional real time strategy with physically simulated units and projectiles.  
*   100+ varied units with abilities including terrain manipulation, cloaking and jumpjets.  
*   70+ mission galaxy-spanning campaign to be enjoyed solo or co-op with friends.  
*   Challenging, (non-cheating) skirmish AI and survival mode.  
*   Multiplayer 1v1 - 16v16, FFA, coop. ladders, replays, spectators and tournaments.  
*   Really free, no paid advantages, no unfair multiplayer.
Fully Utilized Physics
----------------------
Simulated unit and projectile physics is used to a level rarely found in a strategy game.  
*   Use small nimble units to dodge slow moving projectiles.  
*   Hide behind hills that block weapon fire, line of sight and radar.  
*   Toss units across the map with gravity guns.  
*   Transport a battleship to a hilltop - for greater views and gun range.
Manipulate the Terrain
----------------------
The terrain itself is an ever-changing part of the battlefield.  
*   Wreck the battlefield with craters that bog down enemy tanks.  
*   Dig canals to bring your navy inland for a submarine-in-a-desert strike.  
*   Build ramps, bridges, entire fortress if you wish.  
*   Burn your portrait into continental crust using the planetary energy chisel.
Singleplayer Campaign and Challenging AI
----------------------------------------
Enjoy many hours of single player and coop fun with our campaign, wide selection of non-cheating AIs and a survival mode against an alien horde.  
*   Explore the galaxy and discover technologies in our singleplayer campaign.  
*   Face a challenging AI that is neither brain-dead nor a clairvoyant cheater.  
*   Have some coop fun with friends, surviving waves of chicken-monsters.  
*   Cloaking? Resurrection? Tough choices customizing your commander.
Casual and Competitive Multiplayer
----------------------------------
Zero-K was built for multiplayer from the start, this is where you can end up being hooked for a decade.  
*   Enjoying epic scale combat? Join our 16v16 team battles!  
*   Looking for a common goal? Fight AIs or waves of chicken-monsters.  
*   Prefer dancing on a razor's edge? Play 1v1 in ladder and tournaments.  
*   Comebacks, betrayals, emotions always running high in FFA.  
*   Want to fight for a bigger cause? Join PlanetWars, a competitive online campaign with web-game strategic elements, diplomacy and backstabbing (currently on hiatus pending an overhaul).
Power to the People
-------------------
We are RTS players at heart, we work for nobody. We gave ourselves the tools we always wanted to have in a game.  
*   Do what you want. No limits to camera, queue or level of control.  
*   Paint a shape, any shape, and units will move to assume your formation.  
*   Construction priorities let your builders work more efficiently.  
*   Don't want to be tied down managing every unit movement? Order units to smartly kite, strafe or zig zag bullets.
Plenty of Stuff to Explore (and Explode)
----------------------------------------
Zero-K is a long term project and it shows, millions hours of proper multiplayer testing and dozens of people contributing ever expanding content.  
*   Learn to use all of our 100+ units and play on hundreds of maps.  
*   Invent the next mad team-tactics to shock enemies and make allies laugh.  
*   Combine cloaking, teleports, shields, jumpjets, EMP, napalm, gravity guns, black hole launchers, mind control and self-replication.  
*   Tiny flea swarm that clings to walls?  
*   Jumping "cans" with steam-spike?  
*   Buoys that hide under water to ambush ships?  
*   Mechs that spew fire and enjoy being tossed from air transports?  
*   Carrier with cute helicopters?  
*   Jumping Jugglenaut with dual wielding gravity guns?  
*   Meet them in Zero-K!

Release date: Apr 27, 2018

Categories: Real-time Strategy, Terrain Management, Multiplayer, Cooperative Multiplayer, Competitive Multiplayer, Physics Simulation, Unit Management, Tactical Combat

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The game is highly praised for being completely free with no microtransactions or pay-to-win elements. The available DLC is seen as a means of donating to support the game's multiplayer servers, rather than a traditional form of monetization.
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game experiences significant technical barriers on both Windows and Linux platforms. Key issues include installation difficulties on Linux, frequent crashes, and missing Steam features. These problems collectively contribute to a less than optimal user experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $0.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence indicates that users find the game highly valuable and enjoyable, often emphasizing that it is worth the price, which is frequently mentioned as being very low or even zero dollars. This suggests that the community considers the fair base-game price to be at the lower end of the spectrum, likely in the range of free to a very low cost.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 70.0h
  - Story completion: 50.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct and indirect references to playtime metrics. The first quote mentions a 'free long 50 hrs co op campaign,' which directly indicates the length of the campaign. The second quote states there are 'about 40-some missions to complete,' suggesting a significant time investment for single-player content. The third quote mentions a player having '50+ hours' of playtime, indicating substantial engagement. The fourth quote mentions a campaign of '70 missions,' further supporting the idea of extensive gameplay. These quotes collectively suggest that the game offers a lengthy campaign and substantial replayability, which can be used to estimate the playtime metrics.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes fun after players progress through the campaign, which serves as a tutorial and is enhanced by co-op play.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Completion of the campaign tutorial missions
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Steep learning curve; Complexity of the game
  - Unlock drivers: Co-op campaign; Gradual introduction of units and mechanics
  - Conditions: Playing with friends; Engaging in co-op mode
- Player Archetypes:
  - Co-op Campaign Strategist (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying cooperative gameplay and strategic depth with friends.
    - Playstyle: Collaborative and strategic, focusing on teamwork and shared control.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Co-op player; Strategist
    - Reference games: StarCraft II; Total Annihilation
  - Competitive Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering competitive gameplay and strategies.
    - Playstyle: Highly strategic and competitive, focusing on mastering unit classes and terrain manipulation.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Veteran; Competitive player
    - Reference games: Total Annihilation; Supreme Commander
  - Nostalgic Classic RTS Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Reliving and refining the experience of classic RTS games.
    - Playstyle: Strategic and nostalgic, focusing on unit variety and refined gameplay mechanics.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Classic RTS fan; Nostalgic player
    - Reference games: Total Annihilation; Command & Conquer


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:
- Diverse and unique units (weight 0.96): The game features a wide variety of units that are distinct and encourage strategic mixing. Players appreciate the uniqueness and intelligence of the units, as well as the balance and counterbalance between them.
- Fun and enjoyable gameplay (weight 0.78): Players consistently describe the game as fun and enjoyable, highlighting the engaging and satisfying experience it offers. The campaign is particularly noted for its enjoyment and effectiveness as a tutorial.
- Free and open source (weight 0.33): The game is free to play and open source, with no microtransactions or hidden costs. This makes it accessible and appealing to a wide audience.
- Highly regarded RTS game (weight 0.32): The game is praised as one of the best RTS games available, competing with well-known titles and developed by passionate RTS fans. Players consider it a classic and a pinnacle of real-time strategy games.
- Actively maintained and updated (weight 0.21): The game is actively developed and regularly updated, with new patches and bug fixes. This ongoing support ensures a continually improving and evolving gaming experience.
- Intuitive controls (weight 0.21): The game features intuitive and user-friendly controls, providing a high level of control and freedom. This makes it easy for players to learn and enjoy the game.
- Similar to Supreme Commander (weight 0.17): The game is often compared to Supreme Commander, appealing to fans of that series. It is seen as a worthy successor or alternative, satisfying the strategic depth and scale that Supreme Commander fans enjoy.
- Deep and complex multiplayer RTS (weight 0.16): The game is noted for its depth and complexity as a multiplayer RTS. It implements all the features of a modern RTS, providing a rich and engaging multiplayer experience.
- Detailed and varied maps (weight 0.16): The game offers a large variety of detailed maps, enhancing the strategic depth and visual appeal. Players appreciate the diversity and quality of the maps available.

Common complaints:
- Graphics need improvement (weight 0.33): Multiple reviews mention that the graphics are outdated, unattractive, and not up to current standards. Players find the visuals lacking and in need of enhancement.
- Confusing and ugly UI (weight 0.23): The user interface is frequently criticized as confusing, messy, and visually unappealing. Players struggle with navigation and find the UI design unpleasant.
- Lack of tutorial and players (weight 0.22): Reviews highlight the absence of a tutorial, making it hard for new players to get started. Additionally, the game suffers from a small player base.
- Steep learning curve (weight 0.18): Many players find the game difficult to learn, especially for new players. The initial learning process is described as daunting and challenging.
- Overpowered units and strategies (weight 0.13): Certain units and strategies are seen as overpowered and undefendable, leading to imbalances in the game.
- Heavy-handed moderation (weight 0.11): The moderation is criticized as being overzealous and toxic, creating a negative experience for players.
- Unclear objectives and terrain (weight 0.08): Players find the game's objectives and terrain unclear, leading to confusion and difficulty in understanding what needs to be done.
- Clunky unit control (weight 0.08): Players report issues with unit control, describing it as clunky and problematic, particularly with unit targeting.
- Chaotic and confusing gameplay (weight 0.08): The gameplay is described as chaotic and confusing, making it difficult for players to understand and enjoy.
- Lack of language support (weight 0.08): The game lacks support for certain languages, such as Chinese and Korean, which limits its accessibility to non-English speaking players.
- Game does not appeal to taste (weight 0.07): Some reviewers mention that the game does not appeal to their personal taste and even makes them frustrated.
- Singleplayer is boring (weight 0.07): The singleplayer campaign is criticized for being boring and not very interesting, failing to engage players.
- Some missions are too hard (weight 0.07): Certain missions, even on easy difficulty, are reported to be quite hard, posing a significant challenge to players.

Gameplay feedback:
- Diverse unit classes (weight 0.55): The game offers a wide variety of unit options, with unique and complex unit types. This diversity allows for varied strategies and tactical approaches, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- Intelligent unit AI (weight 0.39): Units in the game exhibit smart behaviors and can perform basic tasks autonomously. Each unit has its own purpose and specialized roles, contributing to a diverse and strategic gameplay experience.
- Co-op and multiplayer modes (weight 0.38): The game includes cooperative and multiplayer modes, such as shared-unit co-op play and survival modes. These modes provide additional ways to enjoy the game with friends and other players.
- Specialized factories (weight 0.14): Factories in the game are specialized to build specific units, with each factory offering a unique set of unit options. This specialization adds depth to the strategic planning and resource management aspects of the game.
- Campaign as tutorial (weight 0.14): The campaign mode serves as a tutorial, gradually introducing players to the game mechanics and strategies. This approach helps new players learn the game while enjoying a structured campaign experience.
- Commander upgrade mechanics (weight 0.14): Players can upgrade their commanders with various equipment and customization options. This feature allows for personalized and enhanced gameplay experiences tailored to individual playstyles.
- Large-scale warfare (weight 0.12): The game supports large-scale warfare with hundreds of units, allowing for massive battles and complex strategic planning. This scale adds to the depth and immersion of the gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Well optimized performance (weight 0.38): The game is noted for its good performance and high optimization. It runs smoothly and is not resource-intensive, making it accessible for a wide range of hardware.
- AMD graphics card issues (weight 0.15): There are specific issues related to AMD graphics cards, including crashes and broken graphics. This seems to be a notable problem affecting users with AMD hardware.
- Loading and stability issues (weight 0.11): The client takes time to load and there are reports of memory leaks and crashing. These issues affect the overall stability and user experience.
- Performance issues on big maps (weight 0.09): Some users report that their computers struggle with big maps and many units, leading to performance issues. This indicates that while the game is generally well-optimized, there are specific scenarios where performance can degrade.
- High CPU demand (weight 0.08): The game has high demand on the CPU and tends to use a single core heavily. This can lead to performance bottlenecks on systems with less powerful CPUs.
- Minor lag spikes (weight 0.05): Some users experience small lag spikes during gameplay. While not a major issue, these spikes can affect the overall smoothness of the gaming experience.
- Outdated game engine (weight 0.04): The game engine is noted to be outdated and not updated or fixed. This can lead to various performance and compatibility issues.
- Driver reinstallation required (weight 0.04): Some users have reported that they needed to reinstall their GPU drivers to get the game to run properly. This can be an inconvenience and a potential barrier to entry for some players.
- Significant graphics difference (weight 0.04): There is a notable difference in graphics quality between the lowest and highest settings, making the game accessible to lower-end systems while still offering high-quality visuals for more powerful setups.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for RTS fans (weight 0.36): The game is frequently recommended for players who enjoy real-time strategy (RTS) games, particularly fans of Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander.
- Impressive development and depth (weight 0.21): The game has seen significant development over a long period and offers a deep and strategic RTS experience that stands out in the genre.
- Try despite some issues (weight 0.17): Several reviews suggest trying the game despite some issues, indicating that the overall experience is worthwhile.
- Free and accessible (weight 0.11): The game is free to play and considered accessible, making it easy for new players to try out.
- Check out other games or mods (weight 0.1): Some reviews suggest trying other games like Beyond All Reason or mods like Balanced Annihilation for a potentially better or different experience.
- Strategic and tactical gameplay (weight 0.09): The game offers a more focused and tactical version of RTS gameplay, with strategic decisions becoming more important in the mid- and end-game.
- Play with friends (weight 0.08): Players recommend enjoying the game with friends rather than on large servers, suggesting a more enjoyable experience in a smaller, controlled group.
- Not for casual players (weight 0.08): The game is noted to be more suitable for hardcore RTS fans rather than casual players, indicating a steep learning curve or complex mechanics.
- Welcoming community (weight 0.05): The player base is noted to be welcoming, which can enhance the overall gaming experience.
- Try different game modes (weight 0.05): For those who find competitive play too stressful, the campaign, COOP, and chicken modes are recommended as enjoyable alternatives.
- Avoid until updates (weight 0.04): Some players recommend waiting for updates before playing, indicating that the current state of the game may have issues that need addressing.

Other player notes:
- Co-op campaign mode (weight 0.05): Players want the ability to play through the entire campaign with friends, indicating a desire for cooperative gameplay.
- Request for more campaigns (weight 0.05): There is a demand for more campaign content or missions similar to those found in Starcraft.
- Desire for more DLCs (weight 0.05): Players are expressing a desire for additional downloadable content to expand the game.

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.22): Players are excited about the game's unique terraforming mechanics, physics engine, and the variety of units and strategies available. The chaotic gameplay, large-scale battles, and the potential for mods also contribute to this excitement.
- Joy (weight 0.16): The joy comes from the game's fun multiplayer experience, especially with friends, and its similarity to classic RTS games like Supreme Commander. The game's approachable yet deep mechanics and the variety of strategies add to the enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.14): Players find satisfaction in the game's balanced and intuitive gameplay, variety of units, and active community. The game's free-to-play model, constant updates, and lack of microtransactions also contribute to this satisfaction.
- Frustration (weight 0.11): Frustration stems from game crashes, GPU issues, and perceived imbalances in units. Players also report difficulties with matchmaking, moderation issues, and technical problems that hinder gameplay.
- Appreciation (weight 0.08): Players appreciate the game's unique features, depth, and the effort put into its development. The game's free and open-source nature, along with its variety of units and innovative concepts, are highly valued.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment is derived from the fun gameplay, variety of strategies, and the co-op campaign. The terraforming mechanics and the ability to play with friends also enhance the overall enjoyment.
- Disappointment (weight 0.05): Disappointment arises from the game's confusing gameplay, fewer players on servers, and issues with multiplayer and co-op campaign mechanics. Some players feel the game has been abandoned or has toxic moderation.
- Excited (weight 0.05): Players are excited about the game's extensive variety of units, strategic depth, and its free and moddable nature. The game's competitive nature and potential for long-term enjoyment also contribute to this excitement.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Enthusiasm comes from the game's unique features, active development, and diverse units. The game's depth and strategic demands, along with its comparison to classic RTS games, add to the enthusiasm.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.04): Players feel nostalgic as the game reminds them of classic RTS games like Total Annihilation and Command & Conquer. The game's ability to evoke memories of older games contributes to this feeling.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.03): The game evokes a sense of nostalgia by reminding players of classic RTS games and older times. Its status as a recreation of a revolutionary game from over 20 years ago enhances this feeling.
- Happy (weight 0.03): Happiness comes from the enjoyable campaign, friendly community, and great game design. The game's fun and free-to-play nature, along with its easy accessibility, contribute to this happiness.
- Positive (weight 0.03): Players have a positive experience due to the game's depth, polish, and customization options. The strategic depth, variety of units, and balanced combat also contribute to this positivity.
- Surprise (weight 0.03): Surprise comes from the game's unique gameplay features, depth of mechanics, and replayability. The last moments of gameplay with multiple threats add to this surprising experience.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Frustration is caused by game-breaking issues not being fixed, AI issues, and unit control problems. Players are also frustrated with balance issues and the behavior of bots in the co-op campaign.
- Enthusiastic (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's extensive features, active development, and variety of units. The game's depth and strategic demands, along with its free-to-play model, contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Players are impressed by the game's technical aspects, AI behavior, and UI features. The depth and variety of features also contribute to this impression.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude is expressed towards the developers for their hard work and for keeping the game free. Players appreciate the efforts of the development team.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Approval comes from the game's high-quality gameplay and terrain-modifying mechanics. These features meet players' expectations and contribute to their approval.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is driven by the game's open-source nature, unique features, and the praiseworthy development team. Players admire the innovative aspects and the style of the game.}