Info about Age of Mythology EX: Tale of the Dragon:

Official game description:
Age of Mythology comes to China! A new expansion to the legendary RTS brings tons of new content, including a new civilization (with fully voiceacted campaign), new maps, and 12 new gods drawn from the robust Chinese pantheon!  
New Civilization: The Chinese  
*   Master Tacticians: Between their War Academy tech, morale-boosting generals, and units with unexpected counters, the Chinese have no problem dominating the battlefield!  
*   Wololo arrives in Age of Mythology! The beloved monk from Age of Empires II finally gets its Age of Mythology counterpart in the monk hero unit, which can convert enemy units and heal friendly ones.  
*   New Campaign (fully voice-acted in English): With Yin and Yang shattered and China in chaos, General Jiao-Long must find a way to restore Yin and Yang and bring peace to the empire.
New Gods  
*   3 Major Gods—The Three Sovereigns  
    *   Fu Xi, The Heavenly Sovereign: The inventor of the first writing system, Fu Xi speeds construction efforts in return for favor.  
    *   Nü Wa, The Earthly Sovereign: Co-creator of humanity and sister of Fu Xi, Nü Wa brings unparalleled prosperity by boosting villagers and the economy.  
    *   Shennong, The Human Sovereign: The Emperor of the Five Grains is credited with many agricultural inventions, and rains death with mighty siege weapons if his monks fail to convert the foe.
*   New God Powers  
    *   Unleash a devastating Tsunami or Inferno on your enemy’s cities.  
    *   Destroy enemy units with a sudden Geyser or Barrage of arrows.  
    *   Summon Dilong the Earth Dragon to break through the earth’s crust.
    New Myth Units  
    *   Jiangshi – Undead unit that drains life from enemy soldiers.  
    *   War Salamander – A new amphibious unit that can take the fight to enemies wherever they are.  
    *   Terracotta Warrior – Soldiers that expel lethal dust upon death, destroying nearby enemies.  
    *   Azure Dragon – Any match can be improved with the addition of a fire-breathing dragon.
    New Maps  
    *   Basin  
    *   Deep Jungle  
    *   Old Atlantis  
    *   Open Fields  
    *   Regicide  
    *   Silk Road  
    *   Yellow River  
    *   Giant Map: New map size for all maps new and old!

Release date: Jan 28, 2016

Categories: Real-time Strategy, Base Building, Resource Management, Multiplayer, Campaign, Mythology and Lore, Faction Diversity

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair (One-time DLC); summary: User reviews overwhelmingly criticize the DLC as a low-effort, overpriced product with reused assets and bugs, and highlight an aggressive in-game prompt (the goat issue) that pushed players to buy the DLC. However, this is a one-time purchase DLC with no ongoing microtransactions or pay-to-win mechanics, so the monetization strategy is not predatory beyond the initial purchase. The score reflects frustration with value and promotion, but stays within the fair range for a single-purchase product.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $2.50 - $5.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently indicate that the full retail price is considered too high, and the content is only deemed fair when purchased on sale. Specific sale prices such as $2.50 are recommended, while $10 is viewed as not worth it. The Portuguese review reinforces that a price around R$5 (approximately $1) is acceptable on sale, but given the US market, a range of $2.50 to $5.00 captures the common sentiment that the content is worthwhile only at a low price point.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 8.0h
  - Story completion: 2.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first quote directly states the campaign/story takes about 2 hours, providing the storyCompletion estimate. The second quote indicates approximately 8 hours of total gameplay for the DLC, which corresponds to gameCompletion. No clear evidence for typical session length or endgame content was found, so those are set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The DLC's campaign is widely criticized as boring and broken from the start, but some players find fun later in multiplayer or random map modes, though balance and bugs remain concerns.
  - Stance: Fun after
  - Anchor: Playing multiplayer or random map mode
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: buggy mission progression and broken triggers; boring and poorly designed tutorial; unbalanced difficulty with thin margins for error; reskinned units and recycled aesthetics; uninspired story and cutscenes; overpowered Chinese civilization in multiplayer
  - Unlock drivers: skipping the campaign entirely; focusing on multiplayer or random map games; waiting for bug fixes (some later patches improved stability)
  - Conditions: prefer multiplayer over single-player; enjoy random map variety; tolerate potential balance issues; not expecting a compelling story or tutorial
- Player Archetypes:
  - Die-hard Completionist (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Owning all franchise content and collecting achievements
    - Playstyle: Plays all modes (campaign, skirmish, multiplayer) to unlock and experience new content, tolerating bugs and low polish for the sake of completion.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: ardent achievement hunter; die-hard fan; franchise fan; completionist
    - Reference games: Age of Mythology; Age of Mythology: The Titans
  - Multiplayer Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Adding a new civilization for varied multiplayer matches
    - Playstyle: Focuses on random map and competitive multiplayer games, experimenting with the Chinese god branches and strategies.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: multiplayer player; random map player; competitive player
    - Reference games: Age of Mythology; Age of Mythology: The Titans; Age of Empires III
  - Quality-Conscious Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: Preserving the integrity and quality of the original Age of Mythology experience
    - Playstyle: Prefers the original civilizations, campaigns, and balanced gameplay. Avoids the Chinese faction due to perceived lack of polish and immersion.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: childhood fan; disk copy owner; original AOM player; old-school player
    - Reference games: Age of Mythology Gold Edition; Age of Mythology: The Titans; Age of Empires III (for negative comparison)


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 maps and larger sizes (weight 0.64): Players appreciate the addition of new maps, including larger map sizes, which provide welcome variety for skirmish and random map modes. The giant map size is a notable feature.
- Chinese civilization praised (weight 0.62): The Chinese civilization is widely enjoyed for being fun, versatile, and a natural fit. Players find it interesting in multiplayer with unique mechanics and aesthetics.
- Garden favor and resource system unique (weight 0.42): The garden-based economy is a highlight, providing favor and optional resource generation. It's original and adds strategic depth.
- Campaign content enjoyed (weight 0.38): The campaign offers 10 missions with variety and interesting mechanics. Some missions are fun and creative, with unique challenges.
- Interesting myth units and heroes (weight 0.37): Myth units like Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird are useful, well-designed, and not clones. Heroes can adapt between melee and ranged combat.
- Unique units add variety (weight 0.32): Units like Fire Lance, General, and Cataphract are genuinely different and diverse. New units for other civilizations also help.
- New god powers appreciated (weight 0.31): New god powers, including the giant earth serpent, are considered creative and impressive. They add variety and are well-balanced.
- Soundtrack and audio praised (weight 0.3): The soundtrack is described as excellent, beautifully edited, and adds a Chinese spin that enhances the experience. Voice acting is also noted as entertaining.
- Buildings and visuals praised (weight 0.3): Buildings are nicely designed, pretty, and fit the Chinese cultural style. Overall aesthetics are well-done and respect the base game.
- Faction fits well and balanced after patch (weight 0.3): The Chinese civilization is well-integrated, and balance has improved with patches. The game runs smoothly without bugs.
- New content feels like original add-on (weight 0.27): The quality of the expansion is praised, feeling like a genuine addition to the classic game. It's seen as a respectful update.
- Good value for money (weight 0.13): Players feel the expansion is a good value, especially when on sale. The price is considered fair for the content provided.
- God portraits and wonders detailed (weight 0.08): God portraits are well-detailed and wonders are beautiful, adding to the visual appeal.
- New mechanics in campaigns (weight 0.08): Campaign missions include unique mechanics like positioning, traps, and total war-style battles, which are refreshing.
- Interesting concepts and ideas (weight 0.08): The expansion introduces interesting concepts, especially with the garden system and new unit abilities.
- Chinese mythology theme appreciated (weight 0.07): Players enjoy learning about the Chinese pantheon and the mythology theme is pleasing.
- Game continues to receive support (weight 0.07): Players appreciate ongoing patches and support, which may bring more content.
- Easter eggs and original AoM units (weight 0.04): The expansion includes pre-release units as easter eggs, which fans appreciate.
- New minor gods (weight 0.04): The addition of 12 new gods is noted as a positive feature.
- New cute animals and jade mines (weight 0.04): Small additions like new animals and jade mines are noted as positive touches.

Common complaints:
- Campaign story is weak (weight 0.62): Multiple clusters describe the campaign as forgettable, poorly written, and rushed. The writing is called cringe-worthy, amateur, and uninteresting, with a weak and confusing plot.
- Units are just reskins (weight 0.33): Many new units are considered reskins of old ones, with only minor differences. Myth units and regular units alike are described as copy-paste, lacking new animations.
- Voice acting is poor (weight 0.28): Voice acting is criticized for terrible accents and mispronunciations, with English actors attempting Chinese accents badly. The Chinese voice acting sounds like reading a script.
- Campaign missions are buggy (weight 0.25): Campaign maps are buggy, with crashes at the same point preventing mission completion. Some missions end too quickly or are unplayable due to issues.
- Audio mixing is broken (weight 0.22): During campaign cutscenes, music is extremely loud and drowns out dialogue. Volume settings do not help, and there is a bass boost issue.
- Units get stuck frequently (weight 0.16): New units get stuck on regular terrain, slide into buildings, and often fail to obey orders. This is a recurring bug that affects gameplay.
- God powers are weak (weight 0.16): God powers are niche and not useful in many situations, with most new ones being weak or useless and not fun to use.
- Feels like a mod (weight 0.16): The overall experience feels like an amateur mod rather than official paid content or a real expansion.
- Cutscene graphical glitches (weight 0.12): Graphical glitches occur in cutscenes, including characters bugged inside buildings and other visual issues.
- General bugs present (weight 0.12): The DLC is described as full of bugs and many bugs, contributing to a broken experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Gardens automatically produce resources (weight 0.49): The Chinese civilization's unique Garden structure slowly generates one of four resources and produces favor, limited to 10 gardens per player. This allows specialization between favor for myth units or resources for human units.
- New myth units and god powers (weight 0.33): The Chinese civilization adds original myth units like Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and new divine powers such as Earth Dragon, Tsunami, resurrection, and cloning. These expand tactical options.
- Unique military buildings and units (weight 0.22): The Chinese civilization has distinct military units like fire lancers, generals, chu-ko-nu, cataphracts, and castles that produce siege weapons. Unit upgrades apply to entire building sets.
- Singleplayer campaign included (weight 0.16): A short story campaign with RTS singleplayer battles is included. Some missions involve specific triggers and army vs army scenarios.
- Monks with conversion abilities (weight 0.15): Chinese monks can convert enemy regular units and, with Shennong, myth units. They also have melee attacks against unconvertible units.
- Units are reskins of existing assets (weight 0.13): Many Chinese units are considered reskins of other factions, with reused animations and models. This leads to criticism about lack of originality.
- Balance issues with Chinese civilization (weight 0.13): Chinese units are considered less strong than other civs except Castle units, but the public 2.7 Beta aimed to balance them. Some relics are not adapted.
- Garden economy favors specialization (weight 0.12): Since all gardens must gather the same resource at a time, players must choose between favor for myth units or resources for military.
- Eight Immortals heroes from settlements (weight 0.11): The Eight Immortals are hero units obtainable from settlements, providing both melee and ranged attacks. They are limited in number and fragile.
- Gods provide unique bonuses (weight 0.09): Major gods Nu Wa, Fu Xi, and Shennong offer different economic or military bonuses: Nu Wa reduces unit cost, Fu Xi speeds construction, Shennong allows myth unit conversion.
- Each civilization plays differently (weight 0.05): Though civilizations share similarities, each has distinct mechanics and strategic depth.
- Pathing issues with new units (weight 0.05): Some new units suffer from broken pathfinding, affecting gameplay experience.
- Unique voiced lines for Chinese units (weight 0.05): All Chinese units have unique voice lines and phrases, adding immersion.
- World Wonder and Conquest mode (weight 0.04): World Wonder victory condition is available in Conquest mode, adding alternative strategy.
- Grammatical errors in unit info (weight 0.04): Unit information sheets contain grammatical errors, detracting from polish.
- Pre-release units found in code (weight 0.04): Unused pre-release units like Apep, Griffon, and Golem exist in the code, hinting at cut content.
- Heroes share abilities with Greek Minotaur (weight 0.04): Chinese heroes have the same ability as the Greek Minotaur, reducing uniqueness.
- Lightning mode grants infinite villagers (weight 0.04): A special Lightning mode gives players unlimited villagers, altering standard economy.

Performance notes:
- Frequent crashes and freezes (weight 0.23): Players report crashes in the final campaign level, after DLC installation, on startup, and during specific missions. The game freezes every few minutes even on high-end PCs.
- FPS drops and stutters (weight 0.17): FPS drops to 1-3 when AI spawns many units, and stutters occur in an old game. Some players experience the game almost freezing entirely.
- Mixed stability reports (weight 0.12): Some players report no crashes or lag after patches, and others say the game runs smoothly without bugs. However, a significant number still face issues.
- Long loading times (weight 0.05): Giant maps cause long loading times, which can be frustrating for players expecting quick session starts.

Recommendations:
- Overall not recommended (weight 0.62): The majority of players advise against purchasing this DLC, citing poor quality and value. Many explicitly state they would not recommend it to anyone.
- Only buy on sale (weight 0.44): A common sentiment is that the DLC is only worth purchasing at a significant discount. Players recommend waiting for sales, often suggesting a price of $2.50 or 75% off.
- Campaign not recommended (weight 0.34): The single-player campaign is specifically criticized as not worth playing. Multiple reviews advise against buying the DLC for the campaign alone.
- Not worth full price (weight 0.31): Reviewers consistently state the DLC is overpriced at its full retail value. Many feel the content does not justify the asking price of $10 or more.
- Recommended only for fans (weight 0.27): Several players suggest the DLC is only for die-hard Age of Mythology fans or those with nostalgic attachment. Casual players are advised to skip it.
- Buggy and lacks quality (weight 0.22): The DLC is described as lacking polish, with bugs, crashes, and unplayable missions. Some players compare it unfavorably to the original Titans expansion.
- Mixed reception on value (weight 0.19): While a few reviewers defend the DLC as decent or worth the price, most express disappointment. Opinions are polarized, with more negative than positive.
- Buy for Chinese civilization (weight 0.11): Some reviewers acknowledge the new Chinese civilization as the main draw, but still recommend purchasing only on sale for that content.
- Worth for new maps only (weight 0.11): A few players find value in the additional maps, especially giant maps, but only if acquired cheaply on sale.
- Not for multiplayer only (weight 0.11): The DLC is not recommended even for those who primarily play multiplayer, with some exceptions for random map modes.
- Mods requirement (weight 0.1): The DLC is noted as a requirement for some mods, but alternative mod usage is also suggested as a reason to avoid buying.
- Stick with Extended Edition (weight 0.09): Several reviews suggest skipping this DLC entirely and sticking with the base Extended Edition or the original game.
- Not up to Titans standard (weight 0.09): The expansion is frequently compared unfavorably to the original Titans expansion, which set a higher bar for quality.
- Refund if possible (weight 0.08): Some players regret their purchase and would request a refund if they could, indicating a strong dissatisfaction.
- Positive for nostalgia fans (weight 0.07): A small number of positive reviews come from players motivated by childhood nostalgia or a desire to support the franchise.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.37): The DLC is widely seen as a poor expansion that fails to capture the quality of the original Age of Mythology. Common complaints include heavy asset reuse, a buggy and poorly written campaign with bad voice acting, and a Chinese civilization that lacks uniqueness and originality. Many players feel the expansion is more like an amateur mod than a true commercial product, ruining the nostalgia and potential of the game.
- Frustration (weight 0.25): Players report numerous technical issues such as campaign crashes, progression bugs, and game-breaking glitches that make the game unplayable. Balance problems, including cheating AI and uneven difficulty, along with heavy asset reuse and poor translation, further contribute to a frustrating experience. The overall lack of polish and amateurish design makes the DLC feel like low-quality workshop content.
- Anger (weight 0.13): The anger stems from the DLC being perceived as a lazy cash grab that exploits player nostalgia with no originality or effort. Specific causes include poor production values, cultural disrespect in the portrayal of the Monkey King, and an insulting campaign with numerous bugs and missing content. Many feel the expansion ruins the original game and represents a disgraceful treatment of a beloved franchise.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): Some players are satisfied with the new Chinese faction, finding it fun to play in multiplayer, especially after bug fixes and balance patches. The DLC is appreciated by those who value the addition of new content like gods, maps, and civs, and some feel the game is now in a better state than ever. Overall, satisfaction is higher among players who focus on the gameplay improvements rather than the campaign.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Players enjoy using the new Chinese civilization, its unique units, and the garden economy mechanic, which adds variety to random map games. Some specific missions with positioning and trap mechanics are also cited as fun. The enjoyment comes primarily from the gameplay additions rather than the campaign or story.
- Disgust (weight 0.04): Disgust is triggered by the perceived desecration of Chinese mythology, with low-effort models and a nonsensical story. The DLC is described as an insult to the base game, with reused Egyptian assets and terrible Chinese accents causing a visceral negative reaction. Some players found the overall quality so poor that they uninstalled the DLC immediately.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement is driven by the introduction of new maps, mythological content, and interesting units such as the Monkey King and the giant earth serpent. The long-awaited addition of a new civilization after 11 years is a major source of enthusiasm. Players are eager to explore the new myths and gameplay possibilities.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom arises from missions that feel dull and copy-pasted, with the Chinese civilization perceived as having no weaknesses and being monotonous to play. The gameplay lacks variety, and units are often direct reskins of existing ones. This leads to a lack of engagement and interest in the expansion.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is felt from getting new content for an old favorite game, with many players buying the DLC to revisit their childhood memories. The addition of new material to a classic title evokes fondness for the original Age of Mythology. This emotional drive is a key motivator for purchase despite mixed quality.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope is expressed for continued patches that might improve the game and lead to more series additions in the future. Some players draw parallels to how The African Kingdoms improved upon The Forgotten for Age of Empires II. There is a belief that redesign and updates can still turn the DLC into a positive contribution to the franchise.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance stems from random defeat messages and extreme difficulty even on easy mode, as well as bugs and balance issues present at release. These problems disrupt the gameplay experience and cause irritation. Players find these issues particularly frustrating as they should have been caught in testing.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from the unexpected inclusion of pre-release Age of Mythology units, and the fact that a DLC was released after almost 15 years. The high level of negativity expressed in other reviews also caught some players off guard. These elements create an element of shock and disbelief.
- Mixed (weight 0.01): The expansion is viewed as amateurish yet still admirable, akin to a fan project that paved the way for future official content. This duality means players appreciate the effort while recognizing its shortcomings. The mixed sentiment balances criticism with a recognition of the DLC's role in reviving interest in the franchise.
- Slight disappointment (weight 0.01): Some players feel a slight disappointment due to a lack of character depth in the Chinese civilization and a minor bug that affected gameplay. The overall experience is not severely negative, but these elements reduce the potential for full enjoyment. The sentiment is mild compared to stronger negative emotions.
- Despise (weight 0.01): Despise is reserved for the DLC being perceived as a low-effort cash grab that disrespects the legacy of Ensemble Studio. This strong emotional reaction goes beyond simple disappointment or anger. Players feel the expansion actively insult the original game's creators and their work.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises because the campaign story jumps between unrelated events with no clear explanation, making it difficult to follow. Players struggle to understand the narrative progression or the reasoning behind certain events. This lack of coherence diminishes the storytelling experience.
- Mild satisfaction (weight 0.01): Some players find the DLC enjoyable when purchased on sale, as it is not as bad as the worst reviews claim. This mild satisfaction comes from adjusted expectations and a lower price point. The experience is acceptable for the cost, even if not outstanding.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is derived from the funny and fake voice acting, and the silly design of the Titan model, which made some players laugh. These unintentional elements provide entertainment value despite their low quality. The humor comes from the absurdity of the presentation.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude is expressed simply because Microsoft still remembers Age of Mythology and continues to produce new content for it. This sense of appreciation offsets some of the negative feelings about the DLC's quality. Players are thankful for any attention given to a classic game.
- Shock (weight 0.01): Shock occurs when players discover that the DLC is truly as bad as negative reviews claimed, despite initial disbelief. The poor quality of the expansion is so severe that it surprises even cynical players. This emotional reaction highlights the gap between expectation and reality.}