Info about ENDLESS Legend™ - Guardians:

Official game description:
AMPLIFIERS EXCLUSIVE REWARDS
============================
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About the Game
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There are older and greater things in the universe than the Endless, whose few hundred centuries barely scrape the surface of history. What of those older entities, those other forces? Did they disappear before the arrival of the Endless, or could the Endless, at the height of their power, have contained and controlled them? And now that the Endless have faded or moved on, might some of these elder beings suddenly rise up again…?  
UNLEASH THE GUARDIANS
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These ancient giants, extensions of Auriga herself, have broken free from the chains with which the Endless imprisoned them. Make their legendary might yours, and impose your supremacy on other Empires! Find and equip Gemstones (new item category) to strengthen your Guardians even further with buffs and new skills.  
GIOS
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The Earth Guardian, senses all that moves in or across the planet. When engaged in battle, the ancient giant inflicts impressive zone damage to enemy units by causing earthquakes. If the need arises, he is also able to repair cities’ fortifications.  
NEROS
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The Water Guardian, listens to the echoes of the present and the past. While roaming your enemies’ land he can destroy watchtowers and extractors. In battle, Neros can use his Tsunami charge to deal damage relative to his distance from the target.  
FOTIOS
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The Fire Guardian, is linked to the primeval force of fire. He is able to cast a powerful light that drastically extends vision range. In combat, Fotios uses his flames to inflict fire damage over time on his enemies.  
ATMOS
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The Air Guardian, tracks the winds and scents of Auriga. Despite his size, the giant can teleport inside vision range, covering large distances in the blink of an eye. Atmos is also a fearful opponent as he gets stronger with each and every kill.  
SKOROS
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The Dust Guardian, is attuned to Auriga's magical currents. He has the ability to fully heal an entire allied army, and can use mind control spells to manipulate enemy units during battle.  
COMPETE FOR SUPREMACY
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**Legendary Deeds** are another way to compete with other Empires. These competitive challenges reward the best with different types of compensations: Bonuses, technologies, resources, and items. Additionally, **Global Events** are now unfolding on Auriga. They will challenge all Empires with competitive and cooperative quests. The best will be rewarded with resources, items and special units!  
*   **10 Legendary Deeds**: These extraordinary achievements are disseminated throughout the Eras. Each of them can only be completed by a single player and will give a significant boost by unlocking one of the new technologies, items, or city improvements created for the expansion.  
*   **10 Global Events**: Be the one faction that makes the most of unexpected events affecting the entire planet.  
*   **Cooperative & Competitive Quests**: Both cooperative and competitive quests have been added in which players will either need to work together or compete to obtain a reward or suffer the hard consequences.
BUILD A MIGHTY EMPIRE
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Compete with the other Empires to build up to five **Legendary Buildings**. Gain powerful City Improvements that boost resources outputs, Approval or Influence. **Unique buildings** also allow further customization of Empires by unlocking specialized city improvements which are designed to support progression toward specific victory conditions.  
*   **5 Legendary Buildings**: Massive undertakings, these awe-inspiring buildings can only be constructed by one player per Era. Unlockable by achieving Legendary Deeds, these buildings are so powerful they are visible on the map.  
*   **10 Unique Buildings**: Additional unique buildings that will provide benefits and allow players to specialize their cities depending on their surroundings.

Release date: Apr 29, 2015

Categories: 4X, Turn-based Strategy, Empire Building, Faction Management, Multiple Victory Conditions, Global Events, Legendary Buildings

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The user feedback centers on the value of the paid DLC 'Guardians' for Endless Legend. Opinions are split between those who find the $10 price fair and those who consider it overpriced. However, all complaints relate to the upfront DLC cost, not to any in-game purchases, gacha, pay-to-win elements, or convenience items. The game uses a standard expansion model, which is not predatory.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $25.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence focuses on the DLC's $10 price, with mixed sentiment: some find it fair, others overpriced, suggesting a fair DLC value around $5-10. The base game, offering more content, is likely considered fair at a higher price, perhaps $15-25. However, without direct evidence on the base game price, confidence is low.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides total playtime with the DLC (20 and 30 hours) but does not specify time to complete the game, story completion, session length, or endgame content. Therefore, all playtime metrics are unsupported and set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is fun from the very beginning, offering early rewards and a complete experience, with the DLC adding extra content without delaying enjoyment.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: N/A
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: N/A
- Player Archetypes:
  - Strategic Depth Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience added strategic depth and competitive interactivity through new buildings, wonders, and game-changing units.
    - Playstyle: Optimizes city placement for national wonders, leverages legendary buildings for tactical advantage, and engages with global events and quests for extra layers.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Civilization
  - AI and Balance Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: To have new features work properly with AI and be balanced; they seek polished gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Plays single-player with AI, testing new systems and finding them lacking.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - DLC Value Evaluator (sale)
    - Motivation: To decide which DLCs are worth purchasing and to optimize their collection.
    - Playstyle: Plays the game extensively and evaluates each DLC's content value relative to others.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Multiplayer Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: To enjoy cooperative and competitive quests with other players, seeking a lively multiplayer community.
    - Playstyle: Plays multiplayer, engaging in co-op quests, but is disappointed by the lack of player base.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Civilization V


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:
- DLC improves overall gameplay (weight 0.95): The expansion adds a lot of new content, including quests, events, buildings, and units, which broadens the game and fills gaps in the base game. It is generally praised for enhancing the experience.
- Legendary buildings provide big bonuses (weight 0.67): Legendary buildings offer substantial bonuses, look fantastic, and function like wonders from Civilization, leveling up and providing significant advantages. They are a popular feature of the DLC.
- Legendary Deeds add competitive goals (weight 0.59): Legendary Deeds give players specific objectives to strive for each era, with rewards for being the first to complete them. They add a competitive and engaging element to the game.
- Global events and quests add depth (weight 0.54): Global events and co-op quests challenge players to adapt and add variety to gameplay, especially in the mid and late game. They are seen as a positive addition that keeps players engaged.
- New buildings enable city specialization (weight 0.32): The expansion introduces unique per-empire buildings that allow for greater city specialization, such as food or production boosts. This adds strategic depth and variability to city development.
- Adds new ways to play and win (weight 0.16): The expansion introduces new mechanics and objectives, providing players with additional strategies and paths to victory. This increases replayability and strategic depth.
- Balance improvements and AI enhancements (weight 0.15): The expansion improves game balance, making strategic resources more powerful and science more important. The AI also seems to have improved, providing a better challenge on higher difficulties.
- Guardians are visually cool (weight 0.14): Guardians have a fancy look and are described as 'moving nukes' due to their destructive power. Their appearance adds to the epic feel of battles.
- New victory type and quests (weight 0.11): The expansion adds a new quest victory type that deepens the lore and provides an alternative path to victory. This is appreciated by players looking for more varied win conditions.
- Cultists faction improved (weight 0.11): The Cultists faction has been reworked to be stronger, with unique gameplay that allows for rapid population and production growth. This is a notable improvement for that faction.
- Guardians break stalemates (weight 0.11): Guardians can be used to break late-game military stalemates, providing a decisive advantage in prolonged conflicts. Their high HP and recovery after battle make them reliable assets.
- Legendary buildings are easy to build (weight 0.11): Legendary buildings are fairly easy to construct if resources are available, and they count as districts without requiring population, aiding city expansion. This makes them accessible and beneficial.
- Guardians support army stacks (weight 0.11): Guardians are strong and excellent in supporting other army stacks, enhancing the effectiveness of your military forces. They can be used to protect cities or lead assaults.

Common complaints:
- Guardians are unbalanced (weight 0.66): Guardians are a major point of contention, with many players finding them either too weak to be useful or overwhelmingly powerful and easy to abuse. Their late-game availability and high cost also make them a 'win more' mechanic rather than a strategic choice.
- Events and quests lack impact (weight 0.64): Global events, co-op quests, and random events are frequently described as disappointing, tedious, or not impactful enough to change gameplay. They often feel like arbitrary hurdles rather than engaging strategic elements, and some can be detrimental without player counterplay.
- Expansion adds little new gameplay (weight 0.53): Many reviewers feel the expansion does not renew or enrich the core gameplay, with additions that are barely noticeable or simply add 'more' of the same. The new features are often described as generic, unnecessary, or not impactful enough to change how the game is played.
- Overpriced for content offered (weight 0.43): Players consistently feel the expansion is not worth its full price, citing a lack of substantial content and describing it as a basic update rather than a true expansion. The additions are seen as too minor to justify the cost.
- AI fails to engage (weight 0.43): The AI frequently ignores new features like quests, events, buildings, and guardians, making them feel pointless in single-player. This lack of AI utilization undermines the core additions of the expansion and reduces the challenge.
- Legendary buildings have balance issues (weight 0.33): Legendary buildings are criticized for being either too powerful, too costly, or too marginal in their benefits. The race to complete them can be frustrating, and some provide advantages that snowball the game for players who are already ahead.
- Balance problems are widespread (weight 0.32): The expansion introduces or exacerbates various balance issues, from overpowered factions and buildings to detrimental global events. This creates an uneven playing field where early advantages can lead to inevitable victory, and some mechanics feel broken or unfair.
- Multiplayer is underdeveloped (weight 0.07): The multiplayer experience is criticized as underdeveloped compared to other strategy games, with AI issues and a lack of engaging co-op or competitive quests. This makes the expansion's new features less appealing in a multiplayer setting.
- Fotios is a problem (weight 0.05): A single reviewer identified 'Fotios' as a problem, but the specific nature of the issue is not detailed. This is a very niche and vague complaint.

Gameplay feedback:
- Guardians are powerful super-units (weight 0.97): Guardians are described as expensive, late-game, titan-like units that act as one-man armies with unique abilities. They require research, are costly to build, and cannot merge with other armies, but can significantly change the tide of war.
- Legendary deeds add competitive goals (weight 0.7): Legendary deeds are competitive quests that all civilizations can compete to complete, giving bonuses to the first player to accomplish them. They provide goals for each era, such as building a certain number of districts or producing strategic resources, and add a new layer of achievement and reward.
- Legendary buildings resemble wonders (weight 0.58): Legendary buildings are compared to wonders from Civilization, being powerful, few in number, and only one of each type can exist in the world. They are costly and time-consuming to build, act as their own districts, and can only be built by the first player to complete them.
- Expansion adds global events (weight 0.56): The expansion introduces global events and co-op/competitive quests that challenge players to adapt and work together or against each other. These events influence the campaign map and combat, and include random events and map-based anomalies.
- Expansion adds events and quests (weight 0.4): The expansion adds multiple events and quests, including cooperative and competitive ones. These events influence the campaign map and combat, and require players to adapt to new circumstances.
- New buildings enhance city specialization (weight 0.35): The expansion adds unique per-empire buildings that help cities specialize, with most being buildable only once. These buildings unlock through research and provide bonuses to specific FIDSI, adding variability to city development.
- Expansion includes quests and missions (weight 0.32): The expansion adds quests, missions, and a new quest victory type, providing additional objectives and gameplay variety. These quests are both cooperative and competitive, and include global events.
- Guardians require research and time (weight 0.32): Guardians require their own research projects and take a significant amount of time to build, making them a huge investment. They are expensive and resource-intensive, but can be worth the cost in battle.
- Guardians have unique abilities (weight 0.32): Guardians possess unique abilities such as revealing large parts of the map, teleporting, or hitting across the entire battlefield. These abilities make them versatile and powerful in both offense and defense.
- Expansion adds global quests (weight 0.3): The expansion includes global quests and events that all players can participate in, with rewards for the first to complete them. These quests add a competitive layer to the game.
- Expansion adds unique buildings (weight 0.29): The expansion introduces unique buildings that can be built only once per empire or worldwide, offering bonuses to specific resources or city specialization. These buildings add variety and strategic choices.
- Guardians are one-man armies (weight 0.27): Guardians are described as one-man armies that can easily crush armies and cities on their own. They are powerful units that can reinforce quickly onto a battle and change the tide of war.
- Expansion adds new buildings (weight 0.27): The expansion adds new buildings that unlock through science research and provide various bonuses. These buildings are often unique to each empire and can be built only once, enhancing city specialization.
- Guardians are expensive and late-game (weight 0.27): Guardians are expensive to build and require research, making them late-game units. They are powerful but require a significant investment of time and resources.
- Expansion adds new ways to play (weight 0.22): The expansion adds new mechanics and ways to play, such as guardians, legendary deeds, and global events. These additions provide a fresh strategic layer and new game plans.
- Legendary deeds give era goals (weight 0.21): Legendary deeds provide specific goals for each era, such as leveling up commanders or building unique buildings. Completing them first grants bonuses like hero items or infrastructure boosts.
- Guardians limited in number (weight 0.16): Guardians are heavily limited in number, with only one able to participate in battle at a time. They are powerful enough to do a lot of work on their own, but their scarcity adds a strategic risk-reward element.
- Expansion includes national wonders (weight 0.16): The expansion includes national wonders, which are unique buildings that can be built only once per empire. They provide significant bonuses and are similar to wonders in Civilization.
- Legendary buildings act as districts (weight 0.15): Legendary buildings function as their own districts and level up like other districts, providing unique benefits. They are similar to wonders in Civilization and are limited to one per type worldwide.

Performance notes:
No performancepoints

Recommendations:
- Buy with base game (weight 0.34): Reviewers recommend purchasing this DLC alongside the base game for the best experience. It is considered a worthwhile addition for those who enjoyed the original game.
- Worth it on sale (weight 0.34): Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing, as the DLC is considered a good value at a discounted price. A 50% or higher discount is often mentioned as the ideal threshold.
- Must-have for fans (weight 0.26): The DLC is described as essential for dedicated players of the game, providing a complete experience. It is highly recommended for those who already enjoy the core gameplay.
- Not recommended standalone (weight 0.25): Some reviewers advise against buying this DLC on its own, suggesting alternative purchases instead. The content may not justify the price when purchased separately from the base game.
- Low priority expansion (weight 0.16): This expansion is considered a lower priority compared to other DLCs for the game. Reviewers suggest skipping it if you are not planning to get all expansions.
- Good for new factions (weight 0.12): The DLC is recommended for players interested in trying new factions, but less essential for those who prefer sticking with existing ones. The new content for each race is a highlight.
- Consider alternative purchases (weight 0.11): If you have doubts about this DLC, reviewers suggest buying something else you are more certain about. This is particularly advised for those with a limited budget.
- Buy for multiplayer (weight 0.07): The DLC is only recommended for players who intend to play multiplayer with friends. Solo players may not find the additional content worth the purchase.
- Support the developers (weight 0.06): One reviewer suggests buying the DLC as a way to support AMPLITUDE Studios, even if the content itself is not essential. This is framed as a gesture of goodwill.
- Wait for base game (weight 0.06): Players who do not own the base game are advised to wait before purchasing this DLC. It is better to experience the base game first before adding expansions.
- Wonders are a highlight (weight 0.06): One reviewer specifically recommends the expansion for its wonders, which are considered a standout feature. This is a key selling point for the DLC.
- Avoid easy difficulty (weight 0.06): A reviewer warns against playing on easy difficulty, as it may not provide a satisfying experience. This advice is given in the context of the DLC's content.
- Watch for winter issues (weight 0.06): One reviewer warns about a winter length issue in the game that may affect the experience. This is mentioned as a caution for potential buyers.

Other player notes:
- Pricing concerns and praise (weight 0.43): Opinions on the price are mixed: some say it is not worth the full price or is overpriced compared to other DLC, while others find it reasonably priced or even underpriced for the content. Comparisons are made to other games' DLC pricing.
- Praise for Amplitude Studios (weight 0.11): Reviewers praise Amplitude Studios for good games and support, indicating overall positive sentiment towards the developer. This is a general commendation.
- Game better than Civ (weight 0.07): One reviewer states that Endless Legend works better, looks better, is more interesting, and has better mechanics than Civ. This is a strong comparative endorsement.
- Regional availability issue (weight 0.06): A reviewer mentions that the product is not available in their region, which is a significant barrier for some players. This is a niche but important accessibility issue.
- Modding support requested (weight 0.06): One reviewer requests XML files to enable modding, indicating a desire for more community customization. This is a common request in strategy games.
- Sales frequency noted (weight 0.06): A reviewer mentions that Endless Legend and its DLC go on sale fairly regularly, which may mitigate pricing concerns. This is useful information for potential buyers.
- First DLC from Amplitude (weight 0.06): This is noted as the first DLC released by Amplitude Studios for Endless Legend, setting a precedent for future content. This historical context is relevant.
- Foundation for next expansion (weight 0.06): The expansion is described as a foundation for the next expansion, suggesting it sets up future content. This is a forward-looking observation.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.25): Players are frustrated by the DLC policy that fragments the game and sells essential content as add-ons, along with regional unavailability. Specific mechanics like overpowered Guardians, costly Legendary Buildings, and disruptive global events that reduce income without warning also contribute to the frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.23): The expansion is seen as overpriced for the content it adds, with global events and quests lacking impact and AI ignoring them. Guardians are considered expensive and late-game, and the overall package is less substantial than free patches, leading to disappointment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.18): Players are satisfied with the DLC as it improves gameplay by adding variability in development and a race for completing Deeds. The powerful Guardian units and interesting Legendary Deeds and quests provide value and depth, making the expansion worth the money.
- Excitement (weight 0.11): The addition of Guardians adds an exciting new layer to the game, with their powerful abilities like being a 'moving nuke' and the ability to surround cities with Titans. The expansion is diverse, adding new units, buildings, and ways to play, which generates excitement.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Players enjoy the fun of upgrading Legendary Buildings by surrounding them and the interesting goals provided by Legendary Deeds. The challenge is appreciated, and losing some games is acceptable, contributing to overall enjoyment.
- Approval (weight 0.03): Guardians and Legendary Buildings are praised for adding variety to the game, and Guardians can significantly change the tide of war or battle, earning approval from players.
- Sadness (weight 0.02): After using a certain strategy, players feel sadness because there are no more enemies to kill, indicating a lack of post-game content or replayability.
- Dislike (weight 0.02): Guardians are disliked because they are too good, making the game boring and reducing challenge, which leads to a negative view of this feature.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): The many events and the need to choose between them keep players engaged and prevent boredom, as they must make meaningful decisions throughout the game.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): A co-op quest that makes strategic resources more expensive is annoying, especially since the AI never fixes it, causing persistent irritation.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Players are impressed by the amount of content offered for a good price, indicating that the expansion provides substantial value for its cost.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Players are looking forward to how the Endless Legend series will grow, indicating positive anticipation for future developments and expansions.
- Hope (weight 0.02): There are high hopes for the series, suggesting that players are optimistic about the future direction and quality of the game.
- Delight (weight 0.02): The air guardian's powerful attack and maneuverability saved situations, bringing delight to players who found it effective in gameplay.
- Concern (weight 0.02): There is concern about the imbalance where whoever gets ahead early will likely win, which can make the game feel unfair or less competitive.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate that developers always give a complete game at launch and that expansions have a great price, showing gratitude for the value provided.}