Info about ENDLESS™ Legend - Tempest:

Official game description:
EXCLUSIVE REWARDS
=================
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About the Game
==============
While much is known of the surface of Auriga, its oceans still guard many mysteries. Weathered fortresses, certainly creations of another age, still house a secretive people called the Fomorians who serve some ancient purpose. But while the nations of Auriga learn to meet, trade, and war on the seas, another force rises from beneath them. They are -- or is? - the Morgawr, a twisted and possessed people that seem to be symbiotic creations of sea life and other, unimaginable species. It will be necessary to confront them, defy them, and understand the new powers they harness. Or, equally likely, succumb to their strength.
THE MORGAWR
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Morgawr awoke in a lab without a sense of past. An entity that is a single mind of many bodies, Morgawr has a powerful compulsion to dominate and control the minds of others in order to achieve their ultimate intent. But there are many questions that it would like to answer. Who are I? Where do I come from? What are all these strange, one-minded beings who get in our way? Why are I driven to do what I do, and how will I know that I have succeeded?  
This new faction will focus on controlling the seas and spreading chaos on the lands thanks to a better control of the seas using special units, mind control powers and the “Black Spot” curse cast on their enemies.
NAVAL WARFARE
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Naval battles for everyone! Players will finally be able to battle on the seas. All seaborne units can instigate and reinforce sea battles. Exotic mechanics and tile effects spice up this new type of battle!
OCEAN CONTROL WITH WEATHER SYSTEM
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Arcane structures have emerged from beneath the waves: these Endless relics provide strategic and luxury resources as well as other bonuses to the empire able to control them. To do so, their mysterious guardians must be parlayed with or defeated in battle. The same guardians will patrol “wild” ocean regions, making them a lot less safe to cross without convoy. Expect clouds, rain and storms to appear on your map.
SEA FORTRESSES AND FOMORIANS MINOR FACTION
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New generated ocean regions, including a Sea Fortress, offer strategic locations in the water for players to battle it out. These new locations will be protected by a mysterious, seldom-seen minor faction that lives in the fortresses across the sea.
"HUNGERING MAW" MONSTER OF THE DEEP
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This mouth is so large it almost seems to be some aquatic mega-plant. It is, however, certainly the jaws of some unfathomably large sea creature...
MORG QUESTS, MORG ITEMS AND MORG MUSICS!
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This expansion also includes more than 50 new quests, over 60 new special items and 4 new music tracks produced by FlybyNo!

Release date: Oct 14, 2016

Categories: 4X, Naval Combat, Faction Management, Strategic Combat, Resource Management, Weather System, Mind Control Mechanics, Expansion Pack

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The user reviews focus on the game's DLC expansions, with mixed opinions on pricing and value. Some players accuse the developer of cash grabbing and cutting content for DLC, while others praise the DLC's content. There is no evidence of microtransactions, pay-to-win, gacha, or other predatory monetization. The monetization model appears to be traditional DLC, which is not considered predatory.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The community is divided on the value of this expansion. One reviewer considers $13 a fair price, while others explicitly state it is only worth buying on discount or not worth it even on sale. This suggests the full price is too high, and a fair price range likely falls below $13, around $5-$10, where the content is seen as reasonably valued.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first quote directly reports 20 hours of playtime on the Tempest DLC, which we interpret as the total time spent covering the DLC's content, thus estimating game completion at 20 hours. The second quote indicates a session length of 2 hours, which we use for sessionLength. The third quote implies playtime exceeds 2 hours but does not provide a specific number, so it only supports the session length estimate.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is enjoyable initially but becomes frustrating later due to game-breaking facilities, with a lack of tutorial as an early friction.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Lack of in-game tutorial
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: If you do not focus on naval warfare early; If ocean complexes are not controlled by anyone
- Player Archetypes:
  - Strategic Resource Manager (buy)
    - Motivation: Efficient resource generation and alternative expansion strategies
    - Playstyle: Prioritizes fortresses, trade routes, and stockpiles while avoiding aggressive land expansion
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Tactical Innovator (buy)
    - Motivation: Creative problem-solving in combat and defense
    - Playstyle: Defensive, using mind control and support units to overcome weaknesses
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Enthusiastic Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Completing the game experience and enjoying all new content
    - Playstyle: Plays all factions, explores every feature, and appreciates the game's atmosphere and depth
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Endless Legend
  - Cautious Critic (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Value for money and long-term satisfaction
    - Playstyle: Plays full campaigns, assesses balance and content depth over time
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - 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:
- Morgawr faction is unique and fun (weight 0.94): Players consistently praise the Morgawr faction for its unique mechanics and enjoyable playstyle, noting it stands out and offers new tactical possibilities. The faction is described as refreshing, interesting, and fun to play, with a distinct identity that adds depth to the game.
- Naval combat is a welcome addition (weight 0.69): The DLC introduces full naval combat, which players felt was missing from the base game. This addition allows troops to travel across seas with protection and adds engaging, well-executed sea battles that enhance the overall experience.
- Underwater content enriches exploration (weight 0.39): The DLC adds underwater ruins and ocean fortresses, providing new areas to explore and strategic points to control. These features give the oceans more purpose and make them more interesting, contributing to the game's depth.
- Weather system adds variety (weight 0.39): Dynamic weather phenomena like fog and storms are introduced, affecting naval combat and making ocean terrain less bland. Players appreciate the added variety and the strategic layer weather brings to the game.
- DLC expands gameplay and lore (weight 0.33): The expansion broadens the game's scope with new quests, items, and music, while also enriching the lore in imaginative ways. It adds depth and makes the game feel more complete, with content that is easy to understand and integrate.
- Sea fortresses provide strategic bonuses (weight 0.25): Ocean fortresses offer substantial bonuses, including resources like dust, influence, and materials, which players can build strategies around. Owning the high seas becomes worthwhile due to these tangible benefits.
- DLC is highly recommended (weight 0.23): Players consider this DLC to be one of the best for Endless Legend, with an excellent concept and worthwhile content. It is praised for its overall quality and the value it adds to the game.
- Ocean gameplay adds purpose to sea (weight 0.22): The DLC gives the oceans an actual purpose, making them interesting and integral to gameplay. This is achieved through naval combat, underwater features, and strategic resources, enhancing the overall experience.
- Naval expansion makes game feel complete (weight 0.14): The naval expansion and overhaul are seen as essential, filling a gap in the base game and making it feel more whole. Players appreciate the added content and the sense of completeness it brings.

Common complaints:
- New faction weak on land (weight 0.73): The Morgawr faction is consistently reported as weak on land, with limited and ineffective land units. This makes them difficult to play and balance, especially on land-based maps.
- Fortresses are exploitable and weak (weight 0.48): Fortresses are pre-spawned, cannot be improved, and are easily captured even if you win the battle. They also lack default garrisons, making them a liability rather than an asset.
- Naval combat lacks variety (weight 0.44): Naval combat is criticized for having only four ship types shared across most factions, leading to repetitive and shallow gameplay. Only the Morgawr have unique ships, but even those are not considered strong.
- Naval content is all-or-nothing (weight 0.39): For non-Morgawr factions, investing in naval tech and units is not worthwhile unless you go all-in. This makes naval gameplay feel optional and disconnected from the rest of the game.
- DLC balance is poor (weight 0.39): The DLC is widely criticized for not addressing balance and difficulty issues, and for introducing new imbalances. The new faction and mechanics are not well integrated with the rest of the game.
- New faction is gimmicky (weight 0.32): The Morgawr rely heavily on RNG and gimmicks, such as subjugating minor factions and using health-draining artifacts. This makes them unreliable and not fun to play or play against.
- Bugs and technical issues (weight 0.32): The DLC introduces many bugs, including unfinishable matches, frozen units, and broken quests. These issues were not present before and significantly harm the experience.
- Ocean facilities cause imbalance (weight 0.31): Ocean facilities that drain resources from all empires are game-breaking, especially when multiple appear. They can ruin economies and lead to endless wars, making the game unplayable.
- DLC is grindy and frustrating (weight 0.29): The DLC extends an already long and grindy game, with little satisfaction. The added complexity and random punishments make the experience more tedious and less enjoyable.
- Sea monster is overpowered (weight 0.25): A giant neutral sea monster appears mid-game and can wipe out entire fleets, with poor rewards relative to the risk. It appears in every game and is considered ridiculous.
- Morgawr cities suffer in winter (weight 0.25): Morgawr cities are crippled in winter because ocean tiles freeze, removing water tile bonuses and blocking shipbuilding. This makes the faction even weaker in certain seasons.
- AI ignores naval gameplay (weight 0.25): Non-Morgawr AI factions rarely build ships or contest the seas, making naval areas free for the player. This reduces the challenge and makes naval gameplay feel pointless.
- Naval exploration is unrewarding (weight 0.23): Exploring the ocean yields little reward, with few resources and temples. The quest line to explore the sea is not engaging, and the effort is not worth the payoff.
- Naval tech is not worth it (weight 0.22): The first level of boats is not good enough to justify the tech investment, and ship upgrades lack tiers. This discourages players from engaging with naval mechanics.
- AI cheats in naval warfare (weight 0.21): The AI is reported to produce ships faster and in greater numbers than the player, making naval combat feel unfair. This is especially problematic when facing the Morgawr AI.
- Lack of tutorial and complexity (weight 0.21): The game lacks a proper tutorial, and the added complexity makes it confusing and hard to understand. This is a barrier for new players and reduces enjoyment.
- Game becomes fortress grabbing (weight 0.2): The game devolves into capturing fortresses for free resources, with little strategic depth. This makes the gameplay repetitive and reduces the importance of other mechanics.
- Heroes and units are weak (weight 0.18): Heroes are considered garbage, and the Morgawr's starting units are support-focused with no damage. This makes the faction even weaker in combat.
- Sea travel is dangerous (weight 0.18): Land units crossing the sea without escort are easily destroyed, and ground armies can be wiped out by normal sea fleets. This makes naval travel risky and frustrating.
- DLC is overpriced (weight 0.17): The DLC is not worth its price, especially compared to other DLCs that offer more content for the same cost. The price has also increased for European users.

Gameplay feedback:
- Naval gameplay expansion added (weight 0.97): The DLC introduces extensive naval content including ships, sea battles, exploration, and weather-based combat. This is a major addition that significantly expands the game's oceanic gameplay.
- New Morgawr faction introduced (weight 0.5): The expansion adds the Morgawr, a sea-focused faction with unique mechanics and a distinct playstyle. This faction is a central feature of the DLC, offering new strategic options for players.
- Morgawr limited land presence (weight 0.48): The Morgawr faction has only one land unit, the Mastermind, while all other units are sea-only. This makes them powerful at sea but vulnerable on land, requiring a unique strategic approach.
- Weather effects on sea (weight 0.4): The expansion introduces weather phenomena like fog and storms that affect ocean terrain and naval combat. This adds a dynamic layer to sea-based gameplay, influencing control and tactics.
- Mind control mechanics for Morgawr (weight 0.4): The Morgawr can mind control neutral armies and minor factions, allowing them to build armies and provoke revolts. This unique ability adds a distinctive strategic layer to the faction.
- Ocean fortresses and resources (weight 0.26): The DLC adds fortresses in the ocean that provide strategic and luxury resources. This creates new strategic points of interest and resource acquisition opportunities on sea tiles.
- Ocean facilities drain resources (weight 0.21): Ocean facilities built by the DLC drain resources from all players each turn. This introduces a new economic consideration and potential strategic disadvantage for players who build or rely on these structures.
- Sea-based quests added (weight 0.21): The expansion includes quests that can be completed at sea, with the Morgawr faction's quest line focused on ocean exploration. This adds new objectives and narrative elements tied to naval gameplay.
- Game remains 4X strategy (weight 0.19): The game is identified as a 4X strategy title, and the DLC adds mechanics that fit within this genre. This context helps players understand the nature of the new content.
- Morgawr benefits from sea tiles (weight 0.15): The Morgawr faction receives extra benefits and bonuses from sea tiles, reinforcing their sea-focused design. This encourages players to prioritize coastal and ocean expansion when playing as them.
- Sea monster and new locations (weight 0.15): The DLC adds a sea monster and new locations to the sea biome, enriching the ocean environment with additional content and potential challenges for players.
- Expansion adds depth and refresh (weight 0.14): The expansion introduces new mechanics that refresh gameplay and add depth to the overall experience. This suggests the DLC enhances the game's longevity and replayability.
- Morgawr combines existing mechanics (weight 0.14): The new Morgawr race combines elements from the Cultists and Broken Lords mechanics, offering a hybrid playstyle. This provides a fresh experience for players familiar with those factions.

Performance notes:
No performancepoints

Recommendations:
- Must-buy for Endless Legend fans (weight 0.41): Multiple reviewers strongly recommend this DLC for both new and veteran players of Endless Legend, citing it as a must-have expansion that adds plenty of content for the price. It is considered one of the best DLCs for the game.
- Recommended for base game owners (weight 0.36): Reviewers explicitly recommend the DLC to owners of the base game and to everyone, suggesting it enhances the overall experience. The recommendation is broad and positive.
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.25): Several reviewers advise waiting for a discount before purchasing, as the DLC may not be worth full price. It is considered a good buy when on sale.
- Well-made and fun mechanics (weight 0.21): The DLC is praised for being well-crafted and introducing fun mechanics, with reviewers glad to have purchased it. The new features are seen as a positive addition to the game.
- Best value DLC (weight 0.21): This DLC is highlighted as the best Endless Legend DLC for the price, and a must-have if buying only one DLC. It offers significant content relative to its cost.
- Recommended for all player levels (weight 0.2): The DLC is recommended for both seasoned players and newcomers, offering a new experience for those tired of the same old thing. It is also suggested for players who have completed other strategy games.
- Skip if choosing one faction DLC (weight 0.19): If you were to skip one faction DLC, this would be it, as other DLCs are considered better. Reviewers suggest playing other DLCs instead of this one.
- Not recommended due to DLC policy (weight 0.14): Some reviewers cannot recommend the DLC or the game due to the DLC policy, expressing dissatisfaction with the monetization approach. This is a significant negative point.
- Not worth full price (weight 0.13): The DLC is not worth the price even on sale for some, and it is a hard pass for others. This indicates a strong negative sentiment from a minority.
- Recommended after fortress nerf (weight 0.08): The DLC is now recommended after the fortresses have been nerfed, suggesting that balance changes have improved the experience. This is a positive update.
- Useful for multiplayer with friends (weight 0.08): The DLC is warmly recommended for those wanting to extend multiplayer games with friends, indicating it enhances the social gaming experience.
- Almost indispensable expansion (weight 0.08): The expansion is considered almost indispensable, implying it is a crucial addition to the game. This is a strong endorsement.
- Only for dedicated fans (weight 0.07): The DLC is only recommended for fans who have already played all factions and want novelty, limiting its appeal to a niche audience.
- Not for overwhelmed players (weight 0.07): The DLC may not be worth getting for players who already felt overwhelmed by the game, suggesting it adds complexity that could be off-putting.
- Encourages new players to try (weight 0.07): Reviewers encourage people who do not know the game to play it, suggesting the DLC is a good entry point for newcomers.
- Play it and give it time (weight 0.07): One reviewer advises to play it and give it time, indicating that the DLC may require patience to appreciate but is ultimately a good buy.
- Use support heroes in cities (weight 0.07): A reviewer recommends using support-based heroes in cities, providing a specific gameplay tip that enhances the DLC experience.
- Use community guides (weight 0.07): New players are recommended to use guides by TheDeadDude and foetus sub mundi on Steam, indicating the DLC benefits from community resources.
- Be mindful of downsides (weight 0.07): One reviewer advises being mindful of the downsides when considering the purchase, suggesting there are some negative aspects to consider.
- Recommended overall (weight 0.06): A simple recommendation is given, indicating overall positive sentiment without specific details.

Other player notes:
- Best expansion so far (weight 0.32): Reviewers consistently praise this expansion as the best or favorite for Endless Legend, highlighting its quality and content. It is described as a true expansion pack rather than a minor DLC.
- Ocean mechanics are mixed (weight 0.26): The naval expansion adds ocean control and combat but lacks resources or buildings, and some find it does not add strategic depth. It is seen as a mixed bag, with some players disabling it due to balance issues.
- Developer support praised (weight 0.25): Amplitude is praised for continuing to patch and release new content two years after release, and for listening to its audience. This positive developer relationship is a recurring theme.
- Pricing concerns (weight 0.25): The DLC is compared to Stellaris and Civ VI DLC in pricing, and the price has increased for European users, possibly due to SEGA's practices. This raises concerns about value, though some find it inexpensive.
- Comparisons to other games (weight 0.25): The game is compared to Civ 6, Civ V, and Stellaris, with some reviewers preferring Endless Legend due to mods and expansions. It is also compared to The Witcher 3 in quality, indicating high praise.
- DLC policy fragmentation (weight 0.21): The base game is fragmented with complements sold separately, and the DLC is needed to make oceans interesting. This policy is criticized, though some find the DLCs fairly priced.
- Content-rich expansion (weight 0.21): The expansion includes a boatload of new quests and items, and is considered an actual expansion pack rather than a lame DLC. It is also described as the most awaited feature for fans.
- Previous expansions more impactful (weight 0.2): The Shifters expansion brings more noticeable changes, and previous expansions like Shadows improved spying and Shifters made winters more interesting. This suggests the current expansion may be less impactful.
- Innovative 4X experience (weight 0.15): Amplitude continues to innovate in the 4X genre, and Endless Legend offers a new experience compared to other strategy games. This is a positive aspect highlighted by reviewers.
- Not mandatory for enjoyment (weight 0.14): Some reviewers play with this DLC turned off and do not feel they are missing anything, and the expansion is not mandatory for an interesting game. This suggests it may be optional for core gameplay.
- Worst DLC for solid game (weight 0.14): One review calls this the worst of the DLCs for a solid game, and it is compared to other DLCs in terms of how it feels versus how it plays. This indicates a negative reception from some players.
- Third and last big expansion (weight 0.14): This is the third and last big box expansion, and the developer is releasing another DLC with new race, terrains, and anomalies. This suggests ongoing support and a clear roadmap.
- Not revolutionary (weight 0.13): The expansion is not revolutionary, and the exploration and exploitation of the seas is done without passion. This suggests it may not meet high expectations for innovation.
- Sci-fi content and music (weight 0.12): The DLC's content is all hard sci-fi, and a song in the game is compared to one from Endless Space. This adds to the thematic consistency of the series.
- Base game lacking areas (weight 0.08): The vanilla base game was lacking in a few areas, and each expansion tackles one of those areas. This expansion addresses oceans, but may not fully resolve the issues.
- Sea mechanics desired elsewhere (weight 0.08): Reviewers wish for similar sea mechanics in Civilization, indicating that the ocean features are appreciated despite their flaws. This shows a positive aspect of the expansion.
- DLC ranking by reviewers (weight 0.08): Reviewers rank the Endless Legend DLCs, with Tempest, Shifters, Guardians, Shadows in order. This provides a comparative perspective on the expansion's standing.
- Fortress nerfs noted (weight 0.07): The 'Center of Influence' and 'Dust Accumulator' fortresses have been nerfed, with the flat penalty removed. This balance change is mentioned in the feedback.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated by the new faction and ocean content not being properly integrated, with the sea feeling disconnected and underused. The DLC is widely seen as unbalanced, with the AI cheating in naval combat and resource-draining facilities ruining the experience. Fortress mechanics and bugs further compound the frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): The oceanic regions and new faction are seen as lazy and gimmicky, failing to add meaningful strategic depth. The DLC is considered poorly balanced and not worth the price, with the ocean not integrated into the existing game world. Players expected sea cities but got a weak faction and separate regions.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.13): The expansion adds meaningful naval content, with new points of interest and sea mechanics that encourage exploration and combat. The Morgawr faction is well-received, and the ocean now feels complete and integrated. Fortress nerfs and good rewards contribute to overall satisfaction.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): The addition of naval gameplay mechanics, including battles, weather, and sea fortresses, adds depth and complexity. The Morgawr faction's unique abilities and the new ocean content provide engaging reasons to continue playing. The DLC promises more hours of gameplay and new challenges.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.06): Fighting for control of the oceans adds a new level to the game, with fortresses, naval ships, and a Leviathan filling the sea. The Morgawr are fun to play, and the new mechanics diversify gameplay significantly. The expansion adds depth to an already amazing game.
- Approval (weight 0.04): The DLC is praised for its good implementation of naval conflict, which is often boring in other strategy games. The water now has a purpose, and the expansion is considered the best so far. It is seen as an excellent addition to Endless Legend.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Players find humor in the Morgawr's overpowered nature on water maps and the ability to mind-control enemies to attack their own villages. The content description, including tentacled monsters, is also seen as amusing.
- Fun (weight 0.03): Playing the Morgawr faction and watching Leviathans is described as fun. The unique mechanics and ocean gameplay provide an enjoyable experience.
- Interest (weight 0.03): The Morgawr are a new faction type with unique water units and psychic powers, which piques interest. The story and mechanics are found to be interesting, offering a fresh experience.
- Concern (weight 0.03): The Morgawr as enemies can cause big problems due to their ability to subjugate minor factions and apply a 'black mark'. Fortress mechanics are exploitable, and the added naval mechanics increase complexity, raising concerns about balance and fairness.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the gameplay of the Morgawr faction and appreciate that the DLC gives the sea a purpose. The new faction is cool and adds to the overall experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Ice shelves can block shipbuilding and trap ships until summer, which is annoying. Fortresses are defenseless unless personally staffed, adding to the frustration.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): The developers are admired for creating another dramatically different race that plays uniquely. The expansion adds much to gameplay, and the Morgawr are awesome.
- Gratitude (weight 0.02): Some reviewers got the DLC for free and praise the publisher Sega. Others find the DLC excellent and worth its money, expressing gratitude for the content.
- Disapproval (weight 0.01): The DLC policy is criticized for delivering a fragmented game and selling complements as if they were optional, which is disapproved of by players.
- Pleased (weight 0.01): The DLC adds sea combat and the Morgawr are fun to play, which pleases players. The new content is well-received.
- Liking (weight 0.01): The expansion focuses on the oceans of Auriga, and the Morgawr's powers are interesting, leading to a positive liking of the content.
- Unpleasantness (weight 0.01): The game feels like playing chess with a jock who makes up his own rules and punishes you unfairly, creating an unpleasant experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Players enjoy mind-controlling other tribes, which is a fun mechanic of the Morgawr faction.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): The Morgawr faction has powerful naval units, a good hero, and useful abilities, which are appreciated by players.}