In its free patch, Emperor expansion has brought very necessary changes and updates, as a totally revamped mercenary system, a better implementation of noble, burghers, clergy... and so on.
The DLC is not so "flashy" but it's still a good one. New content for several countries in Europe (like mission trees), new mechanics for the Holy Roman Empire and the Papal States... as well as a reworked system for the catholic faith. For the late game, revolutions have been improved too, now with new units for the revolutionary armies.
As in other Paradox games (HoI4 and Stellaris), this DLC is plenty optional. It gives more content to three greek powers (Athens, Sparta and Syracusae): a full set of missions, their own pantheon and some cosmetics (their own models for units and ships as well as new musical themes).
It also adds a little feature which digs deeper in the main theme of the free patch (religion): apotheosis (the deification of former rulers).
So... Magna Graecia follows a good model for DLCs, and its particular content is good enough to give Imperator Rome another try.
Stellaris is a great game already. So expansions should make game features evolve, not just add clunky additions.
Federations is not the "diplomacy rework" I was expecting. New federation types are fine, but Stellaris lacks the "granularity" where this feature would really be useful (galaxies are too small... or empires too big to make the diplomatic game plenty meaningful).
But what is not working at all is Galaxy Community (sort of a "galactic senate" á la Star Wars). Too generic laws, unexisting internal dynamics... You barely pay attention to it.
What I've found better is the "origins" feature (your empire background).
My conclusion: as far as developers are still tweaking and balancing this patch and expansion I wish some of the features will improve. Meanwhile... I don't think Federations is good enough.
My personal ranking for Stellaris DLCs (expansions and story packs):
Don't "resist" to one of the best expansion for HoI4!
HoI4's expansions follow a good design to make evolve a game as, though not compulsory to enjoy the base game, most of them improve it significantly, both in more content and deeper features. "La Résistance" is not an exception.
In content, I think "La Résistance" is the best addition to the series. Spanish and French new national focus trees are really good (lot of options), and the Spanish Civil War has become sort of a new game itself.
About features, the star in "La Résistance" is spionage, and this DLC really delivers. Intelligence is now a factor to take account in your military planning, and your agents and operations in enemy territory give new flavour to the game.
This is my current evaluation:
1. Waking the Tiger 2. La Résistance 3. Man the Guns 4. Death or Dishonor 5. Battle for the Bosporus 6. Together for Victory
No more, no less: some nice graphics to help you immerse into the lands of India, as well as good music —three new tracks, about 12 minutes in total—. Completely optional.
A very recommendable "grand-strategy in the Classical Era" game.
UPDATED (2.0):
After its new pacth (2.0) I have to increase my score, and encourage my recommendation, for Imperator: Rome.
Besides a complete UI change, which is an improvement both aesthetically as in usability, and information availabilty, I think it's sure to say IR has found its voice among the Paradox portfolio.
Several game features, like the economy and the military, are now satisfactory integrated in the developtment of your population and your cities. Forget more or less arbitrary "mana": you've got to build a thriving civilization to get the resources you'll need to project your power in the world.
You can't ignore the demands of a cultural and religious diverse country or you'll find a sub-par economy, and eventually rebellions and secession wars. The great men (and women) in your country may help to improve your government... and their ambition could get you into a civil war.
Replayability, one of Paradox's games strenghts, is achieved finally after this udpate thanks to the revamped "inventions" feature, that will allow you to follow alternative ways to make your country thrive.
I just hope future updates would allow us to see the development of Imperator Rome potential. Anyways, it's now a very good grand-strategy game wich I highly recommend. _______
UPDATED:
After two patches the game is way better now than in its original release. The main improvements have taken place in population management (it's more related to game evolution, feeling more organic) and "mana", which has been replaced into interactions among game features.
Naval warfare has now some interest, and your military specialization depends more on what you're doing with your armies (combat historial, drilling...) rather than spending mana now and then.
It's the "less good" grand strategy game among Paradox's, and it still lacks personality (it features look mere trasnposition from EU4, Stellaris and CK2 yet), but... it's a good game itself, and the studio seems committed to improve it dramatically. You may give it a chance.
_____________
Paradox has a name in strategy that Imperator: Rome is not up to.
I:R looks more an Europa Universalis 4 mod rather than a brand new game. The gameplay is just dull: all relevant features are better in other Paradox games. You have to deal with characters but they're far from the complexity of Crusader Kings 2. Your have some empire building to do but diplomacy or internal politics are well below from EU4.
Every Paradox game has its own core: character and dinastic relationships in CK2, regional and world projection in EU4, industrial warfare in Hearts of Iron 4, exploration and empire-building in Stellaris... Imperator: Rome is just not there. We'll see if the game is changed in further developments, as Paradox is used to do.
Ancient Relics is a small expansion for Stellaris, but I find it more interesting than the last one of these "story packs" (Distant Stars).
From the beginning Stellaris has brought us some misteries (fallen empires, extinct precursors in space exploration, supernatural crisis...) and Anticent Relics develops what happened to those precursors. This DLC introduces a few more precursors as well as a new feature that reworks space exploration: archeology.
The interesting thing about Ancient Relics is that eXploration, which is the first phase in every 4X game, gets a new life in the mid and mid-late game, as you can only explore the most complex archeological sites when you have proper reasearchers, and the outcomes of this activity (minor artifacts and relics) can have an effect during all the game.
In conclusion, a recommended DLC for giving new life to the best current space 4X game.
Man the Guns brings some features already developed for land combat to the sea, like new skills for admirals and "terrain" effects. The whole point in the expansion is the brand new design system for ships and fleets, that allows some specialization, mainly on small ships, as well as giving different "missions" to your task forces, reducing micromanagement this way. The only problem I have is that, in general, naval warfare doesn't feel as relevant as it should in game terms, so according to your play style this expansion could be an "overkill".
HoI4 DLCs usually give us new content for countries. UK and USA new alternate history paths are good enough. Opting for Mexico or the Netherlands (instead of countries like Spain or Turkey) may seem not so urgent but they're fine.
Man the Guns improves HoI4 overall, and it gives you some new ways to play the USA or UK. But it's a step below Waking the Tiger, as it's not as impactful.
This is not the Iberian Immersion Pack you were looking for
If you expect Golden Century to revamp the Iberian countries as Rule Britannia or Third Rome did with the British or Russian countries, you'll be disappointed. There's new content for those countries (new trees of missions, a few new features like "religious orders", and several events) but you won't have the feeling you're running a "special" country as you have with the ones visited in former expansions like the mentioned or Rights of Man (Prussia), Cradle of Civilization (Middle-Easter muslim countries), Mandate of Heaven (East Asia) or Dharma (Indian subcontinent).
That said, there's a few other features in the game (pirate republics, flagships...), but more "flavourish" than effective.
Golden Century is not "bad", but mediocre. Looking forward to a change of course in EU4.
Sometimes expansions are recommended because the game is no longer "playable" without them. Sometimes it is because they enhace what the base game offers itselft. MegaCorp is one of the latter. You'll have the chance to play Stellaris in a (very) different way -like giant corporations capable of controlling interstellar trade- and interact with other empires and subjects as no one could do.
The finest expansion so far for one of the most interesting strategy/4X games out there.
CKII is a very special game in strategy... it's not very common a dynastic intrigues simulator.
This expansion adds bloodlines, deeper Crusades, more ways to interact with your neighbours and means to trascend your mortal life and have an impact in everyone's life with sainthood.
Improved trade features, lot of content for Indian countries
EDIT: Updated after "Emperor" expansion. Fron a 5/5 indispensable expansion to a 4/5 interesting one.
EU4 has been trying in its last DLCs to make the whole XV-XVIII centuries world an interesting place to play. This one is committed to bring life to the Indian subcontinent... and Dharma delivers.
Though one of its main mechanics—government reforms— is now free, it still adds relevant features, speciallly what regards to trade. Thanks to Dharma you may develop your trade companies through investments, as well as trade centers.
In conclusion: highly satisfactory, strongly recommended.
Distant Stars is a story pack (mini-expansion) for Stellaris which adds to the exploration pahse (new events, anomalies...) as well as it brings new middle-game situations (Leviathans and a new sort of crisis/oportunity). The content is interesting but not as much as Leviathans or Synthetic Dawn (which is the best story pack so far).
Distant Stars also includes new music which is as good as usual.
This is a cosmetic DLC, it changes nothing related to gameplay. It adds new units for in-map advisors in Africa and Eastern Europe. It also adds some new portraits, which are the most importan cosmetic feature in CKII, in my opinion. This time for characters in Eastern Africa.
Among EU4's DLCs you'll find big expansions -changing general features- and "immersion packs", more suited to a country or small region. Rule Britannia is one of the latter.
As its name announces, there's a lot of content to the British Isles and their countries (especially England-United Kingdom). They get new missions, events, graphics... and Anglicanism is now a religion itself. In this way is similar to Third Rome (the "Russian" EU4's DLC).
But, unlike Third Rome, Rule Britannia also includes some universal features which make it more interesting. You don't need them but they're fun to play: innovativeness rewards going ahead in research; naval doctrines are a good addition to give more possibilities to your Armada; the IndustriaL Revolution broadens the late game.
In conclusion: a good addition to EU4, not just for those willing to play as England.
Waking the Tiger basically deepens the new features added in the free patch. Esencially, more decisions and commanders management (more options for traits and special actions). It also includes new national focuses for Chinese actors and Japan (which improve dramatically a WWII theatre which was not working well in former iterations, like Sino-Japanese war). It also includes some alternative history options for Germany, which are fun to play. In conclusion, Waking the Tiger is an important leap forward -pun intentended ;)- for Hearts of Iron 4.
First thing to say about Apocalypse is that it's an optional expansion. The most important changes and improvements that Stellaris has received are for free (included in 2.0 patch). This expansion improves mid and late game, allowing you the use of massive destruction weapons (hello, Death Star) and an ultimate class of spaceships (Titans). And it adds a new actor to the game (Marauders) that plays like Hordes you can interact with (bribing them to avoid their razings, or directing them against your rivals). So... it doesn't really add to much.
It's not a bad adittion to CKII but like some others only useful playing certain characters. Or, like this time, a certain location: the "far" East of the map. You've got now a powerful neighbour (Chinese Emperor), with its own agenda -more expansionist or isolationist- which, in addition to its internal/external status, will decide how you can interact with China and more importantly... How China will interact with you! (Invasions won't be easy to defeat).
Not as good as some of the last CKII expansions, fine if you want to try something different, specially in addition to other ones like Horse Lords.
UPDATED review after "Emperor" expansion (from a sub-par 3/5 expansion to a 4/5 quite good one)
Cradle of Civilization has improved thanks to the latest development of the game after Emperor expansion, specially.
Its main feature, army professionalism, has got more important after the changes in mercenary armies, as your standing army is more important now. Trade policies are not important as they should (it's interesting for muslim rulers as they can use their mercnant power to help conversiones, but for others... bonuses are not as relevant). I like the "exploit development" feature, which allows you to save a manpower or money crisis impoverishing one of your provinces.
When Cradle of Civilization shines is when you're playing in Middle-East and/or as a muslim country. Lot of content and great government changes, specially in Ottomans, Mamluks and Timurids.
How to make cool building a robotic empire in Stellaris
Synthetic Dawn is what you could expect from a Stellaris DLC. It's all about robots: they're now a playable species with their own features (quite distinctive), new event chains about them added and new graphics and music included. Not a revolutionary expansion but quite interesting if you want a new approach to Stellaris.
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