Is the DLC worth it?

[proctorsilex]

Haven't played yet and I'm wondering if the DLC improves the experience much for a new player or if it just adds more options that won't matter yet for me.

Also I see the mod scene is pretty active, so is the DLC worth it?

[Iguana-on-a-stick]

Yes.

Unless you only mean to play the campaigns, but I do not recommend that.

The DLC both add a lot of depth to the random maps and scenarios that are the core of this game. They especially make the empire building part deeper and more fun. They add new victory conditions, new ways of specialising cities, a racial upgrade system, random global events and quests, (including some fun end-game monster invasions).

Even if you do not feel like you need one more class, 3 more races, 2 more minor races, 5 or so magic specialisations, and 2 short campaigns, these gameplay changes are worth it, in my opinion. Personally, I felt that before the DLC the game was merely good, but with them it became great.

That said, most of these new features (including the new races, class, etc) do NOT appear in the original campaign. The campaigns in AoW3 aren't the best feature, and many players find them somewhat frustrating (as you have far less freedom compared to the random maps) but there are some who just want to play through the story. If you're one of them, you don't really need the DLC.

(The DLCs add short campaigns of their own, which are very high quality and much more interesting and fun than the base game ones, but they're also very hard, and not recommended before you've played the normal game.)

If you're only going to get one, get Eternal Lords. It's more expensive, but also has 75% of the new stuff and is better value for money.

As for mods: 90% of them require both DLC to work. Without them you won't be able to use the really great ones.

[neil]

Yes Very much so

[Letobrick]

Yes, and you'd be best to hold off not buying the base game alone but getting the complete edition on sale instead. Since you'll end up getting it anyway since it's cheaper to rebuy the game with all dlc during a sale instead of buying them individually.

[Elegant Caveman]

Originally posted by Letobrick:

Yes, and you'd be best to hold off not buying the base game alone but getting the complete edition on sale instead. Since you'll end up getting it anyway since it's cheaper to rebuy the game with all dlc during a sale instead of buying them individually.

The "Age of Wonders III Collection" and "Age of Wonders Franchise" bundles are dynamic and adapt to whatever parts of them someone already has.

There's no rebuying of anything.

[KBz]

Eternal Lord add different playstyle altogether. Golden Realm add deeper gameplay experience with more dwellings and empire quest. If you don't feel like playing as necromancer, I would suggest Golden Realm.
The DLC add race that is ...different.... in a ways that they are both technically challenging and rewarding. The halfling starts with a physical weakness and melee weakness, but have the lucky modifier, which can turn the tide as they can survive an otherwise fatal damage. The frostling rely on status effect more than other race and are generally unarmoured. The tigrans are fast and lethal, but suffer from generally low defense and staying power as new player tend to overextend them. (I did, because they have amazing movement range and lower defense and resistance).