So Im thinking about playing one of these games for the next 10 days or so. Assume all DLCs and the newest version.
Stellaris. This ones a favorite of mine, but I already have north of 500h in it. I havent really messed around with the newest 4.0 update that much, and I still need to properly “learn” it / get into it. But just based on the sheer number of hours I’ve played, I know how to have fun with it. Its Comfort food.
Imperator: Rome. I have only got about 20–30h in this one, but I liked what I played. The game feels a bit basic, but I would play it with the highly recommended Invictus mod. Probably as Carthage or one of the Diadochi. It’s not one of my faves, but I’ve been wanting to get back into it one day.
Age of Wonders 4. Not 100% sure how I feel about this one. I’ve got a bit over 50h in it. I like it, but I don’t love it. I think I need to play more of the turn based battles to get the most out of it. I tend to auto resolve too much. The nice thing is I can usually finish a game in about 6h, or under 10h at least. I think its a cool game but I think I havent clicked with it just yet.
Victoria 3. Close to 90h in this one. I really like this one. The game really found its stride with the last big update. Unlike the others, I already have a save that’s like 40 years in as Spain, and I’m doing okay (as far as I know). It’s funny, sometimes I tank my economy other times I do fine, but I can’t always tell what exactly I did right or wrong. Kinda fun though. I definitely lack deeper game knowledge, which makes it the opposite of Stellaris, where Ive got an almost natural affinity for it.
AoW got another dlc recently earlier this month. I’m with you on finding it hard to determine how I feel about it. Some of it I really like, some of it seems like it should work for me but just doesn’t, and some of it feels just really “messy” in terms of game feel. I have enjoyed it a bit more as I’ve learned the game’s patterns better and more carefully constructed my games to be thematically cohesive and focus on certain mechanics. The tactical portion of the game can be a mixed bag too, sometimes it really sings when you set up a great army, but other times it can feel like you’ve spent a lot in investment in a hero or to produce units that get immediately outclassed on the battlefield by like a big rock guy you picked up randomly. It does rule to transform all your little people into glowing plant symbiotes or whatever though.
So I actually have a buddy that played AoW4 for like over 500h and that loves the game. I think I can see the appeal when you have a deeper understanding (which im lacking) since there seem to be a lot of synergies and combos that should be cool and possible.
I also agree with you that on paper AoW4 should be right up my alley with its themes and elements.