Recent reviews by Rollo

Mostly okay flavor pack DLC

The best parts of this DLC is the new cultural traditions, units, MAA, art, outfits, decisions, and buildings. The actual struggle system of the intermezzo is the weakest. It resolves itself with a pretty bad ending in about 40ish years with a number of debuffs and treaties if the player or AI doesn't reach an ending. It wouldn't be much of an issue if the timer wasn't so short. The struggle in general is a very short lived event. I feel most competent players can easily reach any ending with their first character. Even if you're trying to roleplay a bit you can reach your goals very quickly in the struggle especially compared to the last struggle with the Fate of Iberia DLC.

The struggle mechanic has potential in this game as shown with Fate of Iberia but it does feel like this new struggle is an over correction for the vocal part of the playerbase that found Iberia to take far too long and very difficult to influence. A playthrough in the Iberian struggle takes a couple generations to resolves for the AI or players for better or for worse compared to the lightning quick speed of the Iranian Intermezzo. I do think the Iberian struggle took a bit too long but at the end of this struggle I feel as if I barely started a playthrough and with all the buffs from the ending I'm in a stupid strong position in less than 30 years.

I wouldn't recommend this DLC on its own but the Chapter II bundle with the rest of the DLC is very worth it now that it's all released.

Oh patch 1.11 "Peacock" is great btw too. I know free updates and the dlc get mixed up a bit as far as reception and what they actually add but the new clan tax districts, viziers, AI turkick invasions for the Seljuk, and the HRE being easier and more common for the AI to form are all great features that DON'T need this dlc.