I’ve been revisiting anno 2205, infamously the ugly duckling of the Anno series of RTS games. I don’t mind so much the fact that it’s different, lacks customisation and random map generation - I’m bothered because the game is so slow to progress through on challenge settings, and it feels like a game designed just to artificially waste your time; in other anno games, you can always pull tricks to dig yourself out of economic crisis - selling off assets and surplus goods, completing quests for other parties, or taking loans. 2205 is very very confined in terms of what you can do to financially recover in the early game and forces you into a lot of military events.
I like it for some of the reasons you don’t. I can play it kinda on autopilot, without giving it my full attention. When cooking for example. I can also play it when I don’t have much mental energy left. It’s cute and often funny. And especially in some of the later titles I enjoy the positive vibes, which, even though it’s a game, it can be nice to hear someone say something nice about me. So I am usually in a better mood from laughing and feeling more positive after playing it.
Very understandable, and i am happy for you that you found the games meaningful. I am mostly frustrated I can’t see the fun in it (and tried many times) and be part of the happy nostalgic conversations haha