It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Community
General discussionHow do you like your major DLCs?(18 posts)(18 posts)
(18 posts)
Pages:
1
2
This is my favourite topic
Posted August 12, 2020
Every now and then, a major DLC will release for a game. By "major DLC", I am thinking about the sort of DLC that would have been released as an expansion back in the day. (So, if we use Oblivion as an example, I'm thinking something like Shivering Isles rather than Horse Armor.)

Anyway, I can think of 3 different types of major DLC that could be added (though some DLC is actually a combination of this):

1. DLC that makes significant changes throughout the game. This commonly takes the form of entirely new mechanics (like monster taming in Fell Seal's DLC), or as a large number of additional elements added to the game (common in roguelikes; this can include things like new classes, new weapons, new monsters to fight, new spells, and new everything else). Specifically, this sort of DLC changes the entire game.

2. DLC that adds new areas to explore. The Shivering Isles example I mentioned is an example. This sort of DLC has little effect unless you actually visit that area, but once you do, you have a whole new area to explore. Sometimes there may be new mechanics introduced in the new areas, but not always. In any case, this type of DLC only changes the game significantly if you actually visit the new areas.

3. DLC that adds an extra campaign. This sort of DLC gives you a new option at the title screen (or similar), that allows you to play what is essentially a different game (though usually in the same genre). Shovel Knight's free DLC (before they split it up into separate releases, though Treasure Trove is still available) is an example of this.

Now, as I mentioned, DLC sometimes contains things from multiple categories. For example. Tangledeep's Legend of Shara expansion includes a new job (Calligrapher), new areas (Wanderer's Journeys and the postgame Realm of the Gods), and an extra campaign (Shara's story). Evem. say, Baldur's Gate 2's expansion has elements of this; a new class (Wild Mage), higher level cap, and HLAs, a new area to explore (Wanderer's Keep), and a new campaign (Throne of Bhaal, though it's balanced for characters who've finished the main game I believe).

So, for major DLC, which type do you prefer?
Posted August 12, 2020
I much prefer DLC/expansions that add a whole new chapter or side story. Usually I'm done with the game when they come out, so I want to load it again for a new adventure. Dishonored's amazing Knife of Dunwall DLCs for example, or Mafia 2's "Joe's Adventures" campaign (which is the game I'm playing now).

I think added areas and questlines are good too though, as long as they're not too tied into the main story. Your Shivering Isles example is a fine one, and that can be done on its own straight away after loading a pre-ending save, or during normal gameplay progression in a replay someday. Best of both worlds.

What I dislike is something that adds content along the way in the normal game, because usually I'm done by that point and so it's rather irrelevant until a replay years down the line.
Posted August 12, 2020
I like all 3 examples you brought, but I really dislike (and avoid buying) DLCs for games that are already "finished" (like a 10-year gap between main game and its DLC release). Recent examples: Baldur's Gate, NWN, Titan Quest.
I prefer games to reach a "final state", not being forever modified and extended.
Posted August 12, 2020
Titan Quest is one of my favorite games and I love what they did with the expansions. Of the three examples given above I like the first two most.
The third example can work with some games like Shovel Knight. But often I feel pulled out of the game world when I have to go the main menu to start the DLC, e.g. Divinity II.
Posted August 12, 2020
avatar
dtgreene: 1. DLC that makes significant changes throughout the game. This commonly takes the form of entirely new mechanics (like monster taming in Fell Seal's DLC), or as a large number of additional elements added to the game (common in roguelikes; this can include things like new classes, new weapons, new monsters to fight, new spells, and new everything else). Specifically, this sort of DLC changes the entire game.
I like that in small expansions, like adding a new type of character that plays in a distinct way. But I do not think it translates well to big expansions.
avatar
dtgreene: 2. DLC that adds new areas to explore. The Shivering Isles example I mentioned is an example. This sort of DLC has little effect unless you actually visit that area, but once you do, you have a whole new area to explore. Sometimes there may be new mechanics introduced in the new areas, but not always. In any case, this type of DLC only changes the game significantly if you actually visit the new areas.
This is in my opinion the best way to do a big expansion pack. It expands the game, but does not transform it.
avatar
dtgreene: 3. DLC that adds an extra campaign. This sort of DLC gives you a new option at the title screen (or similar), that allows you to play what is essentially a different game (though usually in the same genre). Shovel Knight's free DLC (before they split it up into separate releases, though Treasure Trove is still available) is an example of this.
I think this is usually better as a distinct entry, a stand-alone small game that can be played without even owning the main one.
Posted August 12, 2020
hahahahaha civ comes to mind where every new major DLC is a must have according to everyone

or Paradox where i straight up try to not get to involved with the major DLC though i have no trouble with adding the minor one

or Total War where everything is a major DLC..... Oh no they've added Vampiric Pirates!!! Oh no they've Vampiric Mummies !! Oh no They've added Elves that live in the woods!! Oh no They've added gruesome horrors from the Warp!! Oh no they've added barbaric tribes that worship Chaos and can go on Mammoth Hunts !!!

35 DLC 2 games and a 3d game is expected, not to mention for the current line up 2 more DLC ( yes it is a trilogy and yes every DLC belonging for game 1 applies to game 2 too )

LOL
Posted August 12, 2020
Prefer separate stories/ follow ups to the main story as well. Blood and Wine and Heart of Stone for Witcher 3 were great for example, or the Burial at Sea DLCs for Bioshock Infinite, or the already mentioned Knife of Dunwall story for Dishonored.

I usually don't replay games, especially not lengthy RPGs, even if I really liked them, so if some "overhaul" DLCs come along, like for PoE, I just prefer to wait to play the GOTY/Complete Edition when everything is released.
Posted August 13, 2020
As the Rise of Rome was to the first Age of Empires.

Bugfixes, new content, an entire campaign, that connected smoothly into the main content.

So you know, I suppose I prefer expansion packs to DLC.
Posted August 13, 2020
I definitely prefer (3). I don't usually feel like replaying games and wasting lots of time on repeating most of what I've already done before just to see a few minor differences. And I don't like being forced to buy additional DLC before even starting the game, in order to get the "full experience / complete package". So to me the ideal DLC would be one that I can still enjoy after my first playthrough, because it's completely new and independent of the main campaign, or, at the very least, continues from the last save game, after the end. That way, once I know the game, I can decide whether I still want more of it, in the form of a bonus campaign.

.
avatar
Glaucos: I like all 3 examples you brought, but I really dislike (and avoid buying) DLCs for games that are already "finished" (like a 10-year gap between main game and its DLC release). Recent examples: Baldur's Gate, NWN, Titan Quest.
I prefer games to reach a "final state", not being forever modified and extended.
I feel like NWN is a bad example for this, because the game is all about being forever modified and extended, it was made for it. If you're only interested in the main campaign though, you can safely ignore all new DLC, just like you presumably ignored all the community created campaigns for it. There is no connection between the main game and the new DLC campaigns, they are just different adventures to play that use the same engine.
Post edited August 13, 2020 by Leroux
Posted August 13, 2020
avatar
Darvond: Bugfixes, new content, an entire campaign, that connected smoothly into the main content.
You like bugfixes for the main game in a paid addon?
Posted August 13, 2020
avatar
Leroux: I feel like NWN is a bad example for this, because the game is all about being forever modified and extended, it was made for it. If you're only interested in the main campaign though, you can safely ignore all new DLC, just like you presumably ignored all the community created campaigns for it. There is no connection between the main game and the new DLC campaigns, they are just different adventures to play that use the same engine.
But oficially released new content like DLC are diferent from community campaigns, I mean, at least the latter are not paid and will never force you to change/update original game files, like the never-ending updating Titan Quest to adapt it for gameplay changes made for the DLCs (even if you haven't bought them). But yes, maybe NWN was a bad example because the editor with the Aurora Engine was the main appeal of the original game.
Just to be clear, I just prefer not to consume this kind of new content for older games, I don't condemn who does it. After all, it's all about having fun, isn't it.
Posted August 13, 2020
avatar
Darvond: Bugfixes, new content, an entire campaign, that connected smoothly into the main content.
avatar
teceem: You like bugfixes for the main game in a paid addon?
Well, it's more that the bugfixes are implied as a larger swathe of under the hood improvements to the main engine and will also be pushed free to those who don't wish to install the additional content.
Posted August 13, 2020
avatar
dtgreene: Every now and then, a major DLC will release for a game. By "major DLC", I am thinking about the sort of DLC that would have been released as an expansion back in the day. (So, if we use Oblivion as an example, I'm thinking something like Shivering Isles rather than Horse Armor.)

Anyway, I can think of 3 different types of major DLC that could be added (though some DLC is actually a combination of this):

1. DLC that makes significant changes throughout the game. This commonly takes the form of entirely new mechanics (like monster taming in Fell Seal's DLC), or as a large number of additional elements added to the game (common in roguelikes; this can include things like new classes, new weapons, new monsters to fight, new spells, and new everything else). Specifically, this sort of DLC changes the entire game.

2. DLC that adds new areas to explore. The Shivering Isles example I mentioned is an example. This sort of DLC has little effect unless you actually visit that area, but once you do, you have a whole new area to explore. Sometimes there may be new mechanics introduced in the new areas, but not always. In any case, this type of DLC only changes the game significantly if you actually visit the new areas.

3. DLC that adds an extra campaign. This sort of DLC gives you a new option at the title screen (or similar), that allows you to play what is essentially a different game (though usually in the same genre). Shovel Knight's free DLC (before they split it up into separate releases, though Treasure Trove is still available) is an example of this.

Now, as I mentioned, DLC sometimes contains things from multiple categories. For example. Tangledeep's Legend of Shara expansion includes a new job (Calligrapher), new areas (Wanderer's Journeys and the postgame Realm of the Gods), and an extra campaign (Shara's story). Evem. say, Baldur's Gate 2's expansion has elements of this; a new class (Wild Mage), higher level cap, and HLAs, a new area to explore (Wanderer's Keep), and a new campaign (Throne of Bhaal, though it's balanced for characters who've finished the main game I believe).

So, for major DLC, which type do you prefer?
What about expansions like the Witcher 3 that do all of the above? Because I love that.
Posted August 13, 2020
avatar
Darvond: As the Rise of Rome was to the first Age of Empires.

Bugfixes, new content, an entire campaign, that connected smoothly into the main content.
And let’s not forget some quality of life improvements, including the ability to queue up the production of multiple units in a single building, or the ability to select all visible units of a given type using a double click. Things we kind of take for granted in current games, but were still quite fresh at the time.

Oh, and a new full soundtrack of course.
Post edited August 13, 2020 by vv221
Posted August 13, 2020
avatar
Glaucos: I like all 3 examples you brought, but I really dislike (and avoid buying) DLCs for games that are already "finished" (like a 10-year gap between main game and its DLC release). Recent examples: Baldur's Gate, NWN, Titan Quest.
I prefer games to reach a "final state", not being forever modified and extended.
Actually, when games get remasters and re-releases....I think this is a great idea: develop new content for it.

I really don't need straight-up remasters, as NEW content to me is often an incentive to come back to old-game.

This remastering of the old w/ also addition of new content keeps the old game alive in numerous ways - by re-releasing all of their old content and making them work on new OS's (great for fans and people needing it work easily on new OS's); and we also get NEW content done in that old-school game-style (for fans like me that really want new content in that old-game's style).

Kind of like TQA with Ragnarok & Atlantis; BG1 with Dragonspear; NWN1 is doing w/ their newer DLC's; and KOA:RR will do when Fatesworn launches - I'm all for that.

Just add extra and new content and make it in such a way that...I can just start with a character from the new areas/sections/whatever - with one I can instantly level-up to its minimum required level to play the new content; or they have a pre-made character option that I can just select that character to just start w/ at the new content's proper level.


avatar
dtgreene: Every now and then, a major DLC will release for a game. By "major DLC", I am thinking about the sort of DLC that would have been released as an expansion back in the day. (So, if we use Oblivion as an example, I'm thinking something like Shivering Isles rather than Horse Armor.)

Anyway, I can think of 3 different types of major DLC that could be added (though some DLC is actually a combination of this):

1. DLC that makes significant changes throughout the game. This commonly takes the form of entirely new mechanics (like monster taming in Fell Seal's DLC), or as a large number of additional elements added to the game (common in roguelikes; this can include things like new classes, new weapons, new monsters to fight, new spells, and new everything else). Specifically, this sort of DLC changes the entire game.

2. DLC that adds new areas to explore. The Shivering Isles example I mentioned is an example. This sort of DLC has little effect unless you actually visit that area, but once you do, you have a whole new area to explore. Sometimes there may be new mechanics introduced in the new areas, but not always. In any case, this type of DLC only changes the game significantly if you actually visit the new areas.

3. DLC that adds an extra campaign. This sort of DLC gives you a new option at the title screen (or similar), that allows you to play what is essentially a different game (though usually in the same genre). Shovel Knight's free DLC (before they split it up into separate releases, though Treasure Trove is still available) is an example of this.

Now, as I mentioned, DLC sometimes contains things from multiple categories. For example. Tangledeep's Legend of Shara expansion includes a new job (Calligrapher), new areas (Wanderer's Journeys and the postgame Realm of the Gods), and an extra campaign (Shara's story). Evem. say, Baldur's Gate 2's expansion has elements of this; a new class (Wild Mage), higher level cap, and HLAs, a new area to explore (Wanderer's Keep), and a new campaign (Throne of Bhaal, though it's balanced for characters who've finished the main game I believe).

So, for major DLC, which type do you prefer?
avatar
paladin181: What about expansions like the Witcher 3 that do all of the above? Because I love that.
Yep, I'm with you - I'm all about those old-school expansions that do ALL 3 things.
Post edited August 13, 2020 by MysterD
Pages:
1
2
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionHow do you like your major DLCs?(18 posts)(18 posts)
(18 posts)