What are the chances of a big expansion next year?

[Teclis23]

If you look at there timeline poster for upcoming patches and dlc it says “ more to come” in the bottom right hand corner.

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/105116-update-54-new-challenges-approach/?do=findComment&comment=2090951

 

Obviously there will be more patches next year but what about a big expansion getting released?

[Heijoushin]

I dunno, mate. If they had a big expansion like the White March in the works, surely they would have said something more? It kinda feels like these 3 big DLCs are "it".

 

I'm guessing "more to come" = more patches/minor DLC...

 

And then we move onto Pillars of Eternity 3. 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Heijoushin

[Manveru123]

0. This game already has 3 DLC planned (with one released). There is a point where milking a cow no longer gives enough milk.

 

EDIT: I kinda hope that I'm wrong though. You can never have enough RTwAP games.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Manveru123

[Achilles]

I suspect that they were eager to outline a DLC schedule so that they could release resources to begin work on part 3 (ala what they did with White March and Deadfire). I’m sure “more to come” means continued game support and little gimme’s like the Deadfire soulbound items. The big thing coming next year will be another Fig campaign.

[Teclis23]

I definitely dont think they have devoted any resources to a pillars 3 yet. I would say they are still waiting to see if deadfire sells well enough before they commit to anything.

 

What i am curious about is if they have made a decision on any future expansions for deadfire.

 

I think it is quite possible because these 3 dlcs are really just a continuation of the main game. They could still reach a point where they want to do a “expansion”

 

I must admit though i was very surprised at how big the beast of winter was. It was easily bigger then the white march part 1.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Teclis23

[Ethics Gradient]

Well.... if you poke around the game files a bit, or are familiar with the dev docs, Deadfire has reserved the package identifier LAX4 since the backer beta.  Major expansions are numbered (1,2,3,4?), while the free expansions have letters (A,B,C,D, etc...).

 

So, what's it all mean?  Holdover code from the planning cycle?  A bridge DLC to segue between Pillars 2 and Pillars Next?  Extended epilogue content like Mass Effect 3? A purposeful PSYOP campaign to drive the data-miners and forums a little nutty?  

 

Make any assumptions at your own mental peril.  

[Big-Ben]

Well.... if you poke around the game files a bit, or are familiar with the dev docs, Deadfire has reserved the package identifier LAX4 since the backer beta.  Major expansions are numbered (1,2,3,4?), while the free expansions have letters (A,B,C,D, etc...).

 

So, what's it all mean?  Holdover code from the planning cycle?  A bridge DLC to segue between Pillars 2 and Pillars Next?  Extended epilogue content like Mass Effect 3? A purposeful PSYOP campaign to drive the data-miners and forums a little nutty?  

 

Make any assumptions at your own mental peril.  

 

It's the secret romanceable items DLC you all asked for. You'll be shocked with what can be done with that helmet!

[Achilles]

I definitely dont think they have devoted any resources to a pillars 3 yet. I would say they are still waiting to see if deadfire sells well enough before they commit to anything.

 

What i am curious about is if they have made a decision on any future expansions for deadfire.

 

I think it is quite possible because these 3 dlcs are really just a continuation of the main game. They could still reach a point where they want to do a “expansion”

 

I must admit though i was very surprised at how big the beast of winter was. It was easily bigger then the white march part 1.

The argument that Feargus put forth for why there was always going to be a Part 2 still applies for Part 3. Therefore, “if” only makes sense if they needed a nod from a publisher, which they don’t.

[Teclis23]

I saw feargus say in a stream that if deadfire sells well there will be a poe 3.

[Achilles]

I saw Feargus say in an interview that having your own IP is too valuable to let it languish and fhat if the game didn’t sell well they would address the deltas in the sequel, but there was always going to be a sequel. I’ve also seen numerous interviews since Deadfire’s release saying that it’s selling well.

[house2fly]

Well they'd hardly say in interviews that it's selling badly

[Achilles]

Why is that? It’s not possible or they are all committed liars?

 

I think we’ve heard them say when games aren’t selling as well as they had hoped, so I’m not understanding where that’s coming from.

[InsaneCommander]

What did they say about WM1 and 2? I don't remember very well, but I think it didn't sell as much as they expected or big dlcs didn't work well. Sorry, I'm not sure, but they did change it to the 3 smaller ones for PoE2. So I don't think we'll get a big one.

[Big-Ben]

I never really understand the rational that people who dislike certain games have when confronted with the evidence that a game is doing just fine. I mean even a game like Mass Effect 3 which still causes certain groups to hiss audibly when mentioned sold well. Pillars for all intents and purposes from what I understand is doing just fine.

 

Smaller numbers for independent games doesn't mean the game has failed. Surely no one here thought Pillars failed because it didn't sell millions of copies like GTA V right? It works the same for books too. Not everything has to be "Insert Popular Series Here", Same with movies. TV shows etc etc.

 

Mind boggling.

[Ethics Gradient]

What did they say about WM1 and 2? I don't remember very well, but I think it didn't sell as much as they expected or big dlcs didn't work well. Sorry, I'm not sure, but they did change it to the 3 smaller ones for PoE2. So I don't think we'll get a big one.

 

The chief issue identified with White March was that it was a large two-part DLC that was spread out almost a year post-release.  While both expansions generally reviewed well, the lag between installments and sequential nature fractured the player base more than hoped.  Not everyone who beat the game came back for WM1, and of those that made it through WM1, even fewer finished up WM2 6 months later.  As a matter of pride, it's great that the company could finish the vision for Pillars 1, but the DLC wasn't exactly a profitable venture.

 

Anyway, you can see those lessons learned in Deadfire.  Free DLCs to keep the player base engaged until paid content rolls out.  Paid DLCs that are varied and spaced a few months apart so players will periodically have some new adventure to check out while they're still interested in the game.  It's a similar formula to FNV DLCs, and that seemed to work out for everyone.

[house2fly]

Deadfire's open exploration structure lends itself really well to smaller DLCs. Even one that just adds a couple of islands and some cool quests with no overarching story could be well worth the money, and fit in great

[daven]

Remember that quiz they put out about DLC's a while back?

 

Apparently most people said they'd prefer less, beefier expansions (Throne of Bhaal). Yet that hasn't seemed to have occurred.

 

Guess they didn't trust their own market research.

[house2fly]

The sales figures from the beefy expansion they released are probably more reliable than what people say they would prefer

[Teclis23]

I dont no ,

 

The beast of winter was far bigger then i thought it would be. I would even go (nearly) as far as calling it huge.

 

It had a huge amount of new maps in it with some pretty cool artwork.

 

I was very surprised and happy with the beast of winters size. I think it is bigger then white march 1 but i enjoyed white march 1 more. The story in white march is probably my favourite part of both games.

 

Bring on the alpine dragons and durgan steel!!

[Manveru123]

I never really understand the rational that people who dislike certain games have when confronted with the evidence that a game is doing just fine. I mean even a game like Mass Effect 3 which still causes certain groups to hiss audibly when mentioned sold well. Pillars for all intents and purposes from what I understand is doing just fine.

 

Smaller numbers for independent games doesn't mean the game has failed. Surely no one here thought Pillars failed because it didn't sell millions of copies like GTA V right? It works the same for books too. Not everything has to be "Insert Popular Series Here", Same with movies. TV shows etc etc.

 

Mind boggling.

I think you mean ME: Andromeda? Because ME3 was an amazing game (other than the piss poor ending, that is).

[house2fly]

Beast Of Winter is a village, two dungeons, and two side quests. It's not a bad size but there is no way on earth it's bigger than White March 1

[Teclis23]

Yeah i suppose. The maps in wm1 where pretty huge. They are a lot smaller in BOW

[Wormerine]

Nothing else would make me more happy than a major $40 expansion with campaign taking place after the main game (imagine returning to Deadfire after the encounter with Eothas, seeing the results of your actions in base game, wrapping up the Eothas storyline etc.). The "more to come" planted the same idea in my head: after all a chain of smaller DLCs to keep players engaged while the big one is being worked on is a common way of doing things. The fact that we don;t know much about it doesn't go against the theory. 

But I don't really expect that to happen. I would be very happy if it would. I would preorder such expansions without much thought...

[Taevyr]

 

Well.... if you poke around the game files a bit, or are familiar with the dev docs, Deadfire has reserved the package identifier LAX4 since the backer beta.  Major expansions are numbered (1,2,3,4?), while the free expansions have letters (A,B,C,D, etc...).

 

So, what's it all mean?  Holdover code from the planning cycle?  A bridge DLC to segue between Pillars 2 and Pillars Next?  Extended epilogue content like Mass Effect 3? A purposeful PSYOP campaign to drive the data-miners and forums a little nutty?  

 

Make any assumptions at your own mental peril.  

 

It's the secret romanceable items DLC you all asked for. You'll be shocked with what can be done with that helmet!

 

The quarterstaff, on the other hand, can be used exactly as one would expect

Edited August 29, 2018 by Taevyr

[rjshae]

If the choice is a major expansion or a whole new story, I'd think the latter is more likely since it would better attract new players.