Skipping DLC due to burn out?

[mjo2138]

Hello everyone,

 

I was wondering how many of you (I imagine the majority) play all the DLCs for each play through. I feel like the DLCs are an entirely different game, and don't have real synergy well into the main content of the game.  I feel like Deadfire is already large enough for each play through, offering a wide variety of unique encounters, roleplaying opportunities, and so it. It is like each island is a different sampler plate for a tapas bar, each short, sweet, and offering a unique reward.  DLC just feels like a grind. It is awkward to try to 'choose' a time to do them, as they mostly favor late game. I know BoW can be done earlier, but I am usually already so busy finishing up quests that I put it off till later.  I enjoy the challenges (I play on POTD upscaled) of the DLCs, but the sheer visual spam of SSS battles is a bit much. I have a good system, but I think Unity is the larger issue here (besides, this is entirely other issue) . FS is fun, but it is quite a bit for back to back playthroughs.  As you might have guessed, I am not a big fan of DLCs in other games such as Skyrim or PoE 1... it just feels like superfluous content added after the original vision of the game was imagined and implemented.  

 

For instance, in PoE 1, I really liked the endless paths quest; completing each floor was rewarding and fun. In many ways , it was like a DLC which was well integrated into the base game.  It all led up to the epic Adra dragon battle. having one big 'mega dungeon'  was fun for each play through, but I never really looked forward to the White March DLCs. Yes there are dragons, items, companions, and so forth, but it just feels like quantity of quality.  In Deadfire, there are no real make it or break it items (dealbreakers, lol) which make the DLC mandatory in terms of powergaming.  

 

I am something of a completionist  so I hate to miss out on items, but I think i will only keep BoW for the Helm of the Atronachs, (sp) and Vatnir, and delete the rest.  On the other hand, I really like the Megabosses. I cannot recall and specific items being needed to beat them from the DLCs aside from the convenience of the Helm of the Atronachs for Dorudugan's pull effect. 

 

Anyways, do any of you feel the same way? Would you make the radical decision of uninstalling the DLC for playthroughs despite having purchased them?   How do you keep yourself 'motivated' for the base game + DLCs.? I am finishing my Arcane Knight play through, but I never really got into this character as much as my Marauder. 

 

[Wormerine]

Well, in both PoE1 and PoE2 DLCs make for some of the finest content in the game, from both a narrative and gameplay perspective so those are the parts I am usually looking forward to the most. 

I do agree that DLC in PoE1 doesn't integrate well, though I am shocked how it can be compared negatively to Endless Paths - I found the latter to be too lengthy and too padded mostly consisting of the same encounters you would fight on the surface. White March on the other hand, has varied enviroments, best social hub in the entire game, stellar atmosphere, mostly interesting encounters and some of the best dungeons in the game - Durgan Battery has perhaps a bit too many samey encounters but the Abbey of the Fallen Moon still stands as my favourite bit in the whole series. I would actually wish for White March to be stand alone, as I would happily replay it every once in a while - more so then the base game. I am also pretty sure WM adds stuff level wise. no? A pretty big incentive to keep it if you ask me.

DLCs in Deadfire are well integrated. They have proper hooks in the main story and they all contribute to the overall picture. They all add necessary value to the playthrough to me - BoW fleshes out Eothas' motivations and sets up for the events at the end of the game, SSS explains more about Gods, and delivers some challenging encounters to put my character to a test, and FS is just a really really fun late game dungeon - something the game needed IMO. Not to mention the bunch of cool items which would be lost if the DLCs were removed. 

That said, I don't do back-to-back playthrough. I did a total of three playthroughs and did DLCs for all of them (aside from BoW for my 2nd playthrough as it got bugged). I am having this itch to install "Deadly Deadfire" and do another playthrough, but I would prefer to be able to run the game better performance wise for that.

[mjo2138]

7 hours ago, Wormerine said:

Well, in both PoE1 and PoE2 DLCs make for some of the finest content in the game, from both a narrative and gameplay perspective so those are the parts I am usually looking forward to the most. 

I do agree that DLC in PoE1 doesn't integrate well, though I am shocked how it can be compared negatively to Endless Paths - I found the latter to be too lengthy and too padded mostly consisting of the same encounters you would fight on the surface. White March on the other hand, has varied enviroments, best social hub in the entire game, stellar atmosphere, mostly interesting encounters and some of the best dungeons in the game - Durgan Battery has perhaps a bit too many samey encounters but the Abbey of the Fallen Moon still stands as my favourite bit in the whole series. I would actually wish for White March to be stand alone, as I would happily replay it every once in a while - more so then the base game. I am also pretty sure WM adds stuff level wise. no? A pretty big incentive to keep it if you ask me.

DLCs in Deadfire are well integrated. They have proper hooks in the main story and they all contribute to the overall picture. They all add necessary value to the playthrough to me - BoW fleshes out Eothas' motivations and sets up for the events at the end of the game, SSS explains more about Gods, and delivers some challenging encounters to put my character to a test, and FS is just a really really fun late game dungeon - something the game needed IMO. Not to mention the bunch of cool items which would be lost if the DLCs were removed. 

That said, I don't do back-to-back playthrough. I did a total of three playthroughs and did DLCs for all of them (aside from BoW for my 2nd playthrough as it got bugged). I am having this itch to install "Deadly Deadfire" and do another playthrough, but I would prefer to be able to run the game better performance wise for that.

Thanks for your response. You bring up a lot of good points. I must admit that I skip through often speed through dialogue more than I should. I will give it a fresh start tomorrow! 

[Boeroer]

I do skip one or two or even all DLCs in a playthrough from time to time - once I hit lvl 20 the urge to go further may evaporate because I have proven to myself that character idea X works well - and that's it. So yeah: why not leave them out? I mean if one has already played them before and knows the content there's no big loss (unless you desperately want to use a certain item from the DLCs). 

[Guest]

13 hours ago, mjo2138 said:

Anyways, do any of you feel the same way? Would you make the radical decision of uninstalling the DLC for playthroughs despite having purchased them? 

Yeah, I tend to be pretty skeptical of DLC nowadays. I played BoW once and enjoyed the peek into some of the lore, but uninstalled it afterwords and took a pass on both of the others.

Similar to  you, I play games for the narrative and pausing one story to go explore another and then come back is just too much for me.

[xzar_monty]

13 minutes ago, Achilles said:

Similar to  you, I play games for the narrative and pausing one story to go explore another and then come back is just too much for me.

Very interesting viewpoint, I have to say. Seems even a little bit illogical from my perspective. Because I also play these games for the narrative, which is why I love the DLCs (except for SSS), because they mean more narrative content, more story, more immersion. SSS is mostly battle, so that's not so interesting. But otherwise: count me in!

Stories within stories is one of the oldest tricks in the book; just think of how many stories within stories there are in Lord of the Rings, for instance. Often, it works beautifully.

[AeonsLegend]

I hardly ever finish a playthrough let alone go and finish the DLC. Thing is though that when you don't do the DLC you'll get specific notice to the ending that you've let something dangerous exist that affects the Deadfire in a bad way.

[Guest]

On 5/19/2020 at 12:39 AM, AeonsLegend said:

I hardly ever finish a playthrough let alone go and finish the DLC. Thing is though that when you don't do the DLC you'll get specific notice to the ending that you've let something dangerous exist that affects the Deadfire in a bad way.

This occurs if you don't have the DLC installed?

[AeonsLegend]

3 minutes ago, Achilles said:

This occurs if you don't have the DLC installed?

Probably not, never tested that.

Edited May 21, 2020 by AeonsLegend

[Guest]

Can confirm: it doesn't happen if you don't have the dlc installed

[Sven_]

4 hours ago, Achilles said:

Can confirm: it doesn't happen if you don't have the dlc installed

Can confirm that too. 

As somebody who rarely buys DLC for games, I've just only bought the season pass for Deadfire, actually. So even if this series is put on hiatus forever, still something apparently decent to play.  

[xzar_monty]

10 hours ago, Sven_ said:

As somebody who rarely buys DLC for games, I've just only bought the season pass for Deadfire, actually. So even if this series is put on hiatus forever, still something apparently decent to play.  

In my view, Beast of Winter is the best-told story in the whole of Deadfire, by some distance. So yes, there is.

[AeonsLegend]

I found both the DLC far more interesting than the main story

[xzar_monty]

There are three, so what did you mean by both? I suppose that's BoW and Forgotten Sanctum, because the third, SSS, is mainly combat.

Forgotten Sanctum was good but did not rise above the general storytelling level, in my view. But BoW certainly did.