Dunno if I should start the game without the DLCs... are the DLCs integrated to the whole experience or separate ?

[FreyaMaluk]

same as title

[Boeroer]

They are integrated. You can go to the DLC areas and return to the main game at (almost) any time. I personally would start with all DLCs installed (if you are planning to buy/play them anyway). Beast of Winter is really good, Forgotten Sanctum is also nice. Seeker, Slayer, Survivor is mostly a battle arena (with a story and quests). I liked it but it's focused on combat and thus it might not be everybody's cup of tea. 

[thelee]

1 hour ago, Boeroer said:

They are integrated. You can go to the DLC areas and return to the main game at (almost) any time. 

I don't think that's quite what @FreyaMaluk meant by integrated.

I take integrated to mean "a part of the main story, so not having them and then installing them later will make you miss out on the experience in part or whole."

 

To that respect, I think Beast of Winter is "integrated" solely in the sense that if you do it at too high of a level, it might be too trivial because it doesn't scale up in difficulty as much as the others, and you'll miss out on Vatnir for a long time (the only companion [really "sidekick"] from a DLC). FS and SSS can still be challenges at level 20 (FS especially) and there's nothing as integral to the game experience as a companion in those so those are much more stand-alone.

[Boeroer]

Ah - I thought integrated meant that the DLCs do get inserted into the main game - and not take place after the finished main story line (see BG2->Throne of Bhaal and such).  

[Belsirk]

A little late. I played this game for the first time this year.  I tried first without the DLCs.  The history added by them are almost irrelevant for the main campaign.  Two of them have an impact with extra options at the end (one being very similar to that [in]famous Mass Effect 3 DLC ) . However, the resources that you can get from the DLCs make more easy the preparation for the  mega-bosses encounters.

In short, I would recommend play first without the expansions and then add them to see what they truly added to the experience.

[house2fly]

They're integrated, as in you play them by finding new locations in the main game once the DLC is installed. They're not separate like, say, the Far Cry DLCs where it's a separate adventure set on Mars or whatever

[ekt0]

I may not know what you mean exactly with "Integrated", but I suggest you play with DLCs on if you already have ones.

From my point of view, these DLCs are meant to be played before you finish the main story -- unlike PoE 1.

[Boeroer]

Why unlike PoE1? There it's the same: you cannot play the DLCs after the main game since there's no return from jumping into the pit in Twin Elms which leads to the endgame.

[ekt0]

8 hours ago, Boeroer said:

Why unlike PoE1? There it's the same: you cannot play the DLCs after the main game since there's no return from jumping into the pit in Twin Elms which leads to the endgame.

Maybe I remember it wrong. Please accept my apology.