Dragon Age DLC

[Gorth]

Last few posts deleted. Lets see if we can keep the discussion less "retarded" gentlemen?

[TheHarlequin]

Yes Volourn. I did brush my teeth this morning, Volourn. I am studying hard, Volourn.

 

I generally see release-date DLCs as naked profiteering, yes, but I wasn't too bothered by integrating DLC purchases in-game; in fact it is convenient and if you'er giong to sell DLCs you might as well do it that way. I haven't encountered the 'in-game' salesman yet, though, so it remains to be seen just how obnoxious it is. Unless it is quite very obnoxious, I maintain that it's not the mode of delivery that's the problem, but just how making DLCs and selling them is *too* important.

 

As a whole no issue with DLC. However EA (since EA owns bioware, and its the publisher, its really their call not biowares anymore) putting the NPC right there taunting you with a in-your-face ad is annoying and in my view poor taste. There are much more 'polite' ways to peddle their DLC ingame without it being 'ingame'. (like a loading screen) I find this sales man fairly immersion breaking to say the least. You see the ! think your going to get a quest and they pull a bait and switch on you...

Edited November 9, 2009 by TheHarlequin

[alanschu]

If you are referring that I make money from making Baldur's Gate mods, that is false. All BG mods are free, if they weren't Bioware could easily kill the mod scene.

 

 

I'm referring to the fact that you consider it profiteering to charge money for stuff that "should have been in the main game." Arguments that could (and have) been made for Tales of the Sword Coast.

 

Given that all of the content was designed to exist explicitly before the end of the main game, in addition to some extra features, as well as raising the level cap, there's ample evidence to suggest that the bulk of its content (if not all of it) was designed and created in conjunction with the main game. Especially considering how soon it came out after the release of the original Baldur's Gate, and the fact that the game shipped with an extra space for an expansion CD.

[alanschu]

3) the possibility of draconian DRM

 

The game comes with a disk check.

 

You're free to omit purchasing DLC if you have concerns about it's future accessibility. Though The Stone Prisoner is free if you buy the game new.

[zerexaki]

As Alan mantioned, the NPCs are not only things that did convince me not to buy the game, I was thinking a lot about buying it, but 3 things had put me into dont buy at release date

 

1) it's EA game

2) marketing campaing

3) the possibility of draconian DRM

 

The built in game advertisement (or however you wanna calll it), is just the final info on the game, which convinced me that i have made right decision of not buying it... And i am not regret this decision at all. My wallet has voted.

 

1) EA are the publisher, not the developer. Who cares who the publisher is? It's the developer that matters to me. As long as the game gets released, Satan can be the publisher for all I care.

2) Marketing Campaign???

3) it has the same disk check protection as a lot of games such as BG/BG2/IWD/etc.

[zerexaki]

3) the possibility of draconian DRM

 

The game comes with a disk check.

 

You're free to omit purchasing DLC if you have concerns about it's future accessibility. Though The Stone Prisoner is free if you buy the game new.

 

There is also 3 dlc items you can add with http://www.dragonagejourneys.com/. It's a flash based game and should only take a day to complete all the quests and unlock the three items which will then be added to your bioware dragon age account.

 

1. Embri's Many Pockets

2. Helm of the Deep

3. Amulet of the War Mage

 

Personally, I was a little annoyed I didn't know about this flash game before hand, including the items as I wasn't following the Dragon Age forums, and only stumbled on it in the Dragon Age technical help section of the forums in the last couple of days.

[Volourn]

"1) EA are the publisher, not the developer. Who cares who the publisher is?"

 

The pubisher, and developer are basiclaly the same. EA *is* BIO. They didn't simply hire BIO like many pub-dev relationships; but they are the, in essence, the same company.

 

You should be blaming (or praising) both.

[zerexaki]

Just like Interplay and Black Isle. Interplay developed Fallout 2, Icewind Dale 1 and 2 and Planescape Torment.

[Volourn]

Interplay *was* BIS. Interplay developed them. All BIS was was the finally named RPG division of Interplay. But, same company.

 

At least in EA BIO's case, at least there's the argument they were a seperate company and were simply. And, at least for now, for the most part, they are still largely their own beast. But, with major EA taint.

[zerexaki]

Lets just say that Tigranes convinced me *not* to buy Dragon Age (I am quite sure it was unintentional). First off, I don't like DLC and Microtransactions as a business model at all. Reminds me too much of the con men of old. Second, if you have to sign up on some "social" site to get downloadable stuff, including patches for the game proper, I call it quits. Third, looking at the game on the shelf today, before walking away from it, I couldn't help rolling my eyes at the price tag. 110$, it is the most expensive new release I have seen for a very, very long time.

 

I exercise my consumer right to vote with my money. I withheld my vote

 

Collectors Edition $130.00

Dragon Age Origins - Stolen Throne (Prequel Book) $20.00

Prima Players Guide Hardcover Edition $40.00

DLC Wardens Keep $9.25

 

Total $199.25

 

Yep, some people actually bought all this stuff.

 

*Prices in AUD$

[Deadly_Nightshade]

[Mamoulian War]

I don't get why someone who has absolutely no interetsing in buying or playing a game would waste time in threads dedicated to it. It's illogical, and just waste a time. Better off going to experience something you 'enjoy'.

 

because i had interest in buying it... and was getting more info about the game before i made a purchase... and now i am happy that i did some research, because it saved me 60 bucks

[Mamoulian War]

3) the possibility of draconian DRM

 

The game comes with a disk check.

 

You're free to omit purchasing DLC if you have concerns about it's future accessibility. Though The Stone Prisoner is free if you buy the game new.

 

i know that, but as i said, it was 3 reasons why i did not preordered this game, with all the experience with EA games released last year, it is very logical decision to wait for the confirmation of the DRM included... at least for people who are concerned about mandatory online activations...

[Magister Lajciak]

3) the possibility of draconian DRM

 

The game comes with a disk check.

 

You're free to omit purchasing DLC if you have concerns about it's future accessibility. Though The Stone Prisoner is free if you buy the game new.

 

i know that, but as i said, it was 3 reasons why i did not preordered this game, with all the experience with EA games released last year, it is very logical decision to wait for the confirmation of the DRM included... at least for people who are concerned about mandatory online activations...

 

I am one of the people very concerned about mandatory online activations, but luckily Dragon Age does not have them on the retail version, so I was able to purchase it. The game does have them on DLC, but buying the game as if the DLC didn't exist is still well worth it - there is a lot of content in the core game. It is a very good game - I do recommend it and am pretty sure you would enjoy it.

[alanschu]

i know that, but as i said, it was 3 reasons why i did not preordered this game, with all the experience with EA games released last year, it is very logical decision to wait for the confirmation of the DRM included... at least for people who are concerned about mandatory online activations...

 

 

IIRC, it was confirmed quite some time ago that the DRM was a traditional disc check. Having said that, it seems that it's not an applicable reason anymore. Hence why I mentioned it as your three reasons seemed to be the "current" reasons.

 

 

It's unfortunate, because none of the reasons actually relate to the content of the game itself. It's unfortunate that the other concerns you have seemed to override it, but alas. Like you said, there's other games you can choose from.

 

 

 

 

The game does have them on DLC

 

You may want to look into it, but I believe it is possible to backup your DLC. Regardless, Stone Prisoner is free so I'd still recommend picking that one up.

[Majek]

Well DLC is tied to your online account and as long as you have that you have the DLC. Only 1 activation required. Even if you unistall the game which deltes all DLCs + custom content you get everything after reinstall. You just go to the download screen and download them if they don't start to dl themselves. No manual activation, nothing.

Fi you get into trouble, there's a big selfhelp thread on thier forums too.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Majek

[alanschu]

Magister has concerns about preserving the content locally regardless.

[Majek]

That could probably be done too. Copying all the right files and folders. and/Or repack every DLC addin into it'0s own .dazip file so you what you stored where. And have a copy of Addins.xml and Manifest.xml ready. But there's always some problems wiht local storage and then you have to restort back to downloading everything again.

[Nepenthe]

Ah, well I believe the PSN still has points if you want to use it that way. I'm pretty sure when I was testing the purchase flow of PS3 DLC I was just adding points to my account. If they have a way that doesn't require points then that is

 

Hmm, that's interesting. Either the US and European stores are completely different, or the thing actually works a lot better than I expected and saves me from looking at any nasty points after I've bolted my account to my credit card. Blows

 

As for the rest, Christ. Maybe it comes from buying 1-3 games a year, roughly, but I've so far been quite capable of determining myself whether coughing up for some DLC is going to be worth it or not. Sometimes it has been, sometimes it hasn't and 5-10 bucks (or even euros!!11) for some extra fun is not going to break my bank. OTOH, a game with a 5-7 hour single player campaign is not going to show up in Casa Nepenthe for a 70e price tag.

[Humodour]

That could probably be done too. Copying all the right files and folders. and/Or repack every DLC addin into it'0s own .dazip file so you what you stored where. And have a copy of Addins.xml and Manifest.xml ready. But there's always some problems wiht local storage and then you have to restort back to downloading everything again.

 

The user should not have to do this, or even have a clue wtf you're talking about.

[Majek]

a PC user wanting to be special, must learn everything needed to be that way.

[Volourn]

"because i had interest in buying it... and was getting more info about the game before i made a purchase... and now i am happy that i did some research, because it saved me 60 bucks"

 

That's awesome. Yet, now that you've made the decision not to buy the game you are still posting about it. You know, I made the decision NOT to buy that barbie doll.. you don't see me spamming about it, right?

 

Only on the internet do you see go on, and on, and on about things they don't own, don't want to own, or even hate. Just move on to something you actually enjoy.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Well DLC is tied to your online account and as long as you have that you have the DLC. Only 1 activation required.

 

That's semi-incorrect. Some people have found that the DLC has caused their saves to become unusable offline as it wants to check with your account when it tries to access that content. I've not had that issue myself but I've not played offline either. I guess I'll try it tonight and see.

[alanschu]

It seems as though there are issues with the system at this time, but I know the plan is definitely to allow the game and DLC to be usable offline.

[Mamoulian War]

"because i had interest in buying it... and was getting more info about the game before i made a purchase... and now i am happy that i did some research, because it saved me 60 bucks"

 

That's awesome. Yet, now that you've made the decision not to buy the game you are still posting about it. You know, I made the decision NOT to buy that barbie doll.. you don't see me spamming about it, right?

 

Only on the internet do you see go on, and on, and on about things they don't own, don't want to own, or even hate. Just move on to something you actually enjoy.

 

now cry me a river please