Hi everyone.
I don't know about your personal preferences, but I, in the name of whole gaming world, absolutely hate this so called DLC system.
Remember the old days when you didn't have any DLCs, but you had expansions which provided you with more units.
Nowadays, you get those DLCs. I hate those, and especially the 'Pre-Order' ones. When you buy a game, you will get a feeling that you are not playing a complete game. You won't get satisfaction from it, and you won't enjoy it. And you cannot get preorder DLCs once the game is properly released. Which means you cannot get complete game.
Gaming companies are increasingly making incomplete games. Just make the 25% of the game and release it, and when players complain, throw 2-3 units at them. When they start recognizing the game's major faults, then throw an elite unit at them. Wow, what a nice strategy.
Rome II is what the world has been awaiting since the original game. There are many smaller age groups playing this game, and thus many don't have credit cards. Now what would they do? They will desperately watch the company throw more and more units and factions and they cannot even buy them. It is like throwing bags of candies in front of a candy-loving kid and putting a glass barrier between him and the toffees, citing, "You are not allowed to eat these because you don't have net and Steam".
Oh God, how can I ever forget about Steam! I don't have problems with the game till it is Steam Only. Look what was done with last three games. I had to wait 4 days for each game to play, meaning about 16 days after I got it.
I plead to CA, in all respect, please don't release Rome II incomplete, because this is a sequel to a game that still has a massive reputation and will ever have. If you release it incomplete and then try to release more and more DLCs, it will only reduce both the fanbase of the new game and the prestige of the original old game.
And as there are many who cannot buy DLC at all, please be merciful to them. I barely managed to get most DLCs of Empire and Napoleon by GOTY edition. There is still no collector's edition of Shogun II like we had in old days, take M2TW or RTW Gold editions for example. I and many who cannot get DLCs have always felt that we are refused of something that most others are allowed.
So please, release the complete game, release the expansions. But please, whatever may be result, don't leave out the units and factions in the game and then throw DLCs to cover them up. Embed them in expansions, but not in DLCs. A polite little plea.