Don't you think you're being unreasonable about DLCs?

[ChristianB]

In the past few days post-patch, there have been written plenty of posts concerning DLCs. Some people complain about CA wanting to charge people for unlocking something that's technically already already in the game -- it's outrageous! The people of CA and SEGA are crooks and thieves for doing this!

Or so you say, at least.

It's not uncommon for software producers to simply sell you a serial code in order to unlock the full version. You download a demo, then, if you like it, you may purchase a serial key and voilà! You have the full version without downloading a single byte of data. Sometimes you may even choose to purchase the code by phone!

Some game developers will let you download a demo of their game, so that you may try it before you buy it. Very often, the demo is actually the full game with a few lines of code to prevent you from ever getting past the first mission.

Hey, you already have the entire thing on you computer! Why don't you just crack it or download a serial? It's not like you're being a pirate or breaking any laws -- you obtained every single byte of data legally. It's only fair. Right?

You didn't pay for a playable Ikko-Ikki when you first bought the game, CA simply decided the best thing to do was to include everything involving the clan on the disk from the very beginning. The alternative would be to just leave the clan out from the original game, and the region would simply be "Rebel". You'd then have to download a whole lot of stuff if you decided you wanted to pay for an Ikko-Ikki DLC.

You're complaining about having to pay for something that's technically already on your disk -- would you complain if it wasn't there at all? You didn't know there was going to be a playable Ikko-Ikki later on, but you still bought the game.

CA isn't all perfect, but this whole DLC thing they are handling just fine. There are a lot of other more reasonable things for you to complain about.

[Googoo24]

Nooooo.....Another one of these topics!

[Arimahn]

This community is unreasonable about pretty much anything.

[SupAll]

This community is unreasonable about pretty much anything.

DX11...

[Elyrioth]

This community is unreasonable about pretty much anything.

Too true, but as it is such a small community it really doesn't matter.

CA made very clear what was included in the game you were buying. You were neither legally bound to purchase the vanilla game, nor are you legally bound to purchase DLC.

Exactly right, hit the nail right on the head.

Seriously you would swear CA were holding a gun to your head forcing you to part with your money, it's optional content don't like don't buy. But it is here to stay.

[Finnegan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fEjJ4Ecy9Q

[Datek]

Can't we all just get along?

[empr guy]

Can't we all just get along?

i find this very offensive.

[PharaohsVizier]

I'm not too angry about DLCs, but I'm not too happy about them either. Some games have fantastic DLC, they add a lot of content to the game, they are pretty cheap, etc. Then you have some pretty lazy looking DLC, like in Civ V that really adds nothing to the game or costs far more than it should.

The problem is that DLC's were a great idea before, add a bit of content for a reasonable price, nice easy delivery, completely optional. The problem is when games start leaving obvious gaps or places where they can implement an easy DLC to rake in the cash. I'm not saying CA's DLC is like that, but I can see the obvious concerns. You can certainly market an incomplete game as one that is complete, and then sell a DLC that is completely optional, but not really. This is a bad example, but if CA starts selling a DLC that fixes the siege bug, you guys can say it's completely optional. Most people knew that the bug exists before buying, and it certainly runs okay as a standalone game. But in reality, you know that for almost everyone it's mandatory to buy the DLC.

I think it all depends on what they charge for the DLC and what content they unlock. Looking at some of CA's old DLC's, I'm can't criticize too much. I think the price at $9.99 for some of them was a little steep, but they did add quite a bit of play time for me... I'm not entirely sure I'll buy Ikko Ikki since the map will likely be identical, but if they price it right, you never know

[Huberto]

The problem is when games start leaving obvious gaps or places where they can implement an easy DLC to rake in the cash. I'm not saying CA's DLC is like that, but I can see the obvious concerns.

You won't but I will. Remember playing the Grand Campaign in NTW? Remember how odd it was that nothing ever happened in Spain? The British AI never landed in Portugal or invaded, there was no Spanish revolt, no change in French Spanish diplomacy, nuthin. I'd call that an obvious gap or place where they could implement DLC to rake in the cash, and of course they did.

[Total Bliss]

You won't but I will. Remember playing the Grand Campaign in NTW? Remember how odd it was that nothing ever happened in Spain? The British AI never landed in Portugal or invaded, there was no Spanish revolt, no change in French Spanish diplomacy, nuthin. I'd call that an obvious gap or place where they could implement DLC to rake in the cash, and of course they did.

Don't forget all the people clamoring CA do a Peninsular campaign and they did. I like the fact they make DLC and Expansions that people actually want. They seem lackadaisical when it come to engine maintenance though. At least to my expectations.

[Toho]

to all those who think TWC has a bad community...please check out WoW and Ever Quest then come back and tell me about "bad community"

[Arimahn]

to all those who think TWC has a bad community...please check out WoW and Ever Quest then come back and tell me about "bad community"

WoW attracts a lot of... sedimentary lifeforms due to its nature. Total War games are supposedly a tad more intellectually stimulating so it'd make sense to have slightly more even tempered people around.

At least that's what you'd think...

[Neige]

Can't we all just get along?

Never!

At least that's what you'd think...

Exactly.

[Googoo24]

At least that's what you'd think...

LOL......Sometimes you gotta wonder.

[boofhead]

The demo analogy is imperfect.

You don't pay for a demo, you get it for free and then pay for the full game if you liked the demo.

With DLC you've already payed for the game (well, 90% or more of it).

[ChristianB]

The demo analogy is imperfect.

You don't pay for a demo, you get it for free and then pay for the full game if you liked the demo.

With DLC you've already payed for the game (well, 90% or more of it).

True, to compare DLCs with demos is not 100 % accurate, but that was not my point here. The point is that you all bought the game not knowing what kind of DLCs CA would or would not allow you to purchase at a later point, yet still people choose to complain about new content -- content they don't even have to pay for in order to have a fully functioning (and to most also enjoyable) game. Of course, it would be better if CA actually made new content for players to purchase, as they used to. For the time being, we should just be happy with the second-best option, which is actually ULC, unlockable content. It's cheap and you haven't really payed for it already.

+rep to Marmaga for putting it simple and to last_name_left for a great post and for forcing me to google "spurious", a word which I've never heard before.

[lucasd]

Demo analogy is like this:
You see this product ios only $9.99, I buy it.
But if you bought it now you need also this unit for $49.99
otherwise you will have inferior product.
It's subreption and it seems it is accepted by some

[Marmaga]

We have every right to whine and demand the game we paid to be technicaly stable, bug free etc.
We have no right what-so-ever to whine and demand about what a company should do with the content of it's game though.

Just my thoughts on it.

[last_name_left]

Hey, you already have the entire thing on you computer! Why don't you just crack it or download a serial? It's not like you're being a pirate or breaking any laws -- you obtained every single byte of data legally. It's only fair. Right?

I know that argument has been made, but....it's rubbish.....and I don't think it's the real issue at all - though it is related somewhat. I think the real issue is DLC moving into territory that was previously considered open......faction unlocks. People feel it because they've become accustomed to having it in previous titles, and the Ikko DLC seems to be changing the rules, potentially seriously.

The main complaint about S2 (AA DX11 aside) has been a lack of variety. And along comes a new clan? And with a DLC clan, what are implications for unlocking other clans, etc? The argument I quoted is entirely spurious though, imo.