101 réponses à ce sujet

[Woganist]

Dear Bioware / EA,

Congratulations and much praise on this great-game...

but please refrain from selling DLC via an in-game character that has a quest-marker. This method is not something I would like to see again in relation to future DLC / expansions or in future products.

DLC can be advertised adequately on the title-page of the game (and already is).

The method used in DA:O was completely unnecessary and actually made me not want to purchase further content in protest.

I'm sure you've seen some of the numerous articles (and the Penny-Arcade strip) around the 'net  concerning this sales-approach.

For a developer like Bioware that prides itself on the immersive, well-crafted stories and worlds it creates I was disappointed to see this method used in one of your games. 

I'm looking forward to future content but not sold to me like this.

[Rodro Lliv]

This may be useful: http://social.biowar.../9/index/572890

[Woganist]

I'm talkin' about NPC's offering me DLC when I'm having a conversation with them, through the dialogue in-game.

[Majordribble]

yeah I LOL'd when I first saw that, was for Wardens Keep right?

[Bryy_Miller]

Woganist wrote...

Dear Bioware / EA,

Congratulations and much praise on this great-game...

but please refrain from selling DLC via an in-game character that has a quest-marker. This method is not something I would like to see again in relation to future DLC / expansions or in future products.

DLC can be advertised adequately on the title-page of the game (and already is).

The method used in DA:O was completely unnecessary and actually made me not want to purchase further content in protest.

I'm sure you've seen some of the numerous articles (and the Penny-Arcade strip) around the 'net  concerning this sales-approach.

For a developer like Bioware that prides itself on the immersive, well-crafted stories and worlds it creates I was disappointed to see this method used in one of your games. 

I'm looking forward to future content but not sold to me like this.

Look, I know that a lot of you guys take PA's word as the word of Video Game Gods, and many have even called my and others opinion's invalid because we don't like PA, but that comic is incredibly oversimplifying and generalizing (as are most of PA). 

[Rodro Lliv]

Yes, Levy Dryden in the camp. And that's what the AutoDownloadOffers=0 may be useful for. We'll see if it works with DLC sellers when RtO is released (this DLC will have its own seller too).

[WarlordThor]

Bryy_Miller wrote...

Look, I know that a lot of you guys take PA's word as the word of Video Game Gods, and many have even called my and others opinion's invalid because we don't like PA, but that comic is incredibly oversimplifying and generalizing (as are most of PA). 

It's hard to oversimplify something that is pretty simple. They are trying to sell content through an in-game approach. That is a little ridicolous and does take away from the roleplaying element many people like these games for. PRetty simple. Also the topic is not on a comic strip, but the issue of in-game selling of dlc.

To me, it was a little strange. It was even a bit annoying, but I got by. I however do not play these games to fully put myself in the shoes of the character. I do understand however the people who like to be fully in the world and hates to have the 4th wall broken. This kind of ruins it for them.

[I Valente I]

It slightly annoyed me...not nearly to the extent of some of the fits that were thrown on this forum however.

[Eisberg1977]

WarlordThor wrote...

Bryy_Miller wrote...

Look, I know that a lot of you guys take PA's word as the word of Video Game Gods, and many have even called my and others opinion's invalid because we don't like PA, but that comic is incredibly oversimplifying and generalizing (as are most of PA). 

It's hard to oversimplify something that is pretty simple. They are trying to sell content through an in-game approach. That is a little ridicolous and does take away from the roleplaying element many people like these games for. PRetty simple. Also the topic is not on a comic strip, but the issue of in-game selling of dlc.

To me, it was a little strange. It was even a bit annoying, but I got by. I however do not play these games to fully put myself in the shoes of the character. I do understand however the people who like to be fully in the world and hates to have the 4th wall broken. This kind of ruins it for them.

Broke the 4th wall?  3 words in parathenthese broke the 4th wall?  How are you with loading screens, or words in () that say intimidate, poison, pesuasion, ect?

[WarlordThor]

Eisberg1977 wrote...

Broke the 4th wall?  3 words in parathenthese broke the 4th wall?  How are you with loading screens, or words in () that say intimidate, poison, pesuasion, ect?

As I made clear, I am not one of those people who play fully for that reason. I enjoy the role play aspect, but I don't take it too seriously. Some people do, and they pay money for a role playing game. Ther eis a difference between a load screen and what character sand dialogue in the game contain. Again as I am not one of those people it is hard to answer your questions. Loading screens might really annoy people too, sadly they are necessary given current technology. Dlc merchants in game, are optional. That is the difference as I see it.

[Bryy_Miller]

Wow, that was one huge tapdance.

[a1021]

i didn't mind dryden. i thought it was actually quite clever this way... they just shouldn't add too much more of those, a crowd of dlc-npcs in camp all trying to sell you something would really break immersion...

[Magic Zarim]

I just can NOT believe that people actually approve of the method. It is very much like this, like I stated in another thread:

You are watching BatMan: Gotham's Gift, the "critically acclaimed" sequel to Batman: The Dark Knight at your local theatre. The story kicks ass and you're watching a scene where Batman is chasing the Joker in his Batmobile, a highly spectacular persuit. Thrilled with the action, Batman then turns his face to the camera, to the viewer and then says "Hey, you can buy replicas of me, my new Batmobile and if you want, even that goon of a Joker at a Warner Bros store near you!", only to have him turn his face back onto the road as he continues to chase the Joker.

How would you guys feel if that would happen in your latest movie?

Advertisement in the Titlescreen - fine. Advertisement during the loading screen - fine. They already coded the game in such way that loading times go from 30 seconds to 5 minutes after 30 minutes of gameplay, so they've created a 5 minute window to throw adverts at the player, along with links to instantly buy DLC!

But, in-game? Give. Me. A. F. Break.

Editorial:

All of this, the whole DLC price vs content, above average expansion prices and such have made me > < this close to considering Bioware added to the long list of studios smashed by the EA Hammer. And when that happens or feel that has happened, they simply ain't getting a dime from me any more. The independant Bioware as we used to know it has died already.

Modifié par Magic Zarim, 10 janvier 2010 - 11:05 .

[Darth Wraith]

Option A: Have the money-grubbing hacks from BioWare and their evil, soul-crushing overlords at EA destroy your gaming experience and ruin your immersion by having one (1) character offer you DLC with one (1) conversation choice,



or



Option B: Not engage Levi in conversation, seeing as how he has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the plot of the game.



See how easy life can be?

[Magic Zarim]

Oh ofcourse my friend! When I first noted the NPCs, being all in-character, I walked up to him and began talking to him... only to realize he took me nicely out-of-character with terms like "premium content" and hot-links to an out-of-character-out-of-game webbrowser! The Penny-Arcade comic is SPOT ON.



From then on I ignored him. But everytime I was in the camp, seeing him from the corner of my eye, reminded me of the experience. Each time. Every time. Like trying to ignore a colleage at work you loathe. Thanks for giving me that experience in-game EA!



Your option B is not even an option - Every new player that sees the NPC for the first time WILL walk up to him to see why that man came to your camp. Only to be unpleasantly surprised.

[Aldridgeguy]

I couldnt agree more, selling DLC in game blows big time....hell selling DLC blows full stop, it's just blatant money grabbing if you ask me. If it's good enough and worth putting in the game then it should be part of the game anytway and shouldn't be sold as an optional extra, face it, we pay enough money for these games as it is.

[stubbieAussie]

Darth Wraith wrote...

Option B: Not engage Levi in conversation, seeing as how he has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the plot of the game.

See how easy life can be?

And how the heck is someone supposed to know to not talk to Levi?
Explain that part of your suggestion please.

Do you expect that everyone has come here first to read your words of wisdom before talking to the guy?

Modifié par stubbieAussie, 10 janvier 2010 - 11:21 .

[Chaos-fusion]

Rodro Lliv wrote...

We'll see if it works with DLC sellers when RtO is released (this DLC will have its own seller too).

It will? Oh wonderful.. That patch of camp will be pretty crowded after 2 years worth of DLC. <_<

[Magic Zarim]

Bio-Boy 3000 wrote...

Magic Zarim wrote...
Your option B is not even an option - Every new player that sees the NPC for the first time WILL walk up to him to see why that man came to your camp. Only to be unpleasantly surprised.

By wanting to charge people for new content they wrongly think should be free? Scandalous!

Please don't make me lose faith in humanity more than needed, thanks.

[aaniadyen]

Meh, I honestly didn't think it was so bad. I was kinda surprised by that seeing as I tend to be more strict about this stuff. The way I see it, it's one NPC who wouldn't even be there if the DLC wasn't offered. Sure, it breaks character, but in a game like Dragon Age is it really that big a deal? With settings like the ones belonging to Blizzard...in character dialogue for them is speaking in grammatically correct modern English, even in fantasy settings. ****ing about this is like giving a ticket to a 60 year old Vietnam Vet for speeding on one brief occasion and in doing so, missing ticketing a teenager who is driving faster consistently.

[Count-JN]

Well, yes it feel odd and make you wonder WTF just happen? Why that NPC say these totally odd words from me?

But because we are playing rpg here well.. most bugs are like that. "WTF, only voice can be heard from phantom merchant. Do I dare to buy anything from here or not?". It honestly do not haunt me rest of my life when that happen. Sure I am happy if they fix it later (after all it is bug and how many times you really want to roleplay in your mind some stuff like that when you know it is bug?)

We should just take it like this: there is slow but stupid ogre god who is known as EA, that idiotic fellow happen to create odd things in our lovely rpg world. So we should just ignore it and play along. That ogre god will only get pleased if he ever hear that someone actually do something because if his agitation

Modifié par Count-JN, 10 janvier 2010 - 11:50 .

[Cybercat999]

Count-JN wrote...
 (after all it is bug and how many times you really want to roleplay in your mind some stuff like that when you know it is bug?)

It is a bug? I thought it was a feature.

[Baksheesh]

While it is not a huge deal for me this approach was a bit crass and disappointing in such a great game. I can't imagine the designers at Bioware didn't also cringe at this approach.



I am all for DLC and will probably buy it all - but I don't think Bioware should advertise it in game in such an immersion-breaking way.



We might argue how important it is, but doesanyone (including posters above) really think this is a good way to sell dlc?

[Count-JN]

Cybercat999 wrote...

Count-JN wrote...
 (after all it is bug and how many times you really want to roleplay in your mind some stuff like that when you know it is bug?)

It is a bug? I thought it was a feature.

Well, I guess questions is: how to determinate bug from feature?
I personally think that for example in Windows ME memory leak problem was and still is a HUGE bug but M$ must think it is feature.
(After all they never fixed it or admit it or give your money back from product.. for me if I keep my computer up for 2 days and then try to open notepad and get information "not enough memory" and computer crash with blue screen even if I have 1-2Gb RAM at a time and I have not done ANYTHING in that computer during weekend.. that is bug)

So I guess if something is never fixed it must be feature. If something is fixed it was bug.

But in my example that invisible merchant what will be fixed was a bug while NPC who speak noncence unless you pay actual money is something what evil but stupid god EA have put into game. I guess we can call it "if you pay it was bug (and disappear) but if you not it will remain feature".