One more thing i want to mention is an assumption that EA/Bioware don't support mods because they want to sell moar dlcs. I don't know if it's actually true or not.
But take a look at TES. When they release another addon, players always buy them because modders begin to make new content that requires those addons, end of story. You don't have addons, you don't have cool new content made by game fans.
However, without mods devs can sell minor things like rings, armor, weapons, etc., ie things that would be almost useless for moddable game because anyone can make one, or at least download for free. Thus, they have money without need to make really big, meaningful addons, like Bethesda.
I think this is a good point.
Like you said, I don't know the exact reasoning behind certain decisions, but it is a fact that Bethesda (and CDPR) fully support mods.
And yes, as a consequence, they never out out small DLCs or weapon packs etc., just decently sized "expansions" (I think both Dragonborn and Dawnguard can be called expansions).
And yes, these same mods and how Bethesda supports them is the main reason why the PC version gets better and better with time and people always go back to playing it.
They stuck to their formula of an open-world, eploration-based RPG and made it better.
At the same time, Bioware made a hugely successful and critically acclaimed DA:O... And then just completely stepped away from their own formula and went re-inventing the wheel over and over in DA2 and DA:I.
To be clear, DA:I is a massive step up from DA2, but a good number of core design decision went on to mellow out the RP elements in the game and make is "more accessible" and easier to get into for you average non-RPG gamer.
...
Some of this is fact, some if this is opinion...
IMO though, you go about making a better RPG by making a better RPG. Building on the good stuff, seeing what worked and what didn't, etc.
NOT by scratching a big number of the elements that made the game good in the first place.
My biggest issue with DA:I is not that isn't a good game. It IS a good game.
Just that IMO it could've so easily been great. Which it isn't.