On DLCs / your feedback

[ileonu]

IMHO its a great idea... offer "optional" aditional content at low cost is a great idea... using once my CC to get some Ks in blue coins to buy music/icons/screenies/skins/scenarios/units/generals/etc... even paying 1 blue coin for something rly small can work... P*Q u know...=P

Also on a side note i would love to see some sort of replay system in HOI... as everyones know people loves to show what they did in the PDOX games (my biggest empire screeny for ex in EU3).. it would be VERY could to be able to load a game and watch some sort of replay of it... not sure if this has been brought before, but as im sure you guys know people loves to make/read AARs or stories on your games... making some sort of replay system would really help...

CHEERS TO PDOX!!!!!

 

[ileonu]

On another side note you guys should make people sell their mods and contents thru GG... *COF* and of course the modder would be paid in BLUE COINS *COF*

 

[Baneslave]

Why do I have to pay extra for some extra sprites when this could've been shipped with the rest of the game?

Because Paradox has policy of not adding this kind of things in patch, and because those things aren't ready yet.

 

[unmerged(34917)]

I guess most have voted for expansion packs and with good reasons, its seems. So probably expansion packs are the best thing to do. I'll sure pay for them.

 

[Alexander Seil]

Because Paradox has policy of not adding this kind of things in patch, and because those things aren't ready yet.

Hardly, they shipped graphics in patches before.

 

[Ex Mudder]

Hey all, thanks for your feedback.

We're really happy we can have this kind of quick feedback. I guess the sprite packs were not exactly what you were looking for at this stage and I think we're learning from this.

When it comes to the sprite packs it is too late to do anything about them specifically since parts of our pre-order (with retail in the US for example) is using these in their campaign. So bear with us this time please.

From the poll result, I understand that most people are interested in expansions with more content and rather pay $9.99 - $19.99 for a fully fledged expansion than $1.50 for smaller packs of content.

I might have misunderstood it, but some people might also be interested in specific small additions to the game (music / battle scenarios) as long as it doesn't take our focus away from "important stuff" (like saving the world, something me and Johan are secretly doing in our spare time).

So what we'll do is ask you when we come up with ideas. For example, Andreas (who is making the music for HoI3 and previously for EU3 etc) has discussed doing a "Music Addition" for HoI3, and we'll ask you in beforehand if you think this is a good idea. We will present it as our "sales pitch" and then you'll be free to give us feedback.

Sounds ok?

Fred

I would say you got it, at least from what I read.

What I would suggest re spites is to package them differently. I usually play the US, so I might be interested in the sprite pack, despite preferring counters for my land units. But If I were to invest in a sprite pack, I'd want more than the Essex, Iowa, and P 51 mustangs - I'd want to be able to see the Yamato and fight hordes of Zeros before inking their Carriers at Midway.

Likewise, if I were to play Germany, I wouldn't just want Tiger Tanks, I'd want to see them crushing T-34s - and see my ME 109s shooting down Spitfires and Hurricanes.

And Vice Versa.

Having only sprite packs for one nation would actually ruin immersion for me - and having to buy a pack for every nation I am allied or at war with would leave me feel nickle and dimed to death. But a Pacific Theater bundle, a European Theater Bundle, or a Naval bundle for people who use counters would work. As would being able to specify air sprites but NATO counters - I like the videos I've seen of air combat, but I prefer the more informative counters for ground combat. In that case I'd probably go for an air unit sprite pack.

 

[Baneslave]

Hardly, they shipped graphics in patches before.

When? Official policy was that anything that isn't bug / balance / stability fix is expansion material, and if found in patch it is extra gift, not something people should be expecting from every patch.

 

[Alexander Seil]

When? Official policy was that anything that isn't bug / balance / stability fix is expansion material, and if found in patch it is extra gift, not something people should be expecting from every patch.

So? What you said is that there is a policy of not including extras in patches, which is, of course, untrue.

Naturally, Paradox has a policy of telling people that they shouldn't expect extras from patches, but that's very different from what you suggested.

As for specific examples - HoI2 got a massive airforce roundel pack in one of the later Doomsday patches. That's a graphics example. There are, of course, a billion other examples of database fixes, additional events (Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria limited war events in HoI2), etc.

 

[alanschu]

The big thing is perception.

When there is Day One DLC available at launch that is not free, the perception is that this content was made concurrent with the rest of the game, and hence fans feel as though stuff that could have "easily" been put into the game (in their perception) was not put in in an attempt to gouge people for more money.

I think if this content pack had come out a few weeks after release, there'd be less fallout for it.


Having said that, I was ambivalent about this preorder issue at first. But realistically, I play with sprites, and I usually play as the US or Germany, so I decided to preorder to get the sprites. So it does still work


Enjoy my money a few days before I get the game. I rarely do this

 

[Alexander Seil]

Dude, every single piece of DLC actually planned right now are digital distribution exclusives. I.e., they ARE free.

 

[Captain Frakas]

Hardly, they shipped graphics in patches before.

And music also. And even scenarii.

When?

EU2 : sprites, flags, CoA, music
HOI2 : leaders pictures, counter pictures and a scenario

 

[alanschu]

Dude, every single piece of DLC actually planned right now are digital distribution exclusives. I.e., they ARE free.

Dude, I rarely, if ever, preorder games. The combination of this DLC made me preorder because I knew I could save money on the sprites, which I would otherwise buy.

Every piece of DLC actually planned right now are also planned to be sold for a small cost. So your statement isn't even correct.

Though I know you like being an ass, so continue on, dude.

 

[jmschaub]

The Arab - Israeli war(s) that took place after wwII would be a great scenario. Of course this would mean extending the timeline to about mid 50's but that would also allow Korean war.

 

[Baneslave]

So? What you said is that there is a policy of not including extras in patches, which is, of course, untrue.

Naturally, Paradox has a policy of telling people that they shouldn't expect extras from patches, but that's very different from what you suggested.

o Sorry, my mistake. I thought that wrote that "usually has policy of...", not "has policy of".

 

[Baneslave]

EU2 : sprites, flags, CoA, music
HOI2 : leaders pictures, counter pictures and a scenario

Thanks for the info.

 

[Rush]

The place where I'd draw the line at is making DLC out of new features and gameplay mechanics and such, stuff typically relegated to expansions.

If you made a battle scenario and wanted to charge $3 for it, fine, but I don't want to have to sort through multiple DLC packs and all that just to get the latest updates to the gameplay.

If you think about it, Armageddon was kind of like DLC too, except it was all there in one $10 package and nobody minded too much. If you can keep the major gameplay changes like that and release the smaller inconsiquential stuff like music packs or sprite packs to cheap optional DLCs, then I'll be happy.

/signed

 

[Schwarzie]

Hmm, maybe i am pessimistic, but where is the difference between a DLC with sprites and a DLC with music?

The vote was clear, the people want Addons like Doomsday to HOI2.

What would be interesing are unique features, things even a modder cannot change (like the adding of brigades to units before building them in Arma)
But this would bring the problem that you have to actually buy these if you want to play MP, or install the next real Addon. and one Dev already stated that DLC´s wont change the checksum, so this wont happen.

I don´t really think that DLC are such a good idea. True, i would like sprites/3dmodels for say germany (since 90% of my games are as germany, the other 10% are Japan) but it is nowhere important enough to actually pay money for this. DLC simply have a bad taste for ripping the customers off.

True Addons: yes, but such little packs: no. And the true Addons could include such new spites/music, that would be nice.

 

[marginoferror]

I am worried that DLC will have unexpected consequences in multiplayer mode. It might change players' hashes so that everyone will need to have the exact same DLC to play together, even if the DLC content is only sprites, etc. Will this definitely not be a problem?

Edit: Sorry, above poster says DLC won't change the checksum. If that's the case then I guess it won't be an issue.

 

[Spoony]

Thanks for the feedback Frederik. I just Preordered the game only to get the extra Sprites, since I do not want to pay extra just to get a few more Sprites in a DLC, even if its less than 2 Euro. Just charging for extra Sprites makes me feel like I have been cheated. In the past, before DLC became standards, those little extras would either be integrated right from the start or in patches free of charge!

So if you do DLC, do it right and get something out with real value where people don't feel cheated, even if it is for low amounts. I am all the way for Battle Cenarios (but they will have to be large and worth it, otherwise it's just the same as with the sprites) or even better new Campaigns. The best would be of course if you could combine those:
Bring out a new Campaign, with one or more Batte Cenarios and a couple of new Sprites, according to the campaign and cenarios. I would gladly pay 15 Euro for it!!!!

 

[Takeda Kenshi]

In the past, before DLC became standards, those little extras would either be integrated right from the start or in patches free of charge!

You realize this isn't entirely fair, correct? The cost of making a game since 'before DLC' and 'after DLC' has gone up QUITE a lot. Asking them to make these sprites for 'free' is essentially equivalent to asking Paradox to stuff a 5 note bill in every HOI3 box. A company as small as this should not be expected to do such things.