DLC – Your thoughts?

[Ghostlight Ltd.]

Hi everyone.

Thank you for all your recent comments regarding the DLC for Agarest. This is our first PC game and we are still learning about some of the differences between the PC and console markets :)

We appreciate the concerns about the volume of DLC available (and admittedly there is a lot) but all the DLC was taken from the Japanese console version and we wanted to offer it to you to replicate the same options that were originally made available in Japan. We also just wanted to make it clear that the DLC is entirely optional and is not needed in order to be able to complete the game. The only DLC that includes new gameplay content (the additional dungeons) was included in the PC release for free while the rest was designed for gamers who feel they could use a little extra help with the game.

As I’ve said, we are still learning about the requirements of PC gamers so we would genuinely like to hear more of your thoughts on DLC and how you would like us to handle other games that use the same DLC model in the future.

Thank you for your feedback

[Yian]

For late ports of console games it is generally assumed that critical DLC is included in the PC release, looks like you did that with the extra dungeons.

For the rest of the DLC my opinion is that there are way too many packs which are way too expensive for what they offer. If all of your DLC costs 4-5 times as much as the base game there is something wrong. I know it is all optional but it still leaves a strange aftertaste. Maybe combining everything into a smaller numer of DLC packages and reducing the price overall would be an option?

That said, I'm not a fan of the "additional points" packs at all. It just reeks of a game that is not properly balanced.

[Bramble]

Try not to exceed the cost of the game with the total amount of DLC. That's a bit daunting when we see the price of the original game compared to affording all the DLC combined.
92.72(4.6 times the original cost) is not worth the investment of a 20 dollar game. The DLC itself focused on giving items and stats, over what the player really needed: Abilities.

The Ability synthesis in the game is the most time consuming part next to repetitive battles. Weapons and stats only help so much when it's link chained abilities that do the majority of attacks and damage and is encouraged, due to the lack of a normal attack like other rpgs.

The free content was appreciated, and we are grateful for what we got. Without it the game would have been difficult to get started outright, since it lacked any real grinding area and over killing is necessary for enemies to drop items. Again superior gear and stats helped, but it was the skills that let you do anything in battle.

PC gaming here would be better equipped with a DLC that could aided in ability synthesis over equipment and stat increases.

I personally would have liked to see English voice actor pack at this point of the game's life after it's console debut, and believe that may have been worth some extra money to be more immersed.

For a like minded game's format in the future I urge not to exceed the cost of the game for the total amount of DLC offered. If you are concerned about not giving people every advantage, listen to what they consider would be an advantage in game play(skipping battles, making skills easier or cost less to make). It may be something the DLC neglects to deliver on.

[Chika Ogiue]

Personally, I'd say that if the original version has a lot of DLC, then bring it all over much as you did here. There's nothing more annoying than not getting all DLC simply because you're on a different format. Such as the LEGO games. The console versions get DLC, the PC ones don't and the don't have the DLC content included in the initial release either.

If the original only has a small amount of DLC, it might be better to release it all at once with the base game as a special edition. Much like Enlslaved, etc., when those made the leap to PC.

[BioDio]

[OFF-TOPIC] This has nothing to do with the discussion but, I just wanna say that, Ghostlight... you guys are awesome!

[shockedfrog]

I find a lot of this kind of 'cheat DLC' silly on PC, where people who want that kind of thing will probably end up using a save editor/trainer anyway - not just because it's free, but because it offers more control. However, I don't necessarily mind it being there, and I find that kind of optional DLC is much better than some other games' excuses for DLC.

There are two more specific issues I do have with it, however.

First, the lack of control over the DLC. The game automatically adds newly purchased DLC to old saved games when they're loaded, regardless of whether it's wanted or not, and there's no option to add previously declined DLC if it is wanted later. You might ask 'why would someone buy DLC they don't want?', but there's a fair number of people who will buy all DLC for a game pretty much just because it's there and they want to have the extra options available, without being forced to use them. Some other games have suffered from similar issues (Saint's Row 3, Sleeping Dogs, Sword of the Stars: The Pit and The Binding of Isaac are the ones that spring to mind) and there are usually workarounds, but ideally games should offer better control over DLC without the need for such workarounds.

Secondly, there are some DLC-exclusive items. I'm not necessarily against that in itself - Agarest does a good job of making sure that they don't interfere too much (ie. the in-game item collections only count base game items) - but it feels wrong to call DLC 'entirely optional' when it contains content which is otherwise unavailable, no matter how trivial.

[Knightmare]

Like i had said in another post other then new maps extending the story i personally won't buy it because i like when games are more difficult for me,when i put hard work into my game at end i feel more accomplished.

As far as the DLC goes i don't see a problem with it we still have a free right to choose what to buy and what not to imo.

[Ghostlight Ltd.]

Originally posted by shockedfrog:

I find a lot of this kind of 'cheat DLC' silly on PC, where people who want that kind of thing will probably end up using a save editor/trainer anyway - not just because it's free, but because it offers more control. However, I don't necessarily mind it being there, and I find that kind of optional DLC is much better than some other games' excuses for DLC.

There are two more specific issues I do have with it, however.

First, the lack of control over the DLC. The game automatically adds newly purchased DLC to old saved games when they're loaded, regardless of whether it's wanted or not, and there's no option to add previously declined DLC if it is wanted later. You might ask 'why would someone buy DLC they don't want?', but there's a fair number of people who will buy all DLC for a game pretty much just because it's there and they want to have the extra options available, without being forced to use them. Some other games have suffered from similar issues (Saint's Row 3, Sleeping Dogs, Sword of the Stars: The Pit and The Binding of Isaac are the ones that spring to mind) and there are usually workarounds, but ideally games should offer better control over DLC without the need for such workarounds.

Secondly, there are some DLC-exclusive items. I'm not necessarily against that in itself - Agarest does a good job of making sure that they don't interfere too much (ie. the in-game item collections only count base game items) - but it feels wrong to call DLC 'entirely optional' when it contains content which is otherwise unavailable, no matter how trivial.

While it probably won't be changed in Agarest we are looking at better ways of handling new DLC when you load a save.

[Ippiki_0okami]

Have the ability to turn off or on the dlc without having to start a new game. I was playing it first without the dlc for 20 hours till I needed help with some dlc items. Of course in order to enable those super weapons, I had to start over. 20 hrs down the drain :(

[Ghostlight Ltd.]

Originally posted by Ippiki_Okami:

Have the ability to turn off or on the dlc without having to start a new game. I was playing it first without the dlc for 20 hours till I needed help with some dlc items. Of course in order to enable those super weapons, I had to start over. 20 hrs down the drain :(

I'll suggest it but I'm not sure we'll be able to give players the option of turning DLC off after starting the game. You do have the option of discarding items.

[Tsurugido]

Own all argarest on ps3. Port is good which is exeption. The only problem is DLC like "Unlock CG/Voices/some other unnecessary stuff like profiles for example".The rest are basically optional is good.

[Redemperor124]

Unlock Voice/CG seems unnecceserry and it hurt a feeling for those who put their time to unlock all of them.

need (a lot) more DLC dungeons (and rewards), somewhat to extend the gameplay.

more items will be fine, maybe the ingredient items for alchemy DLC.

ps. my personal need is more EP point DLC. hahaha

[npalsensei]

Well, some DLC felt expensive for what we're getting. While I agree that on PC, things like points can be gained using cheats, it's not like many people can or are willing to learn to use things like the Engine, so they serve their purpose. But yeah, some of them felt overpriced, not because the game was cheap, mind you, but DLC giving out items, either exclusive or optional, are hard to price without getting the "too expensive" vibe.

Other than that, porting every DLC was a good move, despite the price issue anyway. I'd rather have every option available in some way than not.

You can also take it easy and port something like Persona 3 and 4, those don't have DLCs, so no worries xP (wishful thinking)

[Lokthar]

Add a bank in each town, so we can save the powerfull items for later.

[golemu]

Personally I don't have much of a problem with the dlc's and feel the same as some have already expressed.

If the original game had all of these dlc's available then I expect a port to be the same and not anything less. Publisher's are like messengers, they relay the original message as intact as it was first given. I'm surprised by some of the post's I've seen in these forums from people that don't seem to know or understand what Ghostlight is..

Generally I much rather have dlc that adds more to the game like new dungeons, game play, characters, and ones that expand on the story or even have a story of their own like expansions.

I'm not exactly a fan of "early unlocks to make the game easier" type of dlc's but the good thing is it's just dlc. I don't necessarily need it nor am I being forced to buy it. I simply ignore it and be on my way. Even though I never used any of the dlc the free stuff was much appreciated and I am grateful, I can't remember the last game I got free stuff for so it is better than nothing and it's the thought that counts.

Based on the posts I've read around the forums the execution of the dlc's could be better like maybe giving people the option to add/remove the dlc to their game at any time instead of just putting it there, keyword there being "option" never hurts to have options. Even though it's not the job of a publisher I'm sure a change like that can probably be made with permissions.

[Gentleman]

I personally appreciate having all the DLC ported from the console. I’d be disappointed if a number of DLC remained console-exclusive.