Is it OK to buy the DLC separately?

[Tiny Trees]

I am not ready to spend £25 on the GOLD pack, just in case I don't like the game.

I am OK to spend £8 on the base game though.

However it seems you can't buy the GOLD pack as an add-on. Like you have to buy the DLCs separately costing more than full Gold Edition.

Any advice please.

[Yarlen]

No you can. The Gold pack is a bundle, so Steam will automatically deduct the price based on what you already own.

[Tiny Trees]

Originally posted by Yarlen:

No you can. The Gold pack is a bundle, so Steam will automatically deduct the price based on what you already own.

I don't think it works like that. Especially since there is not a price for the DLCs as a pack anyway.

There needs to be an, 'Upgrade to Gold Pack' bundle.

[fantstc]

Originally posted by Tiny Trees:

Originally posted by Yarlen:

No you can. The Gold pack is a bundle, so Steam will automatically deduct the price based on what you already own.

I don't think it works like that. Especially since there is not a price for the DLCs as a pack anyway.

There needs to be an, 'Upgrade to Gold Pack' bundle.

I don't know if you are in anouther country where it works different (you used pounds, not dollars).

But...

I can tell you for sure that in the U.S., it works exactly as @Yarlen indicated.

This is how I bought the game:

- Bought escalation
- Bought a DLC
- Bought Gold Pack

and when I bought the gold pack, I only paid for the items that I did not already own.

It was essentially an "upgrade to gold" exactly as you suggest.


The key thing to pay attention to, though, is that the sale discount on each item in the gold pack is not consistent.

When you look at the price and percentage for the bundle, it will give you a percentage discount based on total discounted cost vs. actual normal retail -- after all individual items have been combined/summed.

BUT, when you are inside the record for the gold bundle, you will see that the discounts on respective items seem to vary.

So, right now, the base game is discounted something like 80%, but you might not see much of a discount, if any, on the DLCs.

Therefore, if you buy the base game, and then upgrade, it might not look like you are receiving the same significant discount.

The actual discount for YOUR gold purchase, after you have already bought the base game, might only be like 40%.

It all depends on the current discount package, and by this I mean the discounts on respective items.

You need to jump into the gold package record to see this more clearly.

You should see the itemize breakout.

Does that help?

NOTE ALSO, for this to work, you do need to be logged into steam (fully authenticated).

[fantstc]

PS, there is really only one DLC that is universally advisable: secret missions.

That DLC provides access to new and useful unit types (esp. T1 AA).

The other DLCs provide maps and scenarios.

You might not need those, as the OOTB game should provide PLENTY of maps already.

In MP, map availability is based on host, so you can still play on maps you don't own personally.

If you prefer single player, the game will give you more than enough to chew on without the DLC, insofar as there is the campaign, and configurable skirmish vs. AI as well.

I played for more than 600 hours before grabbing the remaining DLC.


(one other thing you might like is the King of the Hill Scenario; It is popular, and I'm not sure if it is DLC or Core)

[fantstc]

PPS. I take that back. It's a great game. Support it. Buy the whole gold package immediately. Join us. ;)

[Tiny Trees]

Cool. Thank you very much.

I honestly read some time ago, that if you had some items, you still had to pay full price for bundle. That you didn't get discount for other parts owned.

Maybe i read it wrong, or Steam changed it. ... I will have to look it up again.

[centaurianmudpig]

You probably read right at the time. Steam changed the way Bundle pricing worked to consider already owning individual items.

[Tiny Trees]

Originally posted by centaurianmudpig:

You probably read right at the time. Steam changed the way Bundle pricing worked to consider already owning individual items.

I am really glad I asked then. It makes buying easier now.

E.g. of how I used to understand it. ... Say someone had bought Batman Arkham Asylum. Then they bought a Batman Bundle of all the games, (if there was one). They would still have to pay full price for the Batman Bundle, and would not get a duplicate key for Arkham Asylum.

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Moving back to Ashes of the Singularity. I have been reading the individual DLC content, since @fanstc mentioned only one DLC is really any good for single player. I am not interested in DLC that are only for multiplayer, since too many folk cheat. (I never buy MP content anyway.)

However some of the DLC descriptions are not clear to me. Sorry I must be being thick. Quite a few DLC describe 'scenario', and then list PvP stuff.

What I was hoping for in DLC was more campaign. Maybe new units. ... I was concerned how the DLC then interacted with the main campaign. Meaning if I bought the DLC later, would I be revisiting some parts of the campaign? Then wishing I had had bought the DLC sooner.

Anyway, thank you. I actually feel happy to buy the main game. I could buy the GOLD Pack later due to Steam pricing now. That rocks.

[centaurianmudpig]

Scenarios are single player missions. No campaign, but adds to the lore of Ashes. If you enjoy skirmish then the multiplayer maps are also available there.

Secret missions is the only paid DLC that adds new units. Other units were added for free over time, or added as part of Escalation. You'd want to play the campaign before any scenarios, since some just add to understanding, others are just the continuation of the conflict.

[Tiny Trees]

Yes, skirmishes are good. I played Rise of Nations: Thrones of Patriots so much I think I developed something.

Oddly though I never replayed and replayed skimishes in either one of the Tiberuim Wars games. I played a bit.

What I mean though is I think I get the drift of Ashes now. Thank you everyone! .. (Also the halloween sale will be soon. Good gaming.)

[fantstc]

Originally posted by Tiny Trees:

(Also the halloween sale will be soon. Good gaming.)

You do realize that the game is steeply discounted RIGHT NOW, correct????

It's their 25th anniversary sale.

[Tiny Trees]

I was simply looking forward to the Steam sale, and sharing a goodwill message, with thanks for much help.

Had I been waiting for a deeper discount on Ashes whether soon or in the future. I see no harm in that. Sorry if I have misunderstood you but, if you disagree that is your perogative.

I am quite keen on getting Ashes though. In the past I always felt past sales were more than I was willing to risk. For a game series that I do not know anyway. ... I have bought a few well regarded games recently in sales and not liked them. Too late to refund because it took me a while to get playing them, as I bought a few at once.