Thoughts on DLCs

[Plan To Fail]

I really like this game and I want to see it do well. The fundamentals are solid, it deserves wider recognition. I've spent many happy hours playing it. And I'm about to make a criticism. Sorry. It is meant constructively though!

My criticism is regarding the DLCs. I think the approach to DLCs is a little flawed, in that this game essentially penalises you for not having the turbo or lighting packs. I got the turbo pack bundled with the game when I first bought it a couple years ago so I've always played it with turbos. Sure, it's probably playable without them, but definitely a lot harder due to having a more limited choice of engines (particularly when you need higher power outputs). Essentially, turbos are a big 'quality of life' improvement. Didn't really bother me before, but since I came back to the game recently post lighting pack, it's something that's started to grate.

Imagine you're a first time player, having just bought this game today at its full retail price. You're on a tight budget so you only get the base game for now (you can always get the DLC later if you want additional content, right?)

You play around in the garage, make a few bucks fixing cars and salvaging bits from wrecks. After a while you're ready to build your own car and race it.

Full of excitement and anticipation, you start racing. Then you quickly notice your competitors have turbos and extra lighting... and you don't. Want access to the same tech as your competitors are using? Yeah, that's extra. Sucker!

I'd feel robbed. I'd probably demand a refund. It feels like I'm being artificially restricted for no reason. It comes across as kinda mean spirited actually (which I'm sure wasn't the intent). Basically it creates a needlessly poor early impression.

Which is a shame, because then I'd be missing out on a good game!

I think that the 'quality of life' stuff like the turbos and lighting, which make the game a whole lot more approachable especially for noobs, should be included in the base game and the DLC should be for things which widen the scope of the game - additional map content, more desirable cars etc. Convertibles as DLC? Cool. Along the same lines, making Miduga and rotary engines DLC, with the lights as a general update to existing players, would have been a smarter move IMO.

Very different games I know, but look at the way Forza Horizon and Euro Truck Sim do DLC as examples. With both of these titles you can buy the base game and still have access to most of the missions, the highest performance vehicles etc. You can play for hours without feeling penalised for not having the DLC. When you're ready, you can buy access to additional missions, vehicles, map content etc. What I'm saying is you get full 'quality of life' from the beginning in the base game. You can buy DLC later on because you enjoy the game so much you want to play it more. Not because you feel like you need it to make the game more playable!

Imagine if Forza Horizon or Euro Trucks went "Hey, want to see well in the dark? Yeah, pay us more". I can't see that going down well, can you?

Hey, I don't make games, I only play them. It's a tough business, everyone has bills to pay, I understand that. I don't begrudge paying for extra content for a game I enjoy - but I want to buy that extra content because it gives me additional activities to the base game as opposed to simply removing arbitrary developer-imposed restrictions.

I don't have access to sales figures, but if this game is struggling to attract and retain new players, perhaps this could be a reason why?

[PrestonLK]

Personally I don't see any issue with how the game handles DLC. They're completely unnecessary to beat the game, and even if you personally deem these parts something important, it is actually possible to get them without the DLCs. Some are given as race rewards, and they can all be gained as random loot in crates and wrecks hidden around the maps. All the DLCs do is make them available for purchase in the shops.

[Tahnval]

Originally posted by PrestonLK:

Personally I don't see any issue with how the game handles DLC. They're completely unnecessary to beat the game, and even if you personally deem these parts something important, it is actually possible to get them without the DLCs. Some are given as race rewards, and they can all be gained as random loot in crates and wrecks hidden around the maps. All the DLCs do is make them available for purchase in the shops.

I think that's understating what the turbo DLC does for the game. Having all the forced induction kit available all the time is very different to maybe getting one or two pieces very rarely. Also, the crates and wrecks don't respawn and the race rewards are one-offs, so the forced induction without the turbo DLC is both random and very limited.

I don't know about pricing elsewhere, but right now where I live the additional cost to buy the turbo DLC with the base game is about 10 minutes pay at the minimum legal wage. It's trivial. The base game is cheap as chips too. Maybe the answer would be to fold the turbo DLC into the base game and increase the price of the base game accordingly.

Lighting too, maybe, although I think that's far less important. I played the game for hundreds of hours before the lighting DLC was released and when the nights were much darker than they are now and before lighting was installed at Gutta. With the current world lighting and the stock headlights I don't see it as an issue. Nothing like the usefulness of the turbo DLC.

[Creative Pudding]

Thanks for the feedback!

We are also looking for different ways of monetizing the game. As Tahnval said, lighting dlc is optional, you can play just as well without it. Turbo DLC is kind of essential IF you like the game and want to keep playing with it. Which is why it is a DLC. Also don't forget you can win almost 80% of the Turbo DLC content! This is something not many games offer.

However, we also see problems regarding the way we manage DLCs. It is heavy to develop, less dynamic as the season pass, and in-app purchase could be. In the end, we need a way to pay our bills, and with a low starting price, and long life support, it requires some extra.
Our game is out for over 7 years!! We made only 3 DLCs... if you buy all, it is nowhere to Forcza, Euro T, CMS, etc... so again, it is also important which angle you are looking at.

[Plan To Fail]

Thanks for responding!

Hopefully I didn't come across as too harsh - apologies if I did. It does come from good intent. I don't even have a problem with paying for extra content, I just thought the way it's done here could be improved. It could even be quite alienating for new players and... well, I assume you want those, right? :)

Otherwise keep up the good work!

[Tomek]

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