PC DLC in Alpha?

M

Maje

New member
I'm a little concerned with something that I heard in one of the video's posted by Joel recently. It mentions DLC. Let's not jump to assumptions, but what does that precisely mean? DLC in Alpha? Or DLC once the game is complete?

Link

He mentions it at 6:08

 
Here you go:

It has already been established that not every single feature that they plan for the game will be released before launch. Some features will be released after launch and since they will not be driving to your house and programming it into your computer the only way for you to get the rest of the features of the game is through downloadable content. So why exactly shouldn't he mention it when it will be the way the game continues to progress after gold release?
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Oh I see. You are assuming that dlc means something extra you have to pay for. That isn't what Madmole is talking about. He isn't trying to gear up for selling us something additional. He is simply letting us know that more good stuff will be coming even though we are near the end of the alpha phase and near hitting the content lock for beta and the gold release. He's saying, "Don't worry, if ABC don't make it into A17 or A18 and then we shift into beta and then finish the game, ABC will still be coming post release."
If you don't like the letters dlc then substitute in pru. (post release update)
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Since he said "pretty soon", and we probably have another year or so of alpha, I'd guess that means DLC in alpha.

But why is that a concern? Granted, they could DLC the game to death, but their actions so far don't suggest that to me.

I see it as a good indication that they're setting up a way to support ongoing development of the game once it releases, and as a side benefit, adding better support for modding.

I think I'd rather have DLC being consistently released as opposed to "OK, we're done with 7d2d, and now we're going to work on 7d2d II, so the original game is only going to get a few bug fixes, and all the cool new features will be in the next game."

We'll have to see what happens, but judging from past performance, TFP respects the user community and has a good development approach.

 
I wonder (from a technical point of view) why do TFP rely on DLCs to distribute the addition content. What about regular steam updates?

 
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From what I understand, and I just woke up and listened to it a couple of times it seems to pertain to tools and specifically terrain tools to use to import maps into the game from other 'world'/'map' generator software suites.

I mentioned long time ago that it would be awesome if I could download my 'home town' and play in it!!! I'm sure many across the world would like this feature. lol As far as the detail - it would be up to the map creator; but I did note that it would be fun if there were some POI's that someone from that town could recognize, thereby increasing the emersionability into that 'world' or something along those lines. Coffee and work call... BOO!

 
@pille

My guess is MM is using the literal definition of the words, not the steam definition.

Technically updates that come via download are dlc.

 
@Guppycur

Ah ok. That's a reasonable guess. To me the suffix 'able' in Downloadable content implies optionality which isn't really the case for regular steam updates.

 
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From the video:

"There's some really great terrain editing tools out there. And...uh...We're going to be able to use those pretty soon in our world creation so we will be able to improvements to our existing tools and more important we want to start...you know...wanna be working on some DLCs and other products pretty soon and we're gonna be exploring new terrain generating techniques for that."

I really don't think that needs translation as it is awfully clear. But here you go:

There are some great terrain editing tools that exist that TFP will be adding to their editor to improve world creation for them. As previously noted, we are close to the end of Alpha and moving into Beta and then finishing the game. So.. PRETTY SOON we want to be working on some DLCs for this game and also start our next game (other products) and we want to get our terrain editor and our ability to use the new tools up to speed for that.

There is no plan to sell expansions for the game as DLCs before it is released.

There is no plan to make customers purchase updates to the base game post launch that were always intended to be part of the game.

There are plans to start a new game after this and preliminary measures have been taken in that regard. If anyone is dense enough to think that developers wait to start gearing up for their next product until after they've finished the current one please consider this your free education. Nobody does that. So please stop with the "they shouldn't talk about their next game until this one is finished" ridiculousness.

There are plans to add extras to this game that COULD wind up being something someone would have to pay in order to get but that won't be for some time and it is still unclear whether they will charge for them or whether they will be free.

In my first posts quoted above, I hadn't yet watched the video. After watching it I know exactly what Joel is referring to and he is talking about the possibility of new maps (alternative to Navezgane) etc. that could possibly be something that would be separate from the core game and therefore something they might end up charging for. But none of that would be released before the game is done. Their focus is getting the base game finished but they ARE laying the groundwork for post launch DLCs and their next game because we really are that close to the end.

 
From the video:
"There's some really great terrain editing tools out there. And...uh...We're going to be able to use those pretty soon in our world creation so we will be able to improvements to our existing tools and more important we want to start...you know...wanna be working on some DLCs and other products pretty soon and we're gonna be exploring new terrain generating techniques for that."

I really don't think that needs translation as it is awfully clear. But here you go:
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Not really. You've used a lot of 'insider' information or information that are hidden somewhere in the depths of the forums to interpret MM statement. Many of the players don't have the required background knowledge to understand the quote. That's why the statement is unclear to them and needs a translation.

Actually, you have to spend several years here in the forum to get what he could have meant. lol

 
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All the AAA titles have their DLC in the works in late alpha or early beta, if not earlier.

They just don't tell you because then players who don't have any concept of game development times or scheduling become "concerned". ;)

Is something planned? Of course. Duh.

Since you're going to ask anyway: It will be stuff. With things.

 
Not really. You've used a lot of 'insider' information or information that are hidden somewhere in the depths of the forums to interpret MM statement. Many of the players don't have the required background knowledge to understand the quote. That's why the statement is unclear to them and needs a translation.
Actually, you have to spend several years here in the forum to get what he could have meant. lol
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I disagree that it takes any insider knowledge or deep forum lore to know what he meant. It just takes a bit of comprehension about what he DID say and for people to stop making assumptions about what he DIDN'T say. The whole problem with people getting upset about this and the beta comment before it is that they inject their own fears about what was left unsaid and then take that as a fact or at the least a very strong possibility that gets them worried and worked up. I know that's human nature but taking what was said at face value Joel said very plainly:

1) We are soon going to acquire tools that will make our world editor more powerful

2) Those tools are important because pretty soon we will want to be working on DLCs and other products.

He did not say "We plan to release DLC that you will have to pay for while the game is still in alpha". He never even hinted at that. THAT is 100% the figment of the imagination of readers. BTW, he also did not say "We plan to scrap the game and start over from scratch" so maybe you should start worrying about that. Hey....he also didn't say, "We plan to end our partnership with Steam and use a competing game distributor instead so everyone will have to repurchase the game if they wish to continue." Worry...worry....worry....

I think its best if we all just stick to what he does say and not try to read into what he doesn't say using fear and worry as our guide.

If they can get a DLC within 9 months after release people will be glad that they decided now to start working on it "pretty soon" because I guarantee you that by 4-6 months after release people will be wanting more content. But maybe to allay fears they should just wait and not start anything until completely after release so that there is no new content until a year or so after release instead....

 
Oh yeah, Madmole did NOT say in his video, "Very soon we plan to can Gazz" so I think Gazz should start worrying...

 
Oh and he did not say in his video

there is no plan to sell expansions for the game as DLCs before it is released.
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:devilish:

Actually, he didn't say much in the discussed quote.

 
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Madmole: Stuff

People: What about this?

Roland: You should have inferred the answer. If it wasn't explicitly said, then it's not happening!

Um, that's not how conversations work. :)

/here to help

 
Oh yeah, Madmole did NOT say in his video, "Very soon we plan to can Gazz" so I think Gazz should start worrying...
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Canned Gazz?

334_Copy_2_of_HPIM0351.JPG


 
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