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OK... There’s a couple of questions going on here, so please, bear with me :)
---
Pretty much every popular titles comes out with an Expansion disk/ Add-On pack...
From Half-Life, Elite Force, The Sims, Diablo, Etc...
When a game publisher announces its intention to release expansion pack, you never really know what to expect... It could be a couple of extra levels, made up largely of patches, new units and creature, etc...
Some only provide features that, if included, as a DVD's extras, would leave you feeling a little cheated, whilst others provide you with almost a whole new game...
There is a fine line in expansion pack creation, between creating a decent value for money expansion which re-invigorates a released (and swiftly dating) title, and just copying downloads from the games website onto a CD and sticking it on the shelves for fifteen pounds.
There is as yet no standardisation to expansion packs, the user has no minimum expectations, which the publisher can then use to create a must own expansion.
I'm not wondering here what the best add-on ever released is (Because Ashley has a post in this forum asking exactly that question)... But what you would expect for your fifteen quid.
Do you think that the current state of Add-Ons are all, by and large, a complete waste of money. Since the game has already been coded, adding extra levels and features should be, comparatively, easy (The game engine, graphics, level creation has already been fine tuned)
Or do you think that some developers are already pretty much on the ball with Add-On development?
What do you expect should be considered standard extras in an expansion pack..? (Given that extra level wouldn’t work for all games, you might consider them to be enough for the majority, so you could stick them in as a standard)
---
Now... This is all well and good for PC owners... Who get add-on pack releases all the time...
But what about consoles? ...
Why haven’t expansion disks been released already (okay, a bit of disk swapping may be required, (although not strictly necessary) but its certainly a viable option)?
Although especially with the release of Hard-Drives, the X-Boxes being included as standard, its definitely a possible direction
Are Add-Ons going to become a standard part of the consoles software library..?
Software developers have already created downloadable levels for titles on the Dreamcast, UBiSoft have stated their intention to do the same for PS2 titles...
What’s to stop them creating Add-On CD's to extend the life of their most popular titles (until the sequel emerges)
Would you want Add-Ons on your console (especially given the varying quality of PC expansion packs)?
Do you think they would be a great new feature, or a complete waste of time?
---
Just wondered?
---
Pretty much every popular titles comes out with an Expansion disk/ Add-On pack...
From Half-Life, Elite Force, The Sims, Diablo, Etc...
When a game publisher announces its intention to release expansion pack, you never really know what to expect... It could be a couple of extra levels, made up largely of patches, new units and creature, etc...
Some only provide features that, if included, as a DVD's extras, would leave you feeling a little cheated, whilst others provide you with almost a whole new game...
There is a fine line in expansion pack creation, between creating a decent value for money expansion which re-invigorates a released (and swiftly dating) title, and just copying downloads from the games website onto a CD and sticking it on the shelves for fifteen pounds.
There is as yet no standardisation to expansion packs, the user has no minimum expectations, which the publisher can then use to create a must own expansion.
I'm not wondering here what the best add-on ever released is (Because Ashley has a post in this forum asking exactly that question)... But what you would expect for your fifteen quid.
Do you think that the current state of Add-Ons are all, by and large, a complete waste of money. Since the game has already been coded, adding extra levels and features should be, comparatively, easy (The game engine, graphics, level creation has already been fine tuned)
Or do you think that some developers are already pretty much on the ball with Add-On development?
What do you expect should be considered standard extras in an expansion pack..? (Given that extra level wouldn’t work for all games, you might consider them to be enough for the majority, so you could stick them in as a standard)
---
Now... This is all well and good for PC owners... Who get add-on pack releases all the time...
But what about consoles? ...
Why haven’t expansion disks been released already (okay, a bit of disk swapping may be required, (although not strictly necessary) but its certainly a viable option)?
Although especially with the release of Hard-Drives, the X-Boxes being included as standard, its definitely a possible direction
Are Add-Ons going to become a standard part of the consoles software library..?
Software developers have already created downloadable levels for titles on the Dreamcast, UBiSoft have stated their intention to do the same for PS2 titles...
What’s to stop them creating Add-On CD's to extend the life of their most popular titles (until the sequel emerges)
Would you want Add-Ons on your console (especially given the varying quality of PC expansion packs)?
Do you think they would be a great new feature, or a complete waste of time?
---
Just wondered?
Page:
In general add on packs are a develper way of saying "we didn't do it right the first time" when not enough was added to the game or there were bugs needing to be fixed. Obviously there are exceptions - The Sims add on pack was full of new stuff (unfortunately it kind of took the point away from the main game by bringing in exploding garden gnomes, magic genies and the chance to bargain with the Grim Reaper)
In general add on packs are a develper way of saying "we didn't do it right the first time" when not enough was added to the game or there were bugs needing to be fixed. Obviously there are exceptions - The Sims add on pack was full of new stuff (unfortunately it kind of took the point away from the main game by bringing in exploding garden gnomes, magic genies and the chance to bargain with the Grim Reaper.
Armitage Shanks wrote:
yeah... I remember a lot of complaints about the speed of
> the clock... Also, I understand that you can only control the Sim
> whilst he is at home...
And although one of the newer upgrades is
> soon to include shopping centres, that most people wanted to control
> the Sim whilst they were at work?
Have you tried slowing the
> clock speed down? I understand there is a cheat that allows you to
> do so?
It was a major pain when your sim came back from work and was hungry and needed to go to the toilet. Don't they have fast food joints in Sim city and don't they have toilets there as well? It's the little things that count and there are a lot of little things wrong with the Sims. It also normally takes my sim half an hour just to get out of bed, how lazy is that!?!
There is a cheat to change the time, but the only problem with this is, if your sim was working at night it could seriously mess up the whole game and your sim could end up being sacked for not going to work even though he hasn't missed any days of work.
Darkreaper
yeah... I remember a lot of complaints about the speed of
> the clock... Also, I understand that you can only control the Sim
> whilst he is at home...
And although one of the newer upgrades is
> soon to include shopping centres, that most people wanted to control
> the Sim whilst they were at work?
Have you tried slowing the
> clock speed down? I understand there is a cheat that allows you to
> do so?
It was a major pain when your sim came back from work and was hungry and needed to go to the toilet. Don't they have fast food joints in Sim city and don't they have toilets there as well? It's the little things that count and there are a lot of little things wrong with the Sims. It also normally takes my sim half an hour just to get out of bed, how lazy is that!?!
There is a cheat to change the time, but the only problem with this is, if your sim was working at night it could seriously mess up the whole game and your sim could end up being sacked for not going to work even though he hasn't missed any days of work.
Darkreaper
Darkreaper wrote:
>how
> does it take you to get ready in the morning? Me about half an hour
> if i really rush and get in gear but my sim, if it needs to be out
> the house by 9:00am i have to drag his butt out of bed at 6:30 to
> 7:00am!!! 2 hours to get ready! How pants is that!?! Also if you
> have too many floor, wall or skin files they can either didn't load
> them or the game just crashed! Keeping friends is a real pain
> espically if your job requires you to like have 6 friends plus.
yeah... I remember a lot of complaints about the speed of the clock... Also, I understand that you can only control the Sim whilst he is at home...
And although one of the newer upgrades is soon to include shopping centres, that most people wanted to control the Sim whilst they were at work?
Have you tried slowing the clock speed down? I understand there is a cheat that allows you to do so?
>how
> does it take you to get ready in the morning? Me about half an hour
> if i really rush and get in gear but my sim, if it needs to be out
> the house by 9:00am i have to drag his butt out of bed at 6:30 to
> 7:00am!!! 2 hours to get ready! How pants is that!?! Also if you
> have too many floor, wall or skin files they can either didn't load
> them or the game just crashed! Keeping friends is a real pain
> espically if your job requires you to like have 6 friends plus.
yeah... I remember a lot of complaints about the speed of the clock... Also, I understand that you can only control the Sim whilst he is at home...
And although one of the newer upgrades is soon to include shopping centres, that most people wanted to control the Sim whilst they were at work?
Have you tried slowing the clock speed down? I understand there is a cheat that allows you to do so?
Armitage Shanks wrote:
How did
> you feel about your Sims Add-On?
Did you think it added extra
> features to the game? .. Or do you think they should have gven
> everything away as a free download... or... ???
Mixed bag really. It did have some nice features like multiple neighbourhoods and also some extra items (the lamp, properly being the best) but then again it didn't really tackle any of the main problems that i've had with the game and you can already download a lot of stuff from the net.
For example how does it take you to get ready in the morning? Me about half an hour if i really rush and get in gear but my sim, if it needs to be out the house by 9:00am i have to drag his butt out of bed at 6:30 to 7:00am!!! 2 hours to get ready! How pants is that!?! Also if you have too many floor, wall or skin files they can either didn't load them or the game just crashed! Keeping friends is a real pain espically if your job requires you to like have 6 friends plus.
I wouldn't really recommend the add on unless they really like the Sims which i did do at the time but i hardly play on it now, it isn't even on my hard drive anymore. They should of just posted the odd bits on the net.
Darkreaper
How did
> you feel about your Sims Add-On?
Did you think it added extra
> features to the game? .. Or do you think they should have gven
> everything away as a free download... or... ???
Mixed bag really. It did have some nice features like multiple neighbourhoods and also some extra items (the lamp, properly being the best) but then again it didn't really tackle any of the main problems that i've had with the game and you can already download a lot of stuff from the net.
For example how does it take you to get ready in the morning? Me about half an hour if i really rush and get in gear but my sim, if it needs to be out the house by 9:00am i have to drag his butt out of bed at 6:30 to 7:00am!!! 2 hours to get ready! How pants is that!?! Also if you have too many floor, wall or skin files they can either didn't load them or the game just crashed! Keeping friends is a real pain espically if your job requires you to like have 6 friends plus.
I wouldn't really recommend the add on unless they really like the Sims which i did do at the time but i hardly play on it now, it isn't even on my hard drive anymore. They should of just posted the odd bits on the net.
Darkreaper
Slaveunit wrote:
But you dont just want
> excatly the
> same game, but with better graphics do you?
No, i want a new,
> upgraded game with better graphics, more game modes, more
> characters/tracks/etc, better ai, and all else you expect with a
> sequel. An add-on wouldnt be able to do this
(They are Add-Ons that do add this much... however they are VERY few and far between)
In which
>
> case... The half-line add-on 'Blue-Shift' contains a HD pack,
> which
> updates the graphics of the entire Half-Life game set
> (not just the
> expansion) ... Also, games will be able to
> utilise new features
> (like the queing system for the
> production of units in Age of
> Empires) ... ???
Consoles
> arent like that. You turn it on, put the disc in and play it. the
> PS2 HD is on the way, but i hope its used for better reasons than to
> update old games. If they want to remodel the engine, why not stick
> it all on a new disc? the fans of the original would want it as a
> sequel, and the newer people could have it without buying the
> original.
Console could effectivly put the entire add on onto the expansion CD-ROM, working rather like multi-didk titles do?
Although I was thinking more of add-ons utilising the Hard Drives of consoles, with the X-Boxs becoming standard... and the popular prediction that the PS2's will become indespensable...?
Obviously!
> thats my whole point! I want more for my money. If the tony hawkes
> add on had 100 tracks on it, id rather have half of those on tony
> hawkes 2. all the sequel points i said erlier are there. better
> graphics, more tricks, options, players, etc. If they delayed GT3 so
> they could add another 50 cars to GT2 I'd be annoyed just as much as
> everyone else would be.
Though, production of the second program takes time...
When designing the original game, once design is complete, and the program is passed onto the next stage of development, instead of waiting to see if the game is successful enough to validate producing a sequal, (Sequal, not normally reaching the design stage until after the inital title is released, at the earlyest) designers could immeadiatly start working on Add-Ons...
Even if designers did start immeadiate work on a sequal, once their design was finalised, they could begin working on the Add-On pack (given the amount of time for the rest of game production, and the greatly lowered requirements of designers to primarily tweaking the application design?
Or, as in the case og Half-Life, the add-on could be designed by a different team?
Essentially, what I'm saying is that bringing out an add-on pack doesnt put production of a sequal back...
Look at games which currently have add-ons for the PC... Games like Deus Ex, which move straight onto the sequal havnt produced any add ons... where as games, for which sequals are being made, but which due to their lengh, wont be made (for financial reasons) for a long time anyway (Diablo 2, Half-Life, etc..) surely your only gaining?
Also...
But your not paying another 30 quid... your paying around 15 ... So its not like your buying the same game again... and you dont need to buy it for everyu game, jst that title which really grabs you, which you play over and over long after everyone else has let it go?
But you dont just want
> excatly the
> same game, but with better graphics do you?
No, i want a new,
> upgraded game with better graphics, more game modes, more
> characters/tracks/etc, better ai, and all else you expect with a
> sequel. An add-on wouldnt be able to do this
(They are Add-Ons that do add this much... however they are VERY few and far between)
In which
>
> case... The half-line add-on 'Blue-Shift' contains a HD pack,
> which
> updates the graphics of the entire Half-Life game set
> (not just the
> expansion) ... Also, games will be able to
> utilise new features
> (like the queing system for the
> production of units in Age of
> Empires) ... ???
Consoles
> arent like that. You turn it on, put the disc in and play it. the
> PS2 HD is on the way, but i hope its used for better reasons than to
> update old games. If they want to remodel the engine, why not stick
> it all on a new disc? the fans of the original would want it as a
> sequel, and the newer people could have it without buying the
> original.
Console could effectivly put the entire add on onto the expansion CD-ROM, working rather like multi-didk titles do?
Although I was thinking more of add-ons utilising the Hard Drives of consoles, with the X-Boxs becoming standard... and the popular prediction that the PS2's will become indespensable...?
Obviously!
> thats my whole point! I want more for my money. If the tony hawkes
> add on had 100 tracks on it, id rather have half of those on tony
> hawkes 2. all the sequel points i said erlier are there. better
> graphics, more tricks, options, players, etc. If they delayed GT3 so
> they could add another 50 cars to GT2 I'd be annoyed just as much as
> everyone else would be.
Though, production of the second program takes time...
When designing the original game, once design is complete, and the program is passed onto the next stage of development, instead of waiting to see if the game is successful enough to validate producing a sequal, (Sequal, not normally reaching the design stage until after the inital title is released, at the earlyest) designers could immeadiatly start working on Add-Ons...
Even if designers did start immeadiate work on a sequal, once their design was finalised, they could begin working on the Add-On pack (given the amount of time for the rest of game production, and the greatly lowered requirements of designers to primarily tweaking the application design?
Or, as in the case og Half-Life, the add-on could be designed by a different team?
Essentially, what I'm saying is that bringing out an add-on pack doesnt put production of a sequal back...
Look at games which currently have add-ons for the PC... Games like Deus Ex, which move straight onto the sequal havnt produced any add ons... where as games, for which sequals are being made, but which due to their lengh, wont be made (for financial reasons) for a long time anyway (Diablo 2, Half-Life, etc..) surely your only gaining?
Also...
But your not paying another 30 quid... your paying around 15 ... So its not like your buying the same game again... and you dont need to buy it for everyu game, jst that title which really grabs you, which you play over and over long after everyone else has let it go?
Armitage Shanks wrote:
Wouldnt there be the same amount
> of development time spent on Conolse add-ons as PC add-ons?
okay, you can have that one.
But you dont just want
> excatly the same game, but with better graphics do you?
No, i want a new, upgraded game with better graphics, more game modes, more characters/tracks/etc, better ai, and all else you expect with a sequel. An add-on wouldnt be able to do this
In which
> case... The half-line add-on 'Blue-Shift' contains a HD pack, which
> updates the graphics of the entire Half-Life game set (not just the
> expansion) ... Also, games will be able to utilise new features
> (like the queing system for the production of units in Age of
> Empires) ... ???
Consoles arent like that. You turn it on, put the disc in and play it. the PS2 HD is on the way, but i hope its used for better reasons than to update old games. If they want to remodel the engine, why not stick it all on a new disc? the fans of the original would want it as a sequel, and the newer people could have it without buying the original.
Given the choice of tony
> hawkes 1 with 4
> more tracks or tony hawkes 2, its pretty obvious.
> Especially
> if th2 came out 4 months later because the team was
> working on
> the add on.
But you would get more than just a couple of levels
> on a disk.. no?
Obviously! thats my whole point! I want more for my money. If the tony hawkes add on had 100 tracks on it, id rather have half of those on tony hawkes 2. all the sequel points i said erlier are there. better graphics, more tricks, options, players, etc. If they delayed GT3 so they could add another 50 cars to GT2 I'd be annoyed just as much as everyone else would be.
Wouldnt there be the same amount
> of development time spent on Conolse add-ons as PC add-ons?
okay, you can have that one.
But you dont just want
> excatly the same game, but with better graphics do you?
No, i want a new, upgraded game with better graphics, more game modes, more characters/tracks/etc, better ai, and all else you expect with a sequel. An add-on wouldnt be able to do this
In which
> case... The half-line add-on 'Blue-Shift' contains a HD pack, which
> updates the graphics of the entire Half-Life game set (not just the
> expansion) ... Also, games will be able to utilise new features
> (like the queing system for the production of units in Age of
> Empires) ... ???
Consoles arent like that. You turn it on, put the disc in and play it. the PS2 HD is on the way, but i hope its used for better reasons than to update old games. If they want to remodel the engine, why not stick it all on a new disc? the fans of the original would want it as a sequel, and the newer people could have it without buying the original.
Given the choice of tony
> hawkes 1 with 4
> more tracks or tony hawkes 2, its pretty obvious.
> Especially
> if th2 came out 4 months later because the team was
> working on
> the add on.
But you would get more than just a couple of levels
> on a disk.. no?
Obviously! thats my whole point! I want more for my money. If the tony hawkes add on had 100 tracks on it, id rather have half of those on tony hawkes 2. all the sequel points i said erlier are there. better graphics, more tricks, options, players, etc. If they delayed GT3 so they could add another 50 cars to GT2 I'd be annoyed just as much as everyone else would be.
Darkreaper wrote:
> I've only ever bought three add-ons. For The Sims, Starcraft and
> Warcraft. The Starcraft add-on (Starcraft Brood Wars) is one of the
> best and was almost like buying another title in the series. It had
> as many levels as the original, new units, had some extra maps for
> multi-player games and made changes to some of the units and the
> gameplay itself. It was the best £20 i've ever spent on a
> game, even though it was just an add-on. It took me just as long to
> complete as the first one and i still spend a lot of time playing on
> it now. Hope they make another Starcraft game.
How did you feel about your Sims Add-On?
Did you think it added extra features to the game? .. Or do you think they should have gven everything away as a free download... or... ???
> I've only ever bought three add-ons. For The Sims, Starcraft and
> Warcraft. The Starcraft add-on (Starcraft Brood Wars) is one of the
> best and was almost like buying another title in the series. It had
> as many levels as the original, new units, had some extra maps for
> multi-player games and made changes to some of the units and the
> gameplay itself. It was the best £20 i've ever spent on a
> game, even though it was just an add-on. It took me just as long to
> complete as the first one and i still spend a lot of time playing on
> it now. Hope they make another Starcraft game.
How did you feel about your Sims Add-On?
Did you think it added extra features to the game? .. Or do you think they should have gven everything away as a free download... or... ???
I've only ever bought three add-ons. For The Sims, Starcraft and Warcraft. The Starcraft add-on (Starcraft Brood Wars) is one of the best and was almost like buying another title in the series. It had as many levels as the original, new units, had some extra maps for multi-player games and made changes to some of the units and the gameplay itself. It was the best £20 i've ever spent on a game, even though it was just an add-on. It took me just as long to complete as the first one and i still spend a lot of time playing on it now. Hope they make another Starcraft game.
Darkreaper
Darkreaper
Slaveunit wrote:
> For the work that goes into the development of an add on (consoles
> here) i'd personally rather have the sequel that much
> earlier.
Wouldnt there be the same amount of development time spent on Conolse add-ons as PC add-ons?
The graphics on consoles improve with every game, and
> rather have the same game with another level, id rather have the
> sequel, with more levels than the add on pack would have supplied,
> uprated graphics and a better engine.
But you dont just want excatly the same game, but with better graphics do you?
In which case... The half-line add-on 'Blue-Shift' contains a HD pack, which updates the graphics of the entire Half-Life game set (not just the expansion) ... Also, games will be able to utilise new features (like the queing system for the production of units in Age of Empires) ... ???
Given the choice of tony
> hawkes 1 with 4 more tracks or tony hawkes 2, its pretty obvious.
> Especially if th2 came out 4 months later because the team was
> working on the add on.
But you would get more than just a couple of levels on a disk.. no?
> For the work that goes into the development of an add on (consoles
> here) i'd personally rather have the sequel that much
> earlier.
Wouldnt there be the same amount of development time spent on Conolse add-ons as PC add-ons?
The graphics on consoles improve with every game, and
> rather have the same game with another level, id rather have the
> sequel, with more levels than the add on pack would have supplied,
> uprated graphics and a better engine.
But you dont just want excatly the same game, but with better graphics do you?
In which case... The half-line add-on 'Blue-Shift' contains a HD pack, which updates the graphics of the entire Half-Life game set (not just the expansion) ... Also, games will be able to utilise new features (like the queing system for the production of units in Age of Empires) ... ???
Given the choice of tony
> hawkes 1 with 4 more tracks or tony hawkes 2, its pretty obvious.
> Especially if th2 came out 4 months later because the team was
> working on the add on.
But you would get more than just a couple of levels on a disk.. no?
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