DLC: Skyrim and Destiny (Destiny)

by SonofMacPhisto , Wednesday, July 16, 2014, 12:57 (3793 days ago) @ Ragashingo

You're quibbling over words. Stop, think bigger, and focus on the ideas: Additional paid content that extends a game like Destiny that will likely have no ending. If the hangup is really me typing DLC vs expansion then their is nothing to discuss because you are being purposely disenginous.

Those words mean something both to Cody, and in the general populace/lexicon. I think, gently, that you don't understand how expansions (in that they fundamentally change the fabric of the game) are different from DLC (add-ons that can ultimately be ignored). These words, I think clearly, represent two different modes of thinking.

Think back to Skyrim, and compare it to Civilzation V's "Brave New World" expansion. In Skyrim, from the moment you're in that cart on the way to be executed, does it matter AT ALL if you plan to even PLAY THROUGH Dragonborn, Dawnguard, or Hearthfire? Nope. You can play and play and play and more or less ignore it save the random vampire attacks and occassion unfamiliar orphan. The game doesn't even recognize you NOT doing them. Hell they are even called plug-ins. ;)

Now take Civ V. From even before turn one you're already considering what Ideology you'll take, how it'll affect victory conditions, how that impacts your Civ choice, map choice, the entire game is affected by that change. It's also impossible to ignore. Granted, you don't have to play with Brave New World, but don't you dare call it the same game as Vanilla, or Gods and Kings versions.

I imagine if I'm a developer, if someone says we're going to be making DLC, or making an expansion, my mind set is entirely different right from the get go because of how these terms have developed over the years.