DLC Criticism

[Wooks]

I used to be a very big Ark supporter, I even recommended it to many of my friends.
But now i regret this...

In my opinion the release of this DLC is a shame, especially when you're watching the game itself and the updates it had in the last few months and how rare they where released. I think this low density of new updates is caused by the development of the DLC. But this isn't even where the disappointment begins ...

I think where this release is becoming a punch in the faces of all players is with the price,
I mean Ark is one of the most successful Early Access games ever and it is legitimate to make some money out of the hard work that was and is stil put into this game, but 20€ is way to much especially when comparing the price of the main-game to the DLC's. Imagine if the DLC was 5€ or even 10€, the WHOLE community would be surprised and very excited to discover this new map, the new mechanics and all the new Creatures. But with this price the community is split up and many people quit the game as they are very Disappointed.

If someone of the Developers reads this, please don't treat this as irrational flame. I really love ARK and when watching the trailer of the DLC I was very excited. In my opinion it's a very great idea to switch the setting of such a great Game and create new possibilities. But with this DLC and it's price you kind of insult the players that trusted you and paid for content that isn't developed yet, just to see the development of an expensive DLC being more important than the development of the content they've already paid for.

With friendly regards,

Wooks

[kd0t]

Personally I have no issue with the fact its a DLC, nor with the price point especially in this day and age where games are being released for £80+.  For me £15 is in the impulse buy category I just would have preferred to have a finished main game besides new dino's for me there doesn't seem to be a point to the game and it would be nice to have some idea where they are going with the storyline and related content as end game is basically sitting in your base tending to everything, building defenses or wiping weaker tribes because you have nothing better to do.

[SiSaSyco]

I wanted to post very similar thoughts and mostly agree to what Wooks wrote here. Me and my Wife began playing Ark again after more than half a year break some weeks ago and our feelings was something like "Oh, nothing much has changed, sad ... but cool! a new total conversion primitive+, some new dinos, a new map at least some things were added ... sadly with lots of bugs but these will be hopefully addressed soon ... " but now a release of new content for a price not lower than 19,99?! In my opinion an early access game i already payed for should get finished before any additional paid content gets released. But well that's only my opinion and in consequence I will not buy any dlc before the core game is finished. I like the core game, especially now with primitive+ without all these modern era things and only want this to get finished and polished. Add new things after the core game is finished and I even have no problems paying for them ...

[Paroxyde]

2 minutes ago, SiSaSyco said:

I wanted to post very similar thoughts and mostly agree to what Wooks wrote here. Me and my Wife began playing Ark again after more than half a year break some weeks ago and our feelings was something like "Oh, nothing much has changed, sad ... but cool! a new total conversion primitive+, some new dinos, a new map at least some things were added ... sadly with lots of bugs but these will be hopefully addressed soon ... " but now a release of new content for a price not lower than 19,99?! In my opinion an early access game i already payed for should get finished before any additional paid content gets released. But well that's only my opinion and in consequence I will not buy any dlc before the core game is finished. I like the core game, especially now with primitive+ without all these modern era things and only want this to get finished and polished. Add new things after the core game is finished and I even have no problems paying for them ...

I suppose you guys are playing on local host? In server settings, you can make it so that the dinos of the dlc spawn in the normal map AND insert the dlc's engrams to the normal list WHITOUT buying the DLC.

[SiSaSyco]

No we are playing on our own dedicated server but could add the content there, too. But that's not the point. I would like to see the core content finished first. I will not go and get an addon for a game that itself is not finished. Where is this going in future? We buy games years before they get finished and buy addons for them before we can even play the core game? It just feels not "right". I even had no good feeling buying an early access game but in case of Ark i did it. Well, perhaps this shows me that i should not buy games in advance, so i ll not do it again 

Hopefully the next months ark development will focus on the core game again. Wasn't DX12 support announced to be implemented at the beginning of 2016? 

I would like to see an update for Primitive+ soon, but that's maintained by a independed person anyway I guess ...

[GDP]

Whatever its done.  I uninstalled the game, hope people enjoy destroying all the my hours of work.  I wont support a shady company like this.

[sal]

honestly i gave up all hope for the main Ark game, sadly nobody is working on that anymore. But there would be so much more to fix, i am not even talking about the stuff they promised to add....

They got our money already no reason to finish Ark as it seems. The saddest part, not event the new birds made it into the game.

Now we also know why so many features where delayed so long, why the patches where disasters etc..

All resources directed to the paid DLC, no way you get more of my money guys ....

[LurchUSA]

This game is STILL in Alpha and WildCard decided to play their "joker", thinking the players are too STUPID to realize the base game is unfinished and released a PAID DLC before they finish their base game.

 

Wildcard has just lost my confidence.  I once believed they can deliver... they can deliver all right, a sucker punch to the wallet!

 

If this doesn't scream CASH GRAB... I don't know what will!

[TacticalIdiot]

I kind of agree, I was really hyped when I saw the map, then when I found out it cost money I felt a bit deflated. Definitley wont buy unless there is a good sale.

[Zahlea]

And it even destroyed the base game... In comparison to ScE, SE looks really rushed and unpolished. How to enjoy the base game when you've been so clearly enlightened as to its deficiencies?

[Purrmaster]

We can hope they will turn their attention back to the base after this.  Though once the revised Center map comes out they'll have to juggle bugs for it, primitive plus, and Scorched Earth.

[sAd]

On 2.9.2016 at 1:11 PM, Wooks said:

I think this low density of new updates is caused by the development of the DLC.

And here ur wrong allrdy.

The DLC was planned a year ago allrdy...back then the devs thought the maingame will be finished by now and the dlc would have been released after finishing the maingame. Now, a year later, the maingame isnt finished due massive additional content they added which wasnt planned back then. But the "B-Team" of devs finished the dlc in time.

So that did leave them with 2 options. Hide the finished dlc for serveral months till the maingame is finished or release it and let the people enjoy it.

 

The only problem I see is their communication, which is kind of non existent is this topic.

[Zahlea]

 

3 hours ago, sAd said:

And here ur wrong allrdy.

The DLC was planned a year ago allrdy...back then the devs thought the maingame will be finished by now and the dlc would have been released after finishing the maingame. Now, a year later, the maingame isnt finished due massive additional content they added which wasnt planned back then. But the "B-Team" of devs finished the dlc in time.

So that did leave them with 2 options. Hide the finished dlc for serveral months till the maingame is finished or release it and let the people enjoy it.

 

The only problem I see is their communication, which is kind of non existent is this topic.

Do you have a source for this? I've seen it stated by several people, but I've never seen an official source confirming it.

Either way, no matter when the DLC was planned, resources went into making it. If all of these resources were put into the main game, then the main game would have seen more progress. It's a fact. Thus, what you quoted holds: "I think this low density of new updates is caused by the development of the DLC" and is not wrong as you state. It doesn't matter whether or not the DLC was planned. When they planned it is highly irrelevant. What is relevant to the quote is whether development of the DLC has had a negative impact on the development of the main game. What we know for a fact is that main game has had few updates and far apart, most features promised in an update have been pushed forward. At the same time, resources have been spent on creating DLC. It really isn't hard to imagine that, had they not created the DLC, the main game would have been further along - no matter when it was planned!

Also, no matter when it was planned, it was a long time ago they pushed the release date. That's a very good time to reconsider the DLC. So really, again it is irrelevant when it was planned. Plans change! All the time!

What is relevant is that they decided to stick with their plan, if your unconfirmed assumptions are correct, for some reason. And that decision is something you can very well argue against. You can't just sit and stubbornly repeat "There's a plan" and think that that'll hold.

[GP]

It's actually been said that the development of the Expansion Pack has actually been beneficial as it has identified a lot that can be implemented on Survival Evolved to improve the core game. It is my opinion that without the work done on the Expansion Pack these improvements may not have come to light so early on. I'm not saying that's a defence for the Expansion being released, but the development of it is essentially going go benefit Survival Evolved core game.

So people shouldn't be annoyed that development on the Expansion was happening during the development of the core game because it is going to help the core game development. Whether it was right to release the Expansion is another matter, but at the end of the day Scorched Earth is going to assist in the further development of Survival Evolved.

[rawsh]

23 minutes ago, GamerPerfection said:

It's actually been said that the development of the Expansion Pack has actually been beneficial as it has identified a lot that can be implemented on Survival Evolved to improve the core game. It is my opinion that without the work done on the Expansion Pack these improvements may not have come to light so early on. I'm not saying that's a defence for the Expansion being released, but the development of it is essentially going go benefit Survival Evolved core game.

So people shouldn't be annoyed that development on the Expansion was happening during the development of the core game because it is going to help the core game development. Whether it was right to release the Expansion is another matter, but at the end of the day Scorched Earth is going to assist in the further development of Survival Evolved.

well since Tek tier is gone from the "A little further out" list my guess is thats the first victim of a "successful" dlc, i really hope thats just an oversight... if they start sifting more planned features from the core game to sell more Dlc... thats the only effect ive noticed so far, and a lot of disgruntled players.

[GP]

well since Tek tier is gone from the "A little further out" list my guess is thats the first victim of a "successful" dlc, i really hope thats just an oversight... if they start sifting more planned features from the core game to sell more Dlc... thats the only effect ive noticed so far, and a lot of disgruntled players.

I think you'll find that the only mention of something Tek in the Patch Notes, at least on this forum was this: - Underwater Dungeons, Tek Caves, "Ascension" Game Progression, "Boss Wars"

There has been no other mentioned of Tek Tier for at least a long long time. Its easy for people to point the finger at Scorched Earth, but that's clearly a scape goat.

[rawsh]

Just now, GamerPerfection said:

I think you'll find that the only mention of something Tek in the Patch Notes, at least on this forum was this: - Underwater Dungeons, Tek Caves, "Ascension" Game Progression, "Boss Wars"

There has been no other mentioned of Tek Tier for at least a long long time. Its easy for people to point the finger at Scorched Earth, but that's clearly a scape goat.

The normal Patchnotes used to contain, Tek-Tier as a Seperate entry, is what i am referring to, then im pretty sure for a while it had both, now only that, but all that obviously is just speculation and fears, but since we are hurting for reassurance here that this is not the start of a DLC gauntlet-galore, you get why we assume right?

[GP]

8 minutes ago, rawsh said:

The normal Patchnotes used to contain, Tek-Tier as a Seperate entry, is what i am referring to, then im pretty sure for a while it had both, now only that, but all that obviously is just speculation and fears, but since we are hurting for reassurance here that this is not the start of a DLC gauntlet-galore, you get why we assume right?

It hasn't been present on patch notes for months and months, and i'm talking at least beginning of the year. The only reason people notice it missing now is because they've got a reason to look closer at the Further Out bit. A case of people making assumptions and putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with salt.

[Zahlea]

12 minutes ago, GamerPerfection said:

It hasn't been present on patch notes for months and months, and i'm talking at least beginning of the year. The only reason people notice it missing now is because they've got a reason to look closer at the Further Out bit. A case of people making assumptions and putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with salt.

Or, people are just starting to realise that sometime around the point where they started working on the DLC, they also suddenly removed Tek Tier as a planned feature..... No wonder people are worried! Desert biome was listed as a core feature on the Steam page and look what happened with that...

[GP]

2 minutes ago, Kimsie said:

Or, people are just starting to realise that sometime around the point where they started working on the DLC, they also suddenly removed Tek Tier as a planned feature.....

Again more assumptions. There is no way you can say when it was no longer listed on the further out. But as I said it is easy to use the Expansion Pack as a reason for it no longer being listed. You don't know when it was no longer listed so you just make it sound like it was around the time the Expansion started being worked on. Assumptions like that get picked up by those that already have a grudge and you end up adding fuel to the fire that is based on assumptions and guesses.

[panteni87]

11 minutes ago, GamerPerfection said:

Again more assumptions. There is no way you can say when it was no longer listed on the further out. But as I said it is easy to use the Expansion Pack as a reason for it no longer being listed. You don't know when it was no longer listed so you just make it sound like it was around the time the Expansion started being worked on. Assumptions like that get picked up by those that already have a grudge and you end up adding fuel to the fire that is based on assumptions and guesses.

Well, assumptions are natural when people hardly get any complete information. This is what happens, that's what happens when you create hype and can't live up to it. 

You assumbe that everybody that's angry is feels entitled to a lot of things
I assume you are bad at your job and don't relay information in the correct way. 

If all else fails: blame middle management. If the people higher up screw up, the community moderators catch the salt. 

Edit: here's another assumption by me, i think the devs haven't been open about this DLC and it's pricetag is because they knew they would catch A LOT of salt. So they just threw it out at release date. Because they knew this backlash would happen. And well, if it smells fishy, looks fishy and sounds fishy, there's always a chance that is isn't a fish, but you would be stupid not to assume it to be. 

[fultron3030]

9 minutes ago, GamerPerfection said:

Again more assumptions. There is no way you can say when it was no longer listed on the further out. But as I said it is easy to use the Expansion Pack as a reason for it no longer being listed. You don't know when it was no longer listed so you just make it sound like it was around the time the Expansion started being worked on. Assumptions like that get picked up by those that already have a grudge and you end up adding fuel to the fire that is based on assumptions and guesses.

I'll tell you what is not an assumption. I bought a game on a promise that it would be finished and it isn't. The expansion is though. How do you put tint on your windows before you get your tires to work? HAHAHA, just google wildcard, you can sit here and defend them all day but the world knows how dirty and ridiculous this move was. They have made themselves know as the studio that puts out DLC before their game. Since they were the first to be dense enough to turn and do something like this that name will haunt them for a LONG LONG TIME, which can be crippling, especially for an indie company. Sure a good bit of people bought the DLC, I would venture to say just as many didn't. And even more never will buy ark because of the reputation this studio is gaining.

[GP]

2 minutes ago, fultron3030 said:

I'll tell you what is not an assumption. I bought a game on a promise that it would be finished and it isn't.

There wasn't a promise. Of course all games in Early Access intend to have the game finished at some point, that is no promise though. Even the original 2nd June 2016 release date was not a promise, it was a set target.

You write that sentence as if the game is no longer being developed period.

[Askadiel]

4 minutes ago, GamerPerfection said:

You write that sentence as if the game is no longer being developed period.

So would you say, P+ is longer developed ? Or its worked on ? No Onformation, unplayable and even more new Bugs and broken Function like fishing, with the Release of the DLC. Not even one Fix, since more then 4 Weeks, not really Efford put into, since the Release.....

 

That there happends nothing, is not an assumption. That there is no Communication, isnt an assumption. To think, they do the same with Center and the Core Game, isnt an assumptioon in my World too.

[fultron3030]

Just now, GamerPerfection said:

There wasn't a promise. Of course all games in Early Access intend to have the game finished at some point, that is no promise though. Even the original 2nd June 2016 release date was not a promise, it was a set target.

You write that sentence as if the game is no long being developed period.

Yeah thats a promise when they set a release date... how many have they set now? And is it being developed? I can take you around the map and show you how absolutely ruined it is. I have stacks of bug reports that have never even been addressed. Did you know there is a way to build off the map on every official map? I just saw someone post about their hatchlings vanishing. I put in an identical ticket almost 9 months ago. I'm not saying they should have dropped everything and fixed it just for me but thats a major problem. Something that probably could have been looked at throughout some point in those 9 months. Am i wrong? Are the current bugs not a problem? Is that what ark was intended to be?