General News - Rampant Coyote talks about Enhanced Editions

[HiddenX]

Rampant Games - Rampant Coyote talks about Enhanced Editions

Rampant Coyote talks about the recently annouced Enhanced Editions of big indie titles:

A bunch of the “big indie” RPGs, all crowdfunded, are undergoing some major revisions. This means a lot of different things. Now, one could complain that they were all released too soon, due to the pressures of promised release dates and clearly limited budgets. That’d not be entirely wrong. But in all of these cases, the updates are completely free to backers. So… I guess fortune favors the people who are a little slow.

More information.

 

[HiddenX]

If some games get the Gothic 2 treatment and get enhanced to Night of the Raven, that's a good thing.

But as an early adopter it's hard for me to decide when I start to play a game:

• at Early Access?
• at Release?
• at 1. Major Patch Release?
• at GotY-Release?
• at EE-Realase?

 

[DArtagnan]

It's quite the luxury problem, but it's also one I don't think there's any ideal solution for.

Personally, I play games I'm excited for at release - and I just deal with not having it all.

Most of them, though, I manage to wait until they're fixed and polished up nicely.

 

[Dez]

If some games get the Gothic 2 treatment and get enhanced to Night of the Raven, that's a good thing.

But as an early adopter it's hard for me to decide when I start to play a game:

• at Early Access?
• at Release?
• at 1. Major Patch Release?
• at GotY-Release?
• at EE-Realase?

If the game is really good and if I'm really excited of it, then i'll get it assap, but typically I wait atleast 2-3 months or get the goty/EE version.

I won't touch on early access / beta versions.

 

[Edgy]

Hey I don't have something concrete to discuss/complain about
so let's talk about free EE versions that gonna be hand out to customers!

Honestly they don't owe you this, they already delivered the game, but they are playing the good guys and give it out for free.
I wish it was a standard practise but it's not.

 

[joxer]

EE is great. Because it usually addresses the bad design decisions so we don't have to wait for game sequel. I wish DA3 had EE where I'd see not a single bear for example.

And it's great - when aimed at PC. When it's cover up name to hide it's just a port for phones, then it's not great. Such EE I will not buy nor play.

 

[Moriendor]

• at Early Access?
• at Release?
• at 1. Major Patch Release?
• at GotY-Release?
• at EE-Realase?

^ My personal preference since approximately two years or more. The only game in all of 2014 I bought at full price and at launch was Risen 3. Zero full price purchases in 2015 so far and none planned going forward. I'm also done with Kickstarter.
Unless there is a really good reason to take a chance, I will only play "finished" games in the future when the definitive final patch version (GOTY/EE/Complete Edition/whatever) is out.

Due to my backlog I will usually also wait until that version goes on sale. The only EE I could see myself buying at full price some time next year would be The Witcher 3.


I should be grateful towards the gaming industry though since I have never spent so little money on games as now. I have learned my lessons over the years when games I preordered started collecting dust on my shelf as I was waiting for patches or DLC or expansions.

This does not happen anymore now. I have become a release-hype-resistant patient critter and I will not accept less than the highest possible quality, final patch, full content version of games.

 

[mbpopolano24]

Clearly it depends on the game and personal interest. I played D:OS at release and I am glad I did: 500 hrs of pure joy and now I have the EE to look forward to. I played the beta of W2 for about 50 hrs, I enjoyed the game at release, and I will play again the EE. PoE did nothing for me, so I played it once and that's enough, I don't care for DLC / Expansion / EE. Underrail, I got already 60 hrs and it is still labeled as 'alpha', early access, and it feels much more polished and complete than the majority of released games. So, once again, I don't think there should be a general rule.

 

[sakichop]

I've been saying this for quite some time now. I rarely ever play games at release now. It just doesn't make sense.

If I were someone who had time to play games twice I would probably play at release then again when the better version releases but I'm no longer that someone.

 

[txa1265]

It's quite the luxury problem, but it's also one I don't think there's any ideal solution for.

Personally, I play games I'm excited for at release - and I just deal with not having it all.

Most of them, though, I manage to wait until they're fixed and polished up nicely.

Games I am excited for I play early ... and games I love I replay. So I get what is there at release, and if I loved the experience I will get the GOTY/EE version at some point. Otherwise who cares.

 

[Voqar]

I think it's cool that some of these games are continuing to be worked on and improved - taking the profits from sales and making good games even better is a good thing.

To me the value of that for existing owners varies. I have a huge backlog and a ton of games, period. For a story based game with static content there's not much of a chance that I'll go thru and play it again, even with some content, rule, mechanic tweaks, no matter how good the game is - especially if it has especially GOOD and memorable content, because I'll remember it and it's not as amazing when you already know what's going to happen.

I just so happens that with most of these, I never did finish any of them for one reason or another, so maybe I'll restart them with the overhauls.

Whether I get that much more out of any of these games (and I own them all) I can still appreciate them continuing to improve the games.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

It must be a game "I always wanted to buy" if I'll buy it instantly. Not many games have achieved this.

I usually wait at least a few Patches.

In former times, there was also a thing called a "Gold" version - this was basically what an "GOTY" version is now.

 

[basharran]

I mainly play games when they got my interest, don't really care for which label they have at that time. Then again, for a second playthrough or a revisit (when I didn't finish the game) I will wait for the gold/GOTY/EE version when announced, so this goes in my case for WL2 for instance.

 

[joxer]

I have become a release-hype-resistant patient critter and I will not accept less than the highest possible quality, final patch, full content version of games.

So you didn't buy preorder Destiny?
Shame on you!