Comments on: Patching Is So 2001

By: We Fly Spitfires

We Fly Spitfires — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:23:59 +0000

Heh, it’s bloody complicated isn’t it. IMO anything that is something you have to buy and is optional is an expansion and anything you are forced to download for free is a patch.

Throwing around the e-word is just a way to build hype imo these day.

By: Muckbeast

Muckbeast — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:33:23 +0000

City of Heroes really used to annoy me with this “free expansion” canard. There is nothing free about content added to a game that costs $15 a month – especially in a chronically content light game like City of Heroes.

I always felt this type of dishonesty really hurt the credibility of the company, and just encourages fanboys to thrust their heads even further in the sand.

-Michael Hartman
http://www.muckbeast.com

By: Votan

Votan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:40:19 +0000

Lineage 2 was a nice change as the “chronicles” did add a lot of new content and never once required a box purchase or other investment in the game. While L2 never going to be a big success with the easy mode NA audience, it was nice not to have to shell out $40 every year on some “expansion” I wish more games “patched” than rip me off for $40 for something that should have been a patch in the first place. See EQ2.

L2 is the game I always return to when I want to screw around with a MMO because it does not require me to spend $40-50 to catch up on “expansions” since I last played.

By: Vetarnias

Vetarnias — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:19:34 +0000

@yunk

In my case, it has to be “in a box”, especially if the price is almost identical to that of a download, because my damn Internet is metered.

By: yunk

yunk — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:11:49 +0000

Why does it have to be “in a box”? You are showing your age!

Seems expansions involve new content. Maybe not a ton anymore but it’s free. After all new content does “expand” the game.

I don’t see the issue here. The only issue is when they say things like “what other game added 2 classes only a few months after release” which was a pretty silly thing to say. But calling a new zone an expansion is exactly correct.

By: Jerid

Jerid — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:17:09 +0000

Actually, to be totally forthcoming with COH. They appear to have layers.

First they have standard patches: http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/patch_notes/

Then they have their issues (or “game updates”): http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/game_updates/game_updates_-_issue_list.html

And finally They have expansions (COV and the upcoming Going Rouge)

(Of course to muddy things more, they also have their Purchasable “Booster Packs”: http://www.cityofheroes.com/buy_now/products/buy_city_of_heroes.html)

By: thundercock

thundercock — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:11:25 +0000

logic has no place here.

By: wufiavelli

wufiavelli — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:11:55 +0000

They put in housing. a new small scale conquer system similar to resource nodes in SB, a teleportation system, character customization system, and weather system. Of these only weather was suppose to be for launch.

All of this easily qualifies as an expansion. Sure there are no new areas, but DF does not need new areas it is big enough. The main question that needs to be asked is the quality of these systems game design wise. Given darkfalls past history i have my doudts but wish for the best.

By: Redwolf

Redwolf — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:27:00 +0000

Huh. I always figured a “patch” fixed things, including rebalancing. Similary, an “expansion” to me 1) includes new stuff and 2) is optional.

If you cannot play the game without the software, that’s not an “expansion” in my book.

By: dartwick

dartwick — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:33:35 +0000

Eve shows how it really is hard to classify this stuff.

Twice a year they release an “expansion” which is definitely more than the frequent patches. And they have never released an “expansion” that you had to pay for. The vissible content seems thin in them but they often end up practically reinventing the game.

They are more like the “modules” that DFO puts out from time to time.