Buying the plug-ins

fullymodo · Post by **fullymodo** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:52 pm

Trust me, the Orrery quest (and I use the word "quest" lightly) is NOT worth $2. Read the various forum posts of all the folks who feel cheated.

I think it's bad enough that everyone accepts the patch situation in the gaming world; i.e. games are released before they're completed, still with bugs and serious omissions, and then a few months down the line, the company will release fixes in the form of patches. I can't think of any other industry where an inferior or improperly tested piece of merchandise is released to the public.
But now we have to buy the unfinished game (which was an expensive title, by the way), and then pay extra for the bits that got left out for whatever reason. How is that OK?

I certainly hope someone from Bethesda is paying attention to how annoyed people are. Although I'm sure that they're too busy paying attention to the extra profits.

mordib · Post by **mordib** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 3:07 am

hey up, i felt the need to ressurect this one as I finally got round to installing the oratory pack last night and well, whilst I still defend my standpoint (that we shouldn't be so suprised or annoyed that they are charging for things like this due to the very nature of the business), I do now 100% agree that being charged for this particular mod was a travesty.

I've put the rest as a spoiler as I do discus the contents of the mod in detail:

SPOILER----------------------

First up the method you get the 'mission' as in install the mod load up and oh...out of the blue a new objective. it felt rushed, though not as rushed as the actual ac of geting back the required pieces. I mean it simply wasnt explained why the bandits had the pieces or why they were just sitting around with them in camps so close to each other. In fac there was no background to anything and no new challenges at all. Even walking between camps the whole thing can be done in about 30 minutes.

Now the oratory itself was very beautiful, stunning in fact apart from the loud dwarf machine noise that goes with the light show. The powers, given the level most people will be by the time they get them and the specific effects given I would suggest they are pretty much 100% useless...

In conclusion and on a value for money basis I do find it hard to believe they had the cheek to actually charge for this mod, putting aside the first 5 seconds you actually see the room fuly functioning there are better 'first attempt' mods available out there...

I think it's bad enough that everyone accepts the patch situation in the gaming world; i.e. games are released before they're completed, still with bugs and serious omissions, and then a few months down the line, the company will release fixes in the form of patches. I can't think of any other industry where an inferior or improperly tested piece of merchandise is released to the public.

its either this or not get many games released at all (definately none like oblivion). Living with a commercial games programmer has taught me that its a miracle they get larger games working at all, even after testing (and no matter what people think testing is a very detailed and lengthy process) it is no suprise there are bugs that slip through the net.

Masa · Post by **Masa** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:49 am

I'm not in to these charged plug-ins either. We should protest against them and not buy them. They should be more occupied with expansion packs than these little mods and let people do the mods.

Tricky · Post by **Tricky** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:51 am

They're probably going to include everything in the GOTY version anyway.

archaras · Post by **archaras** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:13 pm

IF bethy releases an expansion after the mods, wouldnt it for them be easier to include the small mods there. afterall i have heard that it is easier just to add the mods to an expansion, than to make the expansion able to run both with and without the mods. IF they make an expansion only able to run with the mods, that would anger alot of players, and allmost make the game illegal wouldnt it?

Niteowl3915 · Post by **Niteowl3915** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:03 pm

Archaras has exposed the vast unregulated world of video games!
There is no law or rule on the books about anything like that, therefore, the industry is completely within it's rights to shove paid plugins and mods down our throats.
The defense we have, possibly the greatest of all defenses, is to not buy their product and complain to them about it!
Today's technologies don't rule out obtaining (not buying) the prduct and complaining to them anyway, but I won't advocate that.
The dollar is mightier than the businessman!

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:32 pm

[QUOTE=Tricky]They're probably going to include everything in the GOTY version anyway.[/QUOTE]

More than likely. It smells similar to the way Interplay "sold" a new edition of BG2 with a pair of extra merchants, then released the merchants later for general use freely, after they'd been milked for all they could bring in.

Ashen · Post by **Ashen** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:38 am

I just had to revive this thread - did you see what's coming next - Mehrunes' Razor! Now isn't that interesting. I am actually wondering if they'll release all that they've missed from T.Lore that can be that can be put into the game? This seems to be the most expensive d/l so far and should give players 17 new magic items, 12 new books and notes for extra backstory, plus the MR. Hmm, interesting, not that I'll be getting it, especially after the experience some of my friends had with the previous ones, but I'll be intreested in seeing it if someone gets it.

Dowaco · Post by **Dowaco** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:02 am

I agree with most of the sentiments here. Bethesda does have the right to charge for their products, but they run the risk of alienating their customers by nickel and dimeing them while the game is hot, then incorporating all the mods at a discount when the expansion pack come out. I feel it is short sighted and exposes the company's true feelings about their customers. They must think of us as foolish marks. Not the best attitude to have to run an admired bussiness.

It would have been nicer for the customer if they withheld the new mods until an expansion was ready but they were probably worried that a modder would come along and do the upgrades for free. As consumers, we have to invalidate their business strategy if we want them to change the way they do business.

I will not buy small mods, I will buy a major add-on.

Dragon Reborn · Post by **Dragon Reborn** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:53 pm

That E-ransom thig scares me what if it really did happen

*shivers*

That said, mabie they are following the new marketing fad, but would'nt it make just a little more sence to just compile these good ideas/things not compleated on time and put 'em all in the next expansion? Or, let the moding comunity do it? with a wink and nudge im sure somone would.

miggles · Post by **miggles** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:52 am

This trend of charging for extra content is troubling, especially if Beth is going to release them again in a GOTY edition for even more money. But I don't see how this is much different from Bio releasing Premium Modules for NWN. NWN has a huge mod community and much of its work is significantly better than the premium modules released for NWN. Plus the PM cost 8-9$, not 2$. I don't see much difference and I don't remember Bioware getting slammed as much.

Uthwe · Post by **Uthwe** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:03 pm

Disturbing. This is stuff that should be in a patch and given out for free not sold. Im difinitly not buying any of the add on mods from Bethesda and it gives me second thoughts about Bethesda products in the future.

Definitly a cash grab.

Fer'or · Post by **Fer'or** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 4:10 am

There's a new one coming soon.
Mehrunes' Razor

yrthwyndandfyre · Post by **yrthwyndandfyre** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:43 pm

[QUOTE=Uthwe]Disturbing. This is stuff that should be in a patch and given out for free not sold. Im difinitly not buying any of the add on mods from Bethesda and it gives me second thoughts about Bethesda products in the future.

Definitly a cash grab.[/QUOTE]
I have a tendency to concur. It's the whole age-old greed gambit of, "Hey, it's so popular, maybe we can get them to pay extra for the bug fixes and stuff we planned on including but didn't have time for!"
M$ has played this game, too, as have a number of other major companies. Inevitably, there are a few gullible souls who will bite, but by and large, they never make back their investment, and wind up losing a lot of consumer good-will to boot.
So yeah, it kind of miffs me a bit, as well as finding out that one of my bug-fix plug-ins for MW was good enough that it was rolled verbatim into an official patch, without so much as a "by your leave" or a letter of thanks.
Hey, I get that I put in the Public Domain, but a "Gee, thanks for doing our work for us for free!" would have been nice.
I smell a whiff of 'change of management' over at Bethesda, and not the nice, minty-fresh kind, either.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:50 pm

So yeah, it kind of miffs me a bit, as well as finding out that one of my bug-fix plug-ins for MW was good enough that it was rolled verbatim into an official patch, without so much as a "by your leave" or a letter of thanks.
Hey, I get that I put in the Public Domain, but a "Gee, thanks for doing our work for us for free!" would have been nice.

Speaking frankly, that stinks. I'd suggest putting a note up in the ES forums about that.

Ashen · Post by **Ashen** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:40 am

Fer'or wrote:There's a new one coming soon.
Mehrunes' Razor

I just played it at a friend's house and honestly this is the only one worth anything IMO. Not enough to buy it mind you, after all it's the principle of the thing, but in general after seeing all of them except that DB den thingie, I think this one has the most content, even though the MR itself is not that grand (as it should be perhaps due to balance of the game, though I did expect more).