So Paradox's game development model for games like HOI4, EU4, CK2, Imperator, and a number of other games has been to release a playable game and iterate on it, releasing small DLCs over time containing much content alongside a free update to the game. I am pretty amenable to this, as I get so much enjoyment hours from these games per dollar, much more than I do for anything else that I purchase. On the other hand, getting into the games is a serious hurdle for people who can't drop the $250 you need to "catch up" to the DLCs if you get in late in the game.
Basically, I think of my purchase of every DLC as a sort of subscription fee that I pay the developers to keep developing and iterating the game, and I love how much I've seen these games change, and how much better they've gotten over time. I'd much prefer for this to be made explicit and to actually just subscribe to the games with some sort of monthly or yearly fee, I think it would be a lot more genuine and would deal with that pesky case of people picking up the game late and feeling like they have to dump $250 into it. Steam sales make this a bit bearable, but I just think Paradox would receive a much better reaction to its releases if people expected a game that would be in development over time rather than thinking they're receiving a complete game, which its pretty clear to everyone who's been playing Imperator that they're not.
To be clear, I'm not saying I'm disappointed with Imperator, I love the base of the game and I think there are a number of clear areas of improvement that I fully trust the devs to work on and improve, but the game has received negative ratings online for a reason, and I suspect that it basically has to do with false expectations.
Of course I'm worried that the games would cost more for me if this was how it worked, but at the same time I think it would be a better idea for Paradox as a company. Just my two cents.
Basically, I think of my purchase of every DLC as a sort of subscription fee that I pay the developers to keep developing and iterating the game, and I love how much I've seen these games change, and how much better they've gotten over time. I'd much prefer for this to be made explicit and to actually just subscribe to the games with some sort of monthly or yearly fee, I think it would be a lot more genuine and would deal with that pesky case of people picking up the game late and feeling like they have to dump $250 into it. Steam sales make this a bit bearable, but I just think Paradox would receive a much better reaction to its releases if people expected a game that would be in development over time rather than thinking they're receiving a complete game, which its pretty clear to everyone who's been playing Imperator that they're not.
To be clear, I'm not saying I'm disappointed with Imperator, I love the base of the game and I think there are a number of clear areas of improvement that I fully trust the devs to work on and improve, but the game has received negative ratings online for a reason, and I suspect that it basically has to do with false expectations.
Of course I'm worried that the games would cost more for me if this was how it worked, but at the same time I think it would be a better idea for Paradox as a company. Just my two cents.