FOTS pre-order bonuses

[easytarget]

I'm surprised someone has started a thread about this already.

http://www.totalwar.com/shogun2/fots_preorder/

Should be pretty obvious what's just a wee bit annoying about this, but I'll let you be the judge.

[Sp4]

When do they release this? I was thinking of pre ordering but if they let us wait 6 months... I may forget about it lol.

[leonardo davinci]

are they serious? so there's no way of being able to play all of those extra clans? that's just stupid, now i have to make a choice of something i have no knowledge about. but i gues they'll bring them as 3 seperate dlc's in about 6 months after release.

[aimlesswanderer]

I can understand their logic, but it really annoys me. Some information would be nice, I am definitely wary of signing up for some unknown content.

[Vladimir]

"Obama faction: With long experience of government and administration, the authoritarian people of Obama are unsurpassed in controlling people and trade."

At least they got the authoritarian part right.

[easytarget]

Was wondering how long it would take before someone came along and made a political remark. Not long I see. :rolleyes:

[Vladimir]

Well at least I didn't write it in a British accent or it would look like I was talking about an Irish terrorist.

But, yea...I'm really excited about this expansion and think the setting will take greater advantage of the game engine and be more fun. The battles in S2 are the weakest part of a great game; this expansion should make them the center of attention again.

[econ21]

I did a double take when I saw that faction name, wondering if April Fool's Day had come early. But I agree with EasyTarget, let's leave politics to the Backroom.

IIRC, CA did a similar thing with Empire - you got different special units if you pre-ordered at different outlets. I think they were ultimately available via a DLC but being single top-end units, were more of a flavour thing than having or not having access to three whole clans will be. There's not much information about the three pre-order clans. The Limited Edition sounds potentially the most powerful - faster access to new military tech. The Special Edition clan comes with added ninjas. The normal pre-order seems the least distinctive, except for the slightly disconcerting name familiarity.

[frogbeastegg]

So no matter what you do you will be missing a minimum of 2 clans until they are released as purchasable DLC months after release? That's off-putting.

Clans are a large factor in Shogun II's longevity and replayability; they are much more important than a handful of units and, unlike the Hattori bonus for S2, there's no way to get a 'complete' game at release. The missing clans are even more irritating when you consider that there are only playable 6 clans in the basic game! What about people buying after release day? The limited edition of S2 was available for a long time and latecomers could still get the Hattori if they wanted.

[Sp4]

Imo, it does not matter that there are only 6 or so factions. In the long run most S2 campaigns boil down to 3-4 powerful factions going to war anyways, unless you deliberately keep small factions alive for whatever reason.

[frogbeastegg]

6 playable factions, meaning the ones a human can play as. Shogun II launched with 9 playable clans, 10 if you had the Hattori. 6 playable clans in RotS feels limited, and that campaign doesn't have clans divided in gameplay according to their technological attitudes like FotS. Fewer playable clans means that it's harder to find one which suits the campaign you want to play, and that you have fewer options when replaying.

[easytarget]

They never released some of units used as inducements for different distribution channels for Napoleon, which was the last standalone, and therefore the only gauge we have by which to judge whether we'll ever see these FOTS clans.

This is Sega doing this would be my guess. They operate like most game publishers who mimic each other whenever they stumble across something new. One minute Valve as sort of an inside joke with the TF2 community is selling a hat for a buck or two, next thing you know everyone is in on the DLC party in every shape and form.

So fine, monetize stuff, I get that. But not like this. You don't make decisions of distribution at the expense of your customer, and that's what this is pure and simple. If all of them were offered at point of release, in whatever format of their choosing, we would not be witnessing every TW forum filled up with annoyed customers. And if this was just about money, making them all available would make more money.

So boil it all away and here's the question: What does either CA or Sega, or both, get in the way of compensation from this distribution method that makes it worth pissing off their customers? If the answer is nothing, they are just as stupid as they are being collectively described all over the net over this decision. And if they got a fair sum of money from either the retailers or Steam for the exclusives, then I guess good for them, hope the financial gain was worth the bad PR.

[feelotraveller]

Yes this is annoying. Rather than DLC functioning as extras we are seeing a game released that has 9 playable factions but you only get part of that game. Pre-order and we'll give you 7 otherwise make do with 6... This is nonsense. It makes my decision to wait for a complete edition at a bargain price in a few years time all the easier. I advise other players to do the same (big chance he thinks) as that is what will stop them from repeating these antics. Complain all you like but if their sales are not effected they will go on doing this.

Now to find another game to buy...

[Templar Knight]

What I want to know is why haven't they made all the clans from Shogun 2 and FOTS playable yet?

And I believe that this is SEGA's work and not CA regarding the DLC.

[Jack Lusted]

Hi guys, we've posted an official comment on many fo the questions people have been asking in relation to the FotS pre-order here: http://forums.totalwar.com/showthread.php/31622-Official-Comment-on-Pre-Order-exclusives-and-DLCs?p=293198#post293198

[Monk]

Hi guys, we've posted an official comment on many fo the questions people have been asking in relation to the FotS pre-order here: http://forums.totalwar.com/showthread.php/31622-Official-Comment-on-Pre-Order-exclusives-and-DLCs?p=293198#post293198

Hey Lusted, thanks for taking the time to share the link with us. Greatly appreciated.

One thing I didn't seem mentioned there in your OP though and its got me curious. I realize its likely far too early to expect an answer to this question, but I'd like to ask anyway. Can we expect a later "clan bundle" pack DLC to be released for these pre-order clans, in the same way the Hattori were eventually offered to everyone who didn't preorder for S2? ~:)

[Vladimir]

Hi guys, we've posted an official comment on many fo the questions people have been asking in relation to the FotS pre-order here: http://forums.totalwar.com/showthread.php/31622-Official-Comment-on-Pre-Order-exclusives-and-DLCs?p=293198#post293198

Thanks Jack. A detailed explanation.

[econ21]

Can we expect a later "clan bundle" pack DLC to be released for these pre-order clans, in the same way the Hattori were eventually offered to everyone who didn't preorder for S2? ~:)

Lusted gives a strong hint of that in his post, when he says that's what happened with past pre-order exclusives.

[easytarget]

1. Breaking up the pre-order clans was a concession to the retailers (not customers). The customer does not benefit from this, leave him/her out of your response dear CA brand mgr.

2. Strongly suggesting pre-order clans will be released later is weak sauce given there are units from previous games never released. Why given all the discussion in the forums would you not just come out and tell everyone you'll release them later? It's like only half utilizing the fact that you're acknowledging a direct connection with your customers by addressing the talking points in discussions like this thread, while at the same time not addressing them. Huh?

3. Say something about a patch. When was the last SP patch? I don't even remember. Was there one? All I recall is a lot of incessant whining by the distinct minority who play MP with much shouting and screaming about OP this and nerf that. Apparently it works, the last two patches were effectively all MP. Does the majority of SP players have to turn into two year olds to get a patch? Hello?

4. Oh, and put a froggy on one of the mountains somewhere. The bears were a nice touch in ROTS, time to take it to the next level as a tribute to one of the finest examples of a game guide ever made!

[Monk]

Lusted gives a strong hint of that in his post, when he says that's what happened with past pre-order exclusives.

Ah i must have missed that, my bad then. :bow:

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

1. Breaking up the pre-order clans was a concession to the retailers (not customers). The customer does not benefit from this, leave him/her out of your response dear CA brand mgr.


I suspect they've said it enough that they believe it themselves.

EDIT: Though maybe they're just taking the game to the next level. Shogun 2 is all about choice. You can't research all the techs - you need to prioritize. You can't upgrade your characters completely - pick just the traits and abilities you can't spare. Now it's choose which clans you want - but you will have to sacrifice others to get them.

[Andres]

There's a bit of a contradiction in that post over at the .com:

On the one hand, you say:



Isn’t it just cut content?

No. DLC content is worked on in its own time and under its own budget


On the other hand, you say:


As you may have seen in the past, over time it is possible that exclusive pre-order content becomes widely available as DLC.


Isn't previously exclusive pre-order content that comes available as DLC not exactly that: cut content that comes available later, at a price?

Anyway, I understand that the customer will be able to purchase the missing content afterwards as DLC, but isn't it a bit silly that you can't have the entire thing at once (a, more expensive "de luxe edition" or such?), here and now, as a pre-order? I think many customers are willing to pay that little extra to have the complete game immediately.

I agree with point 1. of easytargets' post #19; I don't see how not offering the possiblity to buy the complete game at its' release is in the interest of your fans :shrug:

Completely aside: it's indeed about time that a frogbeasteasteregg is implemented somewhere in a TW game.