Add Ons Instead of New Games : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:46 pm

However they could consider one thing, continuing free mini content add ons and "human computation". The modders did great work on the game and, in small ways, their works could be officially added into the game in some field if they're willing to "donate" it.
For example, the game could start out with a relatively basic library of ingredients, different things you can make out of them (powders, concentrated extracts...), chemical combinations and food you can make out of it, just enough to cover the game. Over time beth can make more ingredients, add more possible combinations and recipes, more meshes and different textures and put them together in mini add on packs.
The modders can come into play here too, when they create those they could OFFICIALLY submit them, the meshes, textures, functions and scripts can be reviewed (which I think would take less time than making them) and, if they are good, added into a official pack. For the modders each pack could contain a "credit" list with the contributing modders name. That way that part of the game can be extended continuously and there miiiight even be a chance this can be extended to the consoles.

:celebration: I liked that idea... I think they should use the modders' ideas. Some of them are even better then the original game... sorry Bethesda sad but true

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 4:15 pm

Well, I guess it would be possible to keep on making addon after addon. WOW anyone? Plus those people are willing to pay everymonth just to play it. :/

The modders can come into play here too, when they create those they could OFFICIALLY submit them, the meshes, textures, functions and scripts can be reviewed (which I think would take less time than making them) and, if they are good, added into a official pack. For the modders each pack could contain a "credit" list with the contributing modders name. That way that part of the game can be extended continuously and there miiiight even be a chance this can be extended to the consoles.

Well if the modders "donate" their content, then that content better be free unless the parent company actually pays those modders royalties for their work.

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:04 pm

Well if the modders "donate" their content, then that content better be free unless the parent company actually pays those modders royalties for their work.

I did imagine the mini add ons to be free like they where back in Morrowind. Since they'd be officially approved it COULD be possible that they can be added together to a bigger pack for the consoles after a while.

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:52 pm

Well, I guess it would be possible to keep on making addon after addon. WOW anyone? Plus those people are willing to pay everymonth just to play it. :/

That is pretty much where Bizz get their dough to continue to make expansion, those Monthly Fees. Remember that people buy a WoW account (I assume $20-$30) plus the monthly fee ($15 per Month). They are not going to make a brand new game with new engine if the current one is cashing money from players. To keep these players, they make expansions. More money from selling the expansion and more money from monthly fee.

In shorter term, WoW have a enough money to make expansion to keep player from staying and get money from monthly fee.

TES doesn't and it isn't a good comparison to say that WoW did the addon, so should TES.

» Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:45 am

As I've said before, it could only happen if Bethesda makes TES PC only. Interesting idea, but never going to happen.

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:02 pm

As I've said before, it could only happen if Bethesda makes TES PC only. Interesting idea, but never going to happen.

Why would add ons only be for pc? If they were doing enough extra content they could release discs periodically for people with no internet connection.

You do realise consoles have hard drives nowadays?

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:21 pm

Why would add ons only be for pc? If they were doing enough extra content they could release discs periodically for people with no internet connection.

You do realise consoles have hard drives nowadays?

The problem is M$ and $ony have to ALLOW that content on their consoles too, if they say no then you don't get add ons.

» Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:22 am

Why would add ons only be for pc? If they were doing enough extra content they could release discs periodically for people with no internet connection.

You do realise consoles have hard drives nowadays?

because sooner or later a new generation of consoles would arrive that may not be compatable with the add ons, and if all bethesda were to make were more add ons then TES series is over for consoles. Also, to be honest it would just be a pain in the ass and theres no reason to make continuous add ons with the same engine when you could make a new game with more advanced tech.

» Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:43 am

I didn't know that MS and Sony kept that much control.

When we buy a console, are we technically RENTING it from Sony or MS?

The way things are going, it's going to get to a point where a company like Microsoft can control what gets loaded on IE.

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:02 pm

When you purchase a game or a software you are not actually buying the game, you are buying a license to use the game or software. Its more BS to rip us off and make more money.

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:18 pm

The way things are going, it's going to get to a point where a company like Microsoft can control what gets loaded on IE.

"Games for Windows Live" a stepping stone? I have a hunch that's what M$ is exactly trying to do. I thought Bill Gates gave a speech somewhere talking about a future in which people don't have their own personal hard drives to store their files anymore. It all gets stored in a central mainframe which the world gets networked to.

I like the parody one of the James Bond movies made on a related subject. IIRC, I think it was the beginning of Tomorrow Never Dies where they have a "villain" video conferencing with their affiliates trying to come up with diabolical ways of milking people for their money. One of the affiliates mentions the idea of making computers where people have to constantly upgrade them.

» Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:12 am

Do games developers have to ask MS for permission to be able to run on Windows?

» Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:19 am

I'd have no objection to them just producing expansions to a game rather than a new game every few years providing the base game was good
After all a new game every few years means a lot of resources are put into redoing the same things (game mechanics, graphics etc) every few years
I can't see them doing it though. An expansion will only sell to people who bought the original game and liked it which will always be a smaller potential market than that for a new game

I think you are right... Mine was just an idea and i wish it could be done... :brokencomputer:

» Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:00 am

Would you like it if Bethesda starts to make continuous 'add on's after the release of TES V? I mean just like some modders, they can add new quests from time to time and add new places like new provinces and new missions in those new places? ( I mean just like online games such as warcraft) And may be the name of the game be 'TES Universe' instead of 'TES V- Something'. Then after enough time all provinces could be visitable. Do you think this is possible?

If I believed TESV is going to be everything I wanted it to be, than I would say yes, but I do not and if they did something like that with TESIV I think I would abandon the series for good...

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:54 pm

they should and will keep doing wht there doing with TES and Fallout

» Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:19 pm

Do games developers have to ask MS for permission to be able to run on Windows?

From my understand, I think MS might actually make DLC a requirement for a game to be released on the Xbox 360. I definitely know that they will demand DLC cost money on the 360; take, for instance, the game Borderlands. DLC on the PC is free, but MS required that 360 users be paid. Um. That is, if memory serves me correctly. >.<

I don't doubt money does have to go to MS for companies to build their game engines around the DirectX software stuff, and to be compatible with Windows. So, yeah, the companies probably have to get a license from MS to be able to make a game that will run on MS's proprietary Operating System. =/

@Daniel Kay: you mentioned beast animations and whatnot. From what I gather, upgrading Gamebryo caused an upgrade in the .nif format. This is why you have to 'downgrade' OB meshes in order for them to be rendered by Morrowind's engine. Additionally, modeling programs no longer have the older .nif format available when creating meshes. Modders must resort to old, outdated copies of 3ds Max in order to create animations (I don't know if Blender is able to do it, and the few modder's I've communicated with don't seem to know either, as they use the Max program instead =/ ). Also, the entire skeletal structure and way animations are handled seems to be very different between the Gamebryo/nifs used in TESIII, and the Gamebryo/nifs used in TESIV. So, right off the bat, you've got incompatibility. However, it does seem that making new animations for TESIV is much, much easier (at least for modders) than making new animations for TESIII. So, I'm not saying Bethesda can be 'let off the hook' if they felt new animations were too hard to do for beast races. I'm just saying keep in mind that sometimes it just isn't feasible nor practical to re-use older resources, especially if the technological advancements and improvements outweigh the loss of previous work.

DISCLAIMER: My post might contain inaccuracies and shouldn't be taken as 100% fact.