Episode 16 Preview Extremely Disappointing!

I was looking forward to the next episode but feel extremely disappointed after watching the preview.

The biggest fail in my books is the lack of any new artwork and a new playable instance.

I mean if the content is monthly and they call it new, it must be fresh. Most other DLCs in the past have has some new artwork and new map but such is not the case with the upcoming episode.

Ever since the change to the new format, the Devs are failing to make any new maps/new artwork and using old redundant maps to push content.

The devs might feel that it's ok to keep using rehashed content but I for one want new maps/artwork for new content. I don't want to go to same old maps again and again.

The development appears to be so lazy that they don't even try to make new art into the old map which they can certainly do but they don't. The map will be exactly as before with same old reused NPCs. I mean they can very well change the map so that it does have some freshness e.g. they could have used the old zamaron map for the duo but made it so that there were marked changes to it as in some other unexplored area on the same map but they chose not to.

Discuss.

I love the Gotham Wastelands. Absolutely one of the best areas in the game by far.

Now if we could move bases out there....

I think that if there was an effort to change the environments to show what happened there previously it would be a little more tolerable. The Nexus of Reality shouldn't look the same as it did after the destruction it saw in Origin Crisis. Many heroes and villains shed their blood in that raid yet it looks pretty much the same.

New maps are a problem because of the limits of the PS3. Also with a push to release on a monthly basis and NOT miss deadlines, this is what we get.

I disagree. I have no issues with them repurposing content for the sake of telling a new/expanded story in an area we've already visited.

I would, however, have had a problem if the Bombshells Paradox instance took place inside the Intergang warehouse or the Falcone shipping warehouse and it was presented as "a new location in Soviet Russia".

The new solo tells a story about Hal Jordan/Ion becoming infected with Black Lantern (mist?). You can't really tell that story anywhere other than the Oa Central Power battery. I'm fine with them reusing it, although I do agree it would have perhaps been better to infect the Ysmault Central Power battery and do something there, involving Red Lanterns/Munk or something similar but not on Oa/Qward/Zamaron.

I'm also fine with them reusing the cathedral to tell a new Raven story/expand upon the Trigon story we saw in DLC8. It was a nice building that has so far been used only for 1 Duo.

I'm just glad they're giving Sons of Trigon some attention. I think of all the DLC's, SoT is my favorite, with WotL being 2nd because of the addition of Rage.

Making DLCs isn't easy. It used to take them 3-4 months to release new DLCs with some new stuff and some old maps. Now they have to release content every month like the above post said, so this is all you are going to get.

In my and some of my friends opinions, we should just get a full fledged expansion every year or so instead of DLCs.

In my opinion it's completely fine to use old areas in cases like this where it makes sense since the new Raven stuff is a continuation on the Sons of Trigon DLC and the Solo continues the story of the "Black" which is affecting Ion on Oa. No reason to start making new maps and areas for things like that.

...but the new solo and alert are "new, playable instances"... While I can very easily see where your disappointment comes from, I do feel your perspective is wholly one-sided. The art and map elements probably weren't adjusted because the focus was placed more on both the story and whatever mechanics have been included in the design.

This is done most likely to keep costs down, speed up the approval process, and keep within schedule. By reusing maps and art elements, the focus can be placed more on improving mechanics while, at the same time, the art team can work on building nice pieces and additions without feeling too much pressure. Considering the rate that we see absolutely "new" art content, it works out to about once every 3 months or so and sometimes longer.

Ultimately, it will come down to a couple of different things if we want fresh, new art elements and settings every time:

1. Are we willing to pay a little more to support the amount of art and design work that would be required?
2. Are we willing to wait longer between releases?

Considering how a big number of players are now in the frame of "pay as we go" and not dedicated subscribers, the first answer would likely be "no" because a lot of those players have already complained about the minor cost increase of the episodes (from $9.99 per DLC down to $4 per episode, ultimately a $2+ increase in overall cost).

The time debate comes down to cost as well because the art team would need to be scaled up to meet the demands of scheduling. As the devs had said in one of their live streams, any art elements need to go through an approval process back to DC before they can be used this sometimes can take a while. Further insight pointed out that any costume pieces (gear, etc) would need to be scaled to fit all character body types and that may also sometimes be a limiter in how soon a style might show up in game.

Another observation is that this particular community has never been the most patient when waiting for much of anything and highly vocal when they don't get what they feel that they want (without, at least, seeing it first).

In any case, "lazy" is not the word that should be used when trying to describe the job that any game developer does as it invokes the belief that no work is being done or, in this case, implies that very shoddy work when that is obviously not the case.

PS3 needs to be dropped into it's grave at some point.

The old maps took months to develop and implement. It seems unlikely that they put so much work into those for so little use (1 duo). I would also like to see new maps but I get that a few weeks vs a few months is a big difference in development time tables.
The people wanted more content faster, well here you go. Remember that they didn't go out and hire a whole new development team to put out the content faster. Expecting entirely new maps, mechanics, characters, gears,styles, npcs, etc. every 4 weeks is unrealistic at best. Lazy is not the word for it.

Reuse of open world content is a good move, because it uses them to their full potential and they don't go to waste. End game and new and 50/50 players can mix and it'll keep worlds like mist Metropolis, Gotham wastelands & Gotham under siege from being ghost towns.


Really, what use was Gotham wastelands after a small t5 DLC? Nothing, we are at t7, time for it to get life back.

I don't mind repurposing old art but I do mind the lack of creative repurposing. The cathedral in Trigon is cool and all but they would use it exactly in the same manner as it was done for the duo. That just shows that not much time is devoted to its development and perhaps the only work that goes into its development relates to scaling of NPCs to current tier.

It is pertinent to note here that they don't have to lay out new wire-frames and they can at least make some reasonable variations to an existing map to make it feel fresh.

The Bombshell Paradox map is not entirely new. The corridors and hallways are repurposed old content but used in a manner to give a fresh feeling. The same can be done with upcoming content.

Well DayBreak is no longer bound by sony and there console. So, no longer a sony company, no longer obligated to support old hardware.

It is still the same quarterly content only shelved as monthly release of part content. So far, the two episodes have no new artwork except the Hanger in Bombshell Paradox.

I don't mind full fledged expansions but the game design does not have enough depth that will keep the DCUO population active a whole year round.

fixed it for you Idk how people still play on PS3.

I'm not against reusing old maps. In fact I'd like to see a couple more get reused.

Smallville, for instance.

Ever since? Ever since the ONE Episode in the new format?

Many of us have been waiting for that. Arguably the best map in the game. I have high hopes for when they decide to reuse that map

Maybe the proposed Kryptonian stuff will go there.

Heck add some resident NPCs and use it as an open world spot.