Brooklyn and the DLCs
Player expectations were also disappointed regarding the scope and available neighborhoods of New York. Just a few weeks ago, Brooklyn was promoted as a walkable neighborhood, and gameplay scenes published by the manufacturer confirm that. According to the latest announcements, Brooklyn will not be part of the main game. Naysayers claim that Brooklyn is finished and will now be released as paid DLC. So that the player base can also be milked properly. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.
The inclusion of additional neighborhoods could not be completed due to time constraints. Since the game has already been delayed multiple times, another delay due to pressure from the publisher was likely not an option. Leaving aside the resulting shitstorm from players. So partially completed content is simply offered as paid DLC.
Is it understandable that graphics on consoles do not quite match the level of modern PCs? Absolutely. Is it understandable to postpone unfinished game content to bring a game that has already been delayed several times to market on time? Absolutely. Is the communication from the manufacturer and the publisher in these matters adequate? By no means.
Especially Ubisoft should have a fundamental need, after the graphic downgrade disaster for Watch Dogs, to transparently inform players, and therefore paying customers, about all developments. Of course, there will still be gamers who get angry about the changes that always occur during a development cycle. But at least we then know that we are not regarded as immature customers that simply need to be heavily taken advantage of.
Understand the expectations of your players, and align your communication accordingly, and you can avoid a lot of backlash from the player base!
Spongebob Squarepants
The Division is a role-playing game with shooter elements. So far, so good. Core principles of many role-playing games focus, in addition to character development, on the use of perks, abilities, and gadgets to achieve victory in combat. To ensure that all these additional gameplay mechanics come into play alongside the primary weapon, enemies must have enough hit points. No one would set up a turret in a strategically meaningful position if a shot from the pathetic pistol that the game gave me at the beginning is enough for every enemy.
In fantasy or sci-fi role-playing games, this logic is not a problem at all since the enemies are fictional. The Cabal in Destiny have thick armor, so it is logical that they can withstand a lot. In The Division, however, the situation is somewhat different. Massive and Ubisoft have gone to great lengths to create a real horror scenario with real existing locations and enemies.
However, the New York-visited villain in a hoodie and baseball bat needs four shotgun rounds before he (perhaps) falls over. Here, the game has a credibility issue in my eyes. Which could have been easily resolved. One could have just assumed that survivors of the viral outbreak undergo a genetic mutation making them more resistant to violence. Unfortunately, this opportunity was missed. I hope the motivation to try out the numerous gadgets and abilities and survive tactically challenging battles outweighs the system’s lack of logic.
