Paradox Interactive's DLC Policy

Paradox Interactive's DLC Policy has been a topic of great contention across it's many games, VIC2, EU4, CK3, Stellaris, Hoi4, Cities Skylines and now Victoria 3. Paradox Interactive is notoriously know for releasing dlc's multiple times a year, and locking many crucial features behind those dlc's (This could maybe be the case with vic3 warfare). I wanted to make quick video breaking down my thoughts on Paradox's DLC policy and what direction this game development cycle is heading for Paradox Interactive and Victoria 3.
P.S: Let's try to hit 6500 subscribers!

Title: Paradox Interactive's DLC Policy
Topics: A video discussing Paradox Interactive change over time with their DLC policy, especially related to EU4, Hoi4 and Stellaris. Potentially touching on how this will effect Victoria 3 and items such as VIC 3 and VIC3 DLC. Paradox DLC Policy certainly is interesting and with future Paradox Interactive DLC we will see how they take their games directions.

Video Script:
Paradox Interactive has revolutionized the world of Grand Strategy games, but coming into their new generation of content they have drastically changed their game model. Paradox used to release it’s early titles in a greater fleshed out state with a few major DLC (which stands for downloadable content if anyone is wondering) around once a year or every other year after release until they felt the games reached a point to call the game complete and mvoe onto another title.
In this vein Paradox released only 2 dlc’s for VIC2, 3 for Hearts of Iron 3 and 4 for Europa Univeraslis 3. These games themselves were not perfect when looking back at them from a modern lens, but they were certainly closer to the vision paradox had for them on launch and did not undergo such drastic changes as many modern paradox titles have over their almost decade long development cycles. Compared to Victoria 3 which could be the same.
That being said these development cycles do present some upside, for example eu4 a game released in 2013 is still being developed, with many new and unique features continuously being brought to the game over the years. However this comes at a great crossroads, while the game becomes more advanced, eu4 increasingly becomes far more difficult for a new player to get into, with it costing hundreds of dollars to unlock the full features of the game, and if you have not been dispersing those costs over the years of development it may discourage you all together from buying or playing eu4.
EU4 has 19 dlc’s many of which has been released two or three times a year, while other paradox games such as ck2 had 15 dlc’s, stellaris has 10, hoi4 has 8 etc… I do understand that paradox is a smaller development company that needs continued funding to work on new games, but this policy seems to turn away new players, and has slowly leached at much of the current fanbases support of continued development. This is especially apparent as eu4 has begun like many paradox dlc’s to lock major features behind paywalls, such as developing provinces, being able to auto transport troops or effectively manage colonies.
One redeeming factor for paradox interactive across it’s many dlc’s, is if you play multiplayer with a friend you are able to access all the dlc features of the host, something which for example Civilization still is yet to allow. Paradox has also introduce monthly subscriptions for dlc’s to cut the upfront hundreds of dollars to a smaller 5 dollar a month payment. You could similar have access to the game and dlc through microsoft gamepass, if the game is available there.
Overall my current opinion on paradox dlc’s is mixed, while they do allow for constant development of these niche games, the hiding of crucial features behind paywalls, heavy overrelease twice or three times a year of dlc’s alongside flavor packs and the unwillingness to eventually make those features public seem to detract massively from new players picking up paradox games, or eventually scare away many older paradox gamers. But I guess we all should just wait for a steam sale, haha. Sincerely, WonderProductions
#paradoxinteractive #paradoxdlc #victoria3 #vic3 #eu4 #stellaris #hoi4 #ck3 #paradoxinteractivedlc #ck2 #vic2 #vic3war

[WonderProductions]

Paradox Interactive's DLC Policy has been a topic of great contention across it's many games, VIC2, EU4, CK3, Stellaris, Hoi4, Cities Skylines and now Victoria 3. Paradox Interactive is notoriously know for releasing dlc's multiple times a year, and locking many crucial features behind those dlc's (This could maybe be the case with vic3 warfare). I wanted to make quick video breaking down my thoughts on Paradox's DLC policy and what direction this game development cycle is heading for Paradox Interactive and Victoria 3.

[noaccount]

One thing you can do as well is get all the DLCs in a humble bundle, which happens from time to time and gives significant discounts. Otherwise paradox is pricing long time fans out and making quality of life or UI changes locked behind paywalls makes repetitive games a nightmare to replay

[RigbyWilde]

In fact, I refuse to play EU4 because of this horrendous DLC policy. I can buy the entire GTA series with the same money, for example. If they need money to operate, just make really good and complete games, so there will be a constant influx of new players. I feel like the majority of hoi4 community are old players with years of play time, with fewer new players. And that is Paradox greatest game. I dont even imagine the others situation

[daboyz]

It’s literally because Paradox does not have sufficient competition.

[kjullthedemon]

I've developed a habit of buying the base game, and pirating their DLC. I don't even feel that bad about it, honestly.

[utente_relax]

The problem with recent dlcs is that they are adding so many things but none developed in an interesting way.
After so many years, naval in Hoi 4 is still a mystery, agency is there but nothing more, special forces divisions still never used by the majority yet they still add new things that seems then forgotten.
I am fine paying more, but I expect a major improvement in quality of the game.
It seems always an infinite cycle of new dlc introducing new unfinished mechanics which will be fixed MAYBE by future dlcs, never having a stable game but always feeling like is an Early Access game.

[joshuahochstat]

Great Video again Wonder! Keep it up :)

[punishedwhirligig]

The horrendous DLC policy is why im quitting EU4 and not touching any other PDX games
40$ for the base game + either buying a shitton of near mandatory dlc that will add up into triple digits, or getting a subscription that shouldnt even exist.
By now, a less greedy company would have released EU5 but instead theyre milking their fans dry

[geoDB.]

What they should do in my opinion is to have all their games be free and instead monetise through DLC only. You will be able to get a lot more people into the game to try out the DLC through multiplayer. Similar to CK2.

[geoDB.]

An idea to make DLC more accessible while also still milking the whales dry: Purchasing the latest DLC grants you all previous DLC for free. Say you just got the game and want to try it out with all DLC, you just buy it and its latest DLC, but if you want to to try every DLC when its new you have to pay money for every single one of them.

[ryanelliott]

If Paradox is going with these decade long dlc cycles, then they should be either reducing the price for dlcs, releasing some dlc for free

[hlibushok]

Victoria 3 made me want to play Victoria 2 more and buy all DLC's for it. That costs only 406 UAH, so I'll probably buy it very soon. Meanwhile, I also think of switching CK3 for CK2, but buying all CK2 DLC's to make the game actually fun is worth 4 438 UAH. Half of that if you remove all the cosmetic packs that make the game prettier, which is still a lot. CK2 is better than CK3 only with DLC's, but if the DLC's are so expensive, it's probably wiser to just stick with CK3?

[francesco]

In defense of Paradox i can say that their DLC policy has gotten better over the year.
Currently key features are part of free update (no more development locked behind paywall) and they clearly differentiate between "major update" that impact everyone and "minor\flavor update" that are skippable if you are not interested in that area\playstyle.
It's still a mess to get into older games but in modern ones (like stellaris) the list of "must have" dlc is much shorter and easier to understand.

[geoDB.]

average steam fan vs average torrent enjoyer

[WonderProductions]

Let's try to hit 6, 500 subscribers! Cheers :)

[hoshoku-ch]

Paradox Interactive is just so worldly-minded. Too shame that there is no alternative company to compete. Lack of competitors and continuous monopoly, Paradox interactive won’t listen to the great unwashed, keeping up with their venomous policy. 💩

[michadomeracki]

EU4 has the biggest problem because this game without dlc is just worse. I didn't have this problem with neither Cities Skylines nor Stellaris. Cities Skylines and Stellaris are just normal games that you can improve with dlc and EU4 is just a demo that you must fill with dlc.

[Medivj]

They should merge expansions after x amount of years to the base game without raising or lowering the game price.
This way the games would not be that inaccessible to new players, but they can still support development with the new dlc while also potentially getting more new players

[An_Economist_Plays]

CK3 though seems to be having a bit of a sea change, with comments that it will be going down a road of core features in free updates and regional flavor in the DLCs. Having said that, and with the dearth of regional flavor in V3... oooh, I'm gonna need a second job, aren't I? 😀

[Bokoen]

I mean considering the playerbase is actively growing on most of their games, I think you're point about driving players away with the DLC policy is kinda void.
If anything they're gaining players from it by constantly updating their games.