User blog:The Milkman/Hearthfire Announcement: My Take



Hey everyone, Milkman here! I wanted to share a few quick thoughts with you on the Hearthfire announcement. I have my own philosophy about DLC, which I will talk more about if I can ever get my hands on Dawnguard and review it. Hopefully, Hearthfire will be made available to all, with less hiccups. This blog is a bit rushed, but hopefully it will tide you over until my next blog, the one you actaully voted for.

The Spice of Life


The one thing I like most about this add-on, is that it does something different; it adds variety. Instead of giving us more of the same, Bethesda has decided to add more depth to the game's overall dynamic. Taking a few cues from the modding community, this pack won't give us a 5 hour adventure and a few new dungeons. This is something that improves existing aspects of the game, making it better as a whole. This kind of content can be experienced in many different ways across multiple playthroughs, further perpetuating the longevity of Bethesda's behemoth.

This is something I've been asking for, so kudos to Bethesda for announcing it so soon after I gave them the idea. I'll be expecting that royalty check any day now....

The Future of Skyrim


Will this bode well for any future additions to Skyrim? Maybe. So far, I like what I see. When Bethesda announced they would be sticking to larger add-ons, I was a bit disappointed Frost wouldn't be getting any horse armour. From what I can tell thus far however, this doesn't seem entirely true. I would like to see a variety of DLC, ranging from an epic questline, to minor additions here and there, all priced appropriately.

Personally, so long as Bethesda doesn't do what Capcom is doing with Dragon's Dogma (that is, releasing petty DLC packs instead of making the game better), I'd be fine with some small, 1-5 dollar DLC packs that add new weapons, locations, mounts, and armour. More importantly, to show that they care, a small albeit free DLC pack to garner more customer loyalty would be most appreciated. Nothing big, bit maybe a tiny titbit to get us exited, and give us a reason to boot up our discs again.

On the other side of the spectrum however, is the next Shivering Isles, the standard by which I judge all DLC. What Skyrim will eventually need, in addition to add-ons like Hearthfire, is a large DLC pack that adds more of what we love, but with a fresh spin on them. Shivering Isles was great because, whilst it still had dungeons and questing, they were all distinct from the original game. Skyrim needs that. Give us a new landmass to explore, and don't just give us more of the same! You can give us dungeons, but make them radically aesthetically different from the ones we've already seen. Show us a new culture, and let us do something amazing. Make a DLC worth that $30 price of admission.

Until Next Time
Welp, that's about it for now. I might add more to this blog later if I think of anything. I apologise if it seems a bit rushed, but work has been keeping me busy. I'll have more time this weekend to write my next blog on Skyrim's questlines, which you guys voted for on my last blog. Until then, be sure to drink lots of Milk!

Are you excited about Hearthfire? Yes. No. Meh. I own a PS3, so....