Yeah, looking at how they can offer free packs at random, I don’t see why they couldn’t use a H1 or H2 map for a particular sin season and simply allow the DLC owner to play the sin mission in that location despite not owning or being able to play the original mission.
Kotti paradigm is just straight bad
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For my money, the best use of the escalation mechanic is simply to create what is basically and extended play contract. There is no reason that an escalation has to have any specific kill method requirements nor does it have to have specific outfit restrictions. As an example, the Satu Mare (an escalation that most players seem to enjoy) could be made free-er by removing the kill method restrictions and the instant-fail component. Keep the targets, keep the exits and the three stages and just allow any kill method without failing on being seen.
What tends to happen though is the the escalations carry conditions that only serve to frustrate the player like using extremely specific kill methods that can only be accomplished in one way, or adding complications that make no sense (never drop this axe, use only this one ridiculous outfit that is always hostile, never subdue anyone even if they are the target, etc). These are designed (seemingly) to show off how good one or two very specific players were and force any subsequent player to just do the level the way they did it.
My point is, more than anything, that escalations have the potential to be great Hitman missions but too often they are just one and done missions that must be played so specifically that they have no replayability.
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Only replay them when you have to unlock a item again according to the majority. Of course this is under unique circumstances, but this is followed up with people not replaying them after completing a Escalation.
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I guess we’re going to have to wait and see. Who’s to say this Seven Deadly Sins DLC may be Escalation based and we might get some more DLC down the line like ‘Patient Zero’?
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There are two reasons why I think that there might be more than just escalations in this DLC when all 7 are out.
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Their choice of wording is suspect. When the deluxe edition was announced, it was announced as 6 deluxe escalations, not 6 unique contracts. When this was announced, it was as 6 unique contracts, with the first being an escalation. That isn’t to say that they can’t be cagey or that they will use more than escalations, but until they say it’s just escalations, I’ll prefer to keep up hope.
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It is more work to modify an existing level in the vein of escalations like Satu Mare and Mills Reverie that it is to create a Special Assignment or Elusive Contract, from a development perspective. Those sorts of missions require only adding the new NPCs and maybe changing/adding some dialog. Most of the Elusive Targets and Special Assignments (maybe even all) still contain all of the original mission elements so they’re not removing things, just adding some new stuff.
The community seems to put a higher premium on open missions (yes, I realize that special assignments and bonus missions aren’t the same thing) over more directed escalations. It is completely possible that one of the 7 sins in the DLC might be a special assignment type of mission or even a true bonus mission a la House Built on Sand or The Icon. Maybe they’re just pricing them all evenly so it isn’t too obvious which one will be the big one. Maybe they’ll all be escalations or a mix of them.
If it takes longer to create a mission like The Icon, maybe they are releasing the ones that are already done first to give more time to finish the bigger ones. Since they all have a through theme, if they released one for a dollar and then the next was 10 bucks, wouldn’t that also raise a red flag? Why buy the “cheap and crappy” one? Just wait and buy the “good” one instead. If they’re all the same price, it doesn’t put a bias on any one of them before it’s even out.
You might not necessarily start with the best one either if it isn’t done yet. Could be multiple reasons for that. Maybe given that the Deluxe Escalations are now done they needed the monthly content. Maybe they wanted to judge sales numbers before releasing the “good” stuff. Maybe it’s all just escalations. We don’t know so it’s all guesswork at this point based on almost no information.
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Basically IO the fan base are saying, do better then just escalations (and I agree) 
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I agree it’s possible, another factor for me being there’s only 5/6 levels and 7 sins. However I will say if they were gonna do a bonus mission or two as part of this, why not make that clear from the start to get more sales at full price? Perhaps they are waiting to see how it sells before planning the later content, but that would be odd for a developer.
Either way, having challenge packs removed and playing the deluxe escalations it’s pretty clear to me that IOI are trying to expand escalations to be more meaty and the focus of their add-on content. More map changes, unique intros and mechanics, etc. etc.
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I’ve said this before, but plans change. HITMAN as a series is no stranger to this and the content highlight from HITMAN 2 is a clear example of this.
Ghost Mode Mumbai was announced and when it was up next it got canceled. People weren’t happy about that since it was requested beyond all belief.
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I think they definitely over-promised with Hitman 2 Gold, so if they’re being more cautious because of that I don’t blame them. However I also don’t think people (including myself) having a clear expectation of 7 escalations helps sell the thing. We shall see I guess.
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I personally think IO delivered on that end since we essentially got what was promised on that end since the expansion pass was first mentioned.
It’s more so the free content that they announced which ruffled people up. Ghost Mode despite being a concept was loved even if it was a niche group. Conceptually it was great, but it was poorly executed this was evident with it only have one true update to it. Mumbai was slated for a Ghost Mode introduction and to my knowledge a vast majority of people including myself was happy to see it heading to the mode.
IO simply has a case where they “over promised” on content and couldn’t fulfill it. The lack of knowledge regarding the future of Seven Deadly Sins while deafening it’s best to assume that plans aren’t 100% and that people like Travis are secretly gathering feedback from the community to see how it is received and what they can do to make most people happy.
That’s all I’m gonna say about the matter since I don’t wanna go on a tangent about IO’s work ethics and approach to things since that discussion could belong in the economics thread.
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I agree with the reasoning in general and that’s why I’m hopeful for varied content.
In a sense the Special Assignments like Illusion of Grandeur are a kind of “Deluxe Elusive Targets”, with challenges and implicit mission stories inside.
It’d be fitting to have something like this in one of the sin packs.
Also the possibility that everything could be a trial balloon to see the production costs of certain kinds of contents versus consumer interest and better tailor future DLCs.
What I meant was they promised people too much for $30.
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They definitely delivered 2 amazing new maps and some other content, but then you can tell they got restricted on budget or interest and made that colombia special mission in an itty bitty corner.
Honestly, i’d pay 30$ just for 2 additional maps. Then the special missions could’ve been another pack for 15.
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Not sure if anyone’s made a poll of this yet, but I want to see what people think of the DLC.
Is the Greed Escalation worth paying $4.99 USD for?
- Yes
- No
0 voters
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While this can be a possibility i find it very hard to digest because why i have to pay the same amount of money for a poorly designed escalation that has the same price of a more free and polished bonus mission? Doesn’t make sense to me, if its really like thiis they are overpricing the escalations and underpricing the bonus missions, if this thing will ever be true.
I prefer that they did a different price for different content and the package can stay at 30 bucks if in the end we’ll see that will be worth the price but make them all standard 5 bucks just make fall down the expectations because all people are expecting something in line with this greed escalation.
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On Sniper Elite 4, for instance, ‘useless’ cosmetic pack of skins will cost the same as the three extra missions pack.
There’s no reason why DLCs must somehow hit a theoretical “just price” for the quality of the content. Yes, it’s possible that all 7 end up being similar-styled escalations, but it’s also possible that it doesn’t.
Lower-effort overpriced content for fewer hardcore fans subsidize higher-effort underpriced content for the broader base. Then everything gets dilluted down to an average lower price in full bundles, then discounts…
This is very common place in the game industry (in many other industries, even), so I don’t see why it’d taken as an impossibility here.
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Yes and no. I’m happy with my purchase, I enjoyed it. $3 would have been a more fair price but they do have to make money. For me, it was worth it.
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All the sins are sold at the exact same price. You really think they will deliver a full bonus mission for 5$, right after they delivered a overpriced escalation that barely changes anything on the map for 5$? It doesn’t make any sense.
Marketing wise as well it would make no sense at all whatsoever in any way. Don’t they want people to actually, you know, buy the bundle with all the sins right now, as they are, you know, selling it right now?
If there as a single bonus mission in this they would have told us by now. Because it would make people more likely to buy it.
People hyping up expectations of bonus missions on this are only deluding themselves.
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So are they going to release the April road map/ deadly sin map for April or is the latest update (ET & escalations) considered the content for April?