Did Bethesda prime the DLC-maker before Fallout's release?

[wiistation70]

About six months ago, I bought Fallout 3 ( a bit late, I'm aware ) and I thought it was a fantastic RPG with memorable characters, great graphics, epic story and a horrid ending - which is ultimately forgiven because everything leading up to said ending was short of being described as "Godlike."

About two weeks ago, I got TES: Oblivion, the GOTY one, from a local pawn and I thought it was a fantastic RPG with memorable characters, great graphics, epic story and an unknown ending - because I haven't finished it. Fallout took about twenty hours or so for me to fully complete, and from what I understand Oblivion has about forty hours in it's main story alone.

My question is, does anyone else think Bethesda may have jumped the gun with FO3? I would have gladly waited another year before release, maybe a year an a half, to have an amazing 40 - or even 30 - hour story in Fallout. Instead, the developers are releasing a total of FIVE DLC packs (I don't know exactly how much content they add, I have a PS3 and I'm waiting for the FO3 GOTY to get the DLC.) to increase the games length.

I'm not sure why I'm so concerned about this, but Morrowind was released in 2002, Oblivion in 2006, and Fallout in 2008. If the fans are hitting the mark anywhere NEAR the bulls' eye, then TES:5 may be on it's way, probably beginning development right after Oblivion. If it is, will it suffer the same fate as Fallout; being subjected to countless DLC surgeries and a closing scene that leaves countless questions unanswered?

 

[Syndef]

Well, be prepared to wait a long, long time because they've stated that they're not telling us what they're going to work on. There's been talk of a novel or something like that. But TES: 5 sounds definite. The Elder Scrolls have become a cash cow like the GTA series. That's not bad, though.

And as for the game content itself, Bethesda developers have always struck me as being a bit centrated. They have a habit of making good games over-all, but always having just *something* that throws it all off.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

It doesn't bother me too much, because the amount of side-quests they include is almost staggering.

 

[squid5580]

I did't think Oblivion was very long if you skipped on all the guild quests and side quests.

 

[Amnestic]

Oblivion has about forty hours in it's main story alone.

Maybe if you don't utilise the Fast Travel function, I guess? Oblivion's main storyline certainly didn't hold me for 40 hours. I can't say how long it did last me, but it certainly wasn't as long as 40.

 

[SimuLord]

Forty hours? The main quest ain't worth ten, and I never fast-travel. It's all the other stuff in the game (and its many mods) that accounted for the other 240 hours on my character's save.

 

[Kelethor]

what about the various oblivion DLC? Knights of the Nine, Isle of of the criminally Insane, as well as the many silly side quest's like the orrery, the Various Strongholds, Wizards Towers, And Abandoned YMCA- Pirate Boat? DLC isn't always things they wanted in the game pre development and just ran outta time for, Some time the developers Have a Brainstorm, and think of Amazing, Awe inspiring things to make a good game even Better!. or sometimes they just wanna cash another 20 bucks claiming that you can have an extra 5-10 hours of the game you love, when all you really get is different shaded enemies and a bad case of Rabies {the pitt, im looking at you]

 

[Amnestic]

Forty hours? The main quest ain't worth ten, and I never fast-travel. It's all the other stuff in the game (and its many mods) that accounted for the other 240 hours on my character's save.

Not even between major cities like a pseudo Silt Strider without the fee to pay? Don't think I could handle that much walking. Morrowind's Jump and Levitate spells certainly made the trysts across long countryside shorter, but no fast travel at all in Oblivion? Ouch. I guess you've got horses (Or flying carpets/dragons if you downloaded those mods) to make up for it...but still, ouch.

 

[megapenguinx]

This is almost as bad as people complaining about L4D2 being worked on while no one is working Half-Life 2 EP 3. There were different teams working on Fallout 3. Oblivion isn't that long, it's just it takes a while to get anywhere and the world is kind of empty. It may be that you're getting into DLC things.

 

[Dogstile]

yeah, the pit really annoyed me with fallout 3

SPOILERS BELOW, DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.



I didn't like how the pit turned out, that place lasted about 2 hours for me, and that was every steel ingot and helping wherner. only for him at the end to go "good job, you can use the ammo press, bring me teddy bears. now to go tell the slaves i just freed to get back to work.

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

I did't think Oblivion was very long if you skipped on all the guild quests and side quests.

That and Fallout 3 were both very short if you skipped the side quests. Maybe 2 or 3 hours, at the most.

 

[Aac18]

I'm sure that Bethesda had at least the basic outline and design of a few of the DLC packs underway when Fallout 3 was released but Fallout 3 has a massive scope even without any DLC (although Broken Steel increases that breadth a lot more) due to its huge number of side quests and its massive replay-ability (along with the mods).

Sure its main quest isn't as long as it could be but that doesn't stop Fallout 3 being well worth the money you pay for it.

 

[squid5580]

I did't think Oblivion was very long if you skipped on all the guild quests and side quests.

That and Fallout 3 were both very short if you skipped the side quests. Maybe 2 or 3 hours, at the most.

Actually Fallout 3 was 7 hours and a few minutes if you speedran through it. IGN did a little contest with the developers or something and the best time was just a little over 7 hours.

 

[NeutralMunchHotel]

If I could give one piece of advice here, it would be this: Broken Steel first, then the rest, and this is because of this: the level 30 level cap. Trust me, 2 DLCs worth of free XP were wasted because I couldn't raise the level cao. Now that I can... I'm going to be shooting Radroaches for a while...

 

[NeedAUserName]

I don't think the last 3 DLC were pre-planned, they were just built due to Fallout 3s success. And I think some of the stuff added in the first two DLCs would have seemed a bit odd without it being sold separately.

 

[x434343]

Consider the extra fact that Fallout 3 isn't the end for Bethesda. Fallout New Vegas, anyone?