Poll: Do you "time" your DLC?

[Soviet Heavy]

When you download DLC for a game, primarily story content based DLC, do you time when you actually start the quest or experience? Or do you jump in immediately?

Like New Vegas for example. I will play Honest Hearts a short while after reaching New Vegas, then spread out the time for the remaining 3 DLCs, keeping Lonesome Road as the very last thing I do before moving onto Hoover Dam. I don't like chomping into DLC the very minute I download it, but I like to play it when I feel it is appropriate for the story.

Likewise with Mass Effect 2, I always like to keep playing after the main quest is done, so I always save Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival for this time. LotSB works much better as an epilogue for me than throwing it into the main game's faffing about sections. The unique dialogue with Liara almost makes up for how insufferable I find her.

But that's just me. How do you play your DLC? Are you like me, or do you have your own weird traditions regarding new content?

 

[MysticSlayer]

I generally wait until it actually seems to fit a little with the story. For instance, I don't go to the Normandy's crash site in Mass Effect 2 until I have all the squadmates from Mass Effect with me, or at the very least make sure I have Garrus. Even if Shepard is the only one that actually explores the crash site, it still feels more natural to do it after you have Garrus and possibly Tali.

Of course, some DLC just doesn't fit anywhere in the story. Going back to Mass Effect 2, the Firewalker DLC really has no place in the story whatsoever, so I'll just play it whenever I feel like it.

 

[shrekfan246]

It depends on how it fits into the story usually, for me.

For Mass Effect 2, for instance, it definitely makes the most sense to me to do "Arrival" after the suicide mission. But LotSB I usually do sometime shortly after reaching Illium the first time.

Otherwise I'll generally do it whenever I feel like it's natural for the game. If it's an exploration-heavy RPG or something and I happen to be passing close by the right area, I'll likely do it while I'm there. If I have to go out of my way to get there, I'll do it when I want a change of pace or something.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

All the time

In fact, it's quite a detriment sometimes.

I've yet to have played the Dragonborn DLC, despite having it since day one, simply because I've never progressed a character 'far enough' without restarting the game again

 

[Raikas]

I've never bothered buying DLC for a game I haven't finished (aside from some day 1 stuff that comes free), so I had to check the "play it when installed" box - that said, if I replay something then I'll generally time it so it makes sense.

 

[Smeggs]

Normally I'll wait until a time that I feel is fitting for it, if you actually have a realistic choice in the matter.

For example, Kasumi's DLC in ME2 was played in the middle of recruiting my squadmates. Overlord was played a short time after clearing the first few loyalty missions. Shadow Broker was played before entering the Derelict Reaper and finding Legion (because such a large bit of amazingness should be before the final mission, but since it mostly revolves around characters instead of the galaxy at large, it should not be some big to-do after stopping the Collectors), and then after clearing any other mission past the Collector Base, Arrival.

 

[TehCookie]

I' with Raikas where I don't buy it if I haven't beaten the game yet. I usually play it after I buy it, since what's the point of buying it if you're not going to play it? Though I tend not to buy DLC often anyways.

 

[SonicWaffle]

How do you play your DLC? Are you like me, or do you have your own weird traditions regarding new content?

If I'm buying the DLC for a game, I really enjoyed the game, enough so that I am going to spend further money on it. If that is the case, I've already played the living hell out of it before the DLC was even released. A lot of people are mentioning New Vegas, Skyrim etc, and in both games by the time DLC has arrived I've already beaten the game itself. It's somewhat inevitable that when I do play the DLC, it's going to be as more of a post-script to the main game. Quite literally in the case of Broken Steel.

I've yet to have played the Dragonborn DLC, despite having it since day one, simply because I've never progressed a character 'far enough' without restarting the game again

I haven't found Dragonborn to be any more difficult than the main game so far - is there a particular point in the story you need to hit before it becomes available?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

How do you play your DLC? Are you like me, or do you have your own weird traditions regarding new content?

If I'm buying the DLC for a game, I really enjoyed the game, enough so that I am going to spend further money on it. If that is the case, I've already played the living hell out of it before the DLC was even released. A lot of people are mentioning New Vegas, Skyrim etc, and in both games by the time DLC has arrived I've already beaten the game itself. It's somewhat inevitable that when I do play the DLC, it's going to be as more of a post-script to the main game. Quite literally in the case of Broken Steel.

I've yet to have played the Dragonborn DLC, despite having it since day one, simply because I've never progressed a character 'far enough' without restarting the game again

I haven't found Dragonborn to be any more difficult than the main game so far - is there a particular point in the story you need to hit before it becomes available?

Oh, I've been able to start the DLC for a long time, it's just my character 'wasn't ready' in a roleplaying sense

 

[SonicWaffle]

How do you play your DLC? Are you like me, or do you have your own weird traditions regarding new content?

If I'm buying the DLC for a game, I really enjoyed the game, enough so that I am going to spend further money on it. If that is the case, I've already played the living hell out of it before the DLC was even released. A lot of people are mentioning New Vegas, Skyrim etc, and in both games by the time DLC has arrived I've already beaten the game itself. It's somewhat inevitable that when I do play the DLC, it's going to be as more of a post-script to the main game. Quite literally in the case of Broken Steel.

I've yet to have played the Dragonborn DLC, despite having it since day one, simply because I've never progressed a character 'far enough' without restarting the game again

I haven't found Dragonborn to be any more difficult than the main game so far - is there a particular point in the story you need to hit before it becomes available?

Oh, I've been able to start the DLC for a long time, it's just my character 'wasn't ready' in a roleplaying sense

Ah, you're one of those lads

For me, a character is ready as soon as I can bludgeon things with other things!

 

[karma9308]

Is all of the above an answer?

Using Mass Effect 2, when I first installed LOtSB and Arrival, I played it immediately on a file I already beat. But on subsequent playthroughs, I play Shadow Broker whenever I want to, somewhere in between Horizon and Derelict Reaper. Some times I'll save it till after the suicide mission because I wanted to see some changes or because it felt better to do it after. However, arrival was always done after the suicide mission. It would have felt weird to play it half way through the game. "You stopped the reaper invasion Shepard! Now go kill the human reaper thing because the reapers weren't going to be here for years!"

I do that for all DLCs. Sometimes immediately, sometimes when it feels right in the story, and others because I damn well feel like it. I have to be weird!