Skyrim's 'Hearthfire' DLC Brings Domestic Life to the Dragonborn

Fuck. Fine, I'll play more Skyrim.

@huser: It's because they aren't significant in the scale of the game that a problem can be found in this. I mean, there are as many houses on offer in that game as there are important locations, you can already get married and assign your spouse to a home, and really, it wouldn't have been that hard to adopt a child.

As for the house building? If it's a relatively small item available in a 400MS point DLC, and all it really adds is the ability to customise your house with some extra crap, then it could have easily been a part of the game initially. The amount of content is huge, but what Skyrim does best is the little things; few jumping fish in a stream here, a random fox there, some houses with some upgrades...I mean, how can anyone equate $5 to building a house, owning a plot of land, and adopting some children. Those things could have at least been added in through an array of small patches, because they aren't significant. And really, if this is an idea that one considers 'new' content in a game so large, then wires were crossed somewhere in the process. It's the insignificant nature of this DLC that strikes me as odd, given that it has a price tag at all, let alone a fiver for the content it's offering.

@Dookysharpgun said:

@huser: It's because they aren't significant in the scale of the game that a problem can be found in this. I mean, there are as many houses on offer in that game as there are important locations, you can already get married and assign your spouse to a home, and really, it wouldn't have been that hard to adopt a child.

As for the house building? If it's a relatively small item available in a 400MS point DLC, and all it really adds is the ability to customise your house with some extra crap, then it could have easily been a part of the game initially. The amount of content is huge, but what Skyrim does best is the little things; few jumping fish in a stream here, a random fox there, some houses with some upgrades...I mean, how can anyone equate $5 to building a house, owning a plot of land, and adopting some children. Those things could have at least been added in through an array of small patches, because they aren't significant. And really, if this is an idea that one considers 'new' content in a game so large, then wires were crossed somewhere in the process. It's the insignificant nature of this DLC that strikes me as odd, given that it has a price tag at all, let alone a fiver for the content it's offering.

That then raises the issue of what is significant. Any perusal of a mod board could bring up literally thousands of equally important/trivial things. At some point choices have to be made on what to include in a product. And in the real world of limited resources, some things are going to be left out that given time might be introduced later. Like I said, this is clearly not for you, not every product has to be, and simply don't buy it. But I don't presume to suggest that because it's not momentous (which appears evident, but we don't know everything about this DLC yet) that every little thing they come up with after the fact should have been included in the cost of the original purchase. What I got was what was included in the original purchase and from there you make a decision as a consumer of whether it's enough. Given I game on a PC and already have a whole host of mod housing, this isn't for me either, even if I might be interested in making my own home.

Interesting. I think I'd like it more if in addition to adoption, the game would allow for pregnancy followed by birth. I know there is a PC mod which is working on that. Actually, the build-your-own-house idea is an extension of what can already be done on the PC using the Creation Kit.

Oh god, House Simulator in Skyrim. Why must you release this the day before College starts?!

Seems geared toward console players.

I'll probably still get it.

Great, i've been waiting to teach that annoying girl some manners.

I wonder how much freedom you have with designing your house.

now if i could only get this dlc in another game it'd be perfect!

Hmm, time to get back into skyrim.

I was waiting for them to say it was free. I just can't see paying money for something I can get in a mod for free. It's good for 360 and PS3 players I guess, but charging for this on PC seems crazy, not that that will stop them.

But I can't even get f**king dawnguard yet.

This is weird, Bethesda made a point to saying they wanted to make 'expansions' to Skyrim rather than 'DLC', larger content that changes the game rather than adding one off areas to do a small story etc. This is not either, from what they show in this trailer there is no story and it's just a slightly more polished version of mods that already exist since you can make your own home the exact same way, omitting sections and adding others to it just like this, book with diagrams included. I don't think the mods include a bard or vendor yet...

This feels right up front like it should cost a lot less than what is/should be charged for an 'expansion'. This is very much an officially created mod, should be $5 or maybe $10 if it has beefy story operativeness/quests tied to the house or something. Maybe you spin off into some crazy quest line because the house has a weird history that you get drawn into once building it, seems possible :)

Sweet they just put a bunch of my favorate mods to shame lol

Hey, how about some dlc that FUCKING FIXES DAWNGUARD!!!!

@mikethekilla said:

But I can't even get f**king dawnguard yet.

the PS3 version of Skyrim was patched today. I hope that means we'll get Dawnguard in the coming week(s).

@DJJoeJoe: It's 5 bucks

MOUNTED MUDCRABS!

Oh joy! That thought alone has made me forget the broken quests still in my log, Bethesda. I LOVE YOU.

Flummery says I!

As a 360 player, I've jealously been looking at videos for house building mods, amongst many others. This is something I would definitely get. Yeah it might be small and insignificant add-on, but as a role-player enthusiast this is great for me. What I really want is a camping kit. I think I just really need a gaming PC specifically for moding on skyrim. lol

Oh man, this is going to break the game so hard!

@Charlee_CoCo: Yo homie, it's supposed to be an RPG. I hope they be smart and give Fallout 4 to Obsidian cos those dudes know what they doin', son.

So the dragonborn is infertile?

I just realized there are no Argonian, Khajiit, elf, or Orc children in the game. I suppose adopting a little Nord bastard makes sense then.

Wat.

I'd kinda like to play Dawnguard first though Bethesda.

@huser: I understand your point of view, but the idea that even if this was left out,even if they didn't have the time to make this part of the full game...PC mods have made something like this possible for free. The details are out on the DLC and given the fact that it's only $5, that signifies a relatively small amount of content, as dawnguard was about 15.

Even to say 'don't buy it if it's not for you' isn't really addressing the issue here. If people want it, go ahead and get it, but what I'm against, with any game really, is the inclusion of these small amounts of DLC that they charge for, despite another platform getting it for free. Like you said, it's not for you since you're on the PC. I get that, you've got more than likely dozens of mods for housing you can use, and they're free, they're relatively small things to put into the game by people who used the free tools at their disposal.

...so why are console players being charged for it? To really emphasize the issues with this DLC, remember what Bethesda had said before? About releasing significant expansion packs in place of DLC? It seems now that they're simply trying to take advantage of what one community can do and hold it for ransom at a price to people who think it's cool. It may not be for me, but that doesn't mean that my distaste for it's distribution is any less of an important point, I disagree with how they're doing this, how they're putting small things into one package and charging for it, in place of patching it into the game, which they've shown they can do. What I'm saying it, it doesn't matter what you as a consumer can do, that's not what this is about. Charging for something like this is akin to charging for horse armour, which we've already established is wrong and pointless, and it would seem to me that Bethesda, in many ways, have not learned from their previous mistakes. If they had made this part of a larger expansion as a nice little bonus, then grand, you could forgive it if you got a whole new campaign, new armour, weapons, trinkets and the like, but the pricepoint says to me that the only thing they're charging for is the small amount of content we've witnessed, and I don't think that it's a fair trade. I'm not going to get it, but that doesn't mean that I still can't be pissed at the mentality behind the publisher, who have at least another free method of introducing this content, or adding to something more worthwhile. Consumers have to be more responsible with their money nowadays, and I don't think adding little bits here and there will leave much of an incentive for players.

Again, I get what you're saying, but I'm in the view that content like this shouldn't be charged for, I think Bethesda need to change their business model, because two games in a row, they've managed to bring out DLC that is less than exciting, and in the long run, wasn't worth the money paid or the bad press they received.

Harvest....Skyrim? Can I go to town and merry the local librarian?

Wut?

How...why...when did Skyrim turn into Harvest Moon? D:

@Skanker: So what? Clearly you don't think it's an RPG so why bother with it? Or is this some sort of entitlement thing, ie you bought the game therefore should be able to dictate what it is or isn't and what it should or shouldn't be.

And really, Obsidian? After all the shit that happened with New Vegas at launch I don't think they'd be the best choice. Here's a "crazy" thought. How about giving it to a developer that you've never heard of who could end up surprising everybody? How about that? You know taking a second to realize that there are other people out there aside from Bethesda and Obsidian that can make these type of games.

Oh, no! A totally optional piece of DLC for a 70+ hours game months after launch that I don't have to buy! It's also stupid because Bethesda said we'd only get big expansions for Skyrim and totally didn't say between those we'd get small little pieces of DLC as well! Also I think this should be free because I'm a game player and apparently that means I'm entitled to absolutely everything all the time and if I'm not then I'm going to whine and complain about it! 

Wait... What? C'mon.

Looks like it contains more official versions of community mods. Cool!

..wow, when did Skyrim get so weird?

I didn't buy Dawnguard, nor will I buy any other DLC. Skyrim was good for what it was.

I'm actually kind of in to this.

Dragonborn, make me some hot bread

Was expecting some sort of sinister twist at the end. Oh well, looks fine for what it is.

I am sure they had good intentions and this trailer looks cutesy but you know its just going to turn into a bunch of lonely men having creepy pedo farms, reading guides online how to fill their basements with the maximum amount of dead eyed orphans.

Hmmmm...This actually looks interesting...Except i'm a ps3 owner so I don't even have dawnguard yet..

"Personal bard," ifyouknowwhathemeans.

I'll buy this if I can acquire a variety of fully-functioning classic NES games to stuff in my house's basement for when I get sick of running errands for the other villagers.

This is sweet especially for people (like me) who have not got too far into the regular Skyrim game. You can download this dlc....and it's more like playing the game as it was probably originally intended.

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! I know I'm gonna buy this, I know I'll play it, I also know I don't have the time and I hate myself for it.

I have no idea what achievements/trophies this will add.

Mounted mudcrabs?

Sold!

What do you mean start hoarding orphans? I have a baker's dozen in my basement. Oh, we are talking about Skyrim? Never mind.

@Tha36thchamber: This.

One step closer to a Game of the Year edition right? I've managed to hold out so far. I will keep holding out for that.

Is this a joke?

How about no, you crazy Nordic bastards

Gonna have to do this with my Alt.

Gourd, my bored Nord sellsword, who lured the lords of the fords with her chords, against the Hordes who hard on the fjords, would rather live in her house in Windhelm, the city she vanquished with the Empire.