More or less what i was coming down to.

As i've been saying, some games offering 'DLC' to what would be a hack or NG+ or unlock.

A while back i played Fairy Fencer which included a booster DLC, effectively making you 40th level due to a weapon/armor pair; That killed 95% of the grind until MUUUUUCH later in the game. Though if it were a real microtransaction, they'd try to milk you dry, likely it would have required you to pay 50 cents per time you wanted to use it to bypass a major enemy or per bullet in an overpowered gun with premium bullets.

I think we need a few new terms to differentiate better. Like a DLC (down load content) could be anything from an horse armor to a major expansion pack a microtransaction could be a scummy pay to win mechanic for a time limited buff or a simple skin; as long as its something small for small money (hence micro transaction).

And even there are some items not really micro like 20 $ + skins in some games. Its not P2W; its not DLC if its in the ingame shop; its not an expansion pack since its just a skin but since its priced like an expansion pack (or a full indi game) its faaar from being anything micro. What to call that? Whale bait? Maxitransaction?

Well, small boosters that don't affect anything beyond early in-game play is one thing (like getting 3 hi potions, 3 antidotes, 3000g and a ruby, is hardly game breaking). But still DLC that merely unlocks content (Dragon Spear comes to mind), or gives you a huge advantage is something else entirely, and these DLC's will be like 200k (literally, the installer takes more space than the DLC itself!).

Skins and new content are different beasts naturally, not affecting the balance of the game. I mean if you want to buy 20+ outfits of lingerie for the character to run around in, or adds a Beach sidequest where everyone's in bikinis and swim trunks... sure, whatever.

The others however...

So maybe Inventory Bonus Content (IBC) could fairly well explain what it is, since it adds no new content to the game.
Or maybe Removes Grind Content (RGC) which could refer to highly overpowered items from the IBC. Or maybe GodMode items?

Or maybe just call it P2W. It's fairly obvious what it is, just to what degree...

While I would guess these things are rare in singleplayer offline DRM free games, I don't think they're "DRM" at all. DRM means the company controls your access after the sale, it has nothing to do with supplemental content.

While true, i was considering the ramifications of loot boxes, paid convenience items and the like, not if your game would refuse to run.

I remember when ToME's game had to get modified so it didn't rely on online storage, or Defender's Quest phoned home (although also unrelated to DRM), issues that got patched out.

So Gwent is the only game on GOG with microtransactions?

While true in theory, in practice microtransactions and DRM tend to go hand in hand. It would be very difficult to maintain a profitable MTX economy, if end users were given free reign over the game and its files. Most MTX based games seem to be server based/ require a permanent online connection to play. That was also the main reason why Diablo 3 was released as an online-only game on PC -- They wanted to milk that real money auction house, while giving us some poor excuses along the lines of "Diablo was always an online multiplayer game".

DRM-Free is not a moral stance. It's a practical thing. You can't opt out of DRM, it's either obligatory or non-existent.

Microtransactions and loot boxes are optional. If they don't interefere with the no DRM policy, I don't see the problem.

CLEARED merging nearby posts.

I could also state the opposite: DRM is a control mechanism, so it is amoral by trying to take back control of something you sold. You can opt out of it.


Microtransatctions made to solve a problem created by the developers or gate content from a user is predatory and psychologically manipulative. Some people literally can't ignore them.

"Fairest" only means it doesn't harm everyone as much as others. It'd be better if they'd just sell it and sell expansion sets, without the DRM, and without the microtransactions/randomization. Shit is shit is shit.
Meaning it's DRMed.


Mtx/etc require DRM to work. Otherwise, just use a save game editor, and, voilà!

And I've posted that before, the difference between expansions, DLC, and mtx:
Expansions usually couldn't easily have been modded in. DLC generally could have been made by modders with enough time and energy. Could be replicated with a save game editor.

I'm pretty sure a few of the things on GOG are by my own just-given definitions mtx, as previously linked, depending on how the game handles them (are they in the game already and activated? or does the DLC include new code/assets?)

Hell -- I think even the two loyalist packs for Grim Dawn might count as mtx with that definition I made, because I'm pretty sure I could copy someone else's unlocked illusion list to my saves and have them available (because the resources are in there for multiplayer compatibility). I haven't tested that. But the actual installer for them adds NPCs to the game to give you the illusions the first time.

I guess my definition isn't very good. But it's better than others.

ALSO look up Jim Sterling's videos where he addresses the "it's optional" (as well as the "it's only cosmetic") arguments. The short of it: Games are intentionally made worse for those, and they sure as hell aren't meant to be optional.

Only the DLC... The base game wouldn't have to be.

Nope. NPCs are there whether you have the loyalist packs or not. Installer just unlocks the illusions.