I don't have to worry about nickel-and-diming because I'm not buying any DLC for Blazblue this time. The only one I got with Calamity Trigger was unlocking unlimited forms with the ones that aren't unlockable any other way. Palette swaps mean nothing to me because they're just different colors. Announcer voices, as unique of an idea as they are, mean nothing to me. The only one that could have led to a purchase from me was DLC characters, but their choice of characters (I know who the other two are that have yet to be officially announced) killed absolutely any desire I had to do so. Small exposition spoilered for people who don't want to know.
I was fine with not having Kokonoe available as a playable for BB3. I would have been fine with her not being a playable DLC character for BB2 either... but they chose Makoto, Valkenhayn and Platina. Valkenhayn is fine. It's when Makoto got announced that I lost all hope, and the reveal of Platina's fighting appearance made it worse. I thought her and Kokonoe wouldn't be available until BB3. And when people went around claiming Makoto couldn't be playable before she was announced, I used to support the idea. Now, I have to sit by and watch as this other character gets promoted nonstop. And you know what makes it worse? Makoto's role in the story. If it's what I've heard (I'm waiting for my copy of CS to reach me), Makoto is working for Kokonoe. You know what that means? Two part-animal women working at Sector Seven, one a fighter fresh out of the academy and one that's a scientist that COULD have been playable with the right reason. The team has already shown in interviews that they operate by trying to set up characters to reach certain audiences; by putting Makoto in such a spot, they're essentially saying "screw Kokonoe as a playable, we already have one character like her working for Sector Seven as a playable, now we have an excuse not to make Kokonoe playable."
So yeah. At the moment, I'm not going to buy any of the character DLC because the one I'd really like as a playable isn't happening now and never will. This isn't some silly ultimatum based on thinking anyone cares what one lone buyer does, I'm not that stupid. This isn't some righteous indignation deal either, because it would also be stupid to think and act like there's anything objectively wrong with the situation beyond my personal feelings. This isn't like Agarest, the dev team is completely in the right to do whatever they want with their own creative work so long as there isn't something out there forcing them to do things with it they don't want to do.
It's entirely personal. I don't want to spend my money on characters I don't actually want when the one I do want will never be playable. If I had any faith at all that the character in question will become playable, I might not be as strung up about it. But I have zero faith in the dev team giving her a chance. After a year of dealing with people making up excuses for why this character can't become a playable, and after seeing that Arc System Works is going to force the character down that road, it kills any desire I have to see and play new ones.
I'm still getting the game of course. I'm simply not getting the DLC. I'm not going to be happy at all if I spend my money on those DLC characters, because in the end all buying and using them will do is remind me that yet another of a long list of characters I've grown to like has been shafted by yet another video game company.
Sorry for the book of a post, this is very common for me. It's not only because of what I'm posting about.
P.S. - I also hope this post doesn't read as rude, self-important, demanding, etc. That's not my intention at all, and I'm sorry if I give off that impression. I only meant to post my thoughts and got a little carried away.
