DLC'ere er ikke en ny ting. De bliver efterhånden mere og mere normale eftersom udviklere og udgivere forsøger at brede deres spil ud med yderligere indhold samt at fastholde vores interesse i deres software (eller hvis du vil se på det kynisk, så vil de plukke os for hver en øre, de kan - det handler om perspektivet man ser det fra).
Hadean Lands er et spil og det har også fået en udvidelse. Der er intet mærkeligt ved det indtil videre. Men når man så uddyber hvad denne udvidelse handler om, ja, så bliver det mærkeligt. Mens spillet selv er et stykke udfordrende, interaktivt fiktion, så er dens udvidelse noget helt andet - det er en PDF fil.
Ja, du læste helt rigtigt. En PDF-fil. Helt specifikt er det et certifikat som spillerne kan printe ud og hænge op på væggen, men i sidste ende så er det bare en PDF. Og endda en dyr fil (det oprindelige spil koster 8.99 pund - lige under 90 kr. - mens Solo Adventurer Pledge Certificate-udvidelsen vil hive 26,99 pund - omkring 260 kr. - op af din pung og ud i intetheden). Selvfølgelig er dette en sjov joke lavet af en udvikler der forsøger at lave sjov med hele kulturen af udvidelser. Zarfhome Software sælger deres budskab og udvidelse således på Steam
This DLC pack contains a high-quality certificate saying that YOU, the player, solemnly promise to finish Hadean Lands without looking at any hints or walkthroughs on the Steam forums or anywhere else on the Internet.
That's all! You print out the certificate, sign it, and hang it on the wall. This is strictly on the honor system. The DLC does not change the behavior of the game at all.
I'm sure you have questions...
▪ The DLC is just a certificate? Really?
▪ Yes. You get the certificate in PDF format and, what the heck, I'll throw in a JPEG too.
▪ Does it unlock new puzzles or rooms or other game content?
▪ Nope. Just a certificate.
▪ Where?
▪ Look in the Certificate folder in the game directory.
▪ I don't need to buy your silly certificate! I can just make that promise for free!
▪ Absolutely. But... it might be easier to stick to that promise once you've laid down some cash on it. Just a thought. It's up to you.
▪ You can't stop me from looking at hints anyhow!
▪ Yes, that's true. It's between you and your game-playing conscience.
▪ What if I get really, REALLY stuck?
▪ You'll have to decide that for yourself. Maybe you could work on the puzzle with a friend.
▪ Can I look at the game map?
▪ Yes, that's a freebie. It doesn't spoil any puzzles.
▪ What about the in-game tutorial?
▪ The tutorial only covers the first puzzle in the first room. You get a pass on that too. If you really want to skip it, use the TUTORIAL OFF command to silence it.
▪ You can't be serious about this.
▪ I assure you, I have never been more serious in my life.