The Future of ONI's DLCs: Small Content Packs vs. Full Expansions

[evilcat19xx]

Over the past year, Klei has released DLCs 2 and 3, which feel more like content packs rather than full-fledged expansions. In contrast, their first DLC, Spaced Out, significantly changed the game. It introduced mystery, space exploration, and nuclear power, adding a new depth to ONI’s world.

Compared to Spaced Out, the second DLC felt more like a new starting map that primarily affects the early game, and the most recent Bionic Booster Pack added some cool new tools but didn’t expand the game in a meaningful way. Personally, I prefer Spaced Out over these smaller DLCs.

For the game to be long-lasting, I believe we need more than just early-game expansions; we need meaningful end-game challenges, mysteries, and deeper exploration. Just look at the sheer number of posts and discussions about Spaced Out compared to the newer DLCs. Unfortunately, the Oni forum is far from its former glory, and a big reason for that is simple: there hasn’t been much to debate, discover, or explore. The problem is that there is little to play in DLC2 and DLC3.

Another issue with small content packs is that they fragment the player base. If I were a new player and saw five different DLCs, it wouldn’t be a welcoming sight. While many of us, myself included, are happy to support smaller content updates, as someone who considers ONI one of the best games ever, I feel that the current DLC approach isn’t the right one.

What do you guys think? Would you prefer more small content packs or a Spaced Out-level expansion?

 

 

[Fistleaf]

A full expansion could be a dupe entering the tear into an alternate universe with new items, gameplay, physics. You "win" if you get back to the original universe.

[cyberwarlord]

I'd like to see sandbox working.

I've been dying to make custom challenges. Even with 7 mods I'm still unable to create one properly. 

[NewWorldDan]

I had a lot of fun with the Frosty Planet Pack, but the Bionic Booster Pack was disappointing. If Klei put out more content packs like the Frosty Planet Pack, I'd keep buying them. A full expansion would be great, if it's got a really great idea behind. From a development standpoint, content packs are easy and they don't break the game. Doing something the scale of Spaced Out, that works with both vanilla and SO could be a challenge. 

[gigamoi]

Yeah. Despite all the love I have for spaced out and the wealth of content and mechanics it introduces, the development budget for such a DLC is far larger and I can't imagine the hellscape of a code base that would result from having more of them. That's also a riskier investment if it turns out many people don't like the DLC as much. As a result, I don't think we can realistically expect such a large DLC in the future anyway so I'm quite happy with content packs. Smaller content packs offer less and may please a narrower portions of player but you can still cover more player if they are easier to put out.

From what I have gathered, some like FP because of the new maps it offers while others don't like it as much because it lacks content beyond early to mid game. Some like BP because it offers alternative mechanics all thorough the game while others don't like it as much because it adds a bit everywhere but only a little bit. And, as long as the devs don't focus on a single "type" of content, that's ok IMO. If you think about it, SO could roughly be split between the marsh + wasteland biomes, rad stuff, and space stuff. Apart perhaps from the space stuff which is larger and require some important game engine overhaul, these three modules could have been independent content packs. Things didn't really change.

[Charletrom]

13 hours ago, cyberwarlord said:

I'd like to see sandbox working.

I've been dying to make custom challenges. Even with 7 mods I'm still unable to create one properly. 

I’d suggest familiarizing yourself with the worldgen files. They can be edited with notepad, and allow for some cool challenge maps. For example, I just finished a playthrough where all geysers on the starting map were removed, instead replaced with custom geodes that contained just enough to get you to midgame. Sustainability required figuring out how to build an efficient research reactor and a way to automate water transport from the water planet, which I converted to a frozen brine hellscape. I ended up transporting hot nuclear waste to melt the brine ice, which was a unique challenge.

 

One of my pie-in-the-sky wishes for ONI is a map editor that lets us make such maps in a less intimidating way, and share them. Imagine an in-game custom map browser with dozens of cool community made maps! Would do wonders for the longevity of the game, and might even lead to higher DLC sales in order to be able to load maps that contain DLC biomes.

[NewWorldDan]

6 hours ago, gigamoi said:

while others don't like it as much because it lacks content beyond early to mid game.

One of the big problems with Spaced Out is that the outer planets are always the same. After a couple of colonies, there isn't much motivation to explore beyond the starting asteroid. That really limits replayability. If the devs made 3-4 concepts for outer planets and randomized them in, I'd like that. As long as there's a sources of niobium, fullerene, and resin. Otherwise, I'm mostly looking for new elements, new critters, and ever more absurd production chains, along with some extremely hostile and challenging asteroids.

[asurendra]

Small packs coming every 4-5 months feels much better than 1 big DLC once in 3 years. KLEI possibilities are limited, so let them do what they want..

P.S. Late game changes are really, really necessary

[Henlikuoth]

I'm ok with smaller packs. I think two packs a year reflect a good balance. 

However, I am missing QOL updates. We haven't received any new blueprints for longer now.

I am still waiting for blueprints for critters, tiles, and more. 

1 hour ago, asurendra said:

Late game changes are really, really necessary

Yes.

Many things have been discussed in the last two years, and I have also. However, Klei hasn't acted much on them yet, which is a bit discouraging. 

I hope Klei loves their game and genuinely cares for ONI. 

I will buy the next pack anyway, and I hope it will be released by around June. 

[cyberwarlord]

3 hours ago, Charletrom said:

I’d suggest familiarizing yourself with the worldgen files. They can be edited with notepad, and allow for some cool challenge maps. For example, I just finished a playthrough where all geysers on the starting map were removed, instead replaced with custom geodes that contained just enough to get you to midgame. Sustainability required figuring out how to build an efficient research reactor and a way to automate water transport from the water planet, which I converted to a frozen brine hellscape. I ended up transporting hot nuclear waste to melt the brine ice, which was a unique challenge.

 

One of my pie-in-the-sky wishes for ONI is a map editor that lets us make such maps in a less intimidating way, and share them. Imagine an in-game custom map browser with dozens of cool community made maps! Would do wonders for the longevity of the game, and might even lead to higher DLC sales in order to be able to load maps that contain DLC biomes.

Custom community maps have created a lot of success for other games. 

Also would make a fantasy tutorial planet. Something to download with working examples to explore. 

It only needs the gravitas items. Story pieces. Vents etc. Being able to remove the background or add it. Alter max light and radiation. Custom meteors. 

Build a planet where there is no space, just deep underground. Just a teleporter system in and out.

[Charletrom]

56 minutes ago, cyberwarlord said:

Custom community maps have created a lot of success for other games. 

Also would make a fantasy tutorial planet. Something to download with working examples to explore. 

It only needs the gravitas items. Story pieces. Vents etc. Being able to remove the background or add it. Alter max light and radiation. Custom meteors. 

Build a planet where there is no space, just deep underground. Just a teleporter system in and out.

FWIW all of the specific worldgen changes you mention are possible through worldgen file edits, with the exception of custom meteors. You can control which showers are present (no more slime meteors yay), but can't edit the showers themselves.

[evilcat19xx]

18 hours ago, NewWorldDan said:

From a development standpoint, content packs are easy and they don't break the game.

They are. They don’t break anything since they don’t introduce anything new or are very limited in scale.

18 hours ago, NewWorldDan said:

Doing something the scale of Spaced Out, that works with both vanilla and SO could be a challenge. 

That's true, but this is an issue with the many-DLC model, not with the idea of having an in-depth DLC itself. I know this might never happen, but content packs could easily be part of the main game. Isn't it weird that some mods (e.g., Rocketry Expanded) have much more gameplay depth than the last two DLCs combined

12 hours ago, gigamoi said:

the development budget for such a DLC is far larger and I can't imagine the hellscape of a code base that would result from having more of them.

Again, that’s the issue with the many-DLC model. I doubt Klei has much of a budget issue, especially now that Tencent mostly owns them. Even if they insist on sticking with the many-DLC model, all the advancements in AI development have made dealing with messy code much easier.

12 hours ago, gigamoi said:

If you think about it, SO could roughly be split between the marsh + wasteland biomes, rad stuff, and space stuff. Apart perhaps from the space stuff which is larger and require some important game engine overhaul, these three modules could have been independent content packs.

Exactly. The space content took the game to the next level, bringing much-needed new life to it. What I really liked about Spaced Out! was that it showed the developers actually playing the game. For example, dealing with magma planetoids required meeting many requirements, and having a reliable rocket wasn’t possible without first becoming familiar with fundamental game systems like cooling, oxygen, and food. I can only see a little bit of that depth in the past two DLCs.

5 hours ago, asurendra said:

Small packs coming every 4-5 months feels much better than 1 big DLC once in 3 years. KLEI possibilities are limited, so let them do what they want..

It feels better that we know the development cycle for the game we like is not dead.

5 hours ago, asurendra said:

P.S. Late game changes are really, really necessary

True. Late-game content is very important because it challenges developers to see if they can chain all the random elements together and create a cohesive story from start to finish, or if it's just aimless sandbox content.

3 hours ago, Henlikuoth said:

I'm ok with smaller packs. I think two packs a year reflect a good balance. 

That’s one of the main issues. I can take a wild guess that a middle manager proudly announces in an all-hands meeting that they’ve successfully developed two DLCs. But that number means nothing; the quality is justn’t there. As everyone says, developing surface-level content packs is easy; there are no unforeseen hurdles before starting the project. However, a gameplay-changing model can face many unexpected challenges. I think that’s the key difference between a generic game and a brilliant one, it takes a manager or director willing to take risks.

 

[cyberwarlord]

4 hours ago, Charletrom said:

FWIW all of the specific worldgen changes you mention are possible through worldgen file edits, with the exception of custom meteors. You can control which showers are present (no more slime meteors yay), but can't edit the showers themselves.

I've tried a few times now but always have odd issues in sandbox or editingsaves. Such as the robo miner digging out constructed tiles or creating teleporter loops that crash the game.

Slime meteors is how I made my surface nature garden. Let them land and cook into dirt. Pips.

[asurendra]

11 hours ago, evilcat19xx said:

True. Late-game content is very important because it challenges developers to see if they can chain all the random elements together and create a cohesive story from start to finish, or if it's just aimless sandbox content.

ONI always been aimless sandbox game. We like it for that. If you want a story game you should  play something else... 

And I really dont think ONI need any core mechanic changes. Core mechanics are more than fine. We just need more options to use them. I like bionics DLC as it introduced actual usage for high electricity lines, made plastic consumable, made low temp builds  useful. I like FPP as it offers new ways to get crucial resources, and its important for replayability. 

This two DLCs was extremely good. I hope next one will be the same quality

[Charletrom]

4 hours ago, asurendra said:

ONI always been aimless sandbox game. We like it for that. If you want a story game you should  play something else... 

And I really dont think ONI need any core mechanic changes. Core mechanics are more than fine. We just need more options to use them. I like bionics DLC as it introduced actual usage for high electricity lines, made plastic consumable, made low temp builds  useful. I like FPP as it offers new ways to get crucial resources, and its important for replayability. 

This two DLCs was extremely good. I hope next one will be the same quality

It has never been aimless imo, the colony imperatives are there. Achievements help too. For me the goal has always been about the little narratives that the free-form systems allow you to make. Late-game goals are really important for that. They don’t have to be formal objectives to do the job. New rare resources, higher difficulty modes, complicated foods, etc can be enough.

[cyberwarlord]

7 hours ago, asurendra said:

ONI always been aimless sandbox game. We like it for that. If you want a story game you should  play something else... 

Who is we and why be so rude about it?

It's easy to just play aimlessly in any game. It's doing anything else worth while that's the hard part.

 

[NewWorldDan]

5 hours ago, asurendra said:

ONI always been aimless sandbox game. We like it for that. If you want a story game you should  play something else... 

No, I'm actually heavily invested in the game's lore. I try to make my dupes match up with their back stories. Mae is a pilot, Stinky does cleaning and hauling, etc. Of course, I've also developed my own internal lore as well. Bubbles is my super builder.

[goboking]

On 2/25/2025 at 12:28 PM, Henlikuoth said:

I hope Klei loves their game and genuinely cares for ONI. 

 

I'm genuinely surprised this is even a question.  At least to those of us who have been around awhile, the love the developers and artists pour into their work on ONI is obvious. 

[Fistleaf]

There are still some buildings that are underused. For example, research reactor. Looks interesting, but the benefit is not that great and my base can survive well without it. Klei can further develop these buildings to make all of them useful in a normal base, increases replayability.

[Pproy]

11 hours ago, Fistleaf said:

There are still some buildings that are underused. For example, research reactor. Looks interesting, but the benefit is not that great and my base can survive well without it. Klei can further develop these buildings to make all of them useful in a normal base, increases replayability.

While I do agree that some building are underused and could use some love, I absolutly adore the research reactor. Even though its more complicated than a petroleum boiler, there just something so rewarding in making a nuclear reactor.

 

That said, the uranium centrifuge could use some work.

[Charletrom]

On 2/26/2025 at 8:32 PM, Fistleaf said:

There are still some buildings that are underused. For example, research reactor. Looks interesting, but the benefit is not that great and my base can survive well without it. Klei can further develop these buildings to make all of them useful in a normal base, increases replayability.

The benefit is not that great? Are you sure about that?