And what about those people who paid for the base game and realised, without those 20-30 DLCs the game is kinda barren and bare-bones? You can at least demo the game for free, others have to wait for a proper complete edition or pay another 50-100 bucks for the proper game experience. EGS is not the problem here.

In games like Civ it's understood that the base game cost is the entry ticket to the park, but then you have to pay for the attractions too.

Have you heard of Origin's On the House? It doesn't exist anymore or rather was replaced by subscription model. When it was around you could get games like Need for Speed Most Wanted (2012) for free. You would at least expect to receive a full base game ... which is not the case. What you get is a bare-bones basic framework. If you wish to upgrade your car you have to buy an unlock pack. If you wish to get new cars either buy them in-game or go buy another pack. If you wish to get an advantage in MP modes, go buy the multiplayer booster pack (or whatever it is called).

With Epic at least you get the standard version of a game with no strings attached and no content locked away. When they offer Skylines, well, why should they include DLC also? In case of PoE and some of the others you mentioned, they are GOTY/Deluxe (whatever they are called respectively) editions, which is why DLC were included, because this is the version Epic decided to give away.

In case of Skylines? When they decide to give away the Standard version instead of any of the others, which should be Gold, Platinum, Deluxe, etc. there is no reason to complain. Also in case of Skylines, you would expect that a deluxe version contains all content, where in fact it is only the Platinum one that does. It is Paradox' model to milk their customer's money so I wouldn't expect less from them if they got any say in it what Epic gives away.

In any case as long as you can enjoy the base game and it isn't restricted in any way shape or form why complain? You get it free of charge after all, don't you? ;-)

I have the opinion if you give something give something good or not at all.
i was expecting a platinum edition of skyline nobody have use for basic game it's wasted GB on your drive.

I used to buy all the DLC I could for a game or wait for the Complete Edition but then I realized that must of the time DLC is just filler and fluff and really worth the time or money. So now I rarely buy it anymore.

Epic giving away PoE and Tyranny Complete Editions was pretty cool though.

Many devs are starting to realize that where the real money is these days is DLCs. Paradox recently made Crusader Kings 2 (the base game) free but DLCs of course are not.

They are giving me free things, god darn it, but they are not giveing me the FREE THINGS I WANT!!! how dare they.

They could indeed have given away the platinum edition because there are additional DLC not included. The question is why should they? For this game even without major DLC it is more than a framework. Judging by Paradox standards anyway. The same can't be said about Slitherine's Order of Battle: World War II. DLC upon DLC upon DLC to expand the base game beyond some basic missions plus tutorials.

If you wanted to you wouldn't even need to go look to Epic to see that some of the giveaways by GOG are also only base game without DLC. Prison Architect which was given away during the Winter Sale. Wasn't it the base game and Cleared for Transfer only, while you still had to buy Island Bound and Psych Ward - Wardens Edition? Coincidentally this is also a Paradox title which they began to milk once they bought it ...

My take is that when a base game is given away but DLC enhancing the game come in large numbers, for a price which at least at Epic are more agreeable to what sometimes is asked here, I would not take the offer. Complaining about doesn't get you anywhere which leaves you with one of two options: Don't take it as I do or take it and wait until DLC are on sale as well so you get those as well. At least that is something to be expected as they are almost always included in one sale or another at least on GOG.

The first line of your post is fine. It's your opinion, and while I completely disagree with you (ever hear the expression "don't look a gift horse in the mouth"?), you're entitled to it.

I take exception to your second line, where you say "nobody have use for basic game [sic], it's wasted GB on your drive". I have use for the basic game; I'm perfectly happy to play it and get enjoyment from it. If I really like it, I might pick and choose some of the addon packs, thereby also giving the developer a bit of business and profit (as well as Epic who kindly gave the game away - and yes, I know it's a marketing tool).

I also have to add that complaining about something you've been given for free is a bit like being bought your first car by your parents and complaining that they got you a 15 year old Ford Fiesta rather than a brand new Ford Mustang. Yes, the Fiesta is objectively worse, but in my mind, it's a bit entitled and ungrateful to complain about that.

i don't think it's good to compare entertainment with a car.
games are better compare with movies or books it with a movie it's like watching Avengers
but cut out the movie each 15 mins for 5 mins sure you seen the "movie" but missing essentials.

or they give you a book but each second page is gone. that's how games without DLC feels like not at all useful.

Again, you're entitled to your opinion. If you don't like the car analogy (which I feel is a good example of what is happening here), it's more like being given the first book in a trilogy and complaining you haven't been given the second and third books.

Either way, I'm not expecting you're going to get much sympathy for complaining about something you didn't have to pay for.

If you really don't like it, don't claim the gift.

Either way, I hope your rant about not liking your free gift has made you feel better, as we're all living in stressful times.

Good one - that's better than my "first in a trilogy" example.

Unfortunately neither is a very good comparison since there are many examples of duo/trilogies where only the first was released. Heroes of Annihilated Empires, A Vampyre Story, Half Life² stuck at the second episode and the third scrapped, and many more.

The movie examples and cuts doesn't work. Think of movie adaptions of books and how much of one is missing in the other. If movies weren't cut for the brain dead suffering from some sort of attention deficit disorder who can't concentrate for more than a minute, an epic including all material and a duration of 3hrs 55m or 7hrs and 35m was it? War and Peace, would be impossible to sell a box office bomb.

Were it is games and movies you can never know whether you ever get to see/play all parts/content promised. With books you can rest assured to get all of it. What you can't expect are spelling or other errors being present ... there is hardly any quality control in digital distribution of books involved or so it seems. Readers are encouraged to report any they find - free of charge. Reader becomes beta-tester ... spot an error, report, hope for an update ... to add one more analogy to this list. ;-)

One side argues that something is free, though not necessarily what's been expected, the other feels cheated and something essential is missing. In case of this and other free offers, I can't understand why one would complain about missing DLC. Not even in case you stood before the decision to buy a Paradox title, you would know beforehand that some content will only become available in a DLC, leaving aside for a moment that this content could well have been included in the base game, when all there is is the base game and DLC promised but as yet not released. Still, people wait, buy DLC, wait some more, buy next DLC and complain why this is not present in base game and that hasn't been in there from the start.

Simply Say No - Wait - That Easy. Either they change their model of doing business or buy and support but heaven forbid don't complain, as you are very well aware how it all works and could have made the decision not to buy. Much the same with - get it for free marketing. Driftland, which came rather unexpected, where the base game is free and the first DLC crept up soon after release. Same question: Is it worth complaining when there is this free game, add-on, whatever you will call it, versus this new DLC, which also came out of nowhere, which you got to buy? Would it change anything to complain? DLC would still not be free and neither GOG nor likely developer would change anything about the fact. ;-)

you can't not really see what you claim only see you claim X game not if all is included.
if i know it's only the base game i would not claim it.