My understanding was that "EA" is a content release model, not a business model, and is characterized by the focus of development generally being on updating and adding to the already released content. This is different to Larian's model, which I described as "kickstarter with a demo", where proceeds from a paid access demo that is not the active focus of development are used to fund the development of unreleased content that is the active focus of development.
Not going into the whole wall of text. You basically suggested they falsely marketed their games and pointed to Divinity Original Sin 2 as another example. And you generally came across as upset you didn't get what you expected.
But more to the point. You understand wrong. Most AAA games treat "early access" as no more than a preorder incentive or a server stress test for a multiplayer game before full release. Most of those games give brief access to the full game shortly before release but they generally take zero feedback...nothing you say or think about it will impact the final game because that's not what it's there to do. Those are just marketing gimmicks, only there to get people to preorder the game and play a bit early. Larian announced from the very beginning that BG3 early access was purely going to be Act 1 of the game and they very specifically said that early access was there to collect player feedback to help with the development of the game. They never promised access to the full game before release, nor that you would get it as they develop it, or anything else. If you expected anything else that is your fault because Larian were very honest, clear, and upfront about precisely what their early access plans and intentions were from the very beginning.
As to what I was driving at about the feedback was when you said this:
Originally Posted by InkTide
There's also the more insidious angle of saying that the main purpose is to respond to player feedback in the starter area to put it up to a high standard while skimping on everything afterwards so that initial reviews are positive after release and by the time the flaws are apparent players are too deeply invested to acknowledge them or too disinterested to rewrite their reviews to include them
Because in spite of what you said earlier this particular part really sounds like you are mad about them not listening to your feedback...going as far as to suggest that everything they said were deceitful lies to manipulate first impressions and reviews. You should remember most copies of DOS2(which you specifically pointed at) sold after the full launch of the game, and most reviews of the reviews for that game came after its full launch. To suggest that the game's overall Overwhelmingly Positive rating was manipulated with a bad early access is disingenuous and extremely disrespectful of Larian.
