88 replies to this topic

[Vicen]

Bah...all this 1 step back...and 2 steps forward is quite annoying..

[Archmage Silver]

I'll probably be too busy playing Mass Effect 2 to care about the exact release date myself, but it would have been nice to get RtO done before ME2 is released.

[Eleima]

Much like Archmage Silver, I'll probably be too busy with ME2 and then Assassin's Creed 2 to pay much attention to Return to Ostagar. I think we can all agree, though, that a delayed DLC of good quality is always better than a rushed DLC of poor quality, yes?

[Kulyok]

I just played Return to Ostagar - finished it, that is. Aaand... I don't think I can recommend it. For five dollars/400 points - yes, sure, it's better than a lunch in McDonalds, surely, it's a good use of your money - and for an hour of your time(I played slowly and completed it in one hour - I already had the dog, though). But I feel it didn't add anything to the game, to the story - it's just a big snowy area with a small dungeon(copied right out of the Dalish origin dungeon), some looting to do and some darkspawn to kill.

So, here're my impressions - first, without spoilers(er, relatively):

I had Alistair, Morrigan and Dog in my party. Dog had a few interjections(mournful howl, low growl and stuff like this). Alistair had a lot of interjections - but these were what they were, interjections, just phrases, not banters. It was good to hear Alistair talk so much, but Morrigan was *totally* silent, she didn't say a word(at one point her approval got down, but she didn't say anything even then), and it was a bit creepy next to overtalkative Alistair.

It's a simple enough quest: first, you find out that you have a new quest and a small area on the map. You go there and find a quest-giver(that's all, there's nothing else in the first area, just like it is with the Stone Prisoner). Then you go to Ostagar - it appears on your map. It's just the same area you remember, only it's covered in snow, all people are gone, and only "War Council", "Magi encampment" and such marks remain. You'll go to the Tower of Ishal, too, but thankfully, there's only one level there. Also, you _will_ see the battlefield, but not very much of it. Just a little empty stretch for one semi-boss battle.

Slight hint: You may feel a bit lost in the beginning - there are unbreakable barricades all around. If you are lost, turn on top-down view and issue an order. Your party members will find the path(hint: it's to the left from the entry, a path from the infirmary to the war council).

No dialogue, no survivors, no npcs, nothing. There are a few cutscenes, but it's mostly about darkspawn appearing -> battle. One cutscene with Cailan's body is supposed to be very good, but it didn't work for me: it just came out of nowhere. I feel they could've added so much, like an NPC infected by the taint, or a prisoner(like PC asked Morrigan "So these survivors could be rescued?"), or at least some Alistair-Morrigan bickering, or Duncan's body(!) - nothing. Sigh. Ah well.

Oh, and do collect all items and kill all enemies before leaving. Otherwise the area may disappear(it certainly does disappear from the map when you complete the quest).


Spoiler-y thingies:

SPOILER!


You have to loot everything and kill everyone to get six items of king Cailan's. It's really a dungeon-crawler's job, like in the Deep Roads, only without a dungeon for the most part. Items - I think - are level-dependent, but pretty good. Also there's a nice two-handed crusher weapon, a pair of gloves for an archer, and Duncan's dagger and sword(you get them from an undead ogre that Duncan killed - and that ogre, not surprisingly, is the Final Boss). And a black-striped caddis for the Dog.

Cailan's documents are pretty simple. First is a "let Orlais and Ferelden be alliess forever" treaty, which, naturally, is irrelevant(was Orlais going to keep it? no? We'll never know). Second and third documents are more interesting: the second one is a letter from Arl Eamon, who urges Cailan to dump Queen Anora, as she's nearing thirty and isn't going to produce a child. Eek. And third one is a very friendly note from the empress of Orlais, who is talking to Cailan about a permanent alliance between the two nations(and you don't have to be blind to see what both of them might imply - a royal marriage between the empress and the king. Hah! And that empress said that Anora is a rose! Never trust a royal-blooded person, that's all I can say).

Anyway, you can imagine I didn't have much respect left for Cailan after that. A cheating bastard, and now this! It was good for my PC, though - he is a male human noble who, I feel, might marry Anora in the end. But when the quest was done, and the final choice was presented - what to do with Cailan's body?(burn it, leave it to the wolves or leave it as it is(on a cross, mocked by darkspawn)) - my PC decided to burn it, which was a "good" choice. There's a nice cutscene at the end, and Morrigan disapproves. Then again, Alistair hugely disapproves if you don't burn the body, so.

/ spoiler done


All in all, I didn't like it as much as other two expansions. I'm not sure I want to replay it - I guess I was disappointed. But try it out - you may like it more than me.

Edited by Kulyok, 10 January 2010 - 01:05 AM.

[Archmage Silver]

RTO is out? What the...? Honestly? I never heard a thing about this and it's not April Fool's yet.

[Eleima]

I've been looking around, but there's no RtO on my available DLC in the DAO program, and there's no news on the official web site... I think Kulyok got preferential treatment!

[Zander]

Torrent, anyone? I've seen this on other boards as well, and the user said she got it from a download site. She didn't specify which one, though.

[Kulyok]

Ah. Whoops. I read the forum and indeed it seems I've been given a - not-real version? My dear friends... ahem. I'll need to talk to them, it seems.
http://social.biowar...index/555531/64
I thought the site had it: http://dragonage.bioware.com/addon/rto - but obviously not.

Edited by Kulyok, 10 January 2010 - 08:11 AM.

[Archmage Silver]

At least I now know that I didn't accidentally comatose myself for the last few days, therefore missing the announcement.

[Eleima]

You and me both!!! Kulyok, you gave me a (tiny) heart attack back there!

[Bluenose]

Apparently the Xbox 360 version is now available for download, with the PC version to follow "later today". It looks like Microsoft released it without giving Bioware advance warning.

Be warned, some people are claiming it is buggy and deletes your unlocked specialisations.

[Qwinn]

Hmmm, still not popping up in my Downloadable Content tab.

Qwinn

[Bluenose]

Hmmm, still not popping up in my Downloadable Content tab.

Qwinn

It was out. It's been taken down again because of the bug.

[Jarno Mikkola]

Uuuh.

[Archmage Silver]

Chris Priestly was surprised to hear RtO was out earlier before it was pulled:

Hi folks

Return to Ostagar is now unexpectedly available for the Xbox 360. We will be making the PC version available later today and will have the PS3 version available later.

Please DO NOT discuss the story of Return to OStagar in thsi forum. Please use the Official Campaign Quests and Storyline forum here to discuss the story: http://social.biowar...tegory/47/index

[Kulyok]

One more thing(now that it's available or will be available within days): Wynne's got a lot of dialogue for RtO, too - as she's been to Ostagar and everything.

(a little spoiler-y)


In fact, if you take Alistair and Wynne there together, there will be banters between them, and even (gasp!) flirting. So, if you are playing a female PC and thinking that Alistair is yours forever after and that he won't look at any other woman ever... well, you've been warned!


And, yes, Shale was totally silent during RtO, just like Morrigan. So far, only Alistair, Dog and Wynne "talked", or had interjections. I'm guessing Alistair-Dog-Wynne is the "win" party for this one.

[Archmage Silver]

Reviews:
EndSights
Addicted to Gaming

Edited by Archmage Silver, 19 January 2010 - 11:55 AM.

[Archmage Silver]

Rock, Paper, Shotgun on the DLC saga

[Tempest]

One more thing(now that it's available or will be available within days): Wynne's got a lot of dialogue for RtO, too - as she's been to Ostagar and everything.

(a little spoiler-y)


In fact, if you take Alistair and Wynne there together, there will be banters between them, and even (gasp!) flirting. So, if you are playing a female PC and thinking that Alistair is yours forever after and that he won't look at any other woman ever... well, you've been warned!


And, yes, Shale was totally silent during RtO, just like Morrigan. So far, only Alistair, Dog and Wynne "talked", or had interjections. I'm guessing Alistair-Dog-Wynne is the "win" party for this one.

Note: if you visit RtO very late in the game with Loghain in the party, he is very talkative. He suspected what was going on with Cailan and the Empress, and isn't pleased to have his paranoia confirmed.

[Vicen]

Ill bet any money that Mass Effect 2 comes out before RTO!