39 replies to this topic

[Archmage Silver]

...we all remember how long it took the first one to be released don't we?

Absolutely. It almost seemed like Duke Nukem Forever of the RPG world.

[Philiposophy]

I'm not massively concerned by a preset character until I see how they do it. It might not be ideal but I've seen preset characters be good enough in Torment and ME to withhold my judgement.

I am interested by this decade thing. All Bioware's other efforts I've played take place over an indeterminate amount of time that seems like a few months at the most. A whole decade would mean they'd have to factor in political changes, economic changes (stores are going to sell up and go or move in!), people dying, people getting older, growing up, etc. There'd even be pressure for the romances to be deeper than they have been previously. 10 years is more than enough time for serious relationships to develop after all.

[Cal Jones]

If they weren't interested in replayability then why keep on churning out all these DLCs? (See, they've found a way to make replayability profitable!)

Anyway...regarding the ten year thing, I suspect it will have a prologue where you are a younger Hawke, then advance to "now" later on. Somewhat like Fallout 3 where you are born, then 1, then 10, then 16, before you finally hit the main game as a 19 year old.

[Kaeloree]

I'm not terribly concerned about having to play Hawke. I'm more concerned about the fact that they seem to be taking the game in a totally different direction, and I'm not sure I like it.

I think my initial opinion does have a lot to do with how awful the writing here is. Surely they could have spent more time on this, considering it's the world's first impression of the game. It is relatively awful.

Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.

Besides the fact that these are awful, awful comparisons to make (please don't mix Ancient Greece with Thedas kthx BioWare), it sounds sound like they are going to A-RPGify it. I don't mind ARPGs--Mass Effect 1 & 2 are together my favourite game series I would say--but... I have my doubts.

Go deeper into the world of Dragon Age with an entirely new cinematic experience that grabs hold of you from the beginning and never lets go.

This doesn't really mean very much. I could be reading too much into it, but if they have to flesh out their features list with something like this... but I suppose they are marketing both to the existing fanbase and a new audience.

Discover a whole realm rendered in stunning detail with updated graphics and a new visual style.

Awesome! Dragon Age with good graph--wait, "a new visual style"?

*Looks at art on DA2 website*

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

I really hope this is an awesome game. But I just have a weird feeling about it. I hope BioWare can change my mind.

[Archmage Silver]

I really hope this is an awesome game. But I just have a weird feeling about it. I hope BioWare can change my mind.

This. I sincerely hope they can pull this through without coming up with something... well, odd. I want this game to be good. It's more or less what we've all been waiting for since finishing Awakening.

[Yovaneth]

I shall buy it and enjoy it/not enjoy it for what it is, not what it could be. Unless it's NWN-style lousy and I doubt that very much - 'bout the only RPG I never got past the opening chapter before hitting terminal boredom.

-Y-

[Eleima]

I believe the K-man has the right of it. THe thing that bugs me is that it seems as though they're taking things in a completely different direction. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing as long as it's done right, but still... THe whole idea gives me pause. Of course, since it's a BioWare game, I'll still give it a shot, and reserve final judgment when I play it.

I shall buy it and enjoy it/not enjoy it for what it is, not what it could be. Unless it's NWN-style lousy and I doubt that very much - 'bout the only RPG I never got past the opening chapter before hitting terminal boredom.
-Y-

Oh my gosh, so it's not just me! I thought NWN was soooo bad, I barely got out of the Waterdeep districts, nevermind the rest!

[Archmage Silver]

I shall buy it and enjoy it/not enjoy it for what it is, not what it could be. Unless it's NWN-style lousy and I doubt that very much - 'bout the only RPG I never got past the opening chapter before hitting terminal boredom.

-Y-

I take it that you never played Fable? That game almost made me want to kill myself.

Anyway, I'm feeling pretty much the same as you, I'll buy it and see how turns out, but I'm more interested in Mass Effect 3 now.

[Vicen]

I guess I consider myself a very non harsh critic...I pretty much enjoyed NWN...though I never beat it...And for Fable I played it long ago and beat it but growing old so fast was kinda weird...at the end of the game you have a beard that can rival Santa's if your good heh! But regardless I am still going to buy this despite what happens be it good or bad...As I am sure others will as well...

[Yovaneth]

I take it that you never played Fable? That game almost made me want to kill myself.

I half-considered it a couple of times but no, never played it. Come to think of it, I didn't get past the opening chapter of Dungeon Lords either (complete crud) and only about one-quarter through Dungeon Siege (it started refusing to save games so I introduced the CD to eBay... nobody bid on it... 'nuff said ).

-Y-

[Miloch]

I didn't get past the opening chapter of Dungeon Lords either (complete crud)

Bah, and I thought I'd scored a rare find in the bargain bin. Oh well, it *was* a bargain...

and only about one-quarter through Dungeon Siege (it started refusing to save games so I introduced the CD to eBay... nobody bid on it... 'nuff said

Ah, but you could've saved it to play the Ultima VI conversion. Though since I don't have it, I'll take it off your hands for cheap .

[Yovaneth]

Welll..... it's still on the shelf here somewhere but god knows how it's survived without being used as a short-range frisbee. I'm considering Ultima too - I did install Lazarus at one point but either something went wrong or something else grabbed my attention. Probably KotOR, thinking about the timescale. That said, I'm playing Leliana's Song atm. I had started The Witcher EE but I've been sidetracked. Then there's ME again followed by ME2, but by which time (at my rate of play) DA2 will be out.

Heh - just been and checked evilbay.com. I see why you won't consider it - those are stupid prices. Take a look at ebay.co.uk; starting prices at $1.20 and by the time you've added postage, you're still less than half the price of most ebay.com offerings. OTOH if you don't want to do it direct, PM me as I'm more than happy to play man-in-middle.

-Y-

[Hellcommander]

Ive played Fable, Fable:the lost chapters, and Fable 2. Fable 2 is great game but spell system is worse then original.

Edited by Hellcommander, 10 July 2010 - 08:55 PM.

[Cal Jones]

Heh, I just started the Witcher EE too...it sat on my shelf for about a year, but finally I finished all the other games I wanted to play first. Liking it so far...not loving it yet but I'm still in chapter 1.

I actually did finish NWN but remember being bitterly disappointed with it. That's about the only Bioware game I haven't thought was great, but then it was a toolkit, first and foremost, with the game bolted on. (I did like NWN2 though).

I'm sure Bioware won't let us down. I really hope so.

[Crazee]

I will play this, and I will likely enjoy it, too. Honestly, normally the companions are all that they need include to have me enjoying myself. That doesn't stop me being a little worried, though.

I don't mind the conversation wheel, I guess - it's a step down, personally, but it's alright. I don't mind that there's no longer a choice of Origins (the BG series didn't, after all), and I'm glad this tale won't be about the Grey Wardens, and involves a new character.

I really, really don't like the voice thing, though. It kills creativity. Worse than that, I don't like how the initial information released seemed to stress about how the combat system was being developed and the action is improving. I couldn't give a flying fig about this stuff, honestly. And the combat changes aren't even going to affect PC players, I believe. I hope it doesn't reflect an overall change in priority, though I fear it might. Male/male romances are likely to be cut if this is the new direction of the games, which will be a huge letdown.

Still, I look forward to it. And I like to get caught up in the speculation - not actually posting over on the Bioware social site (it saddens me that the internet is full of such rude, angry people), but just reading. I enjoyed the hype about Origins almost as much as I enjoyed the game - which was quite a bit.

[Kaeloree]

Heh, I just started the Witcher EE too...it sat on my shelf for about a year, but finally I finished all the other games I wanted to play first. Liking it so far...not loving it yet but I'm still in chapter 1.

The first chapters are without doubt the most awful in the game. It gets so much better soon, so keep at it!

I actually did finish NWN but remember being bitterly disappointed with it. That's about the only Bioware game I haven't thought was great, but then it was a toolkit, first and foremost, with the game bolted on. (I did like NWN2 though).

I couldn't finish NWN, because it did not hook me in the slightest. I didn't really enjoy NWN2 at all, though I did finish it--I absolutely adored MotB however. Loved every second of it.

I'm sure Bioware won't let us down. I really hope so.

My thought/hopes exactly.

[VonLund]

Interesting news, perhaps a bit surprising regarding the chosen direction of the game.

Still, I have not yet lost all hope.

Edited by VonLund, 11 July 2010 - 11:57 AM.

[Archmage Silver]

Well, it's not like it's going to be plain bad... just different. More action elements, less RPG elements, or at least that's what they're advertising in the key features.

[Solar's Harper]

Well if it works, it works, I suppose. Gameplay speaking there really isn't any denying the current point and click system is far from fluid - Origins proved this, especially with the incredibly large lump of fights the player was subjected to.
Nothing more perplexing than to just sit there, watching your characters miss, and miss, and miss - despite a very clear image of weapon making contact, hatred for Random Number God anyone?

Of course, the alternative might well alter the game's difficulty to be impossibly easy then - or hard, depending how an enemy is affected. One of the things with no definitive solution yet, I think.

[WeeRLegion]

Here I was reading all the gloomy ponderings here, andthen this struck me:

...and I'm glad this tale won't be about the Grey Wardens, and involves a new character.

I'm suddenly feeling much better about DA2; I felt the Grey Warden thing was a little bit overdone in DAO and DAO:A, and no matter how mean an warden you played, you still were forced to play the shiny hero in some way.
It's a slim hope, I know, still having to be the champion and all, but a little hope nonetheless, that there might be more options for moral ambiguity.

So here's to hoping they'll this time around provide more human motivations for the PC than "Durr! I R HERO! Therefore I KILL STUFF!".