207 replies to this topic

[Eleima]

I agree with Jarno. In my opinion, DA2 was very much Hawke's story, a "rags to riches" story. It was more about a character's struggles and her relationships with different people, friends and family, and how far she was willing to go to defend them, take care of them.

You're right, though, Vicen, when I said "crappy combat", what I really meant was "ludicrous ninja enemies and repetitive environments".

[Tempest]

If Hawke had been remotely interesting as a character or his/her actions felt like they meant anything, the "rise to power" thing might have been a compelling story. But neither condition is true. Nothing in the story until near the end felt like it carried any weight or impact at all, and Hawke is just boring. Then again, not Hawke's fault that Bioware seems determined to disregard the slim handful of original elements of the Dragon Age world and instead go for another generic fantasy story.

Edited by Tempest, 25 October 2012 - 07:53 AM.

[Vicen]

If Bioware sticks to what it was doing in the DLC for DA 2 (which in my opinion both were very good) they will be on the right track for certain...I do not see them stepping backwards...only moving forward...Granted the last year or two have not been kind for them (SWTOR not as good as it should of been and the ME3 ending fiasco) I can only see them going in a positive direction with the amount of time and focus they have put on DA3.

[Almateria]

If Hawke had been remotely interesting as a character or his/her actions felt like they meant anything, the "rise to power" thing might have been a compelling story. But neither condition is true. Nothing in the story until near the end felt like it carried any weight or impact at all, and Hawke is just boring. Then again, not Hawke's fault that Bioware seems determined to disregard the slim handful of original elements of the Dragon Age world and instead go for another generic fantasy story.

It's cool, the decisions will be completely disregarded in DA3, just like DA2 did with DAO.

[Archmage Silver]

Awww, you're so harsh! Granted the combat was crappy, but I liked the stories DA2 told!

I'm only harsh because I want BioWare to be good, not average.

[Archmage Silver]

If you're still playing Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age: Origins or Awakening, the promotional items are now free, just go over to the BioWare Social Network, and then select the platform of your choice.

Dragon Age Promo Items Go Free @ Escapist Magazine

Nice one, thanks for posting the link. I managed to grab all the items for Origins, Awakening, and DA II. I'll probably replay Origins and Awakening at some point, so those'll see some actual use.

[Kulyok]

This probably doesn't count as news, but if you're interested in what our favourite BG and DA writer, David Gaider(who is, by the way, also the author of The Stolen Throne, a must-read for any Dragon Age fan) has to say on Anders, on his favourite characters and on writing, here's a fresh link:
http://dgaider.tumbl...tions-on-anders

EDIT: And his archive, from where you can read other great stuff:
http://dgaider.tumblr.com/archive

Edited by Kulyok, 23 December 2012 - 11:26 PM.

[Archmage Silver]

So Dragon Age 3 really is a "next-gen" title after all. Hopefully this means the PC version can make use of new hardware as well - although I'm more concerned about the game's story and writing than anything else - who wouldn't be after DA2?

 

Dragon Age 3 Listed for Xbox One by Retailer @ IGN
Dragon Age 3: Inquisition listed for Xbox One on Amazon Italy @ Shacknews

[Eleima]

I'm not.  I really liked DA2's writing and story, I found it a refreshing change of pace from the typical "save the world" storyline.  What I disliked in DA2 were the repetitive environments and ninja attacks.  Pretty sure they took complains to heart though, so it's the wait and see game at this point.

[Kulyok]

And just think about that hot Anders romance! And to make matters better worse, they added a Fenris romance! And some flirts with Orsino(damn, I wanted that elf, but something tells me Bethany might've beaten Hawke there, too!) If DA3 continues in this vein, they'll hear no complaints from me, that's all I'm saying. Still going to complain about something else, of course.

 

I still prefer replaying DAO, though - I don't enjoy DA2's bland item system, and loot is everything to me. (goes to play Diablo 3 some more with her Wizardess. Lyndon romance, anyone?)

[Vicen]

In agreeing with what Elemia said...beyond the re-use of tons of environments and ninja like enemies (who also for the most part almost all looked the same as well) they did just about everything else right (or at least average / above average) in Dragon Age 2.  Take the romances for example...I mean you have your quintessential "cute girl" in Merril, and then your "hot" one in Isabella..."Emo" Anders (at least compared to the Awakening version) and then "Mysterious" Fenris for romance options.  What more could you ask for?  Graphics were great (especially on DX11) and story also wasn't generic or bland, at least imo.  And for the few things that people might of had an issue with besides the two main complaints, most had a mod to fix them...for example..the ability not to be able to put whatever armor you want on your companions, was fixed by a mod you could download on the Nexus.  

 

So as long as they take the two main issues (and somewhat third) and fix them, I expect DA3 to be an excellent game.  But AMS is right to concerned however, Bioware isn't exactly on the best track record for the last few years.  So it is indeed a "wait and see" game at the moment.

Edited by Vicen, 02 June 2013 - 02:25 PM.

[Archmage Silver]

I hope BioWare at least decides to forget everything about tricolor endings and not introduce one to another series.

[The Imp]

And for the few things that people might of had an issue with besides the two main complaints, most had a mod to fix them...for example..the ability not to be able to put whatever armor you want on your companions, was fixed by a mod you could download on the Nexus.

And if you play the game on a console(I personally have none of that BS, but the point is) like the game is clearly designed to be played(hey the interface & everything else), you are completely screwed.

So as long as they take the two main issues (and somewhat third) and fix them, I expect DA3 to be an excellent game.  But AMS is right to concerned however, Bioware isn't exactly on the best track record for the last few years.  So it is indeed a "wait and see" game at the moment.

Hmm, or you could try Bethesda Softworks approach where everything is off by a large margin and not even the 1000 mods made in the very first day to fix things, don't make a dent to the bugfest armor the game has... talking here of the Oblivion.
Or we could just talk about the Aliens: Colonial Marines.
 
Erhm, yep, that was sarcasm all over, and that why the italics... now my point is that when you make a decision on your game, you need to make sure that all the platforms are covered, the PC's is by far the most mod friendly platform there is, and why some players use that exclusively, but one should never relie on just that... or to anything you won't be able to officially release. So Bioware has nothing to fear from that front.
What Bioware and a few other companies could take lessons from is the world build systems, well or the fact that the whole world probably won't be empty after the player passes by every nook and cranny the primary plot side lines with, and that the usable items should be a bit more spread out than in each corner of the game area, iow if you open the minimap you can pretty much guess where the items are stored, in the large box over there or that desk-table over here.

I hope BioWare at least decides to forget everything about tricolor endings and not introduce one to another series.

You know why the tricolor ending was there... the writers never had the time to finish their jobs before it was decided that they could also do it all via DLC.

Edited by The Imp, 02 June 2013 - 10:41 PM.

[Kulyok]

From Patrick Weeks' deleted forum posts, tricolor ending was an idea of the two lead guys that never even underwent peer review, so it's just a very expensive occasion of the project lead's pride overwhelming good sense.

[Almateria]

Yeah running DA3 on the Xbone isn't going to save the game.

[Archmage Silver]

From Patrick Weeks' deleted forum posts, tricolor ending was an idea of the two lead guys that never even underwent peer review, so it's just a very expensive occasion of the project lead's pride overwhelming good sense.

In that case we can only hope there are safeguards against that sort of "development" now.

[Eleima]

Last word on ME3 and then I'll get back to DA3, but from what I gather, the original Mass Effect lead writer had an ending planned out around Dark Energy, but the ending never made it.

 

The Dark Energy was a force that was going to consume everything. According to Karpyshyn, "The Reapers as a whole were 'nations' of people who had fused together in the most horrific way possible to help find a way to stop the spread of the Dark Energy. The real reason for the Human Reaper was supposed to be the Reapers saving throw because they had run out of time. Humanity in Mass Effect is supposedly unique because of its genetic diversity and represented the universe's best chance at stopping Dark Energy's spread."

Sounds messed up, but it's still loads better than the three colored cupcakes which all taste the same.

 

About Dragon Age...  I disagree Vicen, the thing about the love interests is that they were so much more complexe that what they appeared to be.  Anders wasn't just "emo", Isabella wasn't just "the hot one".  They had flaws, a history, and were fully fleshed out.  They were so much more than the stereotypes we are accustomed to.  And that was really, really great.

 

DA3 definitely is a wait and see game at this point, as we have so little to go on.  Almateria, you talk about "saving" the game, but who knows if it even needs to be saved at this point.  Anything at this juncture is no more than pure speculation.

[The Imp]

About Dragon Age... I disagree Vicen, the thing about the love interests is that they were so much more complexe that what they appeared to be. Anders wasn't just "emo", Isabella wasn't just "the hot one". They had flaws, a history, and were fully fleshed out. They were so much more than the stereotypes we are accustomed to. And that was really, really great.

Erhm, you might not have read a book, but I definitely have read some that has far deeper romances that any of these.. yes, the Biowares new game romances are better than most if not the best of those in any game before them that are action games, but there's still quite way to go.

From Patrick Weeks' deleted forum posts, tricolor ending was an idea of the two lead guys that never even underwent peer review,

Point of which only strengthens my point which was that the writers never had the time to finalize all the stories and so they were free DLC'iced.
Hmm, did I mention that the DLC'ing also kinda prevents/makes it harder for piracy, for a time. Hmm, well, never mind...

so it's just a very expensive occasion of the project lead's pride overwhelming good sense.

Well, it's only if you don't wish to load the DLC and see the real ending yeah. But the history books will tell that the game had a well though out ending.

Edited by The Imp, 04 June 2013 - 12:50 AM.

[Eleima]

Jarno, you may not agree with my opinion on the DA2 romances, but do not presume to know anything about the number of books I've read or my literacy.  To suggest that I've never read a single one is simply insulting.

I never said they were perfect, or that there wasn't any room for improvement, simply that they deserved more credit than they were given.

 

As for the rest of your post, time to take it to the Mass Effect subsection, thanks.

Edited by Eleima, 04 June 2013 - 03:12 AM.

[The Imp]

Jarno, you may not agree with my opinion on the DA2 romances, but do not presume to know anything about the number of books I've read or my literacy.  To suggest that I've never read a single one is simply insulting.
I never said they were perfect, or that there wasn't any room for improvement, simply that they deserved more credit than they were given.

Well sorry for the fact that you took that personally ... it was kinda of a joke, bad one perhaps, but intended as a joke, not an implication that there actually is a person here that doesn't read books, probably most have read at least one of the Forgotten Realms even.
But it that was response to the one very important and dominant phrase in your post... this, that the NPCs were:

and were fully fleshed out.

You are of course right on the fact that they do deserve more credit than most, but the way the story goes, those things come out of the 4th wall kinda. As they come from the game mechanics like the faults... comes all from the fact that you have the encounter with the demons. If you play the scenes more than they are intended to, you'll notice that the options are in fact quite limited to your party selection, as you can't get 'the other' scene happen to either one of the NPCs if you keep the same party configuration.... no matter how far you put them to the narrow corridor ahead of the rest of your party.

As for the ME content... well the DA is getting it's first^TM trilogy ending in it's turn and it's ending should be the topic here, the ME's is just a reference/or a perspective... as for the two ending it has already(well three actually), I bet the Bioware has learned a bit about the previous experience and it's going to tell us what happened with Flemeth at the story's beginning and reveal a few facts about why the things that did happen happened too in the main plot... or I am going to be more than disappointed as it gives a good point to point the story from. (as in use the saved game info )
As for the new ending, well let's hope it's a able to be influenced with choices and not end with another "hey, will continue from here on out without giving but the most generic plot anchors that mean nothing, on another continent, yep we have just to think one up, ouh and the Deathclaw in the end cinematic is there for no reason".

Edited by The Imp, 04 June 2013 - 05:34 AM.