Dragon Age 2

[DarthParametric]

I think it's more likely he meant JE, as in Jade Empire. The console versions of DA2 are more button mashy, but I don't think it's the same thing as JE.

[Tysyacha]

I actually fooled somebody with my intro text? Wow! Maybe I should write for BioWare!

 

All that aside, I don't know if I'll like this game or not. Hawke = Shepard? I hope not.

[Drunkside]

I think it's more likely he meant JE, as in Jade Empire. The console versions of DA2 are more button mashy, but I don't think it's the same thing as JE.

 

Indeed I did, typo/error of thought

[Taak Farst]

uh day 1 dlc.

that really gets on my nerves. if its there on DAY ONE its part of the game! stop screwing people round for the sake of greed EA/BioWare! Imagine preordering after this promotion and then going home to realise you got some $15 DLC to get too! i mean christ! im lucky i bought DA brand new coz idda been sooooooooo pissed about shale.

 

@Endorenna I'm in the same boat haha i got a platinum DA trophy and would like to platinum DA2, just to follow it through. I think of it as tradition for some reason now .

But I want PC too because..lets face it, it's far superior to consoles and PC always will be no matter what, graphic wise, modwise etc

 

Oh and apparently combat is a lot faster. there are vids around youtube. I really dont like it. because its so much different. Think devil may cry..

[Astor]

uh day 1 dlc.

that really gets on my nerves. if its there on DAY ONE its part of the game! stop screwing people round for the sake of greed EA/BioWare!

 

Not necessarily. You do realise that the game has to finished months before release so that it can be produced, right?

 

Imagine preordering after this promotion and then going home to realise you got some $15 DLC to get too!

 

I hate using this phrase because it's such a cliché, but no-one forces you to buy it.

[Ztalker]

Just pre-ordered this version of DA 2.

 

Key Features:

A download code for a bonus playable character and missions.

Exclusive in-game digital armory featuring multiple weapons.

 

Extra content in this version:

Premium Packaging (silver foil will be used)

Coupon code to get the Day 1 DLC for free

Download Code for the Soundtrack

Exclusive in Game Items:

- Might of Sten (2H Sword)

- Apostate’s Courage (staff)

- Adder of Antiva (Bow)

- Seeker’s Bulwark (Shield)

 

It's a cool package!

But it just get's me pissed off the way you get it.

 

I'm not paying for a game already of which I haven't even seen game-play video's yet.

I'm waiting for a day 1 release, after reading reviews from reliable sources. But it seems I'm paying the price for buying a game on day 1. On day 1!

 

But just because I'm not blindly shoving money into EA's lap I'm missing out on content. I think it's outrageous.

 

Anyone else have an opinion on this? It seems trusting a company and buying their game the second it hits the shelves isn't good enough.

Maybe you have to pre-order Mass Effect 3 three years ahead?

 

It goes against my very nature of being a customer. What you see is what you get, I haven't seen anything and am expected to go and buy it or I'll miss out.

 

EA's influence is slowly consuming Bioware I'm afraid....

[DarthParametric]

Here's a quote from post just made by Seb Hanlon, DA senior gameplay engineer, which will please some of us and no doubt disappoint Drunkside:

 

DA2 combat is not based on Jade combat.

 

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/5153550

[Drunkside]

Here's a quote from post just made by Seb Hanlon, DA senior gameplay engineer, which will please some of us and no doubt disappoint Drunkside:

 

 

 

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/5153550

 

 

I wanted that so much

[DarthParametric]

So it seems that while Hawke (the PC character) retains the ability to don multiple armour/clothes models as was the case in Origins, party members have been ME2-ised and now only have a single appearance. I have to say that was not what I was expecting at all and I really don't understand the direction they are taking with DA2. More and more it really does seem to be turning into "Dragon Effect", a notion reinforced by a recent interview with Muzyka where he specifically referred to DA2 being an action-RPG and not a traditional RPG. I always knew EA buying them was a death knell, but it seems to be tolling much sooner than I had hoped or feared.

[igyman]

Yeah, I too was disappointed by them deciding to slightly upgrade the ME2 style party members, instead of sticking to the DA: Origins style. Well, at least some customization will be available, since there will apparently be upgrades for party member outfits that can be purchased or gained in some other way. Definitely worse than Origins, but just slightly better than ME2.

[DarthParametric]

In DA1 Morrigan had a set of robes that you could get from Flemeth's hut that used the exact same model as her starting robes, they just had better stats. I gather that is the sort of thing they are doing for DA2, except that you cannot equip any other armour/clothes. I find it extremely unlikely that each NPC has a unique rig and animation set, which means that, in theory at least, it should be possible to mod in the ability for NPCs to use other armour/clothes models. That is at least somewhat predicated on getting the toolset working with DA2 of course, which I don't foresee Bioware officially supporting given their apparent disinterest in DA1 modding.

[SW01]

So it seems that while Hawke (the PC character) retains the ability to don multiple armour/clothes models as was the case in Origins, party members have been ME2-ised and now only have a single appearance. I have to say that was not what I was expecting at all and I really don't understand the direction they are taking with DA2. More and more it really does seem to be turning into "Dragon Effect", a notion reinforced by a recent interview with Muzyka where he specifically referred to DA2 being an action-RPG and not a traditional RPG. I always knew EA buying them was a death knell, but it seems to be tolling much sooner than I had hoped or feared.

 

@ All of above:

 

Damn.

[DarthParametric]

Apparently, according to lead designer Mike Laidlaw in a recent interview, despite Origins being Bioware's biggest selling game to date, it's too niche. Hence the need to water it down into an action-RPG. It seems people couldn't handle all the stats and quests and such - it was just too overwhelming. That will be all fixed in DA2, what with the "push a button, something awesome happens" and all.

[SW01]

o yea DA needz moar ossum lol

 

I've never been able to figure out that logic; it's best-selling, RPG and Game of the Year in places, but it needs to be more like the other one? So basically, they expect that everyone who bought 1 will buy 2, plus they can get the ME-only crowd on board?

 

As I've said a few times before, I like Mass Effect. I loved Dragon Age Origins. At no point did I think 'Hmmm all this walking around is boring, I wish it just jumped straight to the fighting' (the awesome?) I did, on the other hand, want time and time again to be able to equip combat armour on the ME2 companions...

 

Whether or not to pre-order this thing is requiring more thought and consideration than is decent. I wonder how it's going to do alongside Witcher 2, out in the same month?

[igyman]

Those who couldn't "handle" stats in Origins should sit down and play Drakensang. It might give them some perspective about handling huge amounts of stats. If we're talking about quests, Drakensang is probably the only game where I actually needed to pull out my pen and a piece of paper in order to solve some of the logical puzzles. (Btw, Drakensang is an awesome RPG, despite the slightly too detailed stats system.)

[DarthParametric]

At no point did I think 'Hmmm all this walking around is boring, I wish it just jumped straight to the fighting'

For those that did think that, Laidlaw is also quite excited about the fact that "you can literally start fighting within 15 seconds of pressing the start button".

[Astor]

Everything in the last few posts is pushing me further into the 'not buying this' camp. I know this has been said by others before, but I like Mass Effect, and I like Dragon Age, but at no point have I thought either would be better if it mixed parts of the other in.

 

I certainly won't be pre-ordering it, although I'm still not sure about buying it (which would be silly decision, seeing as we still know very little about it), but I'm not hopeful.

[Rake]

Apparently, according to lead designer Mike Laidlaw in a recent interview, despite Origins being Bioware's biggest selling game to date, it's too niche. Hence the need to water it down into an action-RPG. It seems people couldn't handle all the stats and quests and such - it was just too overwhelming. That will be all fixed in DA2, what with the "push a button, something awesome happens" and all.

 

Where does he say DAO was too niche? I'm sure most of the action RPG, "press a button and something awesome happens," and the "fight" mantra speak is for marketing. They know most of their traditional fans will research the game/know about it. They are probably hoping that all this action, zomg awesome spartan combat stuff will catch the ear of a CoDaholic, which I doubt, but whatevs; their marketing budget.

 

I think it's a given that the game will be much shorter than DAO (hoping I can get 40 hours out of 2), but I'm sure the dialogue/combat time is proportionate to the original. DAO actually had A LOT of fighting, at least to me it did.

 

The one thing that would really piss me off is if they adopt the ME2 "mission structure" type of level design. Arg, I hated that so much, it felt so linear and limiting. It made the entire world of ME2 feel so small, and I'm sure it would do the same to DA. Pleeeaaaassseeeee, no stupid "missions;" let me come and go as I please, jumping into different quests and the like without pigeon-holing me into one at a time.

[DarthParametric]

Here you go:

 

I think that Origins was a bit niche in its overall presentation. You were hit pretty early on with a lot of statistics, and I think there were number of people who were a little turned off by that element of the game. Trying to figure out if you need a high dexterity or not is a little daunting when you’ve seen nothing of the game so far.

 

Obviously they want something similar to ME2's opening where you dive in first before seeing any character creation or such, except it's going to be even awesomer than ME2 because you don't have to sit through boring cutscenes and talking - you can start killing things in 15 seconds!

[Rake]

Here you go:

 

 

 

Obviously they want something similar to ME2's opening where you dive in first before seeing any character creation or such, except it's going to be even awesomer than ME2 because you don't have to sit through boring cutscenes and talking - you can start killing things in 15 seconds!

 

To me that just translates to: Get a feel for the gameplay systems and inner workings before having to choose finalized stats. Kind of reminds me of Fallout and Oblivion; introduce newbies with a tutorial level that lets you mess with builds and the like. Could be that I'm completely misinterpreting him and all of DA2 will be: "Rawwwwww kill, big sword, yay action." We'll see.

[Astor]

Dragon Age is for you, too!

 

The bigger change, however, is that the game will no longer support an overhead tactical view on any platform...

 

...But! PC gamers, your version will include a special option to zoom the camera out, just not up. Console gamers won't get that.

 

Yeah, no.

 

I hate to judge a game based solely on what I've read and seen so far, but I think that article has just confirmed what I'd already knew - Dragon Age 2 doesn't interest me at all.

[Sabretooth]

Zooming out is different from zooming up? Huh.

[SW01]

That faster style is what they want to hook Fable fans with, what they think even a Borderlands fan might dig

'And Origins fans can go hang' seems the logical conclusion to that sentence...

[Drunkside]

'And Origins fans can go hang' seems the logical conclusion to that sentence...

 

Indeed... But it still seems that they are going to try to please the hard core gamers too with the PC-version. They will fail, most likely, as everyone already hates it without seeing any of it, though. I am going to wait til i see it in action before judging it too harshly. I dont like the even narrower character development than before, and i hate the fact that it will be voiced, but i can live with those things if the rest of the game is good.

[DarthParametric]

But it still seems that they are going to try to please the hard core gamers too with the PC-version.

Actually, it seems more like they are saying to PC fans "we are dumbing this down for consoles because we can make more money from them, so screw you". It's actually funny in a sad kind of way because despite all the assurances from Laidlaw and the other devs that they were keeping the PC version of DA2 close to Origins, the more that is revealed the more obvious it is that this is a fallacy.

 

I am going to wait til i see it in action before judging it too harshly.

That raises an interesting point. Given that we are now just a few months out from release, why have we seen no official gameplay footage, aside from the very brief scenes in a recent trailer? They've demoed that one opening level at various conventions and such and we've seen leaked footage from it, but devs keep going on and on about how it's a really old build and not reflective of the game. So why not show us the freaking game then? Really doesn't make much sense to me.