Dragon Age impressions

[Elwro]

Are any of you playing it on a 6600GT?

 

[Silellak]

Are any of you playing it on a 6600GT?

I'm playing it on the PS3, sorry.

Spoiler

Fuck that. I can't even imagine how or why anyone would want to play Dragon Age with a fucking gamepad.

 

[1eyedking]

So we have come to this.

The Codex celebrating fake BioWare choices, flavor-text-only consequences and approving of level-scaling, auto-regeneration and auto-resurrection mechanics. Long forgotten are the days of high environment interaction, multiple solution paths to quests with different outcomes, moral ambiguity, original art direction, memorable dialogue lines and challenging turn-based tactical combat.

These forums used to be the last bastion against ignorance, conformity, mediocre design, stupidity and hype. Now I truly understand why so many people left.

 

[Gragt]

Hahaha, someone really got his thong in a twist.

 

[Silellak]

So we have come to this.

The Codex celebrating fake BioWare choices, flavor-text-only consequences and approving of level-scaling, auto-regeneration and auto-resurrection mechanics. Long forgotten are the days of high environment interaction, multiple solution paths to quests, moral ambiguity, original art direction, memorable dialogue lines and challenging turn-based tactical combat.

These forums used to be the last bastion against ignorance, conformity, mediocre design, stupidity and hype. Now I truly understand why so many people left.

It is fascinating to me that two distinct factions view the Codex and its history in two very different ways, each of them generalizing the majority of the Codex (ie, the Hivemind) as having the viewpoint opposite of their own. A dozen or so people who post here have a positive impression of Dragon Age and suddenly "The Codex is celebrating [Dragon Age]."

I come here about 20% for serious discussion and 80% for the lolz. If I want serious discussion regarding RPGs (old or new), or even gaming in general, I find the ITS forums are usually a far better place.

 

[Melcar]

I just chose not to read the couple of lengthy DA review threads that popped up these last few days. I like living in ignorance, and for me The Codex will always be unwavering in its stance.

 

[Volourn]

The level scaling is fine. There are definitely enemies that will kick your lower level party's ass.


"The Codex celebrating fake BioWare choices, flavor-text-only consequences and approving of level-scaling, auto-regeneration and auto-resurrection mechanics. Long forgotten are the days of high environment interaction, multiple solution paths to quests with different outcomes, moral ambiguity, original art direction, memorable dialogue lines and challenging turn-based tactical combat.

These forums used to be the last bastion against ignorance, conformity, mediocre design, stupidity and hype. Now I truly understand why so many people left."

You are an idiot.


"Anyone else miffed at the influence system in this? I'm trying to get Alistair's lord to help out with the Grey Warden crisis and to do so I need to defend his fief from marauding monsters but apparently Morrigan and the demon prison guy can't accept that we need to help the small people in order to get to the top, it's really fucking me off how these characters can't see the big picture when that's what they fucking signed up for. What especially grates on me is the fact that if your influence gets too low they leave, am I really meant to pander to the henchmen in order to be save the world? Fuck those cunts."

Another idiot. You don't have to pander to anyone. It's called C&C.


I find it hilarious that two people are bitching - one because there is 'no C&C' and the other because there 'is C&C'.

WTF WTF WTF WTF

 

[Jaesun]

r00fles!

 

[Satori (original)]

Another idiot. You don't have to pander to anyone. It's called C&C.

I find it hialrious that two people are bitching - pne because there is 'no C&C' and the other because there 'is C&C'.

I'm bitching that the "C&C" is poorly implemented, these people sign up to stop the invasion yet they question everything that shall lead to the halt of it because they're 'offended' at the fact I *have* to help a few townspeople in order to get an *army* on my side. It's pure bullshit. It was fine in KOTOR2 as that was a purely personal quest and experience, whereas this is me trying to save the world any way I can else everyone is fucked, they should put up and shut up.

 

[Volourn]

No. The C&C is not poorly implementated. Everyone has a moral code of things they can or cannot approve of. Moron. If you can't deal with the consequences don't make the choice.

Perhaps, in your example, the complainers don't feel helping some pathetic peasants are worth the time wasted. Duh.

 

[Satori (original)]

Perhaps, in your example, the complainers don't feel helping some pathetic peasants are worth the time wasted. Duh.

In which case they then doom the world yet they signed on to save it. Utter bullshit.

 

[Volourn]

Yeah, whatever. You are an idiot.

 

[Mangoose]

Perhaps, in your example, the complainers don't feel helping some pathetic peasants are worth the time wasted. Duh.

In which case they then doom the world yet they signed on to save it. Utter bullshit.

Except that Morrigan pointedly tells you that she recommends you going after Loghain first instead of helping little people and raising armies.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Perhaps, in your example, the complainers don't feel helping some pathetic peasants are worth the time wasted. Duh.

In which case they then doom the world yet they signed on to save it. Utter bullshit.

Well, it sounds as if the alternative point of view would be that you could be doing better things with your time and you might be dooming the world by screwing around helping lowly folk. Really, they're only factually wrong in having that sort of character reaction if the game becomes unwinnable by having the sort of character that tells people to go to hell instead of helping them. If that's not the case, then they're not actually dooming anyone by not wanting to bother ditzing around with peasants. Even speaking in terms of realism, presumably there's some sort of "imminent danger" that would limit your time to drum up support - so it's not as if helping X person necessarily = win.

This looks a lot more like complaining about NPCs disagreeing with your course of action since they might have their own point of view about the best thing to do in response to a threat.

 

[Tails]

Except that Morrigan pointedly tells you that she recommends you going after Loghain first instead of helping little people and raising armies.

But why she recommends? I'm curious since i didn't play DA.

 

[Solohk]

So yet another "influence" system that is really a kiss everyone's ass system.

I'd much prefer a system where you could actually do crazy things like influence good party members to evil by convincing your point of view, or the other way around, redeeming an evil character.

You know... actually influencing them.

 

[Satori (original)]

Well, it sounds as if the alternative point of view would be that you could be doing better things with your time and you might be dooming the world by screwing around helping lowly folk. Really, they're only factually wrong in having that sort of character reaction if the game becomes unwinnable by having the sort of character that tells people to go to hell instead of helping them. If that's not the case, then they're not actually dooming anyone by not wanting to bother ditzing around with peasants. Even speaking in terms of realism, presumably there's some sort of "imminent danger" that would limit your time to drum up support - so it's not as if helping X person necessarily = win.

Except that Morrigan pointedly tells you that she recommends you going after Loghain first instead of helping little people and raising armies.

That's exactly it, you *can't* go after Loghain directly, the characters are being 'evil' for the sake of it. If you don't help the peasants well then fuck you you've gimped the war effort, helping them is the only sane option even if it's not out of charity they should understand it's out of necessity.

But why she recommends? I'm curious since i didn't play DA.

Just to kill a traitor which even then doesn't deal with the invading horde.

 

[circ]

So yet another "influence" system that is really a kiss everyone's ass system.

I'd much prefer a system where you could actually do crazy things like influence good party members to evil by convincing your point of view, or the other way around, redeeming an evil character.

You know... actually influencing them.

You could do that in KoTOR II. But.. this is BioWare.

 

[mediocrepoet]

That's exactly it, you *can't* go after Loghain directly, the characters are being 'evil' for the sake of it. If you don't help the peasants well then fuck you you've gimped the war effort, helping them is the only sane option even if it's not out of charity they should understand it's out of necessity.

Ah, well if that's how it's presented, I agree then: that's retarded. If it weren't for that sort of limitation it *might* not be a lame reaction/influence point. Hopefully that's not indicative of many of the reactions... I'm enjoying the game thus far and tend to try to avoid calling bullshit too much since I play these games for fun, but things like that bug me. It's like, "Why are you punishing me for the stupid railroad you built into your game?"

 

[Solohk]

So yet another "influence" system that is really a kiss everyone's ass system.

I'd much prefer a system where you could actually do crazy things like influence good party members to evil by convincing your point of view, or the other way around, redeeming an evil character.

You know... actually influencing them.

You could do that in KoTOR II. But.. this is BioWare.

I remember you could gain high influence and turn them into jedis, but I thought you had to kiss their ass to do it.

Instead of selecting the YOU'RE SOOO RIGHT PARTY MEMBER X dialog I'd like to see:

Party Member X: There's no way I'll leave these people to die!

1) <argument he won't buy>
2) <argument he won't buy that will make you lose influence>
3) <argument he will buy, increases influence, slides his alignment closer to yours>

 

[Nael]

So yet another "influence" system that is really a kiss everyone's ass system.

I'd much prefer a system where you could actually do crazy things like influence good party members to evil by convincing your point of view, or the other way around, redeeming an evil character.

You know... actually influencing them.

You can make fun of Alistair any chance you get for bigger influence bonuses.

Then again that could be your character slowly becoming a homo.

 

[Volourn]

"So yet another "influence" system that is really a kiss everyone's ass system.

I'd much prefer a system where you could actually do crazy things like influence good party members to evil by convincing your point of view, or the other way around, redeeming an evil character."

You people are fuckin' stupid. DA doesn't have an influence system. It has an approval system. Unlike Obsidian's silly NWN2/KOTOR 'infleunce' system, DA's approval/dissaproval system works exactly as advertised.


People are so fuckin'; dumb it's fuckin' bullshit. There are thinsg to complain about DA but why do people target things they are stupid about?

 

[Solohk]

Volourn has become a parody of himself.

 

[Volourn]

Says the guy who lies as he claims that DA has an influence system when, in fact, it has an approval system. And, quite clearly so as written in both the manual and the in game codex.

Fuck, you are dumb.

 

[Silellak]

Volourn has become a parody of himself.

That particular disease seems to be going around a lot lately.