Dragonage 2 Anyone got?
- Thread starter Mikah75
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Resident Freddy
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You played the demo that took 20 minutes of completeing(And was buggy with the loading). And concluded with the game sucking ?
I am playing the game right now, and really enjoy it! Trying to nail that elf xD
Helme
Resident Freddy
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I posted a full 'review' in the RPG forum but basically it boils down to a product so streamlined it's probably possible to slap a pair of wings on it and call it a fucking jet.
The combat, which has some decent improvements to the actual flow lost any sort of tactical sense whatsoever from the first game. Crowd control, and to some extent healing are no longer necessary tactics - they're in fact worse compared to just spamming attack buttons. All mobs boil down to their archetype, a ranged spider has identical abilities to a human bandit archer, enemy mages have from what I gathered two spells and bosses boil down to cheap copies of early WoW raiding.
Another truly annoying thing about the combat is the utterly ridiculous wave system, after you kill x/y mobs you encounter, another wave will spawn from nowhere with identical mobs and you have to kill them too - and then most of the time a third wave spawns. It utterly eliminates any tactical decision when it comes to team placement and using your surroundings because the enemy will just spawn behind you. You'll be doing this in constantly re-used locales, I can't believe I would ever actually see Oblivion's dungeons favourably but at the very least they weren't exactly the same one, just you entered at a different entrance and a few doors were closed off.
As for the rest of the game, the story is a dozen or so loosely connected threads forced together into a plot that leaves very little choice on what happens for the player, not really that surprising with BioWare since Mass Effect but it's certainly becoming annoying that the company that claims to be all for player choice makes some of the most rail-roaded RPG's around. The unreliable narrator trope they decided to go with would have been interesting perhaps if they actually used it properly, but it's only ever used twice which makes me wonder why they bothered at all.
Overall it's a rush job and it shows.
The combat, which has some decent improvements to the actual flow lost any sort of tactical sense whatsoever from the first game. Crowd control, and to some extent healing are no longer necessary tactics - they're in fact worse compared to just spamming attack buttons. All mobs boil down to their archetype, a ranged spider has identical abilities to a human bandit archer, enemy mages have from what I gathered two spells and bosses boil down to cheap copies of early WoW raiding.
Another truly annoying thing about the combat is the utterly ridiculous wave system, after you kill x/y mobs you encounter, another wave will spawn from nowhere with identical mobs and you have to kill them too - and then most of the time a third wave spawns. It utterly eliminates any tactical decision when it comes to team placement and using your surroundings because the enemy will just spawn behind you. You'll be doing this in constantly re-used locales, I can't believe I would ever actually see Oblivion's dungeons favourably but at the very least they weren't exactly the same one, just you entered at a different entrance and a few doors were closed off.
As for the rest of the game, the story is a dozen or so loosely connected threads forced together into a plot that leaves very little choice on what happens for the player, not really that surprising with BioWare since Mass Effect but it's certainly becoming annoying that the company that claims to be all for player choice makes some of the most rail-roaded RPG's around. The unreliable narrator trope they decided to go with would have been interesting perhaps if they actually used it properly, but it's only ever used twice which makes me wonder why they bothered at all.
Overall it's a rush job and it shows.
I was thinking about your comment in the RPG section about your NPC buddies and how shallow/superfluous they are. I've been using the dwarf, aveline and a mage and I'm constantly surprised what conversations give me like/dislikes with them. Basically, I've not idea about any of them and what kind of decisions they approve of. Sometimes playing it straight will make Aveline like you, others the opposite. Sometimes being sneaky will make Varric like you, others not.
I completely agree about it being super-streamlined. Quests tell you exactly where to go, who to talk to or what to kill.
On the plus side, I quite like the feel of the combat. My 2H berserker feels like a proper melee powerhouse
BLAMMO!
When Bethany died, I really didn't give a shit - my only thought was "I hope I get her staff back to give to Anders"
I completely agree about it being super-streamlined. Quests tell you exactly where to go, who to talk to or what to kill.
On the plus side, I quite like the feel of the combat. My 2H berserker feels like a proper melee powerhouse
BLAMMO!
Helme
Resident Freddy
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No.
Robin the Brave
One of Freddy's beloved
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Ouch, one of the best npcs for sure, I missed out of that tattooed elven warrior because I told him "I couldn't use him right now", thinking i could collect him later.... only would have done his quests, not like hes useful, unlike Isabella! xd
Just finished the game, overall I enjoyed it alot, its no baldur's gate and it's a shame it has less features than origins.... and while the combat flows really well and is alot of fun, theres no tactics at all, no healing or potions are needed on normal unless you stick your back to a large group, can even go all out damage and ignore defensive spells and talents....
Despite all that, the story was good and fighting was fun, if only bioware would stay away from the console and dlc market... oh and its nice to read that there can be major changes in the story, how can you let certain people die
Fafnir
Resident Freddy
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And if you lost your DAO saves for some reason.. You can use
http://social.bioware.com/project/4242/ to create one, tried it out yesterday and seems to work.
http://social.bioware.com/project/4242/ to create one, tried it out yesterday and seems to work.
Fafnir
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I think so..
Robin the Brave
One of Freddy's beloved
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I think its best just to enjoy the combat for what it is, playing on hard or nightmare is just a waste of time, its not "harder" or "challenging" you already have very limited healing in this game, not sure on the exact timers because i really didnt use them at all, but a health potion with like a 30 sec cooldown per player and the Heal spell which heals for 40% basic and 80% with a talent point spent on it, which is also a 30 sec~ cooldown aswell.
Not to mention the lack of healers avaliable.. healers options below, dont check if you care about storyline MAJOR SPOLIERS.
Yourself if you picked mage(I believe bethany dies at the start of the game if you pick mage) + Anders later on in chapter 1, Merrill does not have creation tree so can't pick heal.
If you're a warrior or rogue(Carver will die at the start) so you have Anders and Bethany as possible healers(however bethany will die if you take her into the deep roads or taken by the templars untill the end of the game if you dont)
If you're a warrior or rogue(Carver will die at the start) so you have Anders and Bethany as possible healers(however bethany will die if you take her into the deep roads or taken by the templars untill the end of the game if you dont)
So you have 2 "healers" if you're a mage or 1 if you dont, leaving the only possible "tactics" for playing on hard or nightmare as running away/kiting in circles while your ranged npcs pick them off, which is boring and lame
may aswell just faceroll it.
Helme
Resident Freddy
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I played the game on hard, and it wasn't actually harder it was just more tedious. It's just using the Bethesda formula for increasing difficulty, more HP which is a valid approach as long as the underlying fight is challenging but since they aren't... well.
I would honestly not recommend this game in its current state, it has a few serious issues with plot flags that hopefully will get fixed soon. Besides, you just know they'll release a "game of the year"(lol) edition with all the million DLC they'll make for this game in a year or so.
I would honestly not recommend this game in its current state, it has a few serious issues with plot flags that hopefully will get fixed soon. Besides, you just know they'll release a "game of the year"(lol) edition with all the million DLC they'll make for this game in a year or so.
Zarjazz
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Exactly the reason why I haven't bought the game. I got burnt that way with the original and its countless DLC additions, most of which should have been included from the start.
old.Tohtori
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(HAven't read the thread much(skimmed), as i just got into the dragon age(and that type of RPG in general) and am only 20h+ into the first one(which means, with my playstyle, i just made camp ), BUUUUUT...
...regarding DA2 being released with DLC already in, here's the reason;
If you release DLC WITH the sold game, they don't have to pay EA. Every DLC released as pure DLC is a target for EA to take their chunk out of it, so releasng a game with DLC ni it is a smart move.
One should just think of the DLC as a collectors edition price and be happy that the cash for the DLC goes all the way to the person you're supporting with your moneys.
I'll reserve other sjudgement of the game until later, i will go directly from 1 to 2 so it will have an instant comparison.
), BUUUUUT......regarding DA2 being released with DLC already in, here's the reason;
If you release DLC WITH the sold game, they don't have to pay EA. Every DLC released as pure DLC is a target for EA to take their chunk out of it, so releasng a game with DLC ni it is a smart move.
One should just think of the DLC as a collectors edition price and be happy that the cash for the DLC goes all the way to the person you're supporting with your moneys.
I'll reserve other sjudgement of the game until later, i will go directly from 1 to 2 so it will have an instant comparison.
Helme
Resident Freddy
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Actually the release-day DLC is EA's idea, I think they call it project $10 or something. It's to combat Gamestop buying used games and reselling them at a markup. Basically incentive for the customers to buy it new rather than used or lose out on extra content.
old.Tohtori
FH is my second home
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Yeah the project 10 whatnot is, but if the game releases DLCs in the box, it's still more profit towards the maker of the game.
