Dragon Age 2

[Nepenthe]

I tend to associate oversized gear and armor spiked with over the top fins and decorations with anime

 

 

I'd say it's about as false as associations get. Sarevok agrees with me.

[HoonDing]

Couldn't you really post a pic of Aribeth in her cleavage armour?

Edited November 21, 2010 by virumor

[Volourn]

Yes, that would be sweet.

[Nepenthe]

Couldn't you really post a pic of Aribeth in her cleavage armour?

 

It wasn't oversized.

 

The armor, that is.

 

Actually, i just wanted to go to "the source" and dig up something oversized and spiky. It took me 2 seconds to think of something and another three to find it.

[Orogun01]

Couldn't you really post a pic of Aribeth in her cleavage armour?

Granted

[Serrano]

Dare I ask what she's doing with that sword?

[Oner]

Putting it in her sheet, what else?

 

 

[Cantousent]

Well.... yeah, Nep, but you broke off the next part where I say that a lot of games have the same tendency. Maybe it was a false association the first time I said it, but it seems weird to quote me after I've corrected myself only to leave out the part that essentially agrees with your position.

 

On the other hand, I do think it's stretching it a bit to cite the big bad baddie in Baldur's Gate as a counter example. Sarevok is the UBG of the game. You'd expect him to be over the top. By comparison, the kobolds and other bad guys aren't armored contrary to the laws of physics. Contrast the way the characters look in BG/BG2 with WoW, where very early in the the game the characters end up with oversized weapons and armor. ...Or with any number of games that do the same thing.

 

I suppose I shouldn't have besmirched anime. I beg forgiveness for singling them out for a sin shared by many. I even respect that some folks like the over the top armor and weapons of the art in some of these games. Nevertheless, I don't prefer the style and I hope that Dragon Age 2 stays more or less subdued. In comparison to a lot of other games, I think Dragon Age wasnt' so absolutely silly most of the time. I suppose someone could dredge up the exceptional counter-example, but that's the feeling I got from the bulk of the game.

 

I think the tendency is to make things so over the top in order to convey the prowess of the weapon or armor. It's more fearsome looking and so therefore it must be more deadly. That just doesn't reflect how things are in reality. *cue 'it's a fantasy game' response* For example, I used to have this .22 with a folding stock and a banana clip. I'm sure it looked a lot more impressive to most folks than the .45, but it certainly wasn't more fearsome. Hell, I wouldn't want to be shot by either one.

 

Aw well, I'm sure I'll pick up Dragon Age 2. I'll play a mage and wear whatever goofy robes or whatnot because, whether I think the artistic design is a little silly, that's how the convention goes in games and I'll still enjoy it anyhow. :Cant's bemused smile icon:

[Gorth]

Start of old thread

End of old thread

 

Split a few posts off from old thread to start new thread. There should be enough spiky bits to go around...

 

Not a fan of the new look, still waiting for more story bits, since thats whats really interest me

[Orogun01]

Well Dragon Age was supposed to be all about Thedas and it's history, it's amazing that they haven't leaked more details of the story. Probly because it will truly turn out to be Dragon Effect, all fantasy art and no substance. We live in dark times indeed

[Labadal]

We live in dark times indeed

 

A new power is arising.

[Gromnir]

I suppose I shouldn't have besmirched anime.

 

 

eh? why not? sure, you can find loads o' examples o' giant weapons and ridiculous armour in western games and animation, but anime is so freaking replete with over-the-top visual stoopidity as to makes sarevok's bg armour look almost realistic.

 

...

 

am personally convinced that watching the vast majority o' anime kills more brain cells than does drinking a fifth o' gin. is numerous examples from this thread, and others on this board that would tend to support our belief.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Humanoid]

I for one would be pleased if they leaned back on western animation and bedecked the player character in lycra.

[Nepenthe]

Well.... yeah, Nep, but you broke off the next part where I say that a lot of games have the same tendency. Maybe it was a false association the first time I said it, but it seems weird to quote me after I've corrected myself only to leave out the part that essentially agrees with your position.

 

It's what I do for a living!

 

I think my point was more that the DA weps and armor have still been pretty much in line with the accepted western fantasy level of ridiculousness, and hasn't still quite reached the proportions only seen in anime. Certainly big armor with spikes n' stuff is not enough to call it... "anime".

[Orogun01]

It's what I do for a living!

 

I think my point was more that the DA weps and armor have still been pretty much in line with the accepted western fantasy level of ridiculousness, and hasn't still quite reached the proportions only seen in anime. Certainly big armor with spikes n' stuff is not enough to call it... "anime".

But's it's just two big swords and moe characters away from it. That doesn't inspire much confidence.

[Amentep]

I guess I don't get hung up on visual styles too much; to me it either works or it doesn't (questions of practicality aside).

[Cantousent]

I guess I don't get hung up on visual styles too much; to me it either works or it doesn't (questions of practicality aside).

I don't understand this. Are you saying you don't care about the artwork or that no matter how visually ugly or pleasing the artwork is, you just care about the gameplay? I mean, I have some things I prefer over others, and I'm just stating those preferences. The DA2 artwork is the topic for discussion right now because, as I understand it, it's one of the few things about which we have substantial information.

[Labadal]

Varric is the only one that has a fairly good design. Without knowing anything about him, I'm guessing they were inspired by Tyrion from George R.R. Martins' A Song of Ice and Fire.

[Amentep]

I guess I don't get hung up on visual styles too much; to me it either works or it doesn't (questions of practicality aside).

I don't understand this. Are you saying you don't care about the artwork or that no matter how visually ugly or pleasing the artwork is, you just care about the gameplay? I mean, I have some things I prefer over others, and I'm just stating those preferences. The DA2 artwork is the topic for discussion right now because, as I understand it, it's one of the few things about which we have substantial information.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't get the complaints about the artwork or design for DA1 or 2; and I assume that there is something about it that causes people to be so passionate about it. For my purposes both styles seems to work (I only have experience with DA1, but honestly I see nothing wrong with the DA2 artwork and screen images I've seen so far).

[Nepenthe]

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't get the complaints about the artwork or design for DA1 or 2; and I assume that there is something about it that causes people to be so passionate about it. For my purposes both styles seems to work (I only have experience with DA1, but honestly I see nothing wrong with the DA2 artwork and screen images I've seen so far).

It's called Bioware and it's the rpg forum equivalent of dumping gasoline on a fire.

[Tale]

The artwork I don't like is what they did to the Darkspawn. They seemed like melting Orcs before, now it seems kind of like stupid vampires or something. Gone from melty to pale. Which may not be a gigantic difference conceptually. I like most of the rest of the artwork.

[Gorgon]

I do think DA is pretty ugly, not so much the level design, but the characters and animations. Just barely passable when it first came out, going to look worse than FONW when this thing hits the streets and the engine is not even that old.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Gorgon

[Cantousent]

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't get the complaints about the artwork or design for DA1 or 2; and I assume that there is something about it that causes people to be so passionate about it. For my purposes both styles seems to work (I only have experience with DA1, but honestly I see nothing wrong with the DA2 artwork and screen images I've seen so far).

It's called Bioware and it's the rpg forum equivalent of dumping gasoline on a fire.

Hey, I *like* Bioware. I've certainly purchased their games over the years. Yes, I skipped ME 1/2 and some of the NWN xpacs, but I spent a lot of time playing Dragon Age. I mean, if I've concentrated on the art, it's because that's the topic about which we know most. ...And, frankly, if you think it's all great, good for you. Seriously, no biggie. I'm not trivializing your tastes, but I think dismissing the discussion because you don't find any beef doesn't really add much to it.

 

As more things come out about Dragon Age 2, a title I plan on purchasing, then I'm sure we'll broaden the discussion.

 

I advanced an opinion about artwork in games and what I hoped to see in Dragon Age 2. I'll probably continue to act in the same way about other facets of the game as they come to light.

[Monte Carlo]

The art direction in DA1 was just on the right side of meh in some respects and better in others, the clothing was awful, the armour not so bad.

 

It did however, have awesome tunnels you could fight in, half-decent graphics, and loads of ways to eviscerate your opponents. This mitigated the soppy NPCs but if you went for Sten, the Dog and the Golem it wasn't too bad at all.

 

DA2 is an actiony, cartoony console game with JRPG-influenced art direction for Da Kidz. It's RPG lite. It's a step away from DA1, which was ironic given the McBio was just beginning to redeem itself. Oh well, it will shift lots of units.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Monte Carlo

[HoonDing]

Two Worlds 2 may be mediocre overall, but the game looks absolutely stunning and runs silk smooth even on my subpar computer. If a small Polish developer can pull this off, what is a AAA developer like BioWare still doing with a rickety engine? Do they spend all their resources on celebrity voice-over and "writing"?

Edited November 22, 2010 by virumor