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Checked out a number of reviews and then reviews of the reviews (no kidding, something stank to heaven about the way the all looked identical). Looks like a bunch of "positive" reviews were so much lookalike, even an AI could do better at pretending not being cut and pasted from the same EA Template handed out to reviewers. Those not on EA's "payroll" seems to mostly focus on the story and characters rather than game mechanics (the latter apparently not being worth mentioning). Summary from almost a dozen videos, the story is bad, like really, really bad (the only exception being the ending last few hours which weren't disastrously bad) and the characters and the dialogue in particular is going to meet Rings of Power in a UFC match for worst writing ever. Edit: I.e. a no interest from me. Fooled me once with Inquisition, shame on you. Fool me twice with Veilguard? Shame on me.

https://forkcat.com/ I know you mentioned this before, it looks like its got real potential Good to see

While about 95% of Bioware 'evil' has always been low effort chaotic stupid moustache twirling they have occasionally come up with something genuinely dark as opposed to grimdark. The other 5% is (part of) what kept people hoping for something better. Personally I'd definitely put forcing a wookiee to strangle his best friend, who was also a 14 year old girl, via his life debt to you as being above anything in the Dragon Ages in terms of 'good' bad and you can't get much darker than that as a concept. Indeed that was not just good for Bioware, but good for any video game. Sounds like Bioware really is getting back to its roots.

Sooo I have not reported about me having fun in DS2 for a while, but I am still at the NG+ cycle. I just spent to much time grinding for covenant stuff and missing items, that it would not be much interesting for me to write about The reason is, that I have a feeling, that they drastically lowered the droprates for covenant items, because I spent much more time trying to get them. The most hardcore stuff are the Dragon Scales, which I Got just a single piece in last 2 maybe 2 and half hours of farming for Black Dragon and Drakekeeper weapons. Anyway I was able to clear all available content in base game, before the gate to the final boss, with the exception of twin Pursuers, which are still alive and happy from all the spanking, which they generously gifted to my ass, while I was trying to fight them. For now, I am just to bad to get them down with melee. Only one attempt was close to defeating one of them, but then, I have just rolled in the wall, which was closer, than expected, and got double pounded with overhead smites. As always, I had much more trouble with trash mobs, than actual bossfights, and from boss figths, it was again Vemdrick, where I needed most retries. The monotony of the covenant and item grind helped with me getting out of concentration and then ass kicked a lot as well. Actually the still missing content are also two covenants. Dragon Remnants and Rat King. Both due to the atrocious drop rate of covenant items. And I am not very eager to farm for them. We’ll see how this will play out. Now I have to decide, If I should go for Nashandra or for the DLCs first. So far, all of the NG+ fights have been done without NPC summons.

Guess the guy who came up with the "push button, awesome things happen" still works at Bioware.

I don't want to set the world on fire I just want to let you know Fallout London is on GOG change musical era and genre Mamma mia, mamma mia Mamma mia, download this on GOG for free, for free, for freeeeee

Hi Since this released in a few days, I thought people might want to chat about it in it's own thread. For a start, here's Mortismal's review: I only watched the pos/neg and wrap up parts since I don't want spoilers, but he really seemed to like it. Says it's his GotY, and best entry in the DA series. Seems high praise, IIRC he was really into the pathfinder games etc, more party based RPGs and stuff.

Giveaway for Return of the Phantom. Which I've never heard of; but free is free. Also FEAR for a dollar, which is quite possibly my favourite 'pure' shooter of all time.

You naughty But I can't really see this as much of a surprise, Cyberpunk 2077 and BG3 both did this at least a year before (dragonborn genitals are horrifying). I think we all know that a segment of the internet is addicted to being mad, but this is just getting pathetic. Please just let me hate on the game for looking uncanny and having bad combat without getting spammed by videos from some mediocre youtube guy with 100 gigs of CP hentai on his hard drive. It's like NuTrek all over again, let me hate in peace you maidenless reprobates.

If all else fails, go on OnlyForks.

Well, yes, but its even worse, you can be a Qunari, just like in Inquisition. Which means being a fantasy mooslim is an option in the game. Vote Trump!

Oh no! Next they are probably going to make you choose some sort of fantastical race like a dwarf or an elf.

Well, I'll be playing this game despite the romance elements in it and not because of them. I generally don't care for the romance elements in my RPGs, but the romance mechanic in this game looks to be especially atrocious and entirely without attraction to me. Thank you, Obsidian, for not wasting your development resources or my valuable time on a romance mechanic in Avowed.

Ok, usually best companion is boar because it auto heal himself and if i remember right it do raw damage over time and this could trigger interesting synergies, but I like (and I'm current playing with it) bear for it good armor rating and I use it as a tank. But ususally I go for a rpg companion, the best that fits my PG in terms of self story

Changed my mind, I'll play The Veilguard once it unlocks this evening. Name the last Bioware game with really strong gameplay and interesting combat (or even game) mechanics you can come up with where the good parts were not the story, the characters or the presentation of the gameplay over the actual gameplay that simply added a layer of fun to the game because it is just too cool to shoot your enemies with lightning all the time, all the while the gameplay is actually really just "click on enemy until it dies" and "click on mine to disarm it". Not being facetious, really. Genuinely curious, honestly.

Sorry I meant Ranger animal companion lol

That shouldn't be the case. A resistance to affliction should only downgrade an affliction by one tier - as you said. Not sure what's going on in your fight. Neriscyrlas is a Rogue and will have things like Slippery Mind which can explain certain things. Also stuff like Spell Resistance could be at work here. This is a different kind of resistance. Instead of downgrading an affliction 1 tier like the "normal" Resistances, Spell Resistance gives X% chance to completely resist (like in ignore) a spell. Some classes (casters) have an ability for that, too. Mageslayers have it naturally. This also exists with damage resistance (see certain items such as Miscreant's Leather's enchantment "Lucky" or the ability Uncanny Luck). This fits the combat log, because the message "resisted x" is usually connected to such "chance"-resistances. I don't remember exactly which abilities Neriscyrlas holds, but I think some spell resistance etc. is likely.

I didn't know that, will try for my next playthrough Edit: I haven't gotten the arsonist event yet, but I can confirm you can get +2 CON from The Hika on top of +2 RES

Nature's Balm ist good. With a Lifegiver (bonus PL) and decent INT (should aim for 20 anyway for the Chanter) the duration of the Robust inspiration increases quite a bit - and you want to cast it early in most fights anyway I guess. Lover's Embrace has an enchantment that eventually gives you Frenzy on hit. It works with spell-hits and chant-hits, too. If you use a pulsing spell (Tanglefoot or whatever) or/and an offensive chant the chance is high to become frenzied at some point. This Frenzy stacks with all other speed buffs by the way (like Cat Flurry) because it's from a weapon. Obviously you cannot trigger it while shifted though (no Dagger in hand then). It has no per-encounter limit. Frenzy is Strong + Fit. It should trigger Wellspring of Life. I think I would keep the Spine of Thicket Green and stick to Nature's Balm though.

Arcane Archer's imbue shots trigger the spell effect with every projectile impact. So if a weapon has two bounces it has 3 impacts: initial hit, first bounce, second bounce. Watershaper's Focus and Fire in the Hole both can have a build-in bounce and Driving Flight adds a second one. So Imbue: Death will trigger a Death Ring with every bounce: boom, boom, boom. The Death Rings will also have bonus accuracy from Arcana (o much higer accthan a wiazrd would have when he would cast this spell). On top every bounce will also proc the AoE of the weapon. And in case of Watershaper's Focus you can also trigger Ondra's Wrath (also AoE dmg). So combined a single Imbue: Death shot with Watershaper's Focus will do: 3* single target rod dmg (bounces get a but less dmg) 3* AoE Death Ring damage 3*AoE rod's Blast damage 0-3*Ondra's Wrath damage. With Fire in the Hole is basically the same but without Ondra's Wrath but with 1*Powder Burns if you wish. Arcane Archer gets no penalties for imbue OR elemental attaks. Frosteeker carries the frost keyword and Essence Interrupter the shock keyword. I believe Dragon's Dowry has the fire keyword so that might work as well. I personally prefer Spearcaster. overall best ACC - and the modal of Arbalests is just great in general.

The reviews I've seen all point to some big emotional finale of the franchise so far. And that has kind of sold me on it. If it can stick an ending and wrap things up, I guess I can work with that. DAO will always hold a dear place for me. And I think each installment has less magic than the last. But if this is potentially answering some of those big questions from long ago, I can't resist. I think I spent way too much time after DAO speculating on the nature of the Fade, the Blight, and the Black City to pass up.

When Origins came out it was a much darker, morally grey fantasy setting - up to that point Bioware games dealt in very contrasting and simplistic saint vs devil options. And I think there were bits of Origins that delivered on the promise, but overall I am with you - outside endgy venieer it was still mostly a straightforward fantasy world. Each sequel seemed to me to move further away from the bits that I liked the most about Origins. Veilguard seems to continue in that direction.

The reviews are so all over the place: Eurogamer: "This is the best Dragon Age, and perhaps BioWare, has ever been." https://www.eurogamer.net/dragon-age-the-veilguard-review Matty echoes a lot of the same woes as Skillup (and PCgamer from what I have glanced): It seems to me that for people who liked Bioware's pre-Anthem output and wished for a "comeback" it's a big miss. Everyone seems to agree though, that the final couple hours are pretty darn good.

I skipped Anthem no problem, this one also looks skippable. Especially with scathingly dismissive reviews like this: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/dragon-age/with-the-veilguard-dragon-age-has-forgotten-its-dark-fantasy-roots-and-become-biowares-avengers/

The Veilguard is available on Steam with only one layer of DRM this time and EA App is a rather unpleasant piece of software, so, unless there is some gotcha, Steam might be the better option.

I expect any forumite we chat here to let me know if they come to Athens. Who knows, maybe I'll be so rich by then, I'll even have a spare bedroom Thank you, I need it. Going to launch the forkcat brand for real now. Even hiring a marketing/fashion/branding consultant with fancy hairdo (if you are reading this: Γειά! Θα σε παρω τηλέφωνο αύριο!*) Selling the apartment I was living in the past 8 years. Standing to almost double my money because I bought it dead cheap. That will give me a secure cushion to concentrate on starting something new for a couple of years without having to stress. So feeling super excited and stressed and a bit of trepidation. But if it works out it will be awesome. Maybe it is midlife crisis, but I feel very privileged to be able to try to do completely my own thing. * translation: Hi! I'll call you tomorrow!

Skill up isn't a fan. Curious what Mort will have to say. To me the question isn't "is Veilguard good or bad". To me it's "how bad is it when compared to Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition".

I have noticed 2 issues, I don't know if those are bugs or not. Kapana Taga: the tooltip says:"+0% damage for each engaged ennemy" (instead of 3% damage increase) I don't know if it's just a tooltip error or also if damage bonus does not apply. Sun and Moon: I don't notice fire and freeze damage in the tooltip. I also have a question for this weapon: solar and lunar excellence give 5% chance to repeat burn or freeze attacks...does it work with spells as well or only combat attacks that deal burn or freeze damage ? Thanks

It's very funny seeing the dip**** brigade get big mad when it's pointed out that the Imperium of Man is in fact a dystopia and not something aspirational.

a pirate themed dlc with dark elf norsca and vampire coast maybe it is rare to be bounce back from failure so fast like ca first with warhammer 3 base game and immortal empire second with shadow of change and throne of decay it is certainly better performance than most big developer right now

I totally get where you’re coming from! Total War: Warhammer 3 has been my go-to for a while now, and it’s frustrating to hear about the possible cutbacks. The blend of factions and deep lore really drew me in, especially with the more obscure elements they added. If they do shift focus to Total War 40k, I can’t help but feel like they’re leaving a lot of potential behind with Warhammer 3. I was really hoping for more DLCs, especially for the chaos gods and a Norsca rework, since they definitely need it. It’s just a letdown to think about all the cool content we might miss out on, especially after all the fun I've had with the game.

This thread is so old it is itself nostalgic. Just saying. =========================================== Caesar 3 - the map mission where you face Hannibal's elephants went extra well with the drum/fanfare combat music. I swear the (extra large) army/elephant pace of movement/marching match the music beats, somehow. >.> Note: I think the soundtrack is purposefully/heavily influenced by the 1959 Ben Hur film. Quite noticeable if one knows of that film. The composer was Robert Euvino, who also did the longer and more varied Stronghold/Crusader OST - which I like a lot more than C3's. But C3 is still one where I rarely have the urge to turn on other music while playing.

Oh noes. I just had to set my pronouns and had a mild shock at having a third gender option with "non-binary". Not going to lie, we're off to a very bad start here.

Yep, I smell a rat as well. It runs really well according to digital foundry, it's an actual PC game and not a crappy console port, but that doesn't help the rest of the experience.