aries101

Maybe it's the animations of the wind that is ugly? At least we now have a decent video walkthrough of part of a level in DA: Origins, we have gotten to see the inevntory and other systems in the game, too. Very nice edit: On this whole death system being implemented in DA: Origins I like it. I hated when my main character in BG1+2 died, the game was over - even if 3 of my other party members were still at their feet. It is not like in Dungeon Siege where you just get up and are healed; you will suffer severe injuries that will last until they are treated, by going back to camp or untill they are treated.

Yes, I think there is a monetary reward, if you have achievements in your game. I remember reading somewhere that Microsoft insisted that achievements be in Oblivion. And then Bethsoft got some money...

As I understand it, Optimus give their shares to CD Project, so that CDP could buy Optimus; CDP then apparently now owns Optimus. This means that CDP is now the boss of Optimus, now the other way around. I can certainly understand why CDP will be their own publisher for their games, and find other publishers than Atari for their games. And yes, Atari and Western companies can treat companies the former Eastern Europe that bad...

If you can read Polish, there's a review (yes, a review) of DA: Origins. Very interesting. I think there's a thread on it on the Bioware forums, too? Here's the thread: http://daforums.bioware.com/forums/viewtop...m=135&sp=75 If you look closely, you can see a translation of some of the text from the article in the polish magazine - no scans, though, just a translation. To the moderators, I hope this is is OK?

I found the interview very funny, sarcastic and a great insight into what it takes to developer at Bioware - a great deal of insaity apparently - trying to get all the characters in your head(s) down in paper. The interview were indeed meant as some kind og 'joke' as well as proving insight into Wynne's and Sten's characters; we know that Sten does not want to be a fish at all --- talk about thinking outside the box.... I've always suspected that it would help a lot to be just a little mad (with very flamboyant ideas) when working for Bioware; the interview proves me correct in this assumption. It is very rare, unique, creative to be able to pull off an interview with characters in the game - and still take it seriously - but not too seriously. I laughed a lot, at any rate - or shuld I say at any Sten

People need a place where they can come together and drink, I find. Responsibly, I might add. As a guy whose father was a drunk I know how it is to grow up in an environment where one's father drinks, not fun, I tell you. Thus, I'm for anything that limits people's drinking; the most effecttive way is to raise taxes on alcohol, that is, wine, beer and hard liquour. But people should, of course, still have a place such as a public house (pub) where they can come and drink and talk with friends etc.

I*m looking forward to: RPGs: Mass Effect 2 Dragon Age: Origins Adventure games: Gray Matter Black Mirror 2 and some other games I can't remember right now.

Why did the dragons flee? Aren't they supposed to be 'uber' creatures being able to lay waste to entire armies? Oh, and are they sentient? Yes, they fled. And I don't remember the reasin why they fled? though.... I do remember David Gaider, lead writer for Bioware on DA: Origins telling us that some people hunted down dragons and killed them, maybe people from the Tevinter Imperium? (don't remember who exactly). I think?, though, it has something to do withy the Chantry teachings about mages corrupting The Golden City and that the Dragons in the great darkness that followed all fled underground (beneath the Earth) in order for them not to be killed. Or so the Chantry teaches....

Dragons in Ferelden were once revered as the Old Gods. Then Andraste came, and the Chantry. The Chantry still teaches that 'it was the hybris of men that lead to their downfall', and the dragons fled into the underground, into the deep ground underneath Ferelden. Then the Blight came. Whenever the darkspawn reaches one of the old slumbering Dragons, they corrupt it, and it becomes an Archdemon, possesed by the darkspawn's demonic power by - yes - a demon. Archdemons in Ferelden are NOT a subspecies, they are very rare as there only seems to be seven or nine of the Old Dragons slumbering in the ground underneath Ferelden.

I like Bethesda for the great ability to make open ended sandbox game where you can do pretty much what you want to do; I haven't even started the maian quest in Oblivion as of yet (on my second or third playthrough). I also like Bethesda's way of delivering a very nice visual world that adds to the storytelling; sometimes I wonder around at night (in the game, I mean), and look up at the sky; very beatiful it is, especially with the two moons hanging over me.... I like Bioware for the great way of telling compelling stories which really touches the heart and the head at the same time; the dialogue choices they give are somewhat more meaningfull than in any other game(s) I have played. When I play, I just want to find out what happens next - in the story. Bioware's voice actors are among the best in the industry, I agree completely. edit: Writing memorable characters that almost everyine remembers is also one of Bioware's strongest sides.

-hm- I would like everyone to read this preview done by Gamebanshee: Warning: Mild spoilers abundance. http://www.gamebanshee.com/previews/dragonageorigins2-1.php In this very fine preview you see just how your actions and consequences will turn out - at least for two of the presented options to you. You will also learn that whatever you choose might come back to haunt you during the game - often very literally To me, this doesn't spell anything other than a return to the good old dialogue of Baldur's Gate, now with even more choice, consequence and seeing the results of your actions. edit 1: Here's a more specifik article on the whole thing: (please be advised spoilers abound) http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72908 As for dwarves, there seems to be a lot of political backstabbing going on in the dwarfen community underground - at least that's what I read somewhere? Maybe in the German preview of the game from GamesCon? Or some other place... edit 2: found it: http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1014618p1.html If you go here: (again, spoilers abound) http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/dragonage/n...p;mode=previews you will learn about the mage origin from a human perspective. Very nice, I find Oh, and there will be NO DRM for this game, (unless you buy a digital copy of course). PLease see this thread: http://daforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html...6&forum=135 And yes, there will be a pause feature, meaning you will get to pause the game in combat - and give orders to your team mates... As for cohones; for my money, Bioware is showing a lot of cohones, especially with the Origin stories whose outcome will ripple thorugh the story of the game. And these Origin stories clearly proves that DA: Origins isn't just a hack/slash game or a game where only Blood and Violence abound...

Is it me? or does the combat really show itself to be just like any old shooter....? game, whether the devs. call it a shooter rpg or not? Also, there's something very disturbing about the game, I find. The combat seems a bit (or a lot repetetive) to me...

Sure, the sounds for eth and thorn (as found in Icelandic) still exist in lots of Germanic languages, but Icelandic and Faroese are the only languages that still use those characters to any significant extent. The other Germanic languages (including English) dropped them a while back, leaving the pronunciation of those sounds to digraphs (th in English) or single characters in a certain context (such as the one you just gave for Danish). It's really no different from the slow (and IMO, unfortunate) process of German umlaut characters being replaced by vowel + "e" digraphs or the Eszett being replaced by "ss". The only point I was trying to make is that it was weird/confusing to see a German-language game interface using capital eth characters in place of "D". Similarly, I've seen "Dalish" spelled "Daelish". At least they didn't spell it

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Please let us not forget that the main focus in the game seems to be on the romances in the game, and the possible love (sex) acts, it will allow the player character to have within the game with different NPCs, depending on his or her choice. I don't know Bioware's stance on the ESRB summary of the game; David Gaider has said on the Bioware DA-forums that there are brothels in the game, and that we shouldn't believe everything we read or hear. He has also said that we won't be seeing what we think we would be seeing in the game.

I still remember DG's comment to me when I pointed that people might complain that this game was not an FPS game, as the marketing had told them. It was something like 'look, people will complain no matter what.' I didn't believe him; however, seeing the comment on the Bioware forums, yes, people will complain, and sometimes lament, no matter what. Even over things that's not going to change. No, you can't play after the ending (the main quest's), no, there is no multi-player in DA: Origins. No, there is not X, Y or Z feature in the game, but there is P,L, and V feature in the game. No, there is no Human Commoner Origin story. And so on and so on. It must be very frustating sometimes to be a game developer, even though Bioware seems to listen a lot to the community. It does not mean, however, that the Biowarians get their way; it is still Bioware that decides if a feature suggested by the community should be in a game or not. On the matter of the Brothel, we don't know this will figure into the story just yet.

Ok, it may be that I was too hastely here I apogize, humbly, especially to Purkake. However, David Gaider usually do not tell 'to not buy the game' to people who have supported the game for a long time. He usually does it to people who complain about sexual content in the game etc. And yes, he did say it it to me one time, when I complanined about the main quest being going around and rallying support to defeat the Blight. I have no problems with brothels etc. in games at all. And yes, I agree, that brothels and sexual situations do not make games more mature. However, sex, both in romance and in brothels, are a part, or at least, part of the mature experience. Bioware has never made game that has been fixated on sexual experience; neither would this, even with the brothel, I find. As for me getting the game, I'm still waiting for reviews and the word from different forums etc...

The rest of the summary contains some additional spoilers, but it's out of context and without any names. Ok, Let me pull a David Gaider on you. If you don't like any of the content that is in the game, then don't buy the game. It really is as easy as this. Period. And that said, let me say this: You don't have to go to the brothel, if you don't like the idea of going to the brothel. It is an option you can choose, if you so incline. David Gaider have said, in a post on the Bioware forums, that we shouldn't believe all we read or hear - not even from the ESRB website about the game. It may well be for comical relief this would be happening. Personally, I'm happy that Bioware has the guts to include a brothel in DA: Origins, this is a mature game, meant to be bought by mature people. And brothels have existed in nearly all human history; Ferelden is based loosely on medival Europe, hence I think the decision to include a brothel in it. People, most of them, anyway, on the Bioware DA: Forums agrees with the decision to put a brothel in the game. And we really don't know the brothel will fit into the story in DA: origins before we have played the game. And even in the first Baldur's Gate, we had to go to a brothel (for a quest).

Nope, since you can only get a dog as being in your party. You could play him a musical tune, maybe? Dogs like to party, you know

I'm not complaining that I can't play Dragon Age on my 6 year old computer. I'm complaining about the fact that I didn't upgrade the computer when I had the money to do so. However, I didn't want Vista; I've been waiting for Windows 7 to come around I'm also complaining that I probably have to scratch a perfectly good computer that runs very well for a new computer which may not run that well - personally I have a problem with things being tossed away before they're broken. And my computer isn't broken yet - it is just old. My comment on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 as well as the comment about the TV was more meant as an acknowledgement of the people that don't have the money to upgrade their computers every year or so; I understand from where they're coming....

I, too, have noticed that the recommendations specs says 'quad core'. I can only see this as one core is probably handling the blood patterns, another game maybe the animations, and the two remaining cores other stuff. I can probably (I hope?) play the game on my 6 year old computer. If not, I'm think I maybe be forced into buying an Xbox 360, and a decent TV. I can get both for the same price (or thereabouts) it will take me to upgrade my computer to be able to play DA: Origins or less. An Xbox 360 these days cost about 2500 Danish crowns (maybe a bit more?) and a decent TV I can get for about 5-6.000 Danish Crowns, I think, maybe 7.000 Danish crowns. A custom built computer will set me back about 10.000-12.000 Danish Crowns. I can get a PS3 to, for that price as well. Of course, DA: Origins will have no real sex in the game; it will have animated sex.... oh wait... This also means that the screen will fade to black - before the interesting parts - means that we get to use our imagination.

Yay for selling your sister. Yaah... This game just got interesting again - and I mean that in every possible positive meaning of the word... At last, Bioware shows us what it means to be a common dwarf; apparently it is cross between 'I've got an offer you can't refuse' and the Indian society 200 years ago... so yaah....

It's natural de-evolution The higher budgets get, the wider the potential audience have to be. Years ago designer could get away with gameplay choices that would be just about impossible today. Thus only those who could figure out how to have fun in that kind of game continued to play. I'd say players were smarter out of necessity back then. Actual quality of games back then is debatable as they were not suitable for everyone. Now we're at the point where players really need to be protected from themselfs. 20+ million budgets for AAA games in this generation and 60+ million in next. I'm really scared what kind of design choices that kind of budget requires. Maybe 2-3 hour quicktime event filled action extravaganza! Here is an article from escapist magazine which tells something about how the gaming world and industry have changed in the last 10-15 years. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/v...pearing-Teacher In the article, the author writes about how many games don't tell gamers that the weather for instance in some RTS games have an affect on how you could position your troops; many rpg games and fps games have done the same, it seems. In the old days some manuals would be more like text-books you would have to read, if you wanted to learn how to play the game(s). Today, devs. have a chance to actually teach gamers how to play the games as in the tutorials found in Mass Effect, Oblivon and Fallout 3; basically they introduce you to the world while they also introduce you to the combat system and how you move etc. People these days want to jump into playing right away. They don't (most of them anyway) want to read a lot before they're able to play game. And this gives us the schizm or contrast or dichotomy between the gameplay and the narrative someone described earlier in this thread. Simply because the way the narrative (story) is told sets it apart from the gameplay. Character progess do not make it into the story nor do dialogue matter much in terms of the narrative. In short: In order to sell the millions of games required today the gameplay and the narrative need to be somewhat apart or in conflict with each other. Dragon Age: Orgins to me sounds like it trying to bind the together again; you can kill your comrades, dialogues and actions matter in the game, characters will leave, if they do not agree with you, the origin stories seem to tie in with the game, too - many more times than we have been used to seeing in games these days.

I have been playing Daggerfall and Arena a bit since I saw the announcement today that Daggerfall was now released for free. I spent more time setting up Dosbox than actual playing the game. I have no doubt that it is a very wonderfull game and the story is probably very good However, I find I have little patience left (or none...) for games that tend to freeze a lot, and whouse combat system, I find flawed and clunky. Unlike Morrowind and Oblivion, you actually swing your mouse to swing your weapons while holding down the right mouse button. This game, in its current state is not for me; Arena as well is not for me. Sad as this may be... On a more general note, I found Morrowind and Oblivion better design-wise, in terms of ease of use interface...

I'll just mention that the console key in Danish (and maybe European keyboards as well) is NOT the tilde key. It is in fact the