RPGmasterBoo

Note: SCII beta has been "cracked" in such a way that you can watch replays with it (though you still need the key to play online [relax mods, its not piracy]). Grab yours while its hot.

From my limited knowledge of the Qunari I don't see them being evil at all. They're just a spartan sort of society. Flinging good and evil labels on everything is the road to a stupid and shallow setting. Hence I agree with Monty - alignments were ridiculous from the start and are not getting any better. Take a lesson from the Witcher - most people should be self serving and egoistical with the occasional decent person to stand out from bleak reality. Not to mention the clever twist that most if not all of Sapkowski's monsters are created out of human failings - not evil by themselves. This "Qunari are evil" cheapens the whole idea. DA's universe, as pedestrian as it is does not have to devolve into the Forgotten Realms nonsense.

It goes without saying that the characters in DA were better than the plot. As for MotB (+KOTORII), Obsidian characters (or just Avellone's characters) often have this mystique about them that makes me actually want to know their stories. I always have this feeling there's more about them than meets the eye (which is often the case, since they usually have some previous relationship/bond to the PC - a concept repeated since Torment). Plus they're often appealing and/or unusual visually and most for some reason feature pleasant (and similar) voice acting.

You knew that, its news to me. Not exactly good news at that. ... Obviously I got pwned in DA lore knowledge. That aside the point of the suggestions was clear - relocate the plot to a more interesting part of the world (Tevinter Imperium being just an option), and make it have more nuance. Mostly just the latter.

When I started this discussion I meant that Awakening could represent that jump in quality that MotB was over NWN2 in terms of plot and characters. I didn't think they'd actually make anything like MotB, because the "play it safe 110%" strategy that they've adopted will simply never yield such a game. To make a game like MotB means you're willing to take the risk of creating a major financial failure. Same as PS:T only not as extreme, since PS:T had an alien setting as well as a metaphysical plot. Bioware won't do it. *shrugs* Now, seeing the early character trailers, I think even a modest jump in quality was too much to hope for.

Sweet box art.

Witcher: EE for the first time. They really fixed up the dialogue, amongst other things.

Game Banshee has a review of DA up. It pretty much summarizes my thoughts on the game: http://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/96948-d...ge-origins.html

Its an excellent game, one of the best I've played in recent years. Lighthearted HOMM type gameplay with colorful graphics and an off the scale addiction factor.

Which is why we usually agree about RPG's. If it doesn't have an original plot and/or outstanding atmosphere its not worth my time. Everything else is less important.

For once I have to agree with Volourn. If MotB was "bad" then what's good? As far as epic fantasy is concerned, there are only two RPG's after ToB that I can be bothered with - MotB and the Witcher. Everything else on offer: (and the list isn't that long) NWN, NWN2, Morrowind, Drakensang, Fable, Oblivion, Gothic 3, Jade Empire, Dragon Age - is fodder. *notable exception of Gothic 1 and 2 because of their really "living" worlds

That actually sounds a bit dirty. Sounds like he's going to be the KOTORII Oracle in addition to being the BG2 Guru. Good idea, you can never have enough pompous titles

Wrong link. I meant to post the one Mr.Rorie posted earlier. Regardless, mods - lock it up and sorry for the bother

It says enough that I didn't know who was behind KOTORII at the time, yet I immediately recognized Avellone's touch all over it.

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/794751/...ler2_72709.html

One agreement in a day is a coincidence, two is a conspiracy.

I agree. Pop the champagne.

Easily. There is plenty of lore that doesn't deal with the darkspawn. The Spectre / Reapers / Periodic invasions deal was the worst, most recycled and derivative part of Dragon Age. Just removing that for a remotely meaningful plot would give the game an instant +10% in my book. Playing a party from the Tevinter Imperium, with all the ruined empire backdrops and dangerous vibe would be genuinely exciting. Perhaps on a campaign to eradicate the Qunari, with the PC playing a major role in the Tevinter army. Anything really. As long as it doesn't fall in the villager-to-hero save the world mold. That would give a thousand opportunities to explore genuine moral choices, if the PC came from a culture that accepts slavery, worships the old gods etc. Make the capital of the Tevinter Imperium like Athkatla, set half the plot in it, allow the PC some truly evil choices that actually fit his character and the opportunity to change his world view and you have your "MotB". *Perhaps even allow him to ascend to rule the Tevinter Imperium and unleash all out war upon Ferelden in the wake of the Blight. Yeah... nice...

He probably means that NWN2 sucked until MotB was added. But again that's like an opinion. I was hoping for something a bit more interesting than 'NWN2 suck. MotB awesome.' I see. Well what else is there to say? NWN2 was a good game in the sense its not broken, completely outdated on the technical side, illogical in plot or whatever but at the end of the day it was just nothing special. It was the first game to really try to replicate BGII and while it got some things right, it got just as many things wrong. Even after three playthroughs I don't remember much about it, except the general impression. Just like Dragon Age I liked it at the start, grew bored in the middle and plowed my way through the annoying endgame. Mask of the Betrayer was even worse in gameplay because of the epic level stuff, but it had good characters and an interesting plot - particularly the former. That pulled me through a game that wasn't really much fun to play. I was disappointed by the ending slightly because I really wanted to destroy the Wall of the Faithless, (I hated it ever since I saw it in the Campaign Manual) and that turned out to be impossible.

It was a nice marketing trick. Best part of the game apparently.

Never did get my hands on Ico while my PS2 was in working order. Don't remind me of that. To think that some reviewers in their infinite shame and stupidity complained it was hard to control. They expected the poor horse to be a race car or something.

Shadow of the Collosus makes the PS2 worth owning practically all by itself.

I'm considering it. Either that or cookies with cyanide.

Having played it through 3 times (back in the days I still had the patience), I can tell you I have no idea who you're talking about. I remember the names, but not the characters. I only remember Bishop because he was such a bastard (as is consistent with his character). And umm something about a silver shard and a main villain who resembles those formless shadows from Princess Mononoke (although not that much).

I was hoping for something harsher when Dante's Inferno is concerned.