Monte Carlo

A concept game based on the album cover art of Iron Maiden and Meatloaf? Genius. I'm getting it, I might even buy a console just to play it. 360 or PS3? You kids know 'bout these things. Cheers MC

I presume, with the tool set, you could create your own origin story, punt it out there for others to play? The tool set will be the saving grace of this project, I predict that you'll get Elder Scrolls-volume plug-ins / mods. There, I said something moderately positive.

'Narcolich' is cool, but is it also suggestive that our undead sorcerer is also a drug dealer? Maybe we can fit some GTA cliches in there too. Y'know, zombies who swear a lot and wear bikinis.

Because that's exactly what we're saying. If you have grievances towards what you perceive from DA to not be what you're looking for, then fine. The game doesn't seem to interest you and virtually every facet of it seems to be subpar. But hey, I'm sure if Gorion's last name had been Cousland and hence your character was known as a Cousland by some in the game, Baldur's Gate would have been an infinitely subpar game. OK, I get the message. Now you can stop playing board cop. Now you're being precious. If I wanted to join a knitting circle I'd go to the Bio forums. This one is a good blend of jaded gamers without being too Codex and fairly positive, balanced views.

I have seen the light, Dragon Age will be awesome. I am running out today to buy the entire Bioware back catalogue, and am re-installing NWN1 to remind me how wrong I was about Bioware marketing.

Please don't feel sorry for me. I be fine. Honestly.

Would love to, but I have the technical skills of a tadpole. I am collating this precious source material, though, and will post spoof Bio-hype style puff-piece about how BOWL WORLD - SHADOWS OF THE SLUMBER-LICH is the most ground-breaking piece of interactive art since Pac Man (etc). There will be a really, really lame dark elf prestige class called DUAL-WIELD SCIMITAR DIETY or something, too. Cheers MC

^ CRANK UP THAT DIFFICULTY SLIDER

^ Perhaps. Or is it that creating the illusion of freedom / control within those constraints is where the real skill lies? For me, ditching NPC X in favour of NPC Y and visiting the tower of doom before the cavern of challenges, even though the tower of doom is FAR more difficult at this stage in the game is what it's all about. And I'm deliberately playing a sub-optimal, uber-gimped character because that's what I felt like doing at the time. This side-quest is utterly irrelevant to the outcome of the overall plot but allows me to make some hilarious armour and unlocks a couple of easter eggs. Hell, even the soppy romance is so bad it's good. And because it's well designed and immersive and fun, the critical path looks like it's been made out of elastic, not concrete. I'm doubting whether DA:O is going to do much better than 5 or 6 out of 10 on any of these.

^ :: Shrugs :: You can be amusingly facetious about what floats other people's boats when it comes to having fun in a game. What's superficial to you is cool to me. Vice versa. Bio is setting out it's stall that this is all about choice and the impact of your decisions. My riposte is that your 'choice' appears to be limited to what suits the author of the game. Lots of people adore the idea of the game as meta-novel where you become a character in it. Bio fans particularly. I'm not, but given that I was told that the second coming, spiritual heir to BG (one of my favourite games ever) was coming down the track I can be forgiven for having higher expectations. Cheers MC

^ I should add that the last Bio game I played was NWN1. All subsequent titles haven't tempted me at all. Mass Effect, in particular, seems uniquely designed for me not to want to play it.

^ Fair enough, but I'm sure even you'll concede the matrix of options you'd take for granted in, say, the BG or IWD series is gone. In those I could make a male human thief with pink hair or a female gnome barbarian with blue skin. Their origin or backstory was ambiguous enough for me to more or less forget about it should I choose (which I usually do). Are these options shallow? Perhaps. Are they my decisions to make? Absolutely. Now I can make a human noble called Cousland who becomes a Grey Warden. Hey, wait a minute, that wasn't actually a choice, was it? I'm sure my pre-determined character can level up how I choose, with skills and stuff.... right? Or are those decisions also getting in the way of me enjoying all the exciting new Bio-Choices on offer?

^ Thanks, I suspect I'll be picking it up.

I'm not really. What I'm saying is that the traditional ambiguous origin (which I'll concede isn't necessarily great for story development) coupled with character customisation seems to have been moved on in DA. Hey, that's a decision for Bioware. But this game looks astonishingly linear. You can be a peasant, a ranger or a noble and still the Jedi guy is going to turn up and give you a light sabre. I don't want to be an extra in someone elses story. Yes, I'm a sandbox gamer at heart, I suppose.

Will this game be for online distribution only?

I saw the human noble 'origin' video. And it got me thinking - Bio are gently moving 'traditional' RPGs towards an action-console model in that you don't really get to make a character. In fact, you are choosing a character on a fairly pre-determined arc. In this case you even get your name given to you - Cousland. OK, there are what, six, to choose from? Nonetheless, lets face it, the 'origin' is in fact a story template, and whatever your choice you become a Grey Warden anyway. And Bio are claiming that this gives you more choice? Henry T Ford and the colour options of Model T's springs to mind. And... Does Dragon Age come with a shoe-horn taped to the box? Cheers MC

Check out their website.

Ha ha ha. Hilarious, y'know, putting deliberately misleading in-jokes into a news item.

1. It looks like it will be proper old-skool fun 2. I like graphics like that 3. So I want to play it 3. But the "combat demo is due in December 2012" 4. Ergo, vapourware 5. Shame, really

You've probably articulated everything I'm feeling perfectly, I just find myself having too much fun being bitchy. But, just now and then, I have to beg to differ... The crux, sir, of the argument. More than the optimists think, I fear. That 'lurvve' scene has seared indelibly on my retinas. And not in a good way. Cheers MC

It's sooo hot in SE England today thatPimms I can't even muster the energy to snipe pettily at Dragon Age. I am instead preparing a big jug of Pimms and trying to think positively. Bioware's NPC AI is legendary in it's badness. Imperial Stormtroopers show more initative and accuracy. Therefore, hurrah and huzzah, Dragon Age has Bioware showing the sage wisdom of old-skool full party control. This is my Positive Dragon Age Musing of the day. OTOH it also prolly means even more cut-scenes. Cheers MC

Go on, it's Torn, isn't it?

In a bit of a gaming hiatus, the only thing that looks appealing at the moment is Overlord 2 which I might pick up next week. I re-installed Sacred and am enjoying twitchy hacknslash fun and detailed but old-skool graphics. The horses are cool too. Have really got into it, in fact it's making me really excited about Diablo 3. Cheers MC

The powerful villain and his guards should also all look like the guards in Prince of Persia 1: The hero is also saved from being slaughtered with his entire village at the last minute by a mysterious bardette who only joins the party early in Act II (if there's 3 acts. Act III if there's five), called Cheery Topping, who sings in rhyming couplets, forcing the guards to dance in circles. She's an old enemy of the Moderate Bad who attacks the hero's village, and her presence annoys him immensely. Or is that too absurd? More Utter Genius. Cheery Topping is definitely in, as is bowl world and sticky things. All of the evil sultan's guards will look like their uniforms were designed by Liberace. All of the evil baron's guards will look like their uniforms were designed by Marilyn Manson. Many thanks for the kind words about my Narcoleptic Lich, he is seeking the power of the widget so he can combine it with sticky stuff and create a potent Gatorade / Red Bull type brew that will keep him awake long enough to CONQUER BOWL WORLD. He also wants Cheery Topping's mortal essence, Cheery is in fact a fallen Warrior Maiden of Laaaa. Hot cleric chick distrusts her, not least because she looks fantastic in leather armour. Farm boy will be taken under dark elven psycho-warrior's tutelage and learn the Ways of Sword, Spear and Bow. The corsairs of Odge will do battle with the wandering gypsy folk, Farm Boy will make a faltering but heart-warming speech on the eve of battle.. We still need a dragon and a demon to make this work, but generally this stiff is red hot. It's so bad that I'm wondering if it could make a half decent Forgotten Realms supplement.

There are fans of BioWare in this thread? Could've fooled me Seriously, some of the Bio-butthurt I read on here makes me do a double-take to make sure I'm not at the Codex. You are Dave Gaider and I claim my twenty Canadian Dollars