greylord

Well, hmm...perhaps when it came out so long ago you said it was terrible? I don't know. That was a while ago. I'm getting older, can't remember details that far back anymore on specific forum statements. I think I was only a lurker back then anyways. That was on other boards to. WOW...now that's some memories starting to dredge up...the old Black Isle boards I believe...

Err, no. Ninja meant the same as the word spy...or agent. They were used for assassination, but more often more as intelligence on others. Just like other intelligence agencies. They actually existed prior to that, and farther back then the shogunate...as...they simply were basically agents of other houses set to spy on others. You didn't even need to know martial arts. In fact, weapon training wasn't even a major factor for most of them, as most utilized other skills. Some of the most famous were actually entertainers...not farmers. Then some Japanese guy decided to capitalize on the Western ignorance and created this entire Ninja sensation. Half of everyone in Japan laughed their arse off at him...but somehow a few took him seriously there...and MANY took him seriously in the West. It's become a major sensation over the past 40 years, and now you have Ninja movies that even come from Hong Kong, Korea, and occasionally from Japan. The entire Ninja as this guy in black who was this expert martial arts guy who jumped around and killed people actually originated popularity in the US. It started with some crazy guy in japan...but didn't take off until the US grabbed hold of it and brought it into it's culture as it's own beast. Sort of like how US pizza is unique to the US...or US chinese food tastes a whole lot different then the authentic stuff in China (and is more expensive in general in the US as well). The reason why they use farm weapons is the same reason ANYONE had to use farm weapons who weren't actual Samurai or from the Samurai class. Ninja actually DID use normal weapons if they were from the right class...and it wasn't unusual in house politics. However the guy who started the entire sensation was NOT samurai or from that class, and tradition (though previously it was law) had it that no one who wasn't from the Samurai class could use swords or certain weapons. They were stuck to using things that you could find around the house. I believe they still have swords in all the US Ninja lore overall however, but traditionally if you weren't from the right class...swords and weapons for the Nobility were restricted to...the Nobility. However, as it looks like you are an American looking to justify your fascination with American culture (or the American Ninja sensation)...feel free to live in your ignorance and paint Ninjas as something magical and mystical instead of the rather real and mundane that history truly presents.

I've been to places like that. It makes the entire "PC piracy" argument rather moot, as I don't think I've really seen that many PC games there...EVER...even before DRM. I do see tons of the latest Console releases, Movie releases (as in MOVIE releases...they are released to the theaters and are on sale on DVD at these places) on DVD and other items. Not so much music anymore...still tons of Console games and movies though.

Haha, either we have really different tastes or DA2 is the one of the worst games ever. Awakening is REALLY bad in my opinion I've been reading opinions and watching a few gameplay videos in tube, and while DA2 clearly has it's shortcomings, I might enjoy the game anyway. I think I'll pick it up when I see a good sale, possibly from steam in end of the year. No Awakenings isn't the best by any means...but at that point when I was switching, I'd rather play that then DA2. I've never done everything and gone everywhere in DA:A...and at the time it seemed (still does actually now that I think about it) more appealing to do a replay doing everything in DA:A rather then continuing DA2. To me at least.

What can I say, even at their worst, I'm still an avid BW fan. I do feel like I wasted many hours of my life on DA2 though. I don't think I've ever felt that way about a BW game before. Most RPG's these days aren't worth my time though. Life is too short to waste on drivel (or stuff that isn't really enjoyable for MYSELF...mayhaps others will love them).

Okay, finished the game. Said a little about it when I started with my initial thoughts...now after playing it completely...I'll say my opinion...and IT'S NOT POSITIVE. Spoilers will be in this, so don't read if you don't want. I did just about every side quest that I could find, took me a total of 31 hours and 23 minutes. Yes, I skipped through conversations. I had text on and I can read faster then they can speak. I think it could be passed in 15 hours if you ONLY DID the main quests...which means that you would miss at least 60% of the game (probably more like 90%), maybe faster. I'd probably call BS on someone who said they did everything in 15 hours. I skipped through (reading fast as I said) and wimped out and went to normal on many of the boss fights since they were hard as heck, especially near the end. My overall opinion of the game (I've been playing bioware games since BG, didn't play the sonic RPG though) is that it's the worst BW game I have ever played. I thought ME2 was the BEST BW game I ever played. I was hoping that many of the good things they did with ME2 would translate into DA2...I was wrong. First, Inventory is STILL A CHORE. After act 2 you get so much stuff to sort through, and SO MUCH JUNK, you literally are running to the vendors after every mission...and seeing that there are probably near a hundred missions...that's a LOT OF WASTED FREAKING TIME. Those who like inventory micromanagement should eat their hearts out. Those of us that get sick of it after a while...it's still there. However, you never deal with your companion's armor. It makes sense. The reason is that this game was apparantly made on the short shift, so in order to have less models with armor to work with, they simply made them have less armor variations. Makes sense, it's also sort of bugs you when you do your armor. I repeatedly was trying to change their armor during the first act only to remember I couldn't. The graphics aren't so bad, though they make the Dalish look more like aliens or anime elfs...I like the old Dalish. They looked better. As far as the story line, I went strongly with protecting the mages. I was a Rogue, and hence Bethany was a mage, who ended up in the Circle of the Magi. Like HELL I was going to desert her... In fact, this is bad writing on the storyline. Most sensibly, a sibling is going to be protecting and supporting their other family members...so if your sister is a mage...and people want to kill all the mages...only an idiot would say..."Support me in killing and oppressing mages." Who was the idiot who wrote this storyline? However, if that was the only glaring detractor that bugged on me, that wouldn't be so bad. The writing is literally juvenile. Blatant sexual puns every other line? I mean, come on!? It was so bad I was sick of it by the second act (and there are three acts). The characters are transparant, it's obvious what you need to to in order to win them over...which isn't so bad...except they are so stereotyped in so many ways it really made me disgusted at points. So you have emo boy who hates all mages...Wow, guess I'll just take him on missions where I'll smack mages around. You have Gayboy who really hates templars and fights for Mage freedoms...so he tries to force an issue where you have to choose the mages or the templars and make the world see Mages being oppressed...not that big a mystery. HMMM...he's sneaking around this place and wanting to do things around a certain personage...it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he's up to. The point where it really sunk in that this was a juvenile game written for 12 year olds came when I did what I'll call...the Middle school romance. Yes, there is a part of the game where you are acting like a Middle Schooler and taking messages back and forth to try to find out if so and so likes your companion or not...and all the rest of that stuff you thought you were done with in Middle School. Some of the "gotcha" moments were rather absurd as well. And then I go to So you defend the Mages...and you're winning...so what does the head mage do (MAJOR SPOILER) I cannot express my disappointment with this game. Everything that you hoped they learned in refining ME2...is totally lost on this game...perhaps to the point of almost making it an abomination of a disappointment. It COULD have been so much better. In addition, some have already commented on the reuse of areas...I was so sick of the standard warehouse by the end of this game. It seems that buildings in this city have two basic layouts...and you get to see them several dozen times. Actually, I was sick of the city itself. They reuse it three times in a row. There is no variability. When starting the second act, I almost put down the game (I actually started up DA:Awakenings in the thoughts to go back and play something to rinse the dirty taste out of my mouth), but thought I should actually try to finish what I started. It has so many things wrong with it...in comparison to ME2, to DA:O or DA:A, and especially compared to earlier BW games. Heck, even the OC of NWN was better in my opinion...and I thought that wasn't that great of a job. I won't even get into the freezes I had (like on the final battle, I beat the game...and it freezes right in the middle of the last cutscene...I got the trophy...but not the last scene. I had to replay the battle AGAIN to get it. I'm irked on so many levels. Now be aware...that even though it's the worst BW game I've ever played, that STILL means it's about heads and tails above just about any other RPG out there. The only series that's come close to comparison would be the Witcher series as far as RPGs are concerned. However, this is NO old style BW game. It re-uses scenery, city, everything time and time again to the point of utter boredom, it has unequal difficulty (especially near the end...you'll face a fight that's easier the anything for the big boss fight, and then suddenly the next quest you're fighting a High Dragon which is kicking the snot out of you repeatedly). With all the reloads, I probably have over 40 hours in the game. I know people have been saying they've been seeing those playing the game actually like it and those who didn't are the one's criticizing...Put me down as someone who has played it and is FULL OF CRITICISM of this game. As I said, I absolutely LOVED ME2. It had good writing for starters, was concise, to the point...with everything focused on a good goal...and variability. I am HOPING that is retained for ME3. The worst part is the writing in DA2. Hopefully they have GOOD writing for DA3 instead of this juvenile junk I had to put up with. Literally...a Middle school romance plot...I still can't believe they had that in there! Who wrote this thing! Some 40 year old who lives in his mom's basement and never went out with a girl in his life! I hope ME3 has better writing...and they DON'T use the same thought patterns they used for DA2 in ME3. Just so you know how the path goes with the entire> thing... With NWN meaning the campaigns...NOT the actual game (which was brilliant with user made content).... ME2>BG2>KOTOR>KOTOR2>BG>IWD>PST>ME>DA:O>IWD2>JE>NWN2>NWN>DA2 Just my opinion. Spoilers off. PS: PLEASE...OH PLEASE...DON'T LET THEM SCREW UP ME3 LIKE THEY SCREWED DA2!!!!

I'd like to say Ninjas flip out and kill things... Just like was stated above... LOL... but in truth...Until some Japanese guy decided to earn money off of Western ignorance...all a Ninja meant was that someone was a spy or agent. In WWII most ninjas actually had briefcases and handguns. Saying they were farmers is sort of like saying The CIA is really effective because we keep them working the farms as farmhands. They are VERY good at that. This is why the CIA trains with farm weapons. THE SAS is also a bunch of farmers who learn hand to hand because they are all farmers too. They are most effective because no one expects the farmhand to jump out and be an SAS agent (oddly enough...they are right...no one probably would expect the farmhand). I suppose if one learned that everyone in the East had no idea what CIA meant, and thought that US religions were based off praying, they could create some sort of martial arts with a lot of praying and call it CIAtsu. That about sums up the Ninjitsu that some forward leaning thinking Japanese man had in relation to the ignorance of what Ninja meant. It's now created a WHOLE NEW meaning and fantasy history behind it, that's even enjoyable to watch in movies and other things today!

Sometimes I wonder where people learn their history. Apparantly NOT from the Japanese. Though there were Ninja that pretended to work farmlands...but I'd imagine they would be far more useful as house servants...in someone else's house of course.

Oh hell it should be. There's no way in heck I want to play a game that's not fun. The more fun the more enjoyment I'm going to have with it. If it's not fun...then I'm probably going to stop playing after an hour or less...the less being once I figure it's not fun.

Looks interesting but Europe get's the shaft once again...it's d/l? Why is it so much more cheaper in US currency then anyplace else? Didn't check through, but is there an option to pay in USD instead of British Pounds or other aspect if one so chooses?

I know they said there wasn't, but I didn't know of any court order that said they couldn't?

I love custom content! You saying I'm an Xbox Kiddie?

This is absolutely horrific in what's happening in Japan. I'm hoping they get the nuclear plant under control soon.

You are absolutely right. If it's the daughter one...I call him a pedo and simply judge him guilty. If it's the other...

Read exactly what vince is praising about it. This is the common mistake everyone makes about him. He is NOT saying OMG 10000000/10!!! GOTY!!! And that said, having followed the LP so far, kind of glad I passed on this.... PLEASE do no mess up my beloved Mass Effect 3. Please god. This...absolutely. At this point it's the only Bio game I think they can count on me buying as a definate...unless I hear that it's REALLY screwed up before getting it (and they'd really have to screw it up). PLEASE don't screw up ME3!

Metacritic scores play a huge part in game biz nowadays. Basically only way to avoid investor backlash is to sell millions of copies, but usually outside party / casual games (including dance games) scores and sales correlate rather accurately. In the case of Bioware, they still have good reputation (at least before Dragon Age 2 ), so it's unlikely that initial Dragon Age 2 sales suffer significantly but later sales (before price reduction and/or ultimate edition with all the DLCs) might take hit and next sequel could have serious problems. Playstation brand Killzone is good example of this. I've seen from various boards that Bioware chose again to recycle dungeons and locations. In Neogaf board someone said that he got same dungeon for three separete quests that should have been in three different areas. This is incorrect way to recycle content - The correct way is to give players a reason to return to locations (that took a lot of manhours to build) by updating questhubs, encounter nodes, scripting ect ect. It's strange that Bioware already learnt this lesson going from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2, but I guess Dragon Age team "powers that be" didn't get the memo from the Mass Effect team. Mass Effect 2 was WAAAAAY better then Mass Effect 1. I'm definately getting ME3...and HOPING THEY DON'T LISTEN TO THE FANS THAT WANT THE OLD INVENTORY AND WANDERING ENDLESS PLANETS THAT ALL LOOK THE SAME IN A VEHICLE THAT BOUNCES ALL ALONG THE HILLS...so that it's as close to ME2, but with a bigger and more epic storyline. However, despite my hopes for DA2, after seeing what's done with it, ME3 may be the last Bio game I get. It depends on what direction they take after DA2 and the responses to it thus far.

If it's the one I'm thinking of, I killed him. He's guilty. Hope you didn't let him live. At least I judged him guilty. Or maybe it's the other one?

WOW! If that's true, they can restrict you from your games simply because of something that you said on the forums...THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING to make me...someone who's bought every single Bio game (well, except Sonic...didn't get that one) to come out...to NEVER BUY ANOTHER BIO game...ever...again. (unless they changed their policies). Can't tell if he's a troll or if it were a troll post...but I might even turn to finding ways to help those who will crack bio games on that type of craziness. To me, if someone buys your game, they have a right to play it, you can't just simply lock them out of it because you don't like how they express themselves. That's more akin to out and out stealing than piracy in my books. BUT, I'd like more confirmation that this is actually Bio's new policy before making any rash decisions.

You know, now that you mention it, there are some things I think they got from JRPG's. At least it's feeling that way, wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't mentioned it though. You are correct that many encounters DO have waves of enemies. I'm not liking the encounters thus far. Like the Dialogue and such...but I'm really not enjoying any time my party has to do combat. Lots of flash...less substance...at least it seems like that for me thus far.

I've been playing DA2 today. Will get to finishing the pages after page 27 after wards, but wanted to say my first impressions thus far. Mind, I really liked ME2 and thought the changes for DA2 would make it better. What I absolutely HATE...or at least need to get used to... I LOVED ME2, and I LOVED how they handled weapons, armor, equipment, etc. That said, it DOES NOT TRANSLATE WELL IN ANY FORM TO A FANTASY RPG! I HATE the new inventory. I literally feel as if I don't have that many choices...PERIOD. To make it worse, the biggest quest thus far has you saving up for 50 GP...so you're afraid to spend the money you do get (though at this point I'm about to see what happens if I say...screw you quest...so what IF I NEVER get enough gold to pay up...I'm sick and tired of having that debt hang over me). This has to be the WORST THOUGHT OUT IDEA EVER for how to get equipment and money all together. At least that's my opinion thus far. Even if you can spend money, there's not that much equipment choices out there ANYWAYS. It's like a dearth of good choices. ME2 HAD MORE OPTIONS for customization then this friggen game. Sure, everyone has these slots for amulets and belts...if I could actually find one that is designed for them and good enough for me to get. Call me sick and tired of this. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet...and it will grow on me, thus far...HATING IT. Skills. I'm not a big fan of the skill system they used in DA:O...nor the talents...BUT AT LEAST it made sense and I could put things together. This one I still can put together, but it doesn't seem as common sense to me, nor as well put together. I wish I could see them in an easier to compare mode then the way they've put them together. I like how they had them in a list you could go through in DA:O...even in ME and ME2 they had it as a list. This entire shape them like a tree is counterintuitive to me. I know, it was like that in the Demo, but you get more of these trees even, and it gets to be more of a pain then a help...or even graphically nice. This story seems jumpy thus far, and isn't all that well gel'd together. It needs a better flow. Maybe it get's better after Deep Roads (I should get there soon I guess, as long as I don't blow my funds in disgust)...but WHY OR WHY did they include another Deep Roads (unless it's going to be another skip in the story so they can further break the flow and make it more jumpy)...that was one part of the entire DA:O where I almost put down the game in boredom! I sure hope I don't have to return to Deep Roads...or if I do they make it FAR more interesting this time around. The layout of the city...is not all that inspirational. There's nothing really to define each area from another in some places...it's simply...oh, this is the court of the viscount...oh...this is the court of the Chantry...hey...they look REALLY SIMILAR. Combat is WAAAAAY TO FAST and too furious. I enjoy ME2 combat...it's fast...furious, but allows you to at least think about what type of skills and such you are going to use. I can use my skills fast now...but things happen so fast it's actually kind of hard to plan things out. Your party spreads to the wind and has spent every skill they have before you can snap your fingers. It feels like FF12 combat in a way...and FF12 wasn't really know for good things about it's combat. Basically, you're going to have to use the tactics menus a LOT more. Things that I like... I like the conversations. I liked the six choice circle in the ME series, I like it in DA2. I like the main character having a voice. There seems to be even more interaction between your party in this game than the last. Talking is fun. Dialogue is a LOT of the game, so this is a good thing in my book. Gives it a good thing for 50% of the game. Quests are easier to figure out where to go...at least thus far. That's a big plus as well. Things I'm meh about... I think the graphics are okay. The maps are okay. The city slowly unfolds as you explore areas, and talk to people, other areas of the city and outside the city are slowly revealed. Sort of like how you found areas in BG2. That's it for now, I'll finish reading the thread and maybe back after I've played some more.

Heh, I'll give you a shiny dollar coin if you can show one single instance where I have lied. Everything I've stated as fact has had a link, and where I've used quotes I've provided the link to the context too. In contrast, with Volourn style quoting... DA:O sold [in] 2.7 [million] Agreed (note: link added by me). ME2 selling 3 million+ [citation needed] Citation from EA states 2 million sold in worldwide while EA quarterly report says 1.6 million sold through] for Q4 2010/ calendar Q1 2011; FY 2010 ends March 31st according to the same document therefore the ME2 sales figure is for- as best as can be ascertained- approximately its first 12 weeks of sales. Retail, DA:O sold 1.3 million [citation needed], with around 500K[citation needed] on PC and the rest on Console. ME2 sold 500-600K [citation needed] on PC with the rest on Xbox 360 at retail. At this point you can either post your sources, concede with dignity, go off the rails or choose not to reply. You're right, I underestimated....by 3 million for ME2. http://www.vg247.com/2010/04/14/muzyka-and...eynote-develop/ BioWare founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have been announced as main keynotes for this year

You are probably right

I have been playing Dragon Age Origins and Mass Effect, about to stop both and start playing Dragon Age 2 after I get it at midnight (hopefully, I think tonight is the night)

Dude, and you are comparing the shipped to sale through. That number (2.7 million) is comparable to at least 3 million for ME2 (and they shipped even MORE later...some estimate upwards of that). For actual sales you are comparing it's 1.3 million to 1.6 million...DUDE. No, that 2.7 million is equivalent to... the 2 million shipped figure you linked to earlier (and which never got a "we've shipped more!" announcement), not some 3 million figure that materialised out of the ether. If you ship 2.7 million, then another 500k it's a fair assumption that the vast majority of that 2.7 million sold* as the alternative is saying that EA likes producing stock destined to sit around in warehouses- that's why you can fairly compare the 2.7 million shipped with a sell through figure, as I said in the original post. If we want to get picky about things then I could just add a [citation needed] after every one of your figures since I did actually provide links. Simple fact is that EA is bound by law to release accurate figures. They said they sold in 2 million copies of ME2 and sold through 1.6 million. That has to be, legally, as accurate a representation as it can be. NPD (presumably where you are getting the comparison from as they do US only figures; if it's VGChartz then I'll have a quiet laugh at the wasted time and move on) does not have to be accurate by law, and their figures are indicative and based in part on estimation and survey. *Alternatively, if you like maths, 2 million shipped (confirmed) -> 1.6 million sold (confirmed) therefore 3.2 million shipped (confirmed) -> 2.6 million sold (speculation; still a cool million above ME2 though, and matches well with most of the initial 2.7 million having been sold...) It's hardly difficult to find, first page of a google search. "Rob Bartel, the principal designer at BioWare, has told MCV that last year

Dude, and you are comparing the shipped to sale through. That number (2.7 million) is comparable to at least 3 million for ME2 (and they shipped even MORE later...some estimate upwards of that). For actual sales you are comparing it's 1.3 million to 1.6 million...DUDE. I might not be disagreeing with you on your point, but at least be honest about what you want backing you up, or you aren't going to get those who DO disagree with you to listen at all. What we don't know is how foreign sales went overall. From the response on what they are doing with DA2 (on that I DO like what they are doing...call me just too casual of a gamer...except for the entire call home to authenticate and then call home everytime you are online deal) I'd say that ME2 did better and they are taking cues from that...but when we get to that I'll admit...that's totally me guessing and could be WRONG as day. I've heard (not from EA at all, or even official Bioware statements, or even NON-Official Bioware statements) that Bioware DID say DA:O was the best selling game they ever had (which could be where the foreign markets come in) in the Summer of last year...but the US numbers don't seem to indicate that.