Amentep

I really enjoyed Jade Empire. The fighting mechanics I don't think quite worked the way they'd planned/hopped, but it had a lot of entertainment value for me (but then again so did NWN OC and KotOR). If DA2 can have that same kind of entertainment value, then I'm all for it, personally. I never played the Sonic DS game either.

I like spiders too. I like them over there. While I'm over here.

To me, as long as the graphics serve properly to convey the story & game-user interface than the graphics are at least serviceable (a neutral stance). If the graphics actually either do not convey the story properly or create difficulties between the user and the game then they are bad. If the graphics enhance the story and further the game-user connection then they're good. Anything beyond that is arguing about aesthetics, IMO. Personally I haven't seen anything in the stuff for DA2 that looks to be "bad" in the sense that it doesn't look capable of properly conveying a story or creating difficulties with me as a player playing the game.

To be fair, people seem to really like Empire Strikes Back pretty well and it does the same thing (ie it doesn't resolve anything set up in the film). I didn't complain about lack of resolution. ESB has a climax. I dunno, in terms of climax, I think the revelation of the Deathly Hollows (which pretty much all of the wandering in the wilderness was leading to) followed immediately by the capture/escape worked fine. In ESB its the capture of Han/escape from Cloud City followed by the revelation of Luke-Vader's relationship. Same thing essentially, but reverse order. In both cases the denouement consists of the heroes going to lick their wounds while the villains stand triumphant

One thing that I really dislike on a lot of Bioware games is the inability to address the head and neck right. It crops up a number of times in different games, but reached new records of hideousness IMO with Morrigan blowing out the candle in DA1 It's called Bioware and it's the rpg forum equivalent of dumping gasoline on a fire. Hey, I *like* Bioware. I've certainly purchased their games over the years. Yes, I skipped ME 1/2 and some of the NWN xpacs, but I spent a lot of time playing Dragon Age. I mean, if I've concentrated on the art, it's because that's the topic about which we know most. ...And, frankly, if you think it's all great, good for you. Seriously, no biggie. I'm not trivializing your tastes, but I think dismissing the discussion because you don't find any beef doesn't really add much to it. As more things come out about Dragon Age 2, a title I plan on purchasing, then I'm sure we'll broaden the discussion. I advanced an opinion about artwork in games and what I hoped to see in Dragon Age 2. I'll probably continue to act in the same way about other facets of the game as they come to light. I'm wasn't trying to dismiss the discussion about the artwork; just pointing out that I don't understand the passion about it that others have. Yet it seems like a major hot topic - maybe its the lack of information on the rest of the title, but somehow I don't think it is, since threads about the look of DA ran throughout the runup to release on that title.

To be fair, people seem to really like Empire Strikes Back pretty well and it does the same thing (ie it doesn't resolve anything set up in the film).

Unfortunately I tend to only keep a handful of saves and since your companion walks behind you its real easy (for me at least) to miss that they aren't there and have overwritten all the saves with bugged games (did this twice with Ed-E and once with Veronica)

I don't understand this. Are you saying you don't care about the artwork or that no matter how visually ugly or pleasing the artwork is, you just care about the gameplay? I mean, I have some things I prefer over others, and I'm just stating those preferences. The DA2 artwork is the topic for discussion right now because, as I understand it, it's one of the few things about which we have substantial information. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't get the complaints about the artwork or design for DA1 or 2; and I assume that there is something about it that causes people to be so passionate about it. For my purposes both styles seems to work (I only have experience with DA1, but honestly I see nothing wrong with the DA2 artwork and screen images I've seen so far).

It was Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor that did it (and I believe this was fixed in a patch - I know the budget version didn't do it). EDIT: Ninja'd by dozens.

I guess I don't get hung up on visual styles too much; to me it either works or it doesn't (questions of practicality aside).

I have restarted a few times because of disappearing companions problems. Love the game, not crazy about companions disappearing and being unrecoverable (and they're carrying my stuff!)

The Assassin Mage 12% Strength, 28% Bloodlust, 48% Intelligence, 36% Spirit, 20% Vitality and 36% Agility! By combining powerful magic with skills in stealth and assassination, the Assassin Mages can easily take down any foe. The Assassin Mages imbue their weapons and armor with their deadly magic to enhance all their abilities. Utilizing the shadows to their advntage, Assassin Mages can singlehandedly defeat entire groups of warriors without ever revealing their presence. Although Assassin Mages specialize in wind magic, they are proficient in the other basic elements. However, their mastery over wind far exceeds that of any of the other spellcaster classes allowing them to manipulate the wind more skillfully and effortlessly. Leaping through the air and flying short distances is no problem for the Assassin Mage, and by using the wind to augment their speed and agility they can easily outmaneuver any foe. On top of that, they can use their magic detect the presence of any nearby foe, and by condensing the wind around their blade they can easily slash through any and all armor and barriers. Although Assassin Mages normally use their wind magic discretely, they would not be opposed to creating tornadoes, hurricanes, and prisons of impenetrable wind if the situation called for it.

Saw HP & the Deathly Hollows. Liked it pretty well.

Well, I made my first car explosion today. I mentioned missing them from FO3; this one worked out pretty nice. Tried to sniper some enemies and hit the truck behind them, they all ran to the noise which allowed the truck explosion to kill them

It started as a debate about the possibility of this game being a ME prequel; then became whether prequels could ever be good, with Indy2 being held as an example, which expanded into an Indy debate. I don't think prequels per se are bad, and I think there's room in ME's timeline to explore stories without feeling like you know everything that's going to happen so if the game DOES turn out to be ME related or specifically a ME prequel, I think it could still be fun.

I agree Aliens was way too much but doesn't belong there this much? Did I just imagine all the mystical **** in other Indy movies? Also his heart getting ripped out is kiiiiiiiinda the problem. Can't believe that we're debating whether an alien "fits" the Indy universe... In a series that has had - Wrath of God Angels or Spirits A priest who can pull people's hearts from their chests A drug that can hypnotize anyone into doing anything Magical Stones that keep lands fertile Magical stones that can be made to heat up by chanting particular phrases Magical stones that, when gathered together, are supposed to give ultimate power A cup that can heal any wound A magical seal that said cup can't be moved past That doesn't get into all the other improbabilities in the series...but then it was never intended to be realistic, either.

Ooooh, okay misunderstood you there! Sorry.

Destroyed looking city to me; I'm still thinking ME setting game (First Contact War, maybe?) but not connected to the Sheppard story. Alternatively, an alien invasion game (because, you know, sci-fi looking dude in destroyed city looking place).

I think it's ME. The rifle he's using looks like the lower level sniper rifles from the first game. Doesn't make sense to be ME, since the video shows ME and DA after they show Bioware's Logo. It'd be like verbally saying "From Bioware, the makers of Mass Effect and Dragon Age comes...Mass Effect". That said I could totally see it as a non-Sheppard ME setting story.

My first thought at the glimpses - with the sci-fi type look so similar to Mass Effect and the destroyed city scape outside the building the guy is in that it was either (a) an alien invasion game or (b) a game in the ME universe set during the "First Contact War" but not (directly) tied to the ongoing Mass Effect series' story.

What the guy is looking at:

It serves no other purpose than to tell you that your expectations have changed. It's (generally) impossible to play a game from the eighties today. Replay them now and they will feel like crap. That does not mean all games of the eighties were crap. Two great examples: Wasteland (1987) and Pool of Radiance (1988). At the time, they were both fantastic games. Now? You can barely tell you're playing a human in Wasteland and most people would never find their way out of New Phlan (starting city) in Pool of Radiance. I recommended them to everyone I met in the eighties, I would not recommend them to anyone today. I think anyone who never played the games of that time period would probably balk at the IE games, to be honest, much less earlier games. But I agree that it doesn't mean the games weren't good; just the expectations in games now is so vastly different.

Yeah the sniper in minefield would shoot the cars to explode them. Fun times. The raiders were mostly just about as crap at hitting things as I was. I haven't seen cars explode as much - I'm assuming they're harder to make explode (as I believe I saw one explode before in FONV).

She'll show up at your funeral after you...lightly toast yourself. I agree; I think that a lot of people do this. I have a bunch of friends who would rather date someone they don't like - even for extended amounts of time - than be alone for a few months.

Not only is it overpowered, it has a glitch that allows you wear it with a hat! I used the Chinese army hat, personally. It was fun! I do miss the exploding cars from FO3 to some degree. Finding yourself running from raiders only to realize you're in a drive-in theater and the raiders bad aim is hitting the cars second before it explodes and kills everyone involved (dismembering my arms and legs so my slow-mo death scene was my torso & head flying through the air) was a one-of-a-kind experience! I'm playing through Fallout: New Vegas though and it has its own charms. Massive exploding cars so far hasn't been one of them though.