Dragon Age

[213374U]

And Maria (if you can) why were you banned?

Well, obviously the skirt in the picture Maria posted is scandalous not only by Biocensor standards but by these very boards'! :0

[Fionavar]

And Maria (if you can) why were you banned?

Well, obviously the skirt in the picture Maria posted is scandalous not only by Biocensor standards but by these very boards'! :0

 

Could also be that pesky language filter thing ... work, work, work ...

[Wrath of Dagon]

Why would someone show me a slide show at the end of the game? That makes no sense. Same as telling me what happens to everyone afterwards, I hate that.

 

Have you seen the Mask of the Betrayer ending? Especially the evil evil version? It's pretty awesome.

I only saw the good one, I don't remember it well, but it was pretty lame.

[Monte Carlo]

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

[Niten_Ryu]

Getting banned from Bio boards seem to be easy as it' the only board I've been banned since 99. Something about the foul language. I was stupid enough to quote Deadwood and assumed that board would censor too harsh words. It didn't and just gave me temp ban

[Volourn]

"Bioware's NPC AI is legendary in it's badness"

 

Compared to what? I haven't see many companies do a better job. BIO's AI is very functional folr the most part. Not perfect, mind you, but there is no such thing.

[Maria Caliban]

And Maria (if you can) why were you banned? and it is for life or is just a cool down period?

 

I posted a link to a picture, and the link had the word **** in it. That's the one that sounds like duck.

 

I checked back ~10 hours later and could post.

 

Getting banned from Bio boards seem to be easy as it' the only board I've been banned since 99. Something about the foul language. I was stupid enough to quote Deadwood and assumed that board would censor too harsh words. It didn't and just gave me temp ban

 

Yeah, they replace all of the seven dirty words with ****, except for the slang term for sex. That one will get you autobanned.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Maria Caliban

[Aristes]

I'm actually interested in Dragon Age at the moment. Not chomping at the bit excited, but at least I'm thinking about it, which is always a good sign for a purchase. I've skipped the last few Bioware titles, but I also don't think that criticism is the equivalent of being a Bioware Hater. By that standard, I'm an Obsidian Hater because I've complained about various elements of Obsidian games.

 

I decided to pass ME, though. Too many mixed reviews for my tastes. DA I'll get if for no other reason than to help keep Alan gainfully employed. haha

[alanschu]

HAHAHA

[Volourn]

"Too many mixed reviews for my tastes"

 

RLY? You spend too much time on the Codex, and Obsidian boards. Majority of other palces including 'professional' reviews were rather overwhelmingly positive.

[Aristes]

I do mean the Obsidian boards, Vol. ...But the reviews here have led me to some great purchases, so I don't mind if one gets away. It's not really negative criticism so much as the types of criticism and, to be fair, some of things that strike me come from positive reviews. I'm not slamming Bio. Hell, I've really enjoyed A LOT of Bioware games. I'm just saying I doubt I get ME. Now, if ME2 comes out and folks really like it, I might pick up that title. If I really like it, then I'm likely to buy the original game.

[Volourn]

"I do mean the Obsidian boards, Vol."

 

And, that's the key. The Obsidian boards (as is the Codex) are just as bias against BIO games as the BIO boards are bias towards them. They don't represent the majority of reviews.

 

It should also be noted that most of the people who waste time bashing ME on Obsidian and Codex forums will be amongst the first to buy ME2. That should tell you A LOT about how little their written opinions mean to themselves.

 

P.S. I didn't accuse you of being anti BIO.

 

 

"Hell, I've really enjoyed A LOT of Bioware games."

 

Shouldn't this be all what matters to you? What you think of BIO's games is what should determine wether you buy them or not. Not what other posters (including me ) think or even 'professional reviews'. Don't be a lemming, and think for yourself!

Edited June 30, 2009 by Volourn

[Tigranes]

RLY? You spend too much time on the Codex, and Obsidian boards. Majority of other palces including 'professional' reviews were rather overwhelmingly positive.

 

Actually, while this would be true for cases like, uh, pre-release Oblivion, DA's ridiculous marketing has been mocked in various places.

 

It should also be noted that most of the people who waste time bashing ME on Obsidian and Codex forums will be amongst the first to buy ME2.

 

I love how you say this in every single thread on the Codex and OBS that criticises any Bioware game for anything. I haven't bought a Bio game since KOTOR, and that was second-hand. Which is consistent with the way I tried JE / saw a lot of ME and decided it wasn't worth my money. What makes you think others are different?

 

Shouldn't this be all what matters to you? What you think of BIO's games is what should determine wether you buy them or not.

 

That is what people are doing. It so happens that a significant proportion of regulars on these boards agree that they do not enjoy Bioware's latest games or are unlikely to enjoy their future games based on their direction. By throwing logically bankrupt memes like "lol u buy it anyway" and "nwn1>* fact", it is in fact your posts that do their best to contradict the spirit of your own argument.

[alanschu]

Actually, while this would be true for cases like, uh, pre-release Oblivion, DA's ridiculous marketing has been mocked in various places.

 

I am pretty sure he was talking about Mass Effect though.

[Aristes]

What I was trying to get across earlier is that some of the positive reviews have cited issues that don't sound like fun. First and formost, combat doesn't sound engaging to me. I've gotten this impression from both the folks who've enjoyed it as well as the detractors. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I'm far more likely to buy DA than I ever was ME. I've enjoyed a lot of Bioware games, but there have been a few I didn't like much. Still a quality developer, though.

[Volourn]

"Actually, while this would be true for cases like, uh, pre-release Oblivion, DA's ridiculous marketing has been mocked in various places."

 

What are you talking about?

[Maria Caliban]

What I was trying to get across earlier is that some of the positive reviews have cited issues that don't sound like fun. First and formost, combat doesn't sound engaging to me. I've gotten this impression from both the folks who've enjoyed it as well as the detractors. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I'm far more likely to buy DA than I ever was ME. I've enjoyed a lot of Bioware games, but there have been a few I didn't like much. Still a quality developer, though.

 

 

I'm sure there will be a thread just for people's impressions of Dragon Age: Origins. Wait a week and you'll get tons of opinions on the game itself.

[Aristes]

That's pretty much what I intended, MC. There are four basic ways I approach these things. Some I'm going to get come hell or high water. I pre-purchase those or get them very soon on release. There are those that I'm more or less sold but I'll wait a bit to hear what folks say. That's DA. I'll pay close attention the first week and, if it still seems good, I'll buy it. Sure, you can sometimes get swept away, but usually that works well. There are those that I'm leery of buying. I'll pay attention, but it's more than a week. Ironically, this is exactly what happened with FO3. Killian and HC sealed the deal on that one for me and it turned out to be a great purchase. Then there are those that I won't buy at all. Rarely, but sometimes, I'll decide I will under no circumstances buy a game. There are plenty out there and if there's any reason to think I'll hate a game or not want to support the publisher, why buy that game instead of one of the other games on the market.

 

Frankly, the problem with ME isn't that it sounded bad. It just didn't sound good enough. I'm still listening for ME2, though, so you never know.

[Bos_hybrid]

RLY? You spend too much time on the Codex, and Obsidian boards. Majority of other palces including 'professional' reviews were rather overwhelmingly positive.

 

Actually, while this would be true for cases like, uh, pre-release Oblivion, DA's ridiculous marketing has been mocked in various places.

 

And it is fair criticism of the marketing campiagn, but thats all it is. Most previews of the game are positive.

 

It should also be noted that most of the people who waste time bashing ME on Obsidian and Codex forums will be amongst the first to buy ME2.

 

I love how you say this in every single thread on the Codex and OBS that criticises any Bioware game for anything. I haven't bought a Bio game since KOTOR, and that was second-hand. Which is consistent with the way I tried JE / saw a lot of ME and decided it wasn't worth my money. What makes you think others are different?

 

Many on these and the codex boards are (Obsidian/Troika/BIS)fanboys, sure some on here and the codex are more eloquent then Volourn, but are fanboys just the same. Most of there criticisms are unjustified and sound more like a PS3/360 flame war.

 

Shouldn't this be all what matters to you? What you think of BIO's games is what should determine wether you buy them or not.

 

That is what people are doing. It so happens that a significant proportion of regulars on these boards agree that they do not enjoy Bioware's latest games or are unlikely to enjoy their future games based on their direction. By throwing logically bankrupt memes like "lol u buy it anyway" and "nwn1>* fact", it is in fact your posts that do their best to contradict the spirit of your own argument.

 

Bio goes in the direction of action rpg (ME/JE), and you and others don't like that, which is fine, but then why do you and others look forward to AP/FO:NV which are action RPGs? That is what I don't understand. I will always support both Bio/Obs because I don't see why one must exclude tthe other, unless of course either of them stop making RPGs or start making crap ones.

[Hell Kitty]

I don't see how it's "miles ahead" of anything done before or since.

 

Troika didn't just hand you multiple endings in one play through like Bioware, they made you work for it be repeating the crappy final dungeons.

 

I do mean the Obsidian boards

 

That's like getting drinking water out of a toilet.

[Aristes]

I do mean the Obsidian boards

 

That's like getting drinking water out of a toilet.

Hey now!

 

Seriously, you bunch are like a well oiled machine. Either that or mutant monkeys, but it somehow works. Between you all, I get great game advice.

[Hell Kitty]

Obsidian Forum Community is a well oiled mutant monkey,

[Tigranes]

Many on these and the codex boards are (Obsidian/Troika/BIS)fanboys, sure some on here and the codex are more eloquent then Volourn, but are fanboys just the same. Most of there criticisms are unjustified and sound more like a PS3/360 flame war.

 

Codex regulars are very, very far from Obsidian fanboys: in fact, apart from Troika, there's hardly a company that escapes unscathed from their scrutiny.

 

In any case, why do many regulars here appear to be O/T/B 'fanboys'? Uh, because they happen to believe in certain design philosophies and game direction that happens to match with the style these companies deliver/try to deliver? I mean seriously, we have to stop looking at this in a backwards way in terms of classification. It's not "X is a Bio fanboi" -> "X thinks all Bio games are awesome". Of course that always happens to a degree, but the basic pattern you want to think in terms of is "X likes Y and Z" -> "X is a fan of Bio, which generally provide Y and Z" -> "X begins to get rose tinted glasses on top of this".

 

No this isn't just metaphysical fapping. The point is that there's nothing wrong with having a strong opinion or being a 'fanboi', and it does nothing to invalidate their arguments (which you are implicitly doing here). We got to get over the whole drawing lines business IMO.

 

Bio goes in the direction of action rpg (ME/JE), and you and others don't like that, which is fine, but then why do you and others look forward to AP/FO:NV which are action RPGs?

 

That's like saying if you like the Elder Scrolls for their big seamless worlds then you must surely like the GTA series. Do I really need to spell out the specifics here?

 

In an ugly attempt to bend these threads back into the topic of Dragon Age, though - they had initial premises and promises that I really really liked. For example, an RPG that actually provided bigger scale battles as opposed to 'wars' between football teams: after playing BG series it had you thinking good things, and when they went the even smaller scale combat route after NWN it had you gasping. Some such earlier ideas have gone (which is, duh, realistic), others have remained, and of course it was always going to be your classic Gaider - fantasy and heroism played very straight and epic, even if darker and/or more ambiguous than before. To me what defined Dragon Age throughout its development process was the promise of a large fantasy world chocked full of things to do, squad tactical combat that was a little more tactical and challenging than the button-mushing retard rehabilitation programs KOTOR/JE/ME combat was (and yes, K2 is included here), all with typical Bioware dialogue (decent) and polish (great). Looks like its still there, but just how much of that solid base is going to be eaten away from the inside by gimmicks grown larger than life (romances / cutscenes) remains to be seen, especially in light of the marketing.

 

Actually, I don't really want to end on the note of marketing, because I'll bet anything that the game won't be as, uh, extreme as in the marketing.

[Volourn]

"button-mushing retard rehabilitation programs KOTOR/JE/ME combat "

 

You don't button mash in any of those games, and I say that while loathing KOTOR combat. KOTOR's combat espicially is rather similar to BG's.

[Monte Carlo]

In an ugly attempt to bend these threads back into the topic of Dragon Age, though - they had initial premises and promises that I really really liked. For example, an RPG that actually provided bigger scale battles as opposed to 'wars' between football teams: after playing BG series it had you thinking good things, and when they went the even smaller scale combat route after NWN it had you gasping. Some such earlier ideas have gone (which is, duh, realistic), others have remained, and of course it was always going to be your classic Gaider - fantasy and heroism played very straight and epic, even if darker and/or more ambiguous than before. To me what defined Dragon Age throughout its development process was the promise of a large fantasy world chocked full of things to do, squad tactical combat that was a little more tactical and challenging than the button-mushing retard rehabilitation programs KOTOR/JE/ME combat was (and yes, K2 is included here)

 

You've probably articulated everything I'm feeling perfectly, I just find myself having too much fun being bitchy.

 

all with typical Bioware dialogue (decent) and polish (great).

 

But, just now and then, I have to beg to differ...

 

 

...but just how much of that solid base is going to be eaten away from the inside by gimmicks grown larger than life (romances / cutscenes) remains to be seen, especially in light of the marketing.

 

The crux, sir, of the argument. More than the optimists think, I fear.

 

Actually, I don't really want to end on the note of marketing, because I'll bet anything that the game won't be as, uh, extreme as in the marketing.

 

That 'lurvve' scene has seared indelibly on my retinas. And not in a good way.

 

Cheers

MC