Bioware/Bethesda appreciation thread

[Niten_Ryu]

While I'm not fan of Bethesda games, they have made certain kind of CRPG very popular for the new generation. I've seen tons of "fallout 3 is the best game I'm ever played" comments on popular game news sites and total sales of that game are huge. Better then any of the old skool CRPG.

 

Bioware is still best remembered by Baldur's Gate that started the very popular era of CRPG and Baldur's Gate 2 that ended it. NWN multiplayer was great for some and KotOR managed to bring Star Wars into CRPG. Now Bioware creates it's own worlds (always a positive thing) but it still remains to be seen if the manage to win over majority of gamers. ME was hard sale for me but thanks to multiple runs, they managed to win me over.

[Guest Slinky]

Bioware:

 

I have liked every game they have made (haven't tried Jade Empire). Only Mass Effect could have been a lot better.

 

Bethesda:

 

Um.. They know how to make a good open world engine. I just wish that they knew how to make a good game.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Slinky

[Maria Caliban]

*glances at thread*

 

It's a trap?

[Aristes]

hehehe I don't think it's a trap. That doesn't seem like the Almighty one's style. Anyhow, I answered legit. I like their games. I guess I have to give Bethsoft the nod on the latest game, but I've enjoyed Bioware's games more on the long haul. NWNx has been a very uneven experience for me, but I enjoyed KotOR quite a bit and their other games I've played. I haven't played every game from either company, but it's all good.

[Hell Kitty]

I've enjoyed all of Bioware's RPGs (except Jade Empire as I've not played it), as well as Bethesda's Fallout 3, the Elder Scrolls games (including Redguard, not including Battlespire) and a couple of those old Terminator games. Neither company has ever made anything that would make my own personal top 10 list but they've done a good job entertainin' me.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Hell Kitty

[Maria Caliban]

Hmm..

 

Things I like about BioWare:

1. My female PC has been able to snog with a ninja princess and a blue alien girl*

2. The developers interact more with the community more than any others I know

3. Other than ME1, they've given a bunch of support and patches for their games

4. I never liked Star Wars or Jedi until I played KotOR

5. I like that they

[Azure79]

I can't complain. I think I've played every Bioware game except shattered steel and always enjoyed them.

 

As for Bethesda, I've tried to like their games, but I never managed to finish one except Fallout 3.

[RPGmasterBoo]

On 7. You have a high tolerance for repetition.

On 8. I felt the exact opposite when NWN, Jade Empire and Mass Effect are concerned. In fact I rarely felt so cheated.

 

Things I like about Bioware.

They made the best cRPG series ever - Baldur's Gate.

I admire them for that, but those days are long over.

 

Things I like about Bethesda.

I've played only Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3. Oblivion was utter rubbish. Morrowind, they say, is much better, but I didn't stick around long enough to find out. Fallout 3 was a travesty.

I tried the former games but their control interface is beyond my patience.

Hmm I like nothing about bethesda.

Dang.

Except for the first feeling of going into a dungeon in Oblivion, a torch in one hand and sword in other. That was cool, up until the next dungeon.

Edited August 19, 2009 by RPGmasterBoo

[mkreku]

I really liked Daggerfall.

 

That's all I got.

[Maria Caliban]

On 7. You have a high tolerance for repetition.

 

This from someone who's played through BG. I recall taking down legions of kobolds, orcs, orges, gibberlings, wolves, bears, and skeletons with 1) shoot arrows, 2) pause every five seconds as you select a different target for your archers, 3) continue until the enemy gets near, 4) run off until they stop chasing you, 5) come back and shoot more arrows. That's 75% of the fights right there. Though when I was really feeling saucy, I had Minsc stand in the middle of a crowd while my archers picked the opponents off one by one.

 

After that, not even WoW quest feel repetative. You want me to kill 7 shadowboars and bring you eleven sabercat talons? Sure. Sounds fun.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Maria Caliban

[Tagaziel]

What's so bad about Male Shepard? He's acceptable, not groundbreaking, but acceptable.

 

BioWare has good dialogue writers, designers, their game engines don't suck, the characters are quite enthralling and even if the story's built on cliches, it's enjoyable.

 

Bethesda has great environment designers, concept artists and 3D modelers. Some of the quest design is priceless too. But their writers, storytelling and voice actors suck monstrous donkey balls.

[Oner]

I loved MDK 2.

 

I loved those 15 minutes of Morrowind when a friend o' mine got his plate mailed, two handed axed ass handed to him by a naked, barehanded barbarian. And oh yes, poking attack animation with an axe. Hilarious.

[HoonDing]

I loved those 15 minutes of Morrowind when a friend o' mine got his plate mailed, two handed axed ass handed to him by a naked, barehanded barbarian. And oh yes, poking attack animation with an axe. Hilarious.

Hlormar Wine-Sot?

[Oner]

I loved those 15 minutes of Morrowind when a friend o' mine got his plate mailed, two handed axed ass handed to him by a naked, barehanded barbarian. And oh yes, poking attack animation with an axe. Hilarious.

Hlormar Wine-Sot?

Yep, 'twas him.

[Darth InSidious]

What's so bad about Male Shepard? He's acceptable, not groundbreaking, but acceptable.

Lol. No.

 

BioWare has good dialogue writers,

**** no. Only in comparison to Bethesda. They have lazy writers. I could cite everything they've made from NWN-onwards, KotOR included, but why bother? It's so obvious it doesn't bear repeating.

 

designers,

Designers of what? Their area designs are usually pretty enough, I'll grant you, and their characters/textures too, but theres always about six character models and two guns repeated throughout the game.

 

their game engines don't suck

Mass Effect, KotOR at release.

 

the characters are quite enthralling

Are you Volourn's alt or something? There is nothing enthralling in any of the characters in either JE or ME, and KotOR's, six years on, seem pretty thin too.

 

and even if the story's built on cliches, it's enjoyable.

Mass Effect.

[Slowtrain]

Holy Crap, I had forgotten how seriously ugly the unmodded character models in Morrowind were.

[Humodour]

On 7. You have a high tolerance for repetition.

 

This from someone who's played through BG. I recall taking down legions of kobolds, orcs, orges, gibberlings, wolves, bears, and skeletons with 1) shoot arrows, 2) pause every five seconds as you select a different target for your archers, 3) continue until the enemy gets near, 4) run off until they stop chasing you, 5) come back and shoot more arrows. That's 75% of the fights right there. Though when I was really feeling saucy, I had Minsc stand in the middle of a crowd while my archers picked the opponents off one by one.

 

Wow, you were pretty **** at the game.

[Humodour]

the characters are quite enthralling

Are you Volourn's alt or something? There is nothing enthralling in any of the characters in either JE or ME, and KotOR's, six years on, seem pretty thin too.

 

Counter-example: Jolee.

 

And Assassin Droid.

[Darth InSidious]

the characters are quite enthralling

Are you Volourn's alt or something? There is nothing enthralling in any of the characters in either JE or ME, and KotOR's, six years on, seem pretty thin too.

 

Counter-example: Jolee.

One two-note character in a sea of one-note characters does not equate to good quality characters.

 

And Assassin Droid.

HK wasn't funny.

[Aristes]

I despise HK. I did enjoy KotOR, though, so I don't agree with the harsh on Bioware.

[RPGmasterBoo]

On 7. You have a high tolerance for repetition.

 

This from someone who's played through BG. I recall taking down legions of kobolds, orcs, orges, gibberlings, wolves, bears, and skeletons with 1) shoot arrows, 2) pause every five seconds as you select a different target for your archers, 3) continue until the enemy gets near, 4) run off until they stop chasing you, 5) come back and shoot more arrows. That's 75% of the fights right there. Though when I was really feeling saucy, I had Minsc stand in the middle of a crowd while my archers picked the opponents off one by one.

 

After that, not even WoW quest feel repetative. You want me to kill 7 shadowboars and bring you eleven sabercat talons? Sure. Sounds fun.

 

I meant repetetivness in terms of story and characters, situations, quests, plot arcs etc.

 

Anyway what you describe are (cheap) tactics which actually require some sort of effort. In terms of gameplay, NWN, KOTOR, Jade Empire and Mass Effect had the most boring combat ever devised. The only thing needed to win was participation and you could only gain a measure of satisfaction/feeling of accomplishment if you were a total beginner or just plain bad at playing games.

 

While combat was an important part of BG it was not the only thing the game had. Unlike WoW, which you yourself said was a game of "fantasy combat".

[Cloaker]

BioWare

I've enjoyed all of their games, even Jade Empire. For mainstream WRPGs, for me, they're at the top. I also like how much they interact with their community. We'll see how things go with their next 3 titles.

 

Bethesda

I like their use of Jeremy Soule, and Morrowind was ok

[Kelverin]

BioWare - BG, BG2, Kotor were pleasurable experiences, BG2 first play through was the highlight of my Crpg enjoyment. Subsequent playthroughs have diminished my enjoyment somewhat, but I was unable to stop playing that game when it was released. NWN and it's expansions were terrible, have not played any of their other games.

 

Bethesda - Played FO3 and Morrowind and they were terrible the less said the better.

 

BioWare > Bethesda in a landslide victory.

[Hurlshort]

You guys really are not very good at appreciation threads.

 

 

Bioware - When I found out that I was an evil sith lord in KotOR, I was taken completely by surprise. Bravo! I look forward to Dragon Age, I am sure I will devour it like every other Bioware title. Bioware is one of the only companies that consistently lets me avoid fighting in their games by having a high speech skill, and that rocks.

 

Bethesda - Daggerfall was one of the first games that really made me feel like I was living in a virtual world. It was my first really satisfying sandbox game. There was a time when RPG's and top of the line graphics only met in Bethesda titles, and I would say they forced other developers to rise to the challenge. Fallout 3 was a blast!

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

I agree with Hurlshot. I did not see KotOR's twist coming.