Dragon Age Origins

[Gorth]

Start of old thread

End of old thread

 

Finally have played all the origin stories. My favourite easily has to be Dwarf Noble. I'm very curious how it will play out differently once you proceed into the main plot.

 

My order of preference is probably:

 

Dwarf Noble

Mage

Dwarf Commoner

City Elf

Human Noble

Dalish Elf

 

 

To be fair to the Dalish Elf one, it is also the one that I have played the most.

Do different choices in the origins actually change things both in the origin and throughout the game?

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Wow.

Wow indeed. Where did Malak leave his artificial jaw?

 

CaDo different choices in the origins actually change things both in the origin and throughout the game?

 

 

From what I have heard of the Dwarf Noble, definitely yes. There is one choice in the Dwarf Noble story that I know will play out a bit differently when you return to Orzammar in the main plot. It's not a huge difference, but for me it's the little details that are different that I still enjoy I could see the mage having some as well, and probably the City Elves.

 

 

Changes/decisions in the origin story usually aren't too significant. It'd be awesome if there was more significance, but the game still needs to steer the player along towards the main plot at some point. The big thing that I really like is that the rest of the game does make acknowledgments to your origin story.

 

I only played through with Human Noble, so I imagine most of my origin story can only be acknowledged somewhat superficially (there was some bigger impacts at the end game though, due to my noble heritage), but I would think that the Dwarf stories, as well as the Mage and City Elf stories, have much greater potential as you actually revisit the areas you were in in your origin story.

[alanschu]

CaDo different choices in the origins actually change things both in the origin and throughout the game?

 

 

From what I have heard of the Dwarf Noble, definitely yes. There is one choice in the Dwarf Noble story that I know will play out a bit differently when you return to Orzammar in the main plot. It's not a huge difference, but for me it's the little details that are different that I still enjoy I could see the mage having some as well, and probably the City Elves.

 

 

Changes/decisions in the origin story usually aren't too significant. It'd be awesome if there was more significance, but the game still needs to steer the player along towards the main plot at some point. The big thing that I really like is that the rest of the game does make acknowledgments to your origin story.

 

I only played through with Human Noble, so I imagine most of my origin story can only be acknowledged somewhat superficially (there was some bigger impacts at the end game though, due to my noble heritage), but I would think that the Dwarf stories, as well as the Mage and City Elf stories, have much greater potential as you actually revisit the areas you were in in your origin story.

[Maria Caliban]

Here's the thing for me, while many seem to think combat is important, I just think of it as a grind to get to the content. Yes, there are times that I enjoy it, times I find it frustrating, and times it's obviously flawed, but it's only in fighting games (think Soul Caliber) that it's ever more than a means to an end.

 

I understand on some level that combat is important to several of my fellow forumites, but that didn't sink in enough for it to ever occur to me that it's information you'd want. To some extent, I wonder if the marketing types for BioWare are the same way. When they learn that gamers are interested in combat, they assume it means you want to see videos of the PC beating the crap out of stuff and not detailed mechanics.

[Aristes]

A buddy of mine just linked the Dalish video to me in Facebook and I have to say I was pretty impressed. I guess I had heard what alan and Monte had to say and I didn't expect much, but the voice acting didn't make me cringe. In fact, I thought it was good and I enjoyed the cinematic. It didn't seem to give more away than I've seen here, so I'm going to go back and watch the other vids. I'm actually getting to be more excited about this game as time progresses. I'm no longer going to buy it straight away just because alan is working on it. I would have, but now I'm actually completely jonsin' for it. I mean, after all the other games that have released over the years, I don't think it's the second coming. I just want a solid title with fun combat and maybe even an RPG opportunity or two and it looks like DA will supply that at least. If it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, even better!

[alanschu]

There's nothing wrong with the Dalish Elf intro. It's just the one I liked the least. I still liked it

 

But as I said, I played it a lot. It was one of the first levels/origins that was very stable when I first started working there, so a lot of my initial testing of the various systems used it by default.

 

I can get through that origin hella fast now

[Guest Slinky]

Here's the thing for me, while many seem to think combat is important, I just think of it as a grind to get to the content. Yes, there are times that I enjoy it, times I find it frustrating, and times it's obviously flawed, but it's only in fighting games (think Soul Caliber) that it's ever more than a means to an end.

I understand on some level that combat is important to several of my fellow forumites, but that didn't sink in enough for it to ever occur to me that it's information you'd want.

Men see combat in slightly different light than women, so don't sweat about it. But if you spend a lot of time fighting in a game, then it is a big part of the whole experience, so it is kinda important. It's not the main thing I look from RPG's, but if it is well done, all the better.

[RPGmasterBoo]

If it turns into a grind to get to the content then something has gone very wrong, though to be honest RPGs that don't have grindy combat are rare.

 

Infinity engine games had good combat, Torment not included. Temple of Elemental Evil too. So did the Gothic games in their own way though it was grindy.

 

The trick is to dose it right, enough to be entertaining but not so much as to become a chore.

Edited September 6, 2009 by RPGmasterBoo

[Monte Carlo]

When the entire premise of Dragon Age appears to be to join a paramilitary organisation, then persuade other factions to provide you with military support, in order for you to have an epic battle with a slavering horde of evil... then I'd expect combat to be a significant part of the enterprise.

 

I'm sure there a some of you here who'd think it would be cutting edge to beat the Darkspawn via a series of diplomacy checks, or impress them with your crafting skills, or awe them with your romantic exploits (etc). But I'm old fashioned and want to beat the snot out of the enemy, very tactically, with a variety of melee weapons

 

As for that clip posted with more Braveheart cheesiness, yes, every time you get mildly enthusiastic you see the cliche-machine in operation and start planning your hot-key combos to skip cutscenes. As for the 'English' accents of the nobles, trust me they don't even sound very posh. They sound like slightly affluent East Midlands suburban car dealers, not aristocratic rakes.

 

Cheers

MC

[Deraldin]

When the entire premise of Dragon Age appears to be to join a paramilitary organisation, then persuade other factions to provide you with military support, in order for you to have an epic battle with a slavering horde of evil... then I'd expect combat to be a significant part of the enterprise.

 

I'm sure there a some of you here who'd think it would be cutting edge to beat the Darkspawn via a series of diplomacy checks, or impress them with your crafting skills, or awe them with your romantic exploits (etc). But I'm old fashioned and want to beat the snot out of the enemy, very tactically, with a variety of melee weapons

 

Darkspawn romance? I wonder if that one has been suggested over at Bioware...

[Bos_hybrid]

Men see combat in slightly different light than women, so don't sweat about it. But if you spend a lot of time fighting in a game, then it is a big part of the whole experience, so it is kinda important. It's not the main thing I look from RPG's, but if it is well done, all the better.

 

Are you calling me a women?

 

Like you I don't play RPGs for combat, but that preview(gamebanshee) was IMO the most in depth one I've read. At this point, we know the story, we know the major characters, we know what the graphics look like, we know it's 'epic', we know it has romances, it was nice to read something I did not know a lot about.

 

Darkspawn romance? I wonder if that one has been suggested over at Bioware...

 

Every possible combination has. Last one was hypothesizing each characters BDSM preference...

[alanschu]

I find combat in RPGs is usually pretty meh, going back to Baldur's Gate and Fallout even.

 

 

Passable, but certainly not why I play the games.

[Guest Slinky]

Are you calling me a women?

 

Like you I don't play RPGs for combat, but that preview(gamebanshee) was IMO the most in depth one I've read. At this point, we know the story, we know the major characters, we know what the graphics look like, we know it's 'epic', we know it has romances, it was nice to read something I did not know a lot about.

Either you misunderstood me, or I misunderstood you now.. I just noted to Maria that most women don't care about combat, and most men do, that's all.. I agree on the gamebanshee preview 100%.

[Maria Caliban]

In a new interview at MMORPG.com, Mike Landlaw said there were 'just shy of a dozen' full companions. At the moment, we know of nine.

 

A look at Dragon Age

 

Here is an interesting quote:

Betrayal is a huge element of this game. In nine hours, I learned to trust almost no one in the Dragon Age world. Seriously, Bioware filled this world with jerks... and I mean that as a compliment.

 

I see the BioWare staff is still defining High Fantasy as happy, prancing elves.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Maria Caliban

[Bos_hybrid]

Are you calling me a women?

 

Like you I don't play RPGs for combat, but that preview(gamebanshee) was IMO the most in depth one I've read. At this point, we know the story, we know the major characters, we know what the graphics look like, we know it's 'epic', we know it has romances, it was nice to read something I did not know a lot about.

Either you misunderstood me, or I misunderstood you now..

 

 

It was a joke, after you said 'Men see combat in slightly different light than women '

Edited September 6, 2009 by Bos_hybrid

[Guest Slinky]

 

It was a joke, after you said 'Men see combat in slightly different light than women '

Oh man

 

I got the flu, my brain is on strike

[TheHarlequin]

If it turns into a grind to get to the content then something has gone very wrong, though to be honest RPGs that don't have grindy combat are rare.

 

Infinity engine games had good combat, Torment not included. Temple of Elemental Evil too. So did the Gothic games in their own way though it was grindy.

 

The trick is to dose it right, enough to be entertaining but not so much as to become a chore.

 

 

I'd agree with your RPG list except FO3 and nwn2. FO3 Fantastic game. As NWN2 just 'playable'? Compared to nwn1 the story was leaps and bounds better plus the eyes candy was x10 better as well. All in all a much better game and far from just 'playable'.

[Guest Slinky]

'd agree with your RPG list except FO3 and nwn2. FO3 Fantastic game. As NWN2 just 'playable'? Compared to nwn1 the story was leaps and bounds better plus the eyes candy was x10 better as well. All in all a much better game and far from just 'playable'.

 

Sorry, I just had to

Everybody is entitled to have opinions of their own.

[Hurlshort]

No human commoner? Bit surprised by that, I think I'll go dwarf commoner then.

[Guest Slinky]

No human commoner?

There was originally but they dropped it for some reason. I don't know did they give any particular reason for that.

[Maria Caliban]

No human commoner?

There was originally but they dropped it for some reason. I don't know did they give any particular reason for that.

 

They didn't like it.

[Sammy Chung]

No human commoner?

There was originally but they dropped it for some reason. I don't know did they give any particular reason for that.

 

From what David Gaider has said on the forums, the human commoner origin was a 'farmboy rises to greatness' scenario that didn't fit in with the rest of the game and they didn't have time to change it.

[alanschu]

Well, those that don't like the cliches are probably happy about that cut haha

[Monte Carlo]

From what David Gaider has said on the forums, the human commoner origin was a 'farmboy rises to greatness' scenario that didn't fit in with the rest of the game and they didn't have time to change it.

 

Er, OK, let's examine the thought process.

 

Developer 1: We've got this origins thing going on - let's write a human one, OK?

 

Developer 2: Sure, after all this is a dark, heroic fantasy. Totally mould-breaking and the spiritual heir to Baldur's Gate!

 

Developer 1: Dude! Let's pop open another diet soda to celebrate! :: Pops open soda and eats Krispy Kreme ::

 

Developer 2: Let's get something completely straight - this has to be a dark, heroic character origin, no cliche or dreary seen-it-all-before drudgery.

 

Developer 1: It's, like, you're reading my mind.

 

:: Devs start tapping away on laptops, ride unicycles, brain-storm on large pieces of paper and play occasionally with large pile of action figures in the Generation Z style ::

 

TWO DAYS LATER

 

Developer 1: Dude, I'm like totally wired about this character origin.

 

Developer 2: I know, I'm going to have to take a two week break to Mexico just to let my brain cool down.

 

Developer 1: I know I shouldn't say it, but we are genius's.

 

Developer 2: Is that the plural of 'Genius?'

 

Developer 1: Geniuii?

 

Developer 2: Whatever, look, here's the script... "You are a young rural farmboy who rises to greatness..."

 

Developer 1: :: SWOONS ::

 

Does anybody else see the deliberate mistake?

 

Cheers

MC

[Slowtrain]

Yeah, donuts and diet soda at the same time is a big no no.

[Monte Carlo]

Nothing else can explain the Farmboy character origin.