Dragon Age Discussion

[Volourn]

"In fact, apart from dead paladin guy, all the Awakenings NPCs are knocking of the doors of the Castle of Meh."

 

Nonsense. The only subpar npc is Oghren. He makes all dwarves look bad. The others are as good if not better than the Origins one. Mind you, I've only gotten the dead npc, Howe, and Anders. All three of these are superior to at least 2/3 of the Origins fellows.

[Niten_Ryu]

I don't understand why Bioware likes to ignore choices that you've made if your character is killed in previous title. I just read that if your character made the ultimate sacrifice, you'll start with default canon option with new Orlesian Warden. It means anything your character did in DA are ignored if they differ from the canon. I don't mind if my character dies, I chose that path but if Bioware just ignores all the choices I've made, what the point to continue the story? They are doing same in ME3 too.

[Enoch]

I don't understand why Bioware likes to ignore choices that you've made if your character is killed in previous title. I just read that if your character made the ultimate sacrifice, you'll start with default canon option with new Orlesian Warden. It means anything your character did in DA are ignored if they differ from the canon. I don't mind if my character dies, I chose that path but if Bioware just ignores all the choices I've made, what the point to continue the story? They are doing same in ME3 too.

Whaa?? So all the decisions made by my dead PC are ignored and reset to default in the expansion? Can anybody confirm this?

[Guest Slinky]

I've lost all interest in the series, and if the next few Bioware games are to be set in either the ME or DA universes I've lost interest in Bioware itself. The star wars MMO doesn't count since I don't play MMO's anyway.

 

Time to move on and play something else.

Well, there's Witcher 2 and Fallout: New Vegas to look forward. That's two whole games!

 

I don't understand why Bioware likes to ignore choices that you've made if your character is killed in previous title. I just read that if your character made the ultimate sacrifice, you'll start with default canon option with new Orlesian Warden. It means anything your character did in DA are ignored if they differ from the canon. I don't mind if my character dies, I chose that path but if Bioware just ignores all the choices I've made, what the point to continue the story? They are doing same in ME3 too.

Whaa?? So all the decisions made by my dead PC are ignored and reset to default in the expansion? Can anybody confirm this?

It's true, it's been causing havoc at bioboards for a while. Not a slightest idea why Bio took that route.

[Volourn]

Does it matter? Your character died so the story is over. No gamehas done otherwise in a meaningful way that I know of. Sure, it would be cool and different if they allowed you to make a new character that lived in that alternate version; but it's not neccessary and most certainly shouldn't be the cause of so much butthurt.

 

Reminds me of the crying when BG2 didn't go with your chocies of whioch npcs to keep/kill/ignore. L0LZ

[GreasyDogMeat]

It's true, it's been causing havoc at bioboards for a while. Not a slightest idea why Bio took that route.

Bioware has shown how awesome it is to have your choices make a difference in the sequel with Mass Effect so it looks awful when they go back to the old ways with DA.

[Maria Caliban]

I'm about 10 hours into Awakening. I admit to being punked by BioWare in regards to the beginning - I'm not sure if the spoiler has hit this thread or not - but am enjoying myself so far.

 

Whaa?? So all the decisions made by my dead PC are ignored and reset to default in the expansion? Can anybody confirm this?

 

If you decide to import your saved game with that information, you must play your dead character. If you don't import your saved game then you get the default Orlesian Warden. There's no way to import a game and then play the Orlesian.

 

I've lost all interest in the series...

 

You swore off Dragon Age before the first game even shipped, Boo.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Maria Caliban

[RPGmasterBoo]

I've lost all interest in the series, and if the next few Bioware games are to be set in either the ME or DA universes I've lost interest in Bioware itself. The star wars MMO doesn't count since I don't play MMO's anyway.

 

Time to move on and play something else.

Well, there's Witcher 2 and Fallout: New Vegas to look forward. That's two whole games!

 

I don't understand why Bioware likes to ignore choices that you've made if your character is killed in previous title. I just read that if your character made the ultimate sacrifice, you'll start with default canon option with new Orlesian Warden. It means anything your character did in DA are ignored if they differ from the canon. I don't mind if my character dies, I chose that path but if Bioware just ignores all the choices I've made, what the point to continue the story? They are doing same in ME3 too.

Whaa?? So all the decisions made by my dead PC are ignored and reset to default in the expansion? Can anybody confirm this?

It's true, it's been causing havoc at bioboards for a while. Not a slightest idea why Bio took that route.

 

There's also Alpha Protocol and Deus Ex 3 (hopefully).

 

Red Dead Redemption is looking excellent as well. Its not an RPG but, beggars can't be choosers.

 

IMO:

They took that route because the choices nonsense is terribly hard to implement in a meaningful way over a series of games, especially when they impact major events. The possible outcomes multiply at such a rate that they hog an insane amount of resources.

You'll see it in ME3 as well. Very little of what you do in ME2 will have any impact on ME3.

 

If the stories were more personal and the choices related to actual character development of the PC instead of impacting an "epic" storyline or the world at large, they would be feasible. In Bioware games, given their focus on world shaping events the amount of in game content that has to be modified to accommodate various C&C's is too large and too resource intensive.

[Volourn]

"You swore off Dragon Age before the first game even shipped, Boo."

 

Yeah, and he went out and playedn it, even 'enjoyed' it and said it was 'good' yet still bashes it nonstop. The guy can't even make up his mind.

[Maria Caliban]

From what I've seen, if you set Alistiar up as king and did a US, then you can just play as the Orlesian Warden and it's the same as an imported US. I haven't see any reference to my hero's actions in the Origins save for some conversation options between the Howe son and my Cousland PC.

[RPGmasterBoo]

You swore off Dragon Age before the first game even shipped, Boo.

 

That I did, but I confess to hoping that apart from the gay romance nonsense it would be a fine game (in my peculiar definition of fine anyway).

If it wasn't thrown into my lap though, I wouldn't have played it.

Now that I have and seen that the way they make games is definitely set in stone around certain basic principles I dislike so much, I'm convinced that nothing good for me will come of it in the near future.

 

When it comes to the point that I value and enjoy a clunky FPS like Stalker: CoP much more than a Bioware game, then their RPG's obviously aren't for me anymore.

[Maria Caliban]

Incidentally are there new PC voice sets to reflect the new background or does the Orlesian warden sound still sound like a British coalminer?

 

British coalminer.

 

*Protection from madness*

 

There seems to be unusual amounts of hate in Bioboards. Usually they just ignore faults in Bio's games but now they are screaming about bugs. Did bio rush the expansion? Then again, Origins has still lots of bugs, mostly in items. And the newest patch broke pickpocketing.

 

 

The 1.03 patch causes semi-frequent CTD and breaks pick-pocketing.

 

A great deal of the anger on the BioWare boards is more due to Mass Effect and the expectations it raised. BioWare would have been better to do what they did with Shadows of Urintide and only allow us to play a new character. As a standalone expansion, Awakening is fine, but

[Enoch]

From what I've seen, if you set Alistiar up as king and did a US, then you can just play as the Orlesian Warden and it's the same as an imported US. I haven't see any reference to my hero's actions in the Origins save for some conversation options between the Howe son and my Cousland PC.

Any DA:O ending that doesn't include Alistair drinking himself into an early grave in obscurity is simply unacceptable.

[Maria Caliban]

I can't help but agree.

[Bos_hybrid]

Not-so-hidden message detected:

 

Stop whining about Dragon Age!

 

Never!

 

Besides, I started to appreciate the game much more when I stopped treating it as a RPG and started treating it as a party based meat grinder. And if the expansion sounds more fun, I might pick it up when the price drops.

 

I wouldn't recomend it. There is a lot of combat and less dialogue. Then there is really only two choices that counts, both near the end. It can also be buggy.

 

 

Apparently my character is into necrophilia, since he ran off with Leliana, whom I killed.

 

[Volourn]

"There is a lot of combat"

 

Uh... Like DA:O?

 

 

"less dialogue."

 

Nah. Not significantly.

 

As for bugs, can't say, but your spoiler if it happens would suck for sure.

[HoonDing]

From what I've seen, if you set Alistiar up as king and did a US, then you can just play as the Orlesian Warden and it's the same as an imported US. I haven't see any reference to my hero's actions in the Origins save for some conversation options between the Howe son and my Cousland PC.

Any DA:O ending that doesn't include Alistair drinking himself into an early grave in obscurity is simply unacceptable.

It's more satisfying to make him King by persuading him to marry Anora, keeping Loghain alive and make Loghain the hero after doing the dark ritual.

Edited March 19, 2010 by virumor

[Bos_hybrid]

"There is a lot of combat"

 

Uh... Like DA:O?

 

Deathdealer has been up front about his dislike of the amount of combat in DA, Awakening continues this trend. Although there is no Deep Roads equivalent.

 

"less dialogue."

 

Nah. Not significantly.

 

Yeah there is, but it is an expansion.

 

As for bugs, can't say, but your spoiler if it happens would suck for sure.

 

 

I got it wrong, it was a different character that did that. However I didn't romance Lelianna with that character so I still don't know how I got that epilogue.

 

[Enoch]

From what I've seen, if you set Alistiar up as king and did a US, then you can just play as the Orlesian Warden and it's the same as an imported US. I haven't see any reference to my hero's actions in the Origins save for some conversation options between the Howe son and my Cousland PC.

Any DA:O ending that doesn't include Alistair drinking himself into an early grave in obscurity is simply unacceptable.

It's more satisfying to make him King by persuading him to marry Anora, keeping Loghain alive and make Loghain the hero after doing the dark ritual.

Isn't it impossible to both keep Loghain alive and make Al king?

[Maria Caliban]

If you harden Alistair, you can get both.

 

I played more. So far, the Architect is a much more interesting villain than Loghain.

[SadExchange]

If you harden Alistair, you can get both.

 

I played more. So far, the Architect is a much more interesting villain than Loghain.

 

I've played through the original and wanted to run through again to create another character to import into Awakening. Was wondering if anyone here uses any types of mods for Dragon Age? Like visual or anything at all?

[Enoch]

Ah, yes, "Hardening." Taking one throw-away conversation choice and, without any warning to the player, making it govern that character's entire future.

[Meshugger]

If you harden Alistair, you can get both.

 

I played more. So far, the Architect is a much more interesting villain than Loghain.

 

Wait what? How can you make Alistair king if you spare Loghain? In my playthrough the damn bastard-child just ran off to become a drunken nobody when i spared Loghain.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Ah, yes, "Hardening." Taking one throw-away conversation choice and, without any warning to the player, making it govern that character's entire future.

That is why Bioware is the King of RPG's.

[Volourn]

"Deathdealer has been up front about his dislike of the amount of combat in DA, Awakening continues this trend. Although there is no Deep Roads equivalent."

 

Perhaps, but he made it sound like A had way more combat than DAO.

 

As form dialogue, obviously it has less overall dialogue than the full game since it's much shorter; but I'm sure the ratio is about even.