Dragon Age Discussion

[Tigranes]

Not really a Bioware thing, I think it's just one of the growing pains with the DLC system. The interface between DLC and other parts of the product are clearly not well worked out yet by most companies. I don't like DLCs, but I assume as companies keep doing this it'll get ironed out.

[Orogun01]

Not really a Bioware thing, I think it's just one of the growing pains with the DLC system. The interface between DLC and other parts of the product are clearly not well worked out yet by most companies. I don't like DLCs, but I assume as companies keep doing this it'll get ironed out.

IMO, they should all adopt the Bethesda model. They have the best DLC out there.

[Tigranes]

They've had their share of problems, as well. But they've clearly gone from horse armour to something a bit more meaty, like the Pitt, I'm led to believe.

[Orogun01]

They've had their share of problems, as well. But they've clearly gone from horse armour to something a bit more meaty, like the Pitt, I'm led to believe.

I know, Fallout had some great DLC and not just some cheap items.

[Slowtrain]

They have the best DLC out there.

 

 

Considering their DLC was pretty much epic crap that's not much of a testimony.

[Oner]

Also, bugs. Even more bugs when patched.

[Orogun01]

Also, bugs. Even more bugs when patched.

You are complaining about bugs on an Obsidian forum. The irony!

[Spider]

Delivery this time was much, much faster. Which means I got Awakening today.

 

So far I like it, but I've only gotten an hour of playtime in, so I can't say too much yet.

 

One thing bugs me though. In Warden's Keep I did drink the blood potion to get a couple of extra talents. I still have those talents on my character, but they're from (unknown class) and has no text. Nor do they seem to have any effect.

 

If they're removing them as they do with other DLC-stuff, then please also remove them from my talent-page. Looking at them but being unable to use them is most annoying. Of course, I'd much prefer to just have them.

 

Also, isn't Duncan's sword and Duncan's dagger items from Return to Ostagar? Why could I keep those, but not Star Fang?

 

While it's true that I won't need them with all the tier 8 and 9 stuff that will be in the expansion, but it would be nice to let my character keep all he fought for in the main game. Especially if they allow some items, but not others.

[MrBrown]

The blood talents (but not the items) from Warden's Keep, as well as the items from Return to Ostagar are supposed to transfer to Awakening.

[Spider]

Tried importing again, still says (Class name not found) as the talent group title, and the talents themselves has no name and no description. And don't do anything when activated.

[Monte Carlo]

Basics, Bioware.... basics.

[Spider]

Played some more. I think the new companions are more interesting than in the original overall. Not by much, and the best characters from DA:O are better than this bunch, but these ones are more even. Except Oghren, but he doesn't count since he's a DA:O character.

 

Is it just me or does the expansion seem to be a bit... easy. It could just be an example of familiarity with the rules making it all easier. But even taking that into account, it still feels easier.

 

Story so far seems to be on the same level and also seem to follow the standard bioware formula (closed beginning, branching middle, closed end), but I'm not complaining. Gameplay is still fun, but it's starting to get hard to keep track of all those talents. I'm glad I bought a wide screen a while back, on my old, the talents wouldn't have fit in the bar. Especially not for mages.

[Nepenthe]

Delivery this time was much, much faster. Which means I got Awakening today.

 

So far I like it, but I've only gotten an hour of playtime in, so I can't say too much yet.

 

One thing bugs me though. In Warden's Keep I did drink the blood potion to get a couple of extra talents. I still have those talents on my character, but they're from (unknown class) and has no text. Nor do they seem to have any effect.

 

If they're removing them as they do with other DLC-stuff, then please also remove them from my talent-page. Looking at them but being unable to use them is most annoying. Of course, I'd much prefer to just have them.

 

Also, isn't Duncan's sword and Duncan's dagger items from Return to Ostagar? Why could I keep those, but not Star Fang?

 

While it's true that I won't need them with all the tier 8 and 9 stuff that will be in the expansion, but it would be nice to let my character keep all he fought for in the main game. Especially if they allow some items, but not others.

 

Stone Prisoner gear should port over, as well. So it's mostly Warden's Keep and preorder stuff that doesn't.

 

That said, "you don't need it" is a load of it. I think my mage hit the final area with just his staff coming from the expansion - and I'm pretty sure I would've been using Final Reason for a good chunk of the expansion, if I'd been able... If I'd just import my warrior with no extra tweakery, he'd be basically naked (starfang and warden commander armor would disappear)... Of course, this isn't a problem for you PC guys, some quick community member already made a mod that fixes the issue (I don't have the link here, as I'm not a masochist).

[Aram]

Imagine my surprise when my main character walked into the introduction of the expansion pack wearing only a full face helmet and a speedo.

[Gfted1]

Huh, art imitating life. Thats exactly how I walk around my house.

[Nepenthe]

Imagine my surprise when my main character walked into the introduction of the expansion pack wearing only a full face helmet and a speedo.

 

[Morgoth]

There's a countdown on the main Bioware HP counting down to Monday.

 

New game announcement?

[Walsingham]

Imagine my surprise when my main character walked into the introduction of the expansion pack wearing only a full face helmet and a speedo.

 

ROFL. Good thing my character shares with the other NPCs.

[Nepenthe]

There's a countdown on the main Bioware HP counting down to Monday.

 

New game announcement?

 

Or mebbe a ME2 disc expansion. Would be about the time to announce that, if one looks back at the Awakening time frame.

[Volourn]

Finished Awakening. The crybabies are crying over the dumbest things. There are some things to complain A for but lack of romances and DLC items are not them. As for bugs, I saw 1 or 2 of them but no game breakers at least.

 

Anyways, to go with the is A better or worse than O.... Let's find out...

 

A > O

---------

A. Its companions are better overall than O's. Says a lot that only one of the A npcs are worse than tyhe only holdover Oghren. Vehanna or whatever tyhe elf witche's name is is one of the worst joinables ever for a BIO game. She reminds me of whatever that giant moron from O. Nothing redeemable at all. On the other hand, characters like Nathaniel and Anders are pure awesomeness.

 

B. The new and improved darkspawn. The issue has gotten a lot more complex. I though I had no doubt how I'd handle a particular choice... in the end, I couldn't do it that way and feel justified.

 

C. New classes, talents, and skills. Awesome.

 

D. Rune crafting. Yeah, it can be a compliocated mess to do, but still a nice addition. Now, they just need to clean it up in next expansion and sequel.

 

E. The darker overall tone. A hilarious post on the BIO boards as the fellow literallyc rying how he hates A because it ruins his precious O 'cause it's so much darker. Good. That makes it better. So, take THAT.

 

 

O > A

-------

 

A. Combat is simply easier. Too much phat lewt combined with overpowering talents makes combat easy at least for my main character who simply can't be threatened with death.

 

B. Length. Not a huge deal since it's an expansions and expansions are always short. O took me 60ish hours to finish -10 hours fooling around while A took me 22ish hours to finish -4ish hours of fooling around.

 

 

Bottom line is A is an expansion of O, and it feels, smells, acts, and plays like it. 'Nough said.

[Monte Carlo]

The countdown is for the new five-dollar DLC that enables you to use the other DLC items you already paid for in Origins port over to the XP.

[Tigranes]

I think I'm going to pass Awakening, for now. I haven't been able to get myself to play DA for a few months, anyway, and what mixed impressions I've been getting suggest that the combat isn't as challenging or exciting as in the original. And that was the only reason to play the game.

 

I'm still curious, though. Is that not the case?

[Spider]

Combat is still fun, but definitely not as challenging.I think I've had one party-wipe so far and that was mostly because I was sloppy and careless. Second time when I paid attention to that fight, no character went down.

[Monte Carlo]

I bought it.

 

Installed it, ported in an old character from the DA epilogue (luckily wearing the Legion armour, so no underwear-clad melee), booted up the game.

 

I expected a bit more of an intro, but instead I was pitched into combat with my new NPC friend. We make mince-meat of a Darkspawn ambush that a level 10 party would have aced. Then I speak to my new NPC who is a 21st level fighter with a 1st-level attitude.

 

The dialogue was meh. The combat was meh. I turned it off and played Medieval Total War 2 instead.

 

I think I'll go back to it and enjoy it, but at the moment I'm not in the mood for some reason. The first bit of the game fails to grab you at all, it's just so.... familiar.

[Enoch]

Clearly, that first fight should have taken place in a tunnel.