Dragon Age Discussion

[Nepenthe]

A is better than O. No contest. And, less buggy.

 

Well I did appreciate the shorter dungeons. I'll give Awakening that much.

 

On the console side, it probably IS less buggy than DAO. I didn't notice, say, any obvious missed gear drops like the Shaperate's Blessing etc. And I did prefer it over Origins, as well. *shrug*

[Volourn]

"It's not Volologic, it's just him being a troll as usual. Frankly I don't know how you guys manage to support him for so long.

 

*Cue Volourn saying "NO YOU'RE THE TROLL"*"

 

I might be repetive when it comes to commenting on actual games but others are repetitive when it comes to attacking others and trolling. So, you gonan comment on the game or continue to flame? Either way, you are embarassing yourself, not me.

 

A is superior to O because the darkspawn are no longer simple monsters. You actually gotta use your thinking cap when dealing them. In O, your only choice whend ealing with themw as to kill them on sight ebfore they kill you; now things aren't so black and white.

 

A > O

 

It's your turn now. I commented on the game, probably gave an opinion you disageree with so, so clal me a troll again because you dislike it. It's a fun cycle! Im comment on game you get offended and call me a troll and I laugh at your ignorance and silliness and spam!

[Monte Carlo]

Still finding it incredibly stable.

 

Elf chick = extremely annoying.

 

The Architect = Looks like a new modern romantic circa 1983.

 

Tunnels = not enough.

 

Lewt = most phat, which is gooood.

 

Actually, it's OK, I guess I'm 25% of the way through. I don't understand the hate, but conversely I'm not feeling the love either and micro-ing 4 guys with all the high level abilities becomes a chore (even for me). I'm playing on Hard, no FPW so far so I can see why people are saying it's easy.

[Darque]

A is better than O. No contest. And, less buggy.

 

 

I agree, Alien vs Predator 2 is far better than Out of this World.

 

I don't see your point though

[Nightshape]

A is better than O. No contest. And, less buggy.

 

 

I agree, Alien vs Predator 2 is far better than Out of this World.

 

I don't see your point though

 

I think you need to lay off the crack Darque.

[Killian Kalthorne]

Laying off Darque's crack? What?

[Tel Aviv]

Okay, so at what level were you all during Morrigan's companion quest? Because I'm getting my ass handed to me like so many sandwiches.

[Gorth]

Okay, so at what level were you all during Morrigan's companion quest? Because I'm getting my ass handed to me like so many sandwiches.

There are non-violent options too, just sayin'

[Tel Aviv]

What, and lie about it? Gorth, for shame!

[Tigranes]

Elemental resistance is the key. Dragon Age is all about thresholds: you can have an impossible fight at level 15 that suddenly turns easy in level 17 because the equipment / skills / points you get push you over the threshold, and the damage dealt / received balance & damage received / healed balance snaps in your favour. If you can boost the fire (i think?) resistance enough, then you should be able to have a positive HP-flow that lets you survive. If you still can't, a couple more levels should do it, or better optimised equipment.

[Orogun01]

Okay, so at what level were you all during Morrigan's companion quest? Because I'm getting my ass handed to me like so many sandwiches.

Take all your ranged chars to the fight, stock up on fire balms. Separate them and just heal and keep churning damage.

[Amentep]

Or take Wynne along and control her and in adition to fire resistance potions taken by the entier party, make sure she does the following: heal, heal, heal, drink lyrium potion, heal, heal heal, heal, etc.

 

I played through Dragon Age again and I think I finally put my finger on what bugged me on my previous go through the game. Not that I disliked the game; I enjoyed it and have beat it thrice now.

 

But something about the story bugged me as I played, and I think I finally got it.

 

The Chantry is right. Now I'm not against religion per se, but the Chantry apparently thinks nothing of subjegating others (exhalted march against the elves, for example). This wouldn't be so bad if the Chantry was shown to be fallable, but they're right about everything - while a lot of play is given to the idea that the Chantry only has one view of what caused the blight, everything else in the game seems to back the Chantry's version up. Everything seems to back the Chantry's view of the master maker. Which in turn seems to tacitly justify what they did to the elves. And I think that's why I kept feeling uneasy during the game - subconsiously I was waiting for the Chantry to be shown to not be 100% right in their claims...but nothing in the game seems to show that they aren't right.

 

Or maybe I'm crazy.

[Orogun01]

The Chantry is right. Now I'm not against religion per se, but the Chantry apparently thinks nothing of subjegating others (exhalted march against the elves, for example). This wouldn't be so bad if the Chantry was shown to be fallable, but they're right about everything - while a lot of play is given to the idea that the Chantry only has one view of what caused the blight, everything else in the game seems to back the Chantry's version up. Everything seems to back the Chantry's view of the master maker. Which in turn seems to tacitly justify what they did to the elves. And I think that's why I kept feeling uneasy during the game - subconsiously I was waiting for the Chantry to be shown to not be 100% right in their claims...but nothing in the game seems to show that they aren't right.

 

Or maybe I'm crazy.

Or you lack; as do the rest of us, the knowledge to counter the Chantry statements. The only reason why everyone agrees with the Chantry is that nobody has come up with another reason for the Blight and to do so is heresy.

 

So Blight=Terracentric worldview, and Chantry=Middle ages catholic church.

 

I could say that the Earth is turned by a green dwarf and have the whole world believe me, doesn't mean that there is a leprechaun rolling the earth. Although the game does give very little to create a counter-argument against the Chantry.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Orogun01

[HoonDing]

Everything seems to back the Chantry's view of the master maker.

Like what? The drama at the Temple of the Urn? If you take along Oghren, that illusion quickly becomes dispelled. So to speak.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I don't know, I never had the impression that the Chantry was right, and it certainly wasn't one of the things that bugged me about the game.

 

Playing Awakening now, and it's good fun, the 'moral' (I'd say political, even) decisions are good (though I've yet to see the consequences), the quests are interconnected and have already a couple of good twists, the writing seems on par, if not actually superior to Origins.

I've already had a crash however, hope it won't become a frequent occurrence since I'm having fun with the game. (Never crashed with Origins)

[Amentep]

I've never taken Oghren to the sacred urn - what does he say?

 

I guess part of my problem is playing a Dalish elf early on I got a lot of opportunities to dis the Chantry but as time went on it seemed like I could only praise the Maker. That combined with the following:

 

• The Urn of Sacred Ashes exist - implies the Chantry is right.
  
• The entire Gauntlet implies the Chantry is right.
  
• That the Mages turn to blood magic and demons run rampant through the tower - implies the Chantry is right about magic.
  
• That the Arl's son becomes bonded with a demon and kills a bunch of people - implies the Chantry is right about magic.
  
• There's no option (that I could find) to destroy that Dwarven Chantry dude's faith in the Chantry.
  
• The Dragon-Gods of Tevinter being the focus of the blight - implies the Chantry is right (or that the Chantry created the blight).
  

 

Combine that with their less than noble deeds...I dunno I just kept waiting for something in the game to cast a big doubt on what the Chantry says and it just doesn't. Even for all the "Well the Chantry says but it might be legend" stuff, most of it seems to be borne out by the game.

[Volourn]

"Which in turn seems to tacitly justify what they did to the elves. "

 

Is it the Chantry enslaving the elves or is it ferladen's nobles that do? They're two different organizations.

 

Also, there are definitely examples of the Chantry's beliefs being iffy. Not all mages are psychopaths including Wynne. Morrigan as well who doesn't do anything overtly evil and definitely isn't a psycho. Heck, she loathes demons as much if not more so than the Chantry does. We have no idea if the ashes are truly special on their own or it's simply actual magic that makes them so. The Gauntlet could be the work of demons (like the Guardian). the Chantry murders a lot of people without being effect. Not to mention they use abuse magic themselves.

 

I'd say most of what the Chantry says is true is but is so tywisted due to their biasness. They do say the best lie is also the truth.

[Amentep]

"Which in turn seems to tacitly justify what they did to the elves. "

 

Is it the Chantry enslaving the elves or is it ferladen's nobles that do? They're two different organizations.

 

Also, there are definitely examples of the Chantry's beliefs being iffy. Not all mages are psychopaths including Wynne. Morrigan as well who doesn't do anything overtly evil and definitely isn't a psycho. Heck, she loathes demons as much if not more so than the Chantry does. We have no idea if the ashes are truly special on their own or it's simply actual magic that makes them so. The Gauntlet could be the work of demons (like the Guardian). the Chantry murders a lot of people without being effect. Not to mention they use abuse magic themselves.

 

I'd say most of what the Chantry says is true is but is so tywisted due to their biasness. They do say the best lie is also the truth.

 

The Chantry organized an Exalted March against the Dales (the second homeland destruction; the first was at the hands of the Tevinter Imperium, IIRC) named after the Exalted March against the Tevinter by Andraste.

 

 

At the end of the game, they may be considering a new Exalted March against the heathen dwarves

 

 

Again it may just be me, but I wish there was more in the game to cast doubt on what they have to say. Yeah Wynne isn't evil-crazy (and Morrigan may or may not be totally evil) but it just seems to me the game doesn't do enough to establish more doubt (beyond basic lip service; sure people SAY the Chantry's story is old and steeped in legends, but if we see little hint its wrong...)

Edited May 4, 2010 by Amentep

[HoonDing]

I've never taken Oghren to the sacred urn - what does he say?

He mentions the Temple is built around a huge lyrium vein.

 

The core of the Chantry belief is that Andraste is the bride of the Maker, who created everything and turned away from humanity after getting butthurt with humanity. This could be either right or wrong, there's not enough information in the game about this. The Maker could simply be another benevolent spirit that 'inspired' Andraste to go Joan of Arc on the Tevinter Imperium. Wynne is proof that these benevolent spirits can take interest in dealing with humans.

 

Basically rather than there being only one "Maker", there could be an entire legion that created everything. Also note that Leliana's "visions" & beliefs may be another case of a fade spirit messing around.

Edited May 4, 2010 by virumor

[Amentep]

That's a fair point about the Maker; and it is a big unprovable area in the Chantry's beliefs. But - from the perspective of the Chantry's beliefs - we never see anything about the Maker to cast doubt on their version of things. Yes we can construct possible explanations of the Chantry's story but in terms of what Dragon Age gives us, the Chantry story is mostly (if not entirely) borne out. I guess I'd have liked more doubt (and more options to express my doubt).

[Bos_hybrid]

Darkspawn Chronicles DLC trailer

 

Q&A with Lead Designer

[Nepenthe]

Darkspawn Chronicles DLC trailer

 

Q&A with Lead Designer

 

I have absolutely no idea if that is neat or not. Which is probably kind of neat in itself, they sure caught me by surprise.

 

That said, I have a couple of hours to play every few days, and that's been seriously driving me towards ME2 over DAO (or replaying Awakening, which I do remember as kind of awesome). ME2's structure works well for this kind of "casual" gaming. And Kasumi's mission is fun.

 

These allergy meds are also apparently making me ramble even more than usual, but, hey.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Darkspawn Chronicles DLC trailer

 

Q&A with Lead Designer

 

If the comments will make me believe that it's not buggy as hell and that is longer than 30 minutes I may think of buying it.

Otherwise a cool idea that will stay on virtual shelves.

[HoonDing]

Darkspawn Chronicles DLC trailer

That's actually pretty interesting. Maybe it should've been the actual game instead of a puny DLC... kinda like Overlord with more RPG elements.

[Mera]

Yet another ****ty DLC coming from good old eaware.

 

Coincidentally a similar themed module has been released recently - http://social.bioware.com/project/2585/

I bet it is superior too.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Mera