Dragon Age 2

[Tigranes]

Don't be mean to Orogun.

 

Exceopt it is. Unless you gonna argue that more people prefer big, ugly ogres to dragons or hot women?

 

Sure, more people do. That doesn't mean its the grand immutable truth that you need to sermonise over and over and over again as if you were Missionary Stereotype #A. I mean, I know you can't stop yourself, but there are people out there who don't fall into that category, yeah?

[Volourn]

" but there are people out there who don't fall into that category, "

 

I never claimed other wise. No accounting for taste, afterall.

 

 

"Don't be mean to Orogun."

 

he claimed I was a fan of the Holocaust. That's rather mean as well, and deserves a smackdown.

 

 

"I somebody as much as tweets something bad about BW you jump in defense. BTW, strawman on your take on Hitler, it was an example to signify your love of BW even if they released a distasteful game."

 

Tweets/ I don't read tweets. You on drugs? Why make such a hurtful lie as an argument. I am bemsirched that you'd accuse me of being into tweeter. Disgusting.

 

You claimed I love all of BIOO games. That's a lie. Deal with the fact that you are lying. It's rude to lie, and make up stuff about people.

 

And, one's defintion of 'distatesful' can be different. I don't find the naked female body disgusting. Sorry. I do find bringing up Hitler and the Holocaust over a discussion of video games disgusting, though.

 

If the only way for you to attack me is to bring up bogus points about me 'liking' the Holocaust in any way under any circumstance, that shows your wakness of a discusser not mine.

 

 

P.S. DA2 will have changes. Some we will like some we won't. *shrug*

[Tigranes]

That's... not what 'besmirched' means, Volo.

[Oner]

You mean like that chick in NWN who is totally memorable and loveable?

Don't hate the character, hate the writer!

[WorstUsernameEver]

GameInformer : Bioware sheds light on Dragon Age II

 

Youtube link in case the video embedded on that page gave you problems.

Edited July 31, 2010 by WorstUsernameEver

[Monte Carlo]

In that interview Mike Laidlaw says that you find out that the country is on the brink of war, and we find out what choices your character made to get there.

 

So, whatever choices you make at the end the country is at the brink of war. QED, Bioware's concept of choice.

[Monte Carlo]

In that interview Mike Laidlaw says that you find out that the country is on the brink of war, and we find out what choices your character made to get there.

 

So, whatever choices you make at the end the country is at the brink of war. QED, Bioware's concept of choice.

 

Edit: LOL one of them actually referenced Verbal's storytelling style in The Usual Suspects. Seriously, LOL!

[Orogun01]

My big question is, if Dragon Age:Origins is BW most successful game up to date; why would they turn it into ME?

[WorstUsernameEver]

My big question is, if Dragon Age:Origins is BW most successful game up to date; why would they turn it into ME?

 

ME was probably much more profitable than Dragon Age : Origins, considering how much time it took to get it out (seven freaking years IIIRC), also, it could have been much much worse.

After all, the real dramatic changes are just the changes to the dialogue system, the fact that you play a 'premade' character instead of having origins and races to choose from and the new art style.

[Volourn]

DA may not be their most successufl game as ME2 may be doing better. It did sell more than ME1, though.

 

P.S. As for the question, for whatever reason, people prefered ME2 more than DA. Even the hardcore RPG Codex seem to like ME2 more than the 'traditional rpg' DA...

Edited July 31, 2010 by Volourn

[Monte Carlo]

I know I only speak for myself, but Bio are trying to be too clever by half, finding new ways to present us with what is in effect a fixed, linear experience.

 

It's like going to a restaurant when all you want is a burger. The burger comes, and it's OK but the chef can't help but put a fried egg and a slice of beetroot on top. And the chips have been dusted with Paprika. And all I wanted was a burger. A shame, because that restaurant did really good ones.

 

Why, Bio? Why?

[Volourn]

Because they don't make games for you personally. Or me.

[Orogun01]

Instead they try to make games for everyone sacrificing creativity for conventionality. It's kind of good to see that BW has become a trademark and that the dialog system is all the rage right now; but DA was supposed to be a throwback to BG style games (it failed at that) and now they completely gave up that to go with the ME route. Despite DA's success as it is.

This is the kind of thing you do to a spin-off, not to one of the main games on the series.

[GhostofAnakin]

I'm still curious to see how this new "framed narrative" handles the ability to go back into various areas to complete tasks you didn't finish right away.

 

From the sounds of how it's described, it's like the narrative acts as a "mini-epilogue" for each area after you finish the main task. For instance, in DA:O that would be like after you find a resolution to the Dalish/werewolf conflict, it skips to a cutscene where the narrator describes what you did. But what if you didn't finish all the minor quests in that area? Can you no longer go back to them in DA2 after the narrator has spoken about the impact you had on a given area?

 

I'm just a little worried this is a game mechanic that'll cause more linearity, rather than less.

[Monte Carlo]

I'm still curious to see how this new "framed narrative" handles the ability to go back into various areas to complete tasks you didn't finish right away.

 

From the sounds of how it's described, it's like the narrative acts as a "mini-epilogue" for each area after you finish the main task.

 

My guess, as before, is that there will be hub-quests on a pre-defined timeline (I'd like to see the timeline on the design document) where only certain critical path events trigger dialogue. These must be completed to progress, they will pad these out with some side-quests to create a sense of space / freedom. But the critical path, in a narrative like this, will need to be locked down the way I see it.

 

 

I'm just a little worried this is a game mechanic that'll cause more linearity, rather than less.

 

Listen to that interview. This is exactly where you are, as long as you can tinker with a few minor outcomes and 'win' a different cut-scene then apparently Bio Tamagotchis are happy buying into this interactive novel style game. This equals = battle / 'choice' / cutscene rinse and repeat.

 

I liked Dragon Age, I thought Bio was making it up to the people who were still sick of them after NWN1. However, the Ferelden brand ain't that good to launch a different, Mass Effect type game off the back of it. Is the ME engine transferable, assets-wise, into DA2? That would make even more sense, you are in effect using the ME model to make different genre games that are all basically the same: the 'Mass Effect with Swords" criticism that emerged earlier.

 

Cheers

MC

[HoonDing]

I'm concerned Dragon Age 2 won't be epic enough.

[Morgoth]

Change is what keeps Bioware alive and relevant. It would be suicidal to release the same type of game again with just some better graphics.

 

DA2 > DA1

Edited July 31, 2010 by Morgoth

[HoonDing]

Change is what keeps Bioware alive and relevant. It would be suicidal to release the same type of game again with just some better graphics.

...

 

.......

 

...........

 

Too easy.

[Volourn]

"However, the Ferelden brand ain't that good to launch a different, Mass Effect type game off the back of it."

 

In your opinion, and an individual's opinion is unimportant here. All that matters is what BIo thinks the majority of their audience would prefer.

 

 

"Too easy."

 

BIO adapts to what the audience wants not one a handful of internet geeks want. BIO chanegs their games up all the time. There' a reason why BIO is still goings trong a dozen years into their existence while other elsser companies have failed 'cause others fail to adapt to the changing market or are stubborn trying to be main stream companiesand amrket as such but fail to deliver a product to match.

 

Compare that to a certain company that feels they can borrow name value off of other companies and are then shocked they're unfavorably comared to said company.

[Monte Carlo]

In your opinion, and an individual's opinion is unimportant here.

 

So we all stop posting, right?

 

Unless we are Bio shills.

[Volourn]

No, but also don't pretend that BIO should be making DA2 strictly to you want. Heck, if I was the one making DA and not BIO, my version of DA would have been different in so many ways. But, alas, BIo does not make games for Volourn as they do not give a crap about volourn. They make games for ALL potential customers. I'm irrelevant.

 

When you claim that 'DA brand isn't good enough to launch soemthing' when the game has been successful you come off as simply being silly and arrogant and foolish to think the brand is all for Monte Carlo when it isn't. Doesn't matter if you liked DA1 and are dissapointed in the direction that DA2 is going. It means nothing. You don't speak for others so to claim that 'DA brand isn't good enough' in this context is silly.

[Slowtrain]

Change is what keeps Bioware alive and relevant.

 

 

 

Bioware is still just rehashing ancient space opera and fantasy cliches. WHich is what is most disappointing about them. They appear to have the talent and resources to do something more, yet they keep walking the same old ground, year and year. Not a criticism, exactly, since they are finanacially successful, but more more of an idle wish.

 

Regardless, change? Not in any major way.

[sorophx]

you come off as simply being silly and arrogant and foolish to think the brand is all for Monte Carlo when it isn't.

 

what the hell, man? people like monte carlo are the ones that kept Bio alive all these years, then come xbox360 Bio suddenly forgot all about it and jumped happily on the mass effect bandwagon, sure they got to pay the bills and all, but it's not Bio anymore, it's EA Canada and they may rot in hell for all I care. I still have my Obsidian to make me happy once in a while

[Volourn]

"what the hell, man? people like monte carlo are the ones that kept Bio alive all these years,"

 

WRONG. BIO kept BIO live all these years by making games people want to play. BIO deserves ALL the credit for their success (and any blame for their failures).

 

People like Monte (and myself) bought BIO games because we thought we'd enjoy them not just because. BIO owes us crap.

[Nepenthe]

I'll bash it for linearity and lack of c&c when/if I see it, not based on wild extrapolations from a few random sentences.