Dragon Age 2

[Nepenthe]

I wonder what effect importing a DA:O save will have on the game. Will it go beyond the fluff from ME2? I read in a preview that there's going to be some kind of checklist for people that can't or won't import.

 

I have no more endgame saves of DA:O left and do not own Awakenings, so if I have to trudge through it again (like I'll need to do for the Witcher 2) it has to be worth it.

 

EDIT: which expansion(s) & DLCs are considered plot-critical? Awakenings, Ostagar & Whitch Hunt?

 

Possibly Golems, too.

[Enoch]

I didn't know there was going to be savegame import. That's nice-- I'd like to preserve my "protagonist is dead, Al is a destitute loser, Morrigan can piss right off" end-state, if possible. Although I was far too sick of the gameplay mechanics by the time I trudged through the endgame sequence to bother with the Expansion or any of the DLCs (beyond Shale).

Edited December 21, 2010 by Enoch

[Maria Caliban]

If you don't have any saved games, there are three defaults: The warden lived, Alistair took the throne. The dalish warden died, Alistair and Anora took the throne. The dwarven noble killed Alistair, had Loghain sacrifice himself, and Anora has the throne.

 

(this is from memory, so it might not be completely right.)

 

Anyway, Kirkwall is a selection of 6-7 maps, and you can go to a map at day or in the night. You select the time at the world level. They're saying it's comparable to Athklatla.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Maria Caliban

[Tale]

Why do DA2 previews inevitably have to be as derogatory of DAO as possible? For a guy that loves DAO, it's kind of a turn off that all previews behave negatively towards my interests. It was far from perfect, but that didn't make it inappreciable.

 

I think I know the answer to the question, so followup isn't really necessary.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Tale

[Monte Carlo]

Why do DA2 previews inevitably have to be as derogatory of DAO as possible? For a guy that loves DAO, it's kind of a turn off that all previews behave negatively towards my interests. It was far from perfect, but that didn't make it inappreciable.

 

I think I know the answer to the question, so followup isn't really necessary.

 

We might as well say it anyway: DA:O was too old-skool, too darn complicated what with all those tactical choices an' all. The gaming media are hopelessly biased towards console / twitch-gaming and talk down any title that isn't completely tailored to the slack-jawed casual gaming crowd.

[Guest Slinky]

and you can go to a map at day or in the night. You select the time at the world level.

That's a bit weird.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Slinky

[Monte Carlo]

They're saying it's comparable to Athklatla (sic)

 

They also said that NWN1 would be an immersive single-player experience 'right out of the box.'

 

 

What's the phrase? Ah, r00fles!

[Labadal]

RPGamer Developer Interview.

 

Mike Laidlaw, Mark Darrah & David Gaider anwsers some questions.

[Morgoth]

RPGamer Developer Interview.

 

Mike Laidlaw, Mark Darrah & David Gaider anwsers some questions.

So there will be a lot more DA games coming in the future. I hope Bioware still takes the opportunity to create new IP once in a while, even though I doubt EA would like that.

[Tale]

RPGamer Developer Interview.

 

Mike Laidlaw, Mark Darrah & David Gaider anwsers some questions.

The DLC answer is scary. The DLC was basically terrible and the only thing they got out of it was that "players wanted to play their warden."

[Volourn]

"Why do DA2 previews inevitably have to be as derogatory of DAO as possible? "

 

It's not personal. It's about hyping DA2.

 

You loved DA1? Don't worry DA2 is way better than it. DA2 makes DA1 look like POR2. If you liked DA1, you'll like DA2 even more! Get DA2 now for just 99.99.

 

It's marketing 101.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Preview shouldn't hype a game they should describe what they see fairly. That's not saying that they can't believe that the game is superior to DA:O, before someone jumps at my throat for being a Bioware hater.

[entrerix]

i agree, previews nowadays read like press releases instead of the impressions of the previewer.

[Enoch]

i agree, previews nowadays read like press releases instead of the impressions of the previewer.

Fair enough-- previews are largely a product of junket journalism, where the developer flies the press in, loads them up with swag and free food, and doesn't give repeat invites to those who don't toe the company line.

 

(Although the most recently linked item was an interview, not a preview. You can't really fault the interviewer for faithfully relaying what the Bioware employees said, or the Biowarians for pitching the game in whatever way their marketing department thinks is best.)

[Nepenthe]

Did we have this already: http://kotaku.com/5715110/dragon-age-ii-on...-that-different ?

[Hassat Hunter]

You loved DA1? Don't worry DA2 is way better than it. DA2 makes DA1 look like POR2. If you liked DA1, you'll like DA2 even more! Get DA2 now for just 99.99.

 

It's marketing 101.

They're doing a bad job of it then, because all I hear is...

 

"Did you like DA1? For reason X? Well, then be glad we completely ripped it out. But be glad that we replaced it with the what you hated most in DA1, or other games."

[Gorth]

Thread getting a bit long... new era of discussion here