Dragon Age 2

[HoonDing]

You can't judge a game before you like it.

[Nepenthe]

No one said otherwise

Looks like I misread what Jaesun was saying, didn't see the "previews" there the first time around.

 

And yeah, I think that ranting three pages about what a game is going to be like based on a demo is stupid. In fact, I think that ranting three pages about a game is stupid, in general!

 

Edit: High-texture pack is up: http://social.bioware.com/page/da2-patches

 

No need to get anally probed by Bioware to get it. Too bad y'all managed to bash them already for it!

Edited March 7, 2011 by Nepenthe

[Maria Caliban]

There is no auto-attack for consoles. 0 - zip - none.

 

I'm going to fanrage for a bit and I'm a PC user.

[Tale]

At least until they patch it. Apparently the file for it went missing when they made the master copy. Oopsie.

[Nepenthe]

There is no auto-attack for consoles. 0 - zip - none.

 

I'm going to fanrage for a bit and I'm a PC user.

If it was on the wheel, it might as well not be there. I'm gonna go armchair designer for a sec here, and say they should've had a toggle!

 

Also, I now have a total of 7 unlocked promotions for the game. And I'm still days from being able to actually buy the game. O tempora...

[Maria Caliban]

At least until they patch it. Apparently the file for it went missing when they made the master copy. Oopsie.

Yeah, but they've been telling us for weeks after the game went gold that there was an auto-attack on consoles.

[entrerix]

this is a bit off topic i guess, but I was just wondering, has anyone read anywhere that EA/Bioware is trying to line up DA and ME as franchises ala CoD, presumably to be released one everyother year (so bioware has a game every year, but each franchise alternates so as not to create annualreleaseburnouteffect), or are these two game series planned to be trilogies and then bioware is moving on to new IP?

 

I liked ME2 a lot, but I don't want more than 3. and even if I end up LOVING DA2, I don't think I want to see more games set in it's world (unless the world is made dramatically more interesting by the new game).

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd like to see a new IP from bioware sometime before the end of next year (not a release, just an announcement at least that they are doing something new).

 

or have they already made such an announcement and I missed it?

[Maria Caliban]

ME was planned to be a trilogy. DA was planned to be an ongoing series.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if ME also becomes an ongoing, but there you are.

[Tel Aviv]

There's already an early walkthrough on YouTube. Having watch a bit, I'm pleasantly surprise. I am easy to please though.

[Hurlshort]

I would expect ME to continue, but I imagine the Shephard storyline will be wrapped up after ME3. Which is fine with me, it's a decent universe and I doubt they will let it just sit around with the sales numbers it is getting.

 

I wonder if Dragon Age 2 will meet sales expectations? It seems to be on a bit of shaky ground, but maybe that is just the doom and gloom in these parts.

[Gromnir]

It just occurred to me that it's weird I haven't seen any US reviews yet when the game's out tomorrow.

 

AFAIK EA puts an embargo on all their titles, major or not. I have no doubt DAII will have, at the very least, solid reviews. Most previews/impressions of the demo, for example, were rather gushing in tone.

 

Not all actually: The Decline of the Classic RPG

 

 

...

 

is not much o' a rebuttal to, "Most previews/impressions of the demo, for example, were rather gushing in tone." never heard o' the site you linked, but no doubt the single article you reveal were deemed newsworthy via the codex. doesn't undercut "most."

 

*snort*

 

am personally gonna hold off on the da2 purchase. for games we is anticipating with eagerness, is our habit to be purchasing only after the first post-release patch has been made available. we get cheaper and more stable products. however, am not particular eager regarding da2. we never did buy bioware's HotU 'cause we were bored with nwn, and epic-level d&d, and drow. am less enthusiastic 'bout da2. is a few bio products we has skipped, and for the moment, da2 is going to get a pass.

 

am not certain what the critical consensus for da2 will be, but to post one linky is hardly a convincing retort to worstuser. is typical codexian guerrilla tactics.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[entrerix]

I guess a mass effect game that was completely unrelated to the initial trilogy might be ok, so long as we can stop hearing about protheans and reapers and collectors (such bad bad bad names for things....)

 

my guess on DA2 sales: won't sell as well as DAO. It appears to have a lot more negativity about its release this time, action gamers aren't likely to purchase cause they didnt like the first one, and the rpg crowd is a bit miffed at this one for screwing up the PC interface. I think it will still make money, but will be enough of a non-smash that bioware will go again to the drawing board to try to figure out why they aren't hitting the numbers they want.

[greylord]

"But we'll still end up with a game with some flaws that a lot of people will still actually ENJOY"

 

U win.

 

What's funny is the same thing happened pre DA release. A lot of epople were whining that DA was gonna fail, was gonna be BIO's worst game ever, was gonna doom DA to fail, was the fuirst sign of EA killing BIO, etc.,e tc. And, we know how that turned out. L0LZ

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

People will play DA2, and they will like it most likely. Then 3 months from now, those same people will bash it. Two eyars from now when DA3 is about to come out, people will praise DA2 as god's gift to gaminmg while crying that DA3 will destroy BIO.

 

LMAO

 

You are probably right

[Niten_Ryu]

this is a bit off topic i guess...

 

Mass Effect is trilogy, but other games set on Mass Effect brand will be made. Docs said that in some interview and it's no suprise as building brands is what this generation of games is all about.

 

Speaking of brands and problems in general in todays development, all should check lastest Bonus Round on Gametrailers.com

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/502?ch=1_hd

 

It's rather honest chat about various issues and what are required for AAA titles nowadays. Guest panelists are Jade Raymond (bit light on merits in game development, but it's nice to see more women in the biz), Epic games boss Mike Capps and Sonys God of War team boss John Hight. Earlier in this thread we talked about how Bioware didn't like the fact that players quit Dragon Age after just one hour. Mike Capps say that Epics Gear of War is considered a great success for the fact that not only it sold great, but 50% of the gamers played till the end. Bioware did a lot of unnecessary changes, especially for PC version, just because they read their data incorrectly.

 

Jade also has a very good point about sales (on consoles). Game need to be certain length (in her example 60+ hours) or to have good multiplayer component or up 50% of the players just rent the game or loan their friends copy. Thus since there are significant amount of players who don't even finish 5-6 hour games and certainly not 60 hour games, why worry about 'em at all. Developers should just be happy that they managed to sell a game to some douchebag who has attention span of the fruitfly.

[Gromnir]

"But we'll still end up with a game with some flaws that a lot of people will still actually ENJOY"

 

U win.

 

What's funny is the same thing happened pre DA release. A lot of epople were whining that DA was gonna fail, was gonna be BIO's worst game ever, was gonna doom DA to fail, was the fuirst sign of EA killing BIO, etc.,e tc. And, we know how that turned out. L0LZ

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

People will play DA2, and they will like it most likely. Then 3 months from now, those same people will bash it. Two eyars from now when DA3 is about to come out, people will praise DA2 as god's gift to gaminmg while crying that DA3 will destroy BIO.

 

LMAO

 

You are probably right

 

the criticisms o' da2 has been different. oh, sure, is mostly the same folks who is doing the loudest complaining, but is different complaints. before da:o were released we knew less than one would expect from a game so long in development. the complaints from the lunatic fringe were vague and often stoopid. complain 'bout over-hype. complain 'bout tolkienesque. even complains 'bout title. heck, those complaints that ended up being legit were, at the time the complaints were voiced, based on little more than nerd-rage and too much caffeine. da2 is different. we know the da rules. we has played the demo. we gots developer quotes informing us 'bout what has changed from da:o and what will remain.

 

da:o complaints were general and based mostly on a rejection o' bioware. the hardcore fans that populate boards such as this complained 'bout da:o, but at the same time they secretly hoped that da:o would be the kinda old skool throwback that the developer were promising. while the freaky board regulars complained o' da:o shortcomings, both before and after purchase, they at least bought da:o. da2 is different. the hardcore nutjobs (such as Gromnir) has now been informed that the stuff we complained 'bout most regarding da:o (e.g. lack o' tactical sophistication, lack o' a identifiable villain, lack o' balance, lack o' etc.) is the stuff that we is getting even less of in da2.

 

da2 is different. will Gromnir eventually purchase? probably, but we ain't gonna be a day 1 purchaser or even a month 1 or 2 purchaser. we waited more than 1 month to buy da:o and we gots even less hope regarding da2. we will likely wait til after the first quarter elapses, if only to be sending a message to bio. clearly they didn't listen to the hardcore gamer complaints posted on various boards, so perhaps they listen to our complaints via how we spend our gaming dollar... and if you not think that a three month delay in purchase is a big deal to publishers and developers, then you ain't been paying attention. am doubting that we is the only nutter that has decided to hold off on a da2 purchase... 'cause this time we know more than we hope.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited March 7, 2011 by Gromnir

[Enoch]

You've got it all wrong, Gromnir. If you really want to send a message that Bioware will pay attention to, you've got to buy the game, play it for 5 minutes, and then quit.

 

 

 

(Edit: Seriously, though, I am of a similar mind regarding this title. At some point I'll probably get bored with the games I have and order it, but I'm in no hurry.)

Edited March 8, 2011 by Enoch

[entrerix]

this may sound very quaint and old-fashioned, but an actual letter sent to a company will probably have 100+x the effect of a single lost sale.

 

I'm not trying to say that an actual letter will necessarily get anything accomplished, but the chances of it having any effect or persuasiveness is still much much greater than 1 less than a million copies sold

[Jaesun]

There is a stream of the PC version here for the morbidly curious: http://www.justin.tv/cizzzats#

 

He did find a huge xp bug, and he went up a ton of levels. Also it has level scaling.

[entrerix]

ahhh level scaling, the bane of the rpg.

[Tigranes]

This is a few pages back, but

 

But we'll still end up with a game with some flaws that a lot of people will still actually ENJOY.

 

if only this were true, I wouldn't be so hard on Bioware, personally. Actually, Bioware games have become very unenjoyable for me, and thus I no longer buy them - ME series, and now most likely DA2, where I'm wondering whether I can even be bothered downloading the demo, having seen a youtube playthrough.

 

Laughing at the stupid romances and softcore porn and then avoiding it is one thing, the core game actually being annoying and not very fun is another. Thus, as the Great Volourn once (or twice) said, don't like it, don't buy it.

[Pidesco]

There is a stream of the PC version here for the morbidly curious: http://www.justin.tv/cizzzats#

 

He did find a huge xp bug, and he went up a ton of levels. Also it has level scaling.

 

 

I've been watching a bit of that. How he swings his blades in a staccato fashion seems hilariously stupid. Other than that, superficially the combat looks like DAO, only much faster and with a worse camera.

 

I probably won't be buying this before the end of the year, if ever.

[Zoraptor]

Simply put, you are SOOOO wanting DA:O to fit your definition, you'll lie about it. fine with me.

 

Heh, I'll give you a shiny dollar coin if you can show one single instance where I have lied. Everything I've stated as fact has had a link, and where I've used quotes I've provided the link to the context too. In contrast, with Volourn style quoting...

 

DA:O sold [in] 2.7 [million]

Agreed (note: link added by me).

ME2 selling 3 million+

[citation needed]

Citation from EA states 2 million sold in worldwide while

EA quarterly report says 1.6 million sold through] for Q4 2010/ calendar Q1 2011; FY 2010 ends March 31st according to the same document therefore the ME2 sales figure is for- as best as can be ascertained- approximately its first 12 weeks of sales.

 

Retail, DA:O sold 1.3 million [citation needed], with around 500K[citation needed] on PC and the rest on Console.

ME2 sold 500-600K [citation needed] on PC with the rest on Xbox 360 at retail.

 

At this point you can either post your sources, concede with dignity, go off the rails or choose not to reply.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Zoraptor

[Wrath of Dagon]

First on-line review: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/v...n-Age-II-Review (through Gamebanshee)

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

The Escapist has some of the worst reviews I've ever read, not only because of how overwhelmingly positive they are about everything but how terrible those video segments are.

 

@Bioware: barren landscapes with no trees or foliage is not an art style, it's just ugly.

[Humanoid]

barren landscapes with no trees or foliage is not an art style, it's just ugly.

 

Dammit, for a moment there I thought they'd used Australia as an RPG setting.