Dragon Age 2

[Gorgon]

I feel a little bit like getting the game, I'm hoping it will pass as I would most certainly regret it.

[MrBrown]

I'm not talking about the main quest heating up to the climax. I'm talking about running out of sidequests by act 2.

 

No worries on that part.

 

AFAIK, the side-quests can only be solved before you proceed past a certain point in the main path.

[213374U]

There's a flaw in your logic, friend. DA2 was advertised as a fast paced action game where youc ans till go tatatical if you want. BIo didn't lie. they evenr eleased a demo to show everyone how the combat works. DA2 is exactly what it was advcertised to be.

If it was advertised as an action game, then it fails even harder. ME2 and God of War are action games. DA2 is a party-based mongrel with a stripped down gameplay that relies on an autoattack function that was apparently left out (\o/).

 

I know that so long as the game requires you to do anything more complicated than A,A,A,A,A to win, you'll claim it's "tactical" and dismiss all criticisms by fiat, but saying it's so doesn't make it so. Compare to JA or SS for reference of what "tactical gameplay" looks like.

 

 

@Tale: can you comment on encounter design?

Edited March 9, 2011 by 213374U

[Volourn]

"I'm not talking about the main quest heating up to the climax. I'm talking about running out of sidequests by act 2. "

 

I'm gonna safely assume that as the time passes between time jumps new quests will be added.

 

 

"If it was advertised as an action game, then it fails even harder. ME2 and God of War are action games. DA2 is a party-based mongrel with a stripped down gameplay that relies on an autoattack function that was apparently left out (\o/).

 

I know that so long as the game requires you to do other than A,A,A,A,A to win, you'll claim it's "tactical" and dismiss all criticisms by fiat, but saying it's so doesn't make it so. Compare to JA or SS for reference of what "tactical gameplay" looks like."

 

Action RPG since stats do matter. There ism more tatics in DA2 than there was an either BG. Period.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Volourn

[Nepenthe]

hah, which reminds me. there are quests that you pick up on accident. you find an item in a location, and the quest-log points you in the direction of the needed NPC, you bring him the item and that's it! no dialogue at all, IIRC

 

Mass Effect 2 styles basically.

They did recycled the mails (and the jokes in the mails) after all.

I dunno, I always got dialogue in ME2. In DAO, no (and entertainingly, a lot of those quests were bugged, so if you did initiate by finding the "item", you couldn't finish it).

[Monte Carlo]

There ism [sic] more tatics in DA2 than there was an either BG. Period.

 

Bull. I know it's Volourn but... still.

 

Now I liked Dragon Age: Origins. It has a richer combat system than the Infinity Engine games, I'll grant you that. But that's it.

 

But...

 

There are more spells, magic items, unique artefacts, monster types, potions, class combos and stuff in the IE games, especially the BG trilogy. Look at the historic playthrough threads for the IE games and see the numerous different ways of solving key encounters versus the more limited (Bio would say 'focussed') Dragon Age rules (which are quite opaque and tough to understand, from the people who mock 'THACO') and character options.

 

Period.

[Tale]

@Tale: can you comment on encounter design?

 

If you're hoping they're more strategic and intelligent than DAO, they aren't.

 

You can no longer do pre-emptive attacks against guys standing around by attacking them out of their aggro range. Their aggro range is line of sight. If they're spawned in and you can see them, they are going to attack (with rare exception). I kind of like this bit.

 

A lot of the fights are wave based. Enemies will start appearing to reinforce. It nicely limits AoE, since they show up either after it's gone or don't necessarily run into it. Might make Glyphs more useful, too. Some people hated fights like this in DAO. I enjoy them.

 

Encounters tend to be mixed. Most larger groups have Archers and/or Assassins mixed in. A few lieutenants (or so I assume, they have longer health bars).

 

If you played the demo, the very last fight, against Hayder, is what most encounters are kind of like. Hayder was boss class, though. Most just have lieutenants.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Tale

[Tale]

Anyone know what's up with finishers? I don't think I've seen them. It's possible that they're in, but lacking a slowdown I've just never noticed.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Tale

[Volourn]

I must say I find the 'spawned new enemies' in midst of battle silly and over used. It's okay in some situations with amubushes if it's rogues, and other hidey kind of groups but spawming enemies that appear is lame no matter what game.

[Nightshape]

I must say I find the 'spawned new enemies' in midst of battle silly and over used. It's okay in some situations with amubushes if it's rogues, and other hidey kind of groups but spawming enemies that appear is lame no matter what game.

 

Did you just... You did, you said Bio did something... Imperfect!

 

HURRAH! VOLO! HURRAH!

[Volourn]

"Did you just... You did, you said Bio did something... Imperfect!"

 

STFU You piece of crap. I criticze BIO a damn lot. Only the ignorant fools ignore that fact.

 

 

[Nepenthe]

They've certainly reached new heights with the amount of "unlockable bonus content". I haven't bought anything that would give me extra stuff, I haven't gotten the game yet and yet my bioware social profile tells me:

 

Ivo Family Crest Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Air of Confidence Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Evra's Trophy Belt Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Evra's Might Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Blood Dragon Armor Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Of Things Not Lost Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Hindsight Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

The Far Cliffs of Kirkwall Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Lothering's Lament Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Hayder's Razor Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

Staff of Parthalan Dragon Age II PC/Mac More Info

 

:D

[Volourn]

Yeah, that's certainly true.

[Majek]

That's just Dragon Age Legends and demo and the newsletter bonus items. How is Legends anyway?

[Nepenthe]

That's just Dragon Age Legends and demo and the newsletter bonus items. How is Legends anyway?

 

I lack a reference point, I've never even tried any of the other facebook games. None of my friends have been in the closed beta, so it tends to be 5-10 minutes of activity and then waiting for the 6 default NPCs to regen. It smacks heavily of them trying to sell you "crowns" (which are a currency for special upgrades and resetting immediately the abovementioned regen cooldowns) for cash money. Mostly just a treadmill of turn-based combat encounters, where enemies show up in waves.

 

Somewhat addictive, and I like a bit of turn-based every now and then. But I doubt that people with my initial positive feeling would like it even to the degree I do. Not sure if I'll play it at all now that I have all the unlocks - certainly not before the beta ends...

 

So, I guess, worth a try if you like turn-based combat and flash-based FB games.

[Gromnir]

There ism [sic] more tatics in DA2 than there was an either BG. Period.

 

Bull. I know it's Volourn but... still.

 

 

 

 

vol did compare da2 to bg. now, we don't know if vol were trying to be misleading by the mentions o' bg as 'posed to bg2 or the bg series, but it is true that bg (the first game o' the series) were easily conquerable with a very limited tactical portfolio at one's disposal. if vol is trying to be clever, we don't see the point in doing so, but if the is bg v. Game X, then the X not needs to be particular demanding, does it?

 

'course, is our understanding that the da2 default and hard setting o' difficulty do not allow friendly fire damage... which, based on our limited experience with the demo would suggest that a, a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a, is a viable da2 approach to combat; no tactics needed. am wondering if demo were tuned to super-easy, or if is a legit representation o' da2 combat.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[entrerix]

When you say that DA2 sidequests are "cheap filler," does that mean they are more or less developed than DA:O's series of "just grab a quest out of that sack over there" assignments?

There are four types of quests. Only one of those types feels like cheap filler. And they are literally "find an object on the ground, now go find the guy it belongs to." You're running the bloody lost and found.

 

 

I assume this is also where the "80% of quests are fedex" claim comes from.

 

Thankfully, those quests take really little time... they start when you find the item, and the recipient is then clearly marked on your map. In the open-exploration part Tales' at, these quests make up 50% of the quests numerically, but take only a few percent of the total time.

 

The "real" quests are more well thought out, and seem to have several options on how to resolve them. Though how much of that has any kind of consequence, I can't say yet. None of the stuff has really stood out as great yet, but I haven't really been disappointed in them in general.

 

I feel like this is one area where New Vegas really blew away the rest of the current rpg field. There are so many quests, and sidequests, and unmarked little quests, and interesting this to DO in the game that most other rpgs in recent years look really shallow by comparison. It felt like playing a classic rpg in a "modern" engine

[Volourn]

" a, a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a, is a viable da2 approach to combat "

 

if you just press a in combat, you will lose. Period. Even on normal unless your companions bail you out.

[Monte Carlo]

STFU You piece of crap.

 

Will someone, finally, sanction the troll? We abide by the moderator warnings, he doesn't, nothing happens.

[Gromnir]

oddly enough, Gromnir felt different 'bout fo:nv. too much o' the "classic" crpg questage for our taste. go kill ants. go get package from ____. go do something simple and stoopid and unnecessary so that we can boost gameplay hours. there were some fantastic stuff in fo:nv, but there were also an enormous 'mount o' seemingly shallow filler quests that added very little positive to the game... and as there were respawning monsters 'round every corner it ain't as if quests with no value save to grant experience were necessary. again, there were indeed many interesting and well-designed fo:nv quests... but there were more than a few mindless quests... too many.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Volourn]

I was trolled, I defended myself, and it was obviously tongue in cheek hence the smilies.

 

You personally attack people repeatedly, dude, so don't get all judgemental over others defending themselevs from obvious troll atatcks.

 

This topic is about DA2. You obviously have no real interest in the game so why post here/ Oh yeah, to troll.

 

On topic, DA2 is now orse than DA1 no matter how much stuff make lie about it.

 

L0L You cna't do anything with your npcs' inventory L0L That is blatantly false and just one example of a flat out lie spouted.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Volourn

[Monte Carlo]

Please, Vol, find an example of me being as rude as that to another forumite. Please.

[Tale]

I think your very existence is offensive, Carlo.

[Volourn]

*ignores obvious baiting troll*

 

DA2 discussion, where are thou, DA discussion?

[Gromnir]

" a, a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a,a, is a viable da2 approach to combat "

 

if you just press a in combat, you will lose. Period. Even on normal unless your companions bail you out.

 

if that is the case, then why did the biowarians allow such an approach in the demo? if vol is being truthful, then the demo demands is perplexing to say the least.

 

is perhaps easier to assume that vol is full o' crap, 'cause is so often the case that vol is talking nonsense. even so, we were surprised by the lack o' challenge o' the demo... particularly the console demo. made us wonder if the demo were a genuine representation o' da2 gameplay. 'course we still cannot understand why the biowarians would tune the demo to be less challenging than the actual game combat. so until we gets feedback from a source a bit more reliable than vol...

 

 

HA! Good Fun!