Dragon Age 2

[Tale]

Bioware Points

:|

 

Maybe I'll wait for the ultimate edition after all.

[GhostofAnakin]

So the majority of the premise around DA2 is the mage/templar dispute, with a sprinkling of Qunari trouble, yet the DLC attached to it ... brings you back to fighting Darkspawn.

 

Seems instead of building on the key plots in DA2, instead it's more a diversionary quest that doesn't tie in with the existing conflict of the game, no?

[Tale]

So the majority of the premise around DA2 is the mage/templar dispute, with a sprinkling of Qunari trouble, yet the DLC attached to it ... brings you back to fighting Darkspawn.

 

Seems instead of building on the key plots in DA2, instead it's more a diversionary quest that doesn't tie in with the existing conflict of the game, no?

That's fairly usual, isn't it?

[entrerix]

da2 wasn't good enough for me to consider buying dlc for it. i'd rather they just spend their time and money making DA3 so we dont end up with another half baked product.

[GhostofAnakin]

So the majority of the premise around DA2 is the mage/templar dispute, with a sprinkling of Qunari trouble, yet the DLC attached to it ... brings you back to fighting Darkspawn.

 

Seems instead of building on the key plots in DA2, instead it's more a diversionary quest that doesn't tie in with the existing conflict of the game, no?

That's fairly usual, isn't it?

 

I guess.

 

I just think they could have expanded on the actual conflict in the game a bit more ... maybe an additional "major" quest for one of the factions in a DLC, rather than kind of "okay, let's take a minute away from this conflict to go on a side journey" type deal.

 

*shrugs*

[Gromnir]

So the majority of the premise around DA2 is the mage/templar dispute, with a sprinkling of Qunari trouble, yet the DLC attached to it ... brings you back to fighting Darkspawn.

 

Seems instead of building on the key plots in DA2, instead it's more a diversionary quest that doesn't tie in with the existing conflict of the game, no?

That's fairly usual, isn't it?

 

I guess.

 

I just think they could have expanded on the actual conflict in the game a bit more ... maybe an additional "major" quest for one of the factions in a DLC, rather than kind of "okay, let's take a minute away from this conflict to go on a side journey" type deal.

 

*shrugs*

 

am actually preferring a tangential focus for these dlc offerings. mass effect 2's "arrival" dlc is a good example o' why we want to keeps such stuff insular and discreet from the main story arc. am understanding that arrival answers some big mass effect story questions, but from what we hear 'bout the shooter gameplay focus of the final dlc, we has zero interest in playing. makes us feel conflicted. based on hints dropped in me and me2, we thinks we gots a pretty good handle on the direction bio is going with the story o' me. nevertheless, we admits that although "arrival" sounded 'bout as appealing as gargling with battery acid, we almost purchased... just to see some reaper questions answered.

 

bioware game content dlc has been very much hit-and-miss. dlc is frequently shallow and short... obviously rushed developments focused on making ea money without much cost to developer or publisher. shadowbroker were fun, but most other such stuff we has played were hardly worth the purchase. thankfully, the dlc has been tangential, and we has not felt that bioware held the story hostage with their dlc... by skipping dlc, we were not missing out on integral story development aspects.

 

keep tangential... or improve enormous.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Gorgon]

Who developed these characters. I wouldn't piss on any of them if they were on fire. I mean, I can stand having the dwarf and the buxom pirate in my party, they sort of have good excuses for being caricatures, but it does leave me a bit outgunned for most situations.

[Gromnir]

I can generally forgive a lot in fantasy works if the setting is interesting. Case in point, Riftwar & Wheel of time.

 

David Eddings novels are the book equivalent of BioWare games. They always feature the same character archetypesa and there's always the same type of epic quest going on. Not to mention the endless banter between either incredibly annoying or incredibly witty characters.

 

I'd recommend Guy Gavriel Kay, Stephen Donaldson and Robin Hobb. Among today's best-sellers, Steven Erikson is best.

 

Have you read the book of the new sun?

I concur that The Book of the New Sun is the most interestingly written fantasy-ish fiction I've read.

 

is our opinion that the short sun books is revealing the high point o' wolfe craftsmanship, but am understanding why they is a difficult slog for many readers. on the other hand, the wizard knight books is surprisingly accessible... and probable equal well-written as new sun.

 

am gonna concede that we has never read the soldier series, so our knowledge o' the wolfe catalog is incomplete. am having an author friend who insists that the soldier books is actually the betest mr. wolfe has written, but we refuse to read-- gives our friend something to berate us for each time we meet.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Nepenthe]

Bioware Points

:|

 

Maybe I'll wait for the ultimate edition after all.

Kind of hard to see what your problem here is, if it's just the price, sure, but if it's the points, Bioware, unlike MS, actually sells you the point in the same sizes they sell the DLC, so you don't have to buy any extra ones to roll around. I suspect it's mostly there to not have to list separate prices (even if they have to do it for PS3). :/

[Nepenthe]

Also,

am actually preferring a tangential focus for these dlc offerings. mass effect 2's "arrival" dlc is a good example o' why we want to keeps such stuff insular and discreet from the main story arc. am understanding that arrival answers some big mass effect story questions, but from what we hear 'bout the shooter gameplay focus of the final dlc, we has zero interest in playing. makes us feel conflicted. based on hints dropped in me and me2, we thinks we gots a pretty good handle on the direction bio is going with the story o' me. nevertheless, we admits that although "arrival" sounded 'bout as appealing as gargling with battery acid, we almost purchased... just to see some reaper questions answered.

It's not really a good example if you haven't actually played it, ffs.

[Gromnir]

Also,

am actually preferring a tangential focus for these dlc offerings. mass effect 2's "arrival" dlc is a good example o' why we want to keeps such stuff insular and discreet from the main story arc. am understanding that arrival answers some big mass effect story questions, but from what we hear 'bout the shooter gameplay focus of the final dlc, we has zero interest in playing. makes us feel conflicted. based on hints dropped in me and me2, we thinks we gots a pretty good handle on the direction bio is going with the story o' me. nevertheless, we admits that although "arrival" sounded 'bout as appealing as gargling with battery acid, we almost purchased... just to see some reaper questions answered.

It's not really a good example if you haven't actually played it, ffs.

 

sure it is. our point were not that arrival were bad dlc. the point were that in spite o' our reservations regarding arrival, we almost purchased solely 'cause it were presented as advancing core story aspects.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Nepenthe]

Also,

am actually preferring a tangential focus for these dlc offerings. mass effect 2's "arrival" dlc is a good example o' why we want to keeps such stuff insular and discreet from the main story arc. am understanding that arrival answers some big mass effect story questions, but from what we hear 'bout the shooter gameplay focus of the final dlc, we has zero interest in playing. makes us feel conflicted. based on hints dropped in me and me2, we thinks we gots a pretty good handle on the direction bio is going with the story o' me. nevertheless, we admits that although "arrival" sounded 'bout as appealing as gargling with battery acid, we almost purchased... just to see some reaper questions answered.

It's not really a good example if you haven't actually played it, ffs.

 

sure it is. our point were not that arrival were bad dlc. the point were that in spite o' our reservations regarding arrival, we almost purchased solely 'cause it were presented as advancing core story aspects.

 

HA! Good Fun!

So it's more an example of why they should keep doing exactly that instead of the opposite?

[aries101]

As Fernando Melo said in the livestream publised yesterday via gamespot (can still be found at gamespot? or other places, I think?) Bioware did listen to feedback from their users and fans. And I fear that maybe they have listened a little bit too much; apparently people want to fight Darkspawn, want to save the world, want there to an epic boss battle at the end - and apparently people also want to fight (the) ancient evil.....who apparently is some sort of conductor (at least that's the info I'm getting from reading The Bioware DA2 topics on this subject) - maybe it is Herbert von Karajan? this time around....

 

Jokes, aside, though, I was one of the people that loved that DA2 did not have big bad evil, ancient or new, to fight. From threads at the Bioware forums about DA2, and the story in it, I have gathered that it is not the story in itself that is bad, it is the execution of it, the way they have done it, so to speak. From the footage shown of the dlc at this event, it still looked like an action game to me; casual they were playing on though. It maybe doesn't mean much, but the whole combat sequence still felt like an action rpg, too me, not the promised tactical combat. However, good to see that even on casual the team members, and Hawke, took a beating or two.

 

The game still looks -ahem - not good visually....

Edited July 8, 2011 by aries101

[Volourn]

DA2 was just as if not more tataical than DA1. *shrug*

[Tale]

I was one of the people that loved that DA2 did not have big bad evil, ancient or new, to fight.

This is a source of conflict for me. One of my complaints about the final act. Because it did have a big bad ancient evil to fight. The red lyrium artifact. And the game would have been better without it.

 

I like DA2. It's just that final act dropped the ball in too many ways.

[entrerix]

final act was pretty terrible. repeating environments was very very distracting and smacked of poor craftsmanship. characters were mostly unlikeable (except varric was so good he mostly made up for that on his own). the city was boring, uninteresting, and devoid of things to do beyond fighting teleporting goon squads.

 

it wasnt a terrible game, sometimes it was actually really fun, but overall it was disappointingly mediocre.

 

i do this so often:

 

 

my favorite bioware games in order

 

1. baldurs gate1/2

2. mass effect 2

3. dragon age

4. mass effect

5. dragon age 2

6. kotor

7. nwn

8. jade empire

Edited July 8, 2011 by entrerix

[Volourn]

"1. baldurs gate1/2

2. mass effect 2

3. dragon age

4. mass effect

5. dragon age 2

6. kotor

7. nwn

8. jade empire"

 

1. NWN1:TP

2. BG2

3. DA & ME series

4. JE

5. HOTU

8. NWN OC

9. KOTOR

10. BG1

11. SOU

 

 

 

Also, L0L @ DLC

 

I wodner where all the peeps are who claimed that DA2's 'lack' of DLCs 'proved' that this 2million + selling game was a 'failure'. All silent now.

 

R00fles!

[greylord]

"1. baldurs gate1/2

2. mass effect 2

3. dragon age

4. mass effect

5. dragon age 2

6. kotor

7. nwn

8. jade empire"

 

1. NWN1:TP

2. BG2

3. DA & ME series

4. JE

5. HOTU

8. NWN OC

9. KOTOR

10. BG1

11. SOU

 

 

 

Also, L0L @ DLC

 

I wodner where all the peeps are who claimed that DA2's 'lack' of DLCs 'proved' that this 2million + selling game was a 'failure'. All silent now.

 

R00fles!

 

Well, as long as we are doing this, I'll toss in a Few Obs. games too, since they helped with some of the original Bio games as BI, and I see them as a continuation of such...

 

1) BG2

2) IWD

3) ME2

4) BG

5) PST

6) KOTOR 2

7) KOTOR

NWN (no campaign, just the game with the tools and ability to make what you want, or play other's mods)

9) ME

10) AP

11) DA:O

12) NWN2

13) JE

14) IWD2

15) DA2

 

PS: I am not goin to including others like Ultima or Sonic...I don't think many others would either soooo.....

Edited July 9, 2011 by greylord

[Bos_hybrid]

I was one of the people that loved that DA2 did not have big bad evil, ancient or new, to fight.

 

Sad part about that is what Tales said, the uber lyrium spoilt that. That said however, all of act 3 in DA2 left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Gorgon]

I don't understand why anyone could put DA2 on their top 10s. I just finised it, and nothing could make me want to play it again. There was warrick, and the bit with the king of the cow people, and also when your mother gets kidnapped. Maybe 10% really good content to 90% cheesy manure. I can only conclude that some people just have no style. Otherwise who keeps buying the best of Micael Bolton boxed sets.

[Volourn]

"Well, as long as we are doing this, I'll toss in a Few Obs. games too, since they helped with some of the original Bio games as BI, and I see them as a continuation of such..."

 

OBS had nothing to do with original BIO games. They didn't even exist. And, BIS was just the publisher as part of Interplay. And, the number of current Obsidianites who used to be BISers whoi actually helped with the games probably numbers less than 5, and that's being generous. Stop trying to give them more credit they deserve. Publisher does not equal developer. They did a good making multiple copies of BG series, MDK2, and SS and shipping them to stores. L0L

 

 

"I don't understand why anyone could put DA2 on their top 10s."

 

Because, thankfully, not every one is Gorgon and theyn don't think like Gorgon and aren't silly like Gorgon.

[Orogun01]

Have we talked about Legacy yet?

 

Seems like we are going back to killing darkspawn.

[aries101]

Obsidian was formed by former Black Isle/Interplay members, including Feargus Urquhart. So, technically while not having anything to do with BG1 and BG2, some of the people were in the two companies (though not at the same time, of course). Most notacibly, of course is and was Feargus Urquhart, MCA, and J.E. Sawyer.

[Volourn]

JE did not work on BIO games. MCA as well. they were too busy working on BIS games. FU, as head of BIS, did play a relatively huge role in BIO games but as the publisher. That's one guy. Like i said, less than 5 Obsidianites played any role in BIO games and outside of bug testing (which all publishers do)) only one Obsidianite I know of played an actual signiificant role in BIO games while under Interplay publishing - again, that's FU. So, don't make stuff up.

 

Want proof? Look at the BG2 credits in the manual. Outside of INTERPLAY QA, only FU, and Chris Parker (is he with Obsidian) likely played relatviely major roles in the PUBLISHING part of BG2. BIS itself has 7 names listed. interplay itself has a bunch mostly for QA,, VOs, & sound which makes sense since that tend to be up to the publisher.

 

So, trying to claim that Obsidian is repsonsible for BG series' awesomeness (or horribleness if you hated it) is just disingenious, a lie, or plain old fashion ignorance.

 

The only guy not from BIO who deserves any real cedit is FU since he's the one who actually played a real role. That's one guy. ONE GUY. Yet, you try to give Obsidian credit for Bg series? LMAO

 

JE and MCA had NOTHING to do with it. NOTHING.

Edited July 9, 2011 by Volourn

[Sannom]

Want proof? Look at the BG2 credits in the manual. Outside of INTERPLAY QA, only FU, and Chris Parker (is he with Obsidian)

Yep, Chris Parker is with Obsidian. One of the founders, even. One of three Chris in that club .