Dragon Age: Inquisition

[GhostofAnakin]

Decided to take the Knight-Enchanter specialization.  That spirit blade is all kinds of fun to use.  Though my character's not really geared toward melee, so I'm probably not getting as much benefit out of it as I would if I'd spec'd my character differently.

[Harrold Andraste]

 

That's to say... the main plot is thin and stretched, like butter over too much bread.

 

Nice quote

 

I completed the game yesterday. I tried to think about the game in a positive way, but in the end, it is a mediocre experience. I am saying that despite the clock showing 107 hours of playtime. Not all of it was bad. Dragon fights were decent. Some characters and quests were decent. I liked the soundtrack and some decent voice acting was there. The astrariums were a fun distraction. Graphically, it looked really nice at times, so that exploration kind of fun, and there were some nice spell effects. But as a whole, I would rate even DA2 higher than this game.

 

The combat didn't feel very tactical and I wasn't happy about the lack of commands you could set up for your party members. The game felt like an action rpg, but not with particularly great combat. I basically just controlled my own melee fighter and let the others do their thing. On rare occasions, I would manually set up a barrier or something, but that's it. I also didn't care for their "Assassin's Creed" formula with some of the side stuff: shards, mosaic pieces and so on.

To me, it felt like the game didn't have an identity of its own. It feels like it didn't know what it wanted to be. Skyrim competitor? Sequel to Dragon Age? Hack 'n slash game?

 

I'm done with BioWare for the time being. Last game I bought from them was Dragon Age: Origins and I actually enjoyed the game despite some flaws. I wanted to give Inquisition a shot, but this won't be the case for their next game.

 

That was pretty much my experience also. I finished the game two days ago with around 112h playtime. I had to give it a shot when i got it cheap. The game looks ok, nothing that impressed me very much but they did a good job with world building, for the most part. Overall though, i would say it´s forgettable. The main plot is weakly written, full of holes and logic flaws and the ending is one of the biggest cliffhangers ever. It answers no questions whatsoever and instead opens a whole novel of "why, what, how" etc.

 

I really liked some of the side quests, who sadly got overshadowed by a lot of filler content. I often got the feeling of playing an mmo with the sheer amount of pointless fetch quests. As a whole i had the same experience as i had with DA:2, where the mainplot became dull to me and i only kept playing because of the better side content. Some characters were nicely written, but as far as romances went, i couldn´t be bothered. (as last as a female mainchar, i did end up with Sera and hated it...)

 

I will say this though, it was better than i expected, but i guess thats because i went into it with zero expectations My highlights were returning characters and hearing about my hero of Ferelden and exploring the world in search of more lore. It´s kinda sad that talking with Morrigan for a few minutes is more interesting than anything else.

 

And yes the combat sucks, it´s flashy and nice looking but dull and extremly repetitive. I spend the most part of 100+ hours hitting the same buttons, and i hated the fact that you are restricted to 8 active skills because of stupid console controls.

 

In the end...i would say it´s just forgetable, but worth the time if you can get it on a sale and want to hang out a bit with some old beloved faces from DA:O. (thats a stretch though..)

 

 

 

Dragon Age: Origins was basically a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate as far as gameplay mechanics and a few other elements. After that, BioWare wasn't really obligated to keep rehashing that formula. I think they wanted to try their own style.

 

They failed at establishing their own style with Inquisition, but I think that was their thought process. As a few have pointed out, they drew inspiration from too many sources that ended up clashing.

 

The DA:O-type games aren't seen much these days. I wouldn't mind if that combat system returned, but I doubt it will.

 

 

It was a spiritual successor, that was the whole point and idea from the get got of DA:O. They said that several times. They also wanted to improve on DA:O to make things better in DA2. Just like they did in Baldurs Gate 1 to 2. That was what David Gaider clearly said on the forums back then and i even defended his view because some people were crying that a new game with a new IP is not as good as BG2 was.

 

I don´t know what happened after this, but they obviously changed their plans (see DA2). Which, in my experience with EA games means, it was likely EA´s call. I don´t see Bioware as it´s own studio anymore, they are just another branch of EA now and EA is the boss. It´s that simple. Also deep, tactical games with a lot of on-use skills don´t work well with console controls, we all know that. They tried it with the wheel in DA:O but that was kinda a hit/miss with the players, some liked it, others hated it.

 

I´m not sure what Biowares style is, they made a lot of games and not always classic RPG´s. But this action gameplay, is in my opinion, a direct result of being developed for consoles.

 

Also, i have to disagree with the last part. More complex, tactical combat systems (with and without pause) are having their renaissance thanks to crowed funding. Divinity OS, Wasteland 2, Pillars, Shadowrun etc. Or thru more clever publishers like XCOM, BG and Icewind Dale revamps. And more coming. These games all did well, they just don´t sell as much as mindless action games. (what does that say about players?^^)

 

This is a typical problem with big publishers. They think the more money they (mindlessly) throw at something, the more it will make and of course console pandering. But in terms of investment - return ratio, "smaller games" do better. Just look how well games like Child of Light, Rayman Legends or Valiant Hearts did for Ubisoft. I don´t even want to know how much DA:I cost EA, but i bet there is a "small" difference compared to something like Pillars of Eternity or Divinity OS. Which are games that i will play through several times and i can´t say the same about DA:I.

 

 

The combat in DA:I was crowded and seizure-inducingly flashy, while the party commands (as you said similarly for DA:O), only seemed to work some of the time. 

 

The game is a real piece of work for consoles, but I personally believe that is a shortcoming of the devs, not consoles as a platform. Would we be complaining so much had healing potions and spells been as abundant as in the first two games?

 

As much flack as DA II took, its combat was well-designed for the most part. The RTwP tactics were more polished than they would be for DA:I. DA II looks like some fast-produced McDonald's schlock at first glance... and it is in some ways... but there were quality mechanics there. It's an example of a tactical RPG that plays well on either PC or console.

[Harrold Andraste]

 

 

Yes Dragon Age have lost its identity, that is something i repeatedly mention in their forum many times. When DA2 become like Mass Effect then everything have lost actually. Not only become like Mass Effect, but also a drama. Then they want to make it into Skyrim. I don't mind about open world environment but it doesn't have to be like Skyrim. They can maintain Dragon Age:Origin mechanic, but they don't want to. They can maintain the main theme is about Darkspawn then put the rest into anything like Dragon Age:Origin, but again they don't want to. So what is Dragon Age? It just random, once you play it you don't care about it anymore. The game is not even about dragons and not even about the age of dragons. The dragons in it are just monsters to kill.

 

I just don't understand arguments of Dragon Age:Origin fans that hate Dragon Age:Origin so much and force Bioware to change Dragon Age games after Dragon Age:Origin, and Bioware listen to them...i just don't get it....they are so sensitive when we wrote "let it be like Dragon Age:Origin", we will see lots of fans charging with with their lances to shut us up, and the mods come with their hammer...i just don't understand....

 

I don't post much at BSN, so I can't comment on the moderators there, but I wanted to say...

 

Dragon Age: Origins was basically a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate as far as gameplay mechanics and a few other elements. After that, BioWare wasn't really obligated to keep rehashing that formula. I think they wanted to try their own style.

 

They failed at establishing their own style with Inquisition, but I think that was their thought process. As a few have pointed out, they drew inspiration from too many sources that ended up clashing.

 

The DA:O-type games aren't seen much these days. I wouldn't mind if that combat system returned, but I doubt it will.

 

 

i was active on BSN and their new site "The Bioware Forum" until i got banned after being harrassed by forumites and the mods. My last argument there was about what i have written here, so by the way thanks Obsidian for practicing free speech

 

The problem is, they want to implement new system into already established games the fans loved, "fans" here means the one who love everything in the original game because that game is the fans recognized being "Dragon Age". When it changed into Mass Effect in DA2 then it is no longer Dragon Age, and now it chaged into another and it's unrecognized

 

It is like fans love Master of Puppet because that's the identity of Metallica song, fans know the arrangements, the composition, the guitar strumming and drum beatings, it is all Metallica style. But suddenly Metalica made their next song in the new album "Master of Puppet 2" they add hip hop, jazz, and funky element. Maybe some people will like it but core Metallica fans will pissed off because it is not metal anymore

 

It is ok if they want to make new things but do not make it into the already established genre, make it in new genre, new label. Metallica could make funky songs but make it in new album that is not related at all with their previous products, in new label, "This is funky songs by Metallica for the ones who love funky music", they can continue with their original metal songs in another album "Master of Puppet 2" the same time, the fans will not get angry.

 

Same with Bioware, they made Dragon Age:Origin like it were, they only need to upgrade, not change the whole thing into someting new. If they want to change their way of things, make it into new games under new label, not on Dragon Age.

 

 

The analogy is extreme, but your point is taken.

 

The writers had so little concern for basic lore that it's almost like they wanted to be working on a different fantasy IP.

 

"Hey, let's have the characters prance around giant columns of red lyrium and be unaffected... it's not even a big deal until 'In Hushed Whispers' anyway!"

 

Or.. "The player felt victorious when killing Corypheus in DA II: Legacy? That was sure a major, hard-earned accomplishment! Let's bring him back as the villain for no effing reason besides that we're lazy as crap."

[Qistina]

The analogy is extreme, but your point is taken.

 

The writers had so little concern for basic lore that it's almost like they wanted to be working on a different fantasy IP.

 

"Hey, let's have the characters prance around giant columns of red lyrium and be unaffected... it's not even a big deal until 'In Hushed Whispers' anyway!"

 

Or.. "The player felt victorious when killing Corypheus in DA II: Legacy? That was sure a major, hard-earned accomplishment! Let's bring him back as the villain for no effing reason besides that we're lazy as crap."

 

 

I was believing that Dragon Age (Origin) is actually a random stories from their dusty cabinet put together in one universe, well it actually does look like that, but it is beautifully done. DA:O is the basis of the universe we know as Dragon Age. Sadly they change much in DA2 and now DA3 making everything nonsensical and pointless

 

I don't know where to begin...the problem of DA story is because of it's continuous, after DA:O, then DA2, these two share the same timelines, characters and all but it is totally different thing as the whole. Then Inquisition similar like DA2 sharing same characters of previous games meaning the timeline is not so far away...the is supposed or expected to be "Mage vs Templar War" but we see nothing about that. It just random.

 

So the conclusion we can make from the three game is Corypheus is the culprit...the end. The Warden killing Archdemon is not so epic now because the real villain since DA:O is Corypheus. Everything The Warden do doesn't matter now.  Hawke killing many things in DA2 is just nothing, Hawke is not even significant in DA:I. The whole 3 games happen because of Corypeus.

 

For a story "about Thedas" time frame shouldn't be too near, it should be far away so they can make a new fresh story per series. Because of this they change many things, want to fulfil fans demands, want to use fan service characters for example. If Leliana was dead, then she's more powerful than Andraste....it makes Andraste is a meh...Andraste was burned and dead, Andraste cannot live again to smite the Imperium, but Leliana can...i will not be surprise if they make Leliana is Andraste reborn next...

Edited June 9, 2015 by Qistina

[Amentep]

^Corphyeus wasn't behind the Blight in DAO; its cause was the bumblings of the Architect (himself a fallen Magister like Corypheus, but one who doesn't remember his past).

 

Arguably the Architect and Corphyeus - as magisters - seem to have caused the Blight with their goofing around back in the day, but that doesn't make them the sole cause of everything that happened, either.

[Qistina]

Yeah, but Corypeus was there, alive, killing the Archdemon in DA:O become insignificant because of this, he's alive all the time. I mean the grandeur of sinking the blade into Archdemon heart to stop the 5th Blight become nothing.

 

It also making all the event of DA2 is not important at all. It just about some people going crazy and Hawke kill them all. It is because the real villain of the whole 3 series is there, ALIVE

 

They better make it the main character is a Grey Warden (don't have to be The Warden) for DA2 and DA:I, the whole story could be more interesting and we can connect it all from begining, it could be more interesting trilogy.

 

They can make how a Grey Warden involve in solving the world problem and at last find the culprit or the one who started the whole mess from the ancient time

 

But it is too late now

[Amentep]

I dunno, the Warden still stopped the 5th Blight.  Corypheus is a different problem entirely.

DA2 is mostly stage dressing for DAI, IMO.  Some pieces get moved around the board but its nature as starting out as a side story is completely evident to me.

 

Frankly I have no interest in ever playing a Grey Warden again, so I have no issues with them not forcing us into that role again.

[Qistina]

I like to play as Grey Warden again and again and again, it is what being established in DA:O and i want to get further into it

[GhostofAnakin]

I just finished the most boring section of DAI (to me): the Orlesian ball.  I still say the build-up to this quest could have been so much better.  You should have been given quests/information about the three individuals before even going to the ball.

 

I guess that's what happens when Bio decides to devote time and energy to useless open world fetch quests.  The actual meatier quests get truncated/not fleshed out enough.

[Amentep]

I hated the ball. Dread doing it again when I do a new playthrough.

[majestic]

I hated the ball. Dread doing it again when I do a new playthrough.

 

What I hated the most were those moments when you think you're back in the 80ies playing a game that aggrevates you on purpose. More doors than keys? Opening exactly the right ones to get the quest solution that is the most work, while being probably the WORST way you could pick when you look over the possible endings? Feeling the constant pressure of declining court approval that makes you run around like a headless chicken while looking everywhere for silly coings to fix the approval back up, only to realize you really wouldn't have needed them anyway?

 

On the bright side, on any replays you could really just rush through, don't bother saving Celine and do away with the silly elf. Best ending on a silver platter and it's absolutely no work at all.

[GhostofAnakin]

The dialogue wheel not quite matching what you want to say or not quite describing what your PC is about to say really screwed me over during this last play through.

 

I'd wanted to side with Briala (I'm playing as an elf as well), but I also wanted to let all of them know I knew their dirty secrets.  So I chose the "it's all your faults" option, thinking I'd just call them all out for lying but then pick who I wanted in the next couple of dialogues.  Instead, it picked an ending to that quest I didn't want.

 

The other spot that dialogue wheel really screws you over is in the rare occasions you get a "special" option (literally only says "special"), and I don't know whether to pick it or not because it doesn't even hint at what your PC is about to say.

[cirdanx]

The dialogue wheel not quite matching what you want to say or not quite describing what your PC is about to say really screwed me over during this last play through.

 

I'd wanted to side with Briala (I'm playing as an elf as well), but I also wanted to let all of them know I knew their dirty secrets.  So I chose the "it's all your faults" option, thinking I'd just call them all out for lying but then pick who I wanted in the next couple of dialogues.  Instead, it picked an ending to that quest I didn't want.

 

The other spot that dialogue wheel really screws you over is in the rare occasions you get a "special" option (literally only says "special"), and I don't know whether to pick it or not because it doesn't even hint at what your PC is about to say.

 

That dumb wheel never gave a good indication of what your char says. That was a problem from the get got when they came up with it and my biggest reason why i don´t like it. It´s even worse in the Mass Effect series but Bioware seems to love it. Though, i guess i´m lucky that the translation team did a good job on that and it´s not that missleading as in english (which i also played...for like...2 hours..)

[GhostofAnakin]

Vivienne is such a boring character.

 

And for all his muscles and bulk, Iron Bull is a wussy on the battlefield.  He's usually the first to fall.  Somewhere in Seheron, Sten is shaking his head and saying, "No."

[cirdanx]

Vivienne is such a boring character.

 

And for all his muscles and bulk, Iron Bull is a wussy on the battlefield.  He's usually the first to fall.  Somewhere in Seheron, Sten is shaking his head and saying, "No."

 

I can clearly see Stens face

 

Vivienne is really underwritten. There isn´t much about her. Iron Bull really dies easily but was one of the more interesting characters to hang out with. I liked his little gang a lot.

[majestic]

 

The dialogue wheel not quite matching what you want to say or not quite describing what your PC is about to say really screwed me over during this last play through.

 

I'd wanted to side with Briala (I'm playing as an elf as well), but I also wanted to let all of them know I knew their dirty secrets.  So I chose the "it's all your faults" option, thinking I'd just call them all out for lying but then pick who I wanted in the next couple of dialogues.  Instead, it picked an ending to that quest I didn't want.

 

The other spot that dialogue wheel really screws you over is in the rare occasions you get a "special" option (literally only says "special"), and I don't know whether to pick it or not because it doesn't even hint at what your PC is about to say.

 

That dumb wheel never gave a good indication of what your char says. That was a problem from the get got when they came up with it and my biggest reason why i don´t like it. It´s even worse in the Mass Effect series but Bioware seems to love it. Though, i guess i´m lucky that the translation team did a good job on that and it´s not that missleading as in english (which i also played...for like...2 hours..)

 

 

The dialogue wheel is the logical consequence of fully voiced player characters. How interesting would it be to have your character just repeat the very same sentence you just picked out of the available dialogue options?

[luzarius]

I had no idea there was a DAI thread.

 

How did you guys bring yourself to look at Cassandra's man face for more than ten seconds without losing your mind?

 

I was such a huge dragon age fan that I purposely made sure not to watch any trailers or look at any screenshots for inquisition.  I'll never forget that night when I played DAI for the first time.  When I saw Cassandra's face, i was so confused. Her face literally broke immersion and I just sat there looking at her face from all angles trying to make sense of it. Sadly, I could not. 

Then I discovered the next romance option, Josephine. Unfortunately she looks ugly as hell. I could not stop looking at her nose when she spoke.

 

So then I thought okay, we'll romance Leliana, turns out you can't.   Morrigan same deal.

No worries, let's see how the other companions fair.

 

Sera, can't romance her as straight male, but even if she was romance-able I still wouldn't. Her face looks like Gollum.

Okay Vivienne, nice pretty face, get some chocolate action you know?   Then she takes off her helmet.  DUDE. SHE IS BALD MAN, WTF?

......

 

Wtf happened? So many of the women have these weird shaved heads.

Edited June 10, 2015 by luzarius

[cirdanx]

 

 

The dialogue wheel not quite matching what you want to say or not quite describing what your PC is about to say really screwed me over during this last play through.

 

I'd wanted to side with Briala (I'm playing as an elf as well), but I also wanted to let all of them know I knew their dirty secrets.  So I chose the "it's all your faults" option, thinking I'd just call them all out for lying but then pick who I wanted in the next couple of dialogues.  Instead, it picked an ending to that quest I didn't want.

 

The other spot that dialogue wheel really screws you over is in the rare occasions you get a "special" option (literally only says "special"), and I don't know whether to pick it or not because it doesn't even hint at what your PC is about to say.

 

That dumb wheel never gave a good indication of what your char says. That was a problem from the get got when they came up with it and my biggest reason why i don´t like it. It´s even worse in the Mass Effect series but Bioware seems to love it. Though, i guess i´m lucky that the translation team did a good job on that and it´s not that missleading as in english (which i also played...for like...2 hours..)

 

 

The dialogue wheel is the logical consequence of fully voiced player characters. How interesting would it be to have your character just repeat the very same sentence you just picked out of the available dialogue options?

 

 

You are right and i understand the problem

 

But that is also why i´m against a fully voiced player char. I think it works very well with the old model of saying just some lines, or none at all. It worked well in the old games and DA:O. It would indeed just save money and allow players to imagine the voice in their head. In fact, a voice you don´t like can be total immersion breaker for some people. But EA and others want to be so hollywood like these days with their characters and hero saves the world stories that they rather waste their money on 100+ game of recorded audio with a big name, rather than improving their gameplay.

 

Thats a shame in my eyes.

[cirdanx]

I had no idea there was a DAI thread.

 

How did you guys bring yourself to look at Cassandra's man face for more than ten seconds without losing your mind?

 

I was such a huge dragon age fan that I purposely made sure not to watch any trailers or look at any screenshots for inquisition.  I'll never forget that night when I played DAI for the first time.  When I saw Cassandra's face, i was so confused. Her face literally broke immersion and I just sat there looking at her face from all angles trying to make sense of it. Sadly, I could not. 

 

Then I discovered the next romance option, Josephine. Unfortunately she looks ugly as hell. I could not stop looking at her nose when she spoke.

 

So then I thought okay, we'll romance Leliana, turns out you can't.   Morrigan same deal.

 

No worries, let's see how the other companions fair.

 

Sera, can't romance her as straight male, but even if she was romance-able I still wouldn't. Her face looks like Gollum.

 

Okay Vivienne, nice pretty face, get some chocolate action you know?   Then she takes off her helmet.  DUDE. SHE IS BALD MAN, WTF?

 

......

 

Wtf happened? So many of the women have these weird shaved heads.

 

As far as romance goes, i hate DA:I. I was fine with no Morrigan or Leliana action. To me Morrigan is the gf of MY warden and Leliana his friend who certainly deserves better. I played a female warden, at first i got into Iron Bull, but..well his design is just..ugh...i never found any of them interesting, except Blackwall which is probably the most "real" interaction you can get with anyone. (if i ever play it again i will choose him) but i ended up with Sera just for the sake of it and man do i hate her.

 

I think my biggest problem is, that in general the options are simply not very interesting. They all have nice banter and dialogue sometimes when it comes to you, as in you, the inquisitor, but you are such a token character that there is no deeper conversation. Nothing like Morrigan breaking out of her shell and giving you a ring (an actual item). You are just a nobody with no backstory (unless you read it up) that has a deus ex machina on his hand that serves as the main plot device. End. Compare this to DA:O where, let´s say you are a human noble, you see and talk to your parents, your dog, your home gets attacked you flee, you lose everything..thats a backstory you playthrough and gets you engaged.

 

DA:I lacks that. And i just couldn´t get personal with any of the npc´s (though i like cassandra a lot). Despite some very nice banter and dialogue, the often act so illogical it just makes my head hurt. Blackwall might be the best romance option with a real drama and secret involved in it (which comes out anyway if you do the side quests). The rest..nahh..not so much..and i want to punch Sera in the face because she has the IQ of a 3 year old.

 

/rant...sorry :D

[GhostofAnakin]

I had no idea there was a DAI thread.

 

How did you guys bring yourself to look at Cassandra's man face for more than ten seconds without losing your mind?

 

I was such a huge dragon age fan that I purposely made sure not to watch any trailers or look at any screenshots for inquisition.  I'll never forget that night when I played DAI for the first time.  When I saw Cassandra's face, i was so confused. Her face literally broke immersion and I just sat there looking at her face from all angles trying to make sense of it. Sadly, I could not. 

 

Then I discovered the next romance option, Josephine. Unfortunately she looks ugly as hell. I could not stop looking at her nose when she spoke.

 

So then I thought okay, we'll romance Leliana, turns out you can't.   Morrigan same deal.

 

No worries, let's see how the other companions fair.

 

Sera, can't romance her as straight male, but even if she was romance-able I still wouldn't. Her face looks like Gollum.

 

Okay Vivienne, nice pretty face, get some chocolate action you know?   Then she takes off her helmet.  DUDE. SHE IS BALD MAN, WTF?

 

......

 

Wtf happened? So many of the women have these weird shaved heads.

 

Cassandra loses her appeal for me more so when I see her walk.  She's got a ... stern face, but it's not ugly.  She's kind of on the butch side, but still.  I could get over it.  But then I see her walk like an ape and I'm like, no.

 

Unfortunately, BioWare seems to have made every single female in the game walk like an ape.  I just don't know how animators in the year 2014 (when it was released) can do such a horrible job with how the females in the game move about.

[majestic]

 

You are right and i understand the problem

 

But that is also why i´m against a fully voiced player char. I think it works very well with the old model of saying just some lines, or none at all. It worked well in the old games and DA:O. It would indeed just save money and allow players to imagine the voice in their head. In fact, a voice you don´t like can be total immersion breaker for some people. But EA and others want to be so hollywood like these days with their characters and hero saves the world stories that they rather waste their money on 100+ game of recorded audio with a big name, rather than improving their gameplay.

 

Thats a shame in my eyes.

 

 

I do agree with you regarding the dialogues. Personally I like voice acting if it is good and doesn't interfere too much with the dialogue (or rather the writing thereof), whether it is fully voiced like DA:O or only partially like PoE or Baldur's Gate. On the other hand Bioware's specialty are hero-saves-the-nation/world/planet/galaxy games, they have always been like that, and they moved towards a more cinematic display of these stories even before they were acquired by EA.

 

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Bio has created a bunch of hits and a bunch of misses in terms of plot quality, but they almost always were told really well and set in excellently crafted settings. Sometimes the telling of the barest thread of a storyline is so great that you almost don't notice it. Like Mass Effect 2, which is essentially DA:O in space (just without the gathering the army part, that was rehashed in the third one).

[cirdanx]

 

 

You are right and i understand the problem

 

But that is also why i´m against a fully voiced player char. I think it works very well with the old model of saying just some lines, or none at all. It worked well in the old games and DA:O. It would indeed just save money and allow players to imagine the voice in their head. In fact, a voice you don´t like can be total immersion breaker for some people. But EA and others want to be so hollywood like these days with their characters and hero saves the world stories that they rather waste their money on 100+ game of recorded audio with a big name, rather than improving their gameplay.

 

Thats a shame in my eyes.

 

 

I do agree with you regarding the dialogues. Personally I like voice acting if it is good and doesn't interfere too much with the dialogue (or rather the writing thereof), whether it is fully voiced like DA:O or only partially like PoE or Baldur's Gate. On the other hand Bioware's specialty are hero-saves-the-nation/world/planet/galaxy games, they have always been like that, and they moved towards a more cinematic display of these stories even before they were acquired by EA.

 

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Bio has created a bunch of hits and a bunch of misses in terms of plot quality, but they almost always were told really well and set in excellently crafted settings. Sometimes the telling of the barest thread of a storyline is so great that you almost don't notice it. Like Mass Effect 2, which is essentially DA:O in space (just without the gathering the army part, that was rehashed in the third one).

 

 

You are right, Bioware´s storytelling usually doesn´t exceed the typical fantasy hero stereotype. However, most don´t, they just add a twist, but in the end most are the same. I never had a problem with Blizzard playing the "hero saves the day" card. If written well it works. And of course, if we take apart most famouse stories we will always end up with the same principles of story structures. Not a bad thing. They made it interesting, usually thanks to good hero and especially companion writing.

 

I don´t really see the approach to a more cinematic feeling in their old games, the grand scale yes, but more cinematic...DA:O had some of that, but was executed well in my opinion. But before? I mean sure we could argue about KotoR, which in dialogues was very cinematic back then, but i always had the impression that was because of the movie feeling this game was based on anyway. Getting the Star Wars feeling right.

 

Don´t get me wrong, i like almost all of their games, but the writing, in my opinion has become...crap...as far as mainstoryline goes. DA2, ME2+3, DA:I nope. That doesn´t mean i had no fun with them. ME2 had fantastic side stories. DA2 had some nice side stories. ME3 ..oh **** that :D DA:I did better..but again some nice side stories who easily get lost within the amount of fetch quests.

 

Anyway, point being. I love standart hero saves the world quests, no problem with that, if it is written well and the npcs along with you are written well and draw you in (the sub character stories draw you really in, in bioware games i think) then everything is good. Then i can also let go of logic flaws or cheesy writing (ME2). But DA:I, in my opinion, doesn´t even have that. While i enjoyed some banter and some dialogues with characters, i think the mainstory started out interesting, turned out horrible and characters (as in party members) were to...i don´t know...detached, but thats in my opinion the result of your character just being a token and the game not giving you a chance to develope your character.

 

again a rant damn it :D but i find it interesting

[Humanoid]

 

 

The dialogue wheel not quite matching what you want to say or not quite describing what your PC is about to say really screwed me over during this last play through.

 

I'd wanted to side with Briala (I'm playing as an elf as well), but I also wanted to let all of them know I knew their dirty secrets.  So I chose the "it's all your faults" option, thinking I'd just call them all out for lying but then pick who I wanted in the next couple of dialogues.  Instead, it picked an ending to that quest I didn't want.

 

The other spot that dialogue wheel really screws you over is in the rare occasions you get a "special" option (literally only says "special"), and I don't know whether to pick it or not because it doesn't even hint at what your PC is about to say.

 

That dumb wheel never gave a good indication of what your char says. That was a problem from the get got when they came up with it and my biggest reason why i don´t like it. It´s even worse in the Mass Effect series but Bioware seems to love it. Though, i guess i´m lucky that the translation team did a good job on that and it´s not that missleading as in english (which i also played...for like...2 hours..)

 

 

The dialogue wheel is the logical consequence of fully voiced player characters. How interesting would it be to have your character just repeat the very same sentence you just picked out of the available dialogue options?

 

 

I thought DX:HR handled it pretty well. For those who haven't played it, it's effectively a dialogue wheel but when you highlight an option, it pops up a full sentence of what you'll actually say, verbatim. Sometimes Jensen says more than that, but the part you're shown is plenty good enough to convey both the intent and tone of what the option actually is, and I don't recall any instances of the game where I didn't get what I expected out of my selection.

 

The other explanation though, is that the Bioware dialogue wheel, as opposed to the Eidos one, was implemented as a cost-cutting development measure, in that the dialogue may not have been written yet at the point they're scripting the game. In that case it's just an issue with BioWare's workflow, having their writers retrofit some dialogue into a predetermined decision tree.

[Hurlshort]

I had no idea there was a DAI thread.

 

 

He found us, everybody run!

[kgambit]

 

I had no idea there was a DAI thread.

 

 

He found us, everybody run!