Which game made you give up on Bioware?

[Serus]

Baldur's Gate

EDIT: I'm not kidding. When it came out, it was an obvious decline. Then, many years after decline intensified, people started hankering for the "good old days" of Baldur's Gate.

The last game I even bothered to pirate and try was DA:O so i voted it in the poll.
You are right though. The only semi-good game they made was BG2 but the whole thing they started with BG 1 (which was shit) was decline from the start in the grand scheme of things.

 

[DragoFireheart]

I did not buy it, but it was DA2.

The last EA/Bioware game I bought was ME2.

 

[Vorark]

ME3 was the last one I spent my monies on. Only played MEA 'cause it was free and was retarded enough starverd for "sci-fi". Of course, got exactly what I expected: a bunch of SJW nonsense and little sci-fi.

It's amazing how both Dragon Age and Mass Effect IPs went down the drain in less than 10 years.

 

[Tommy Wiseau]

Faggot Age 2 was when the real sodomy began.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

Not trying to be edgy here (and I had to clarify since the Codex declined that much), but I never enjoyed any Bioware game. I tried my best to enjoy Baldur's Gate, and I did manage to push myself to beat the first game, but it felt like a chore.

I kept pirating their games back when their supposed prestige was high, the last one was DA:O.

 

[Theldaran]

There's no going back to DA:O. Chances are the next Dragon Age game is online with microtransactions. Avoid it like the cancer.

 

[Shaewaroz]

I had actually already forgotten how huge disappointment NWN was back in the day, so I voted DA2.

I had high hopes for DA:O, but it didn't live up to the high expectations. It was OK, but not even close to the old Bioware.

 

[fantadomat]

I had actually already forgotten how huge disappointment NWN was back in the day, so I voted DA2.

I had high hopes for DA:O, but it didn't live up to the high expectations. It was OK, but not even close to the old Bioware.

I do enjoy the game a lot. Why was a disappointment? I take it this is american thing.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

I had actually already forgotten how huge disappointment NWN was back in the day, so I voted DA2.

I had high hopes for DA:O, but it didn't live up to the high expectations. It was OK, but not even close to the old Bioware.

I do enjoy the game a lot. Why was a disappointment? I take it this is american thing.

The consolisation was very noticeable for a game marketed at PC gamers in an era before Multiplatform gaming had made people fully expectant of such a move.

The constant stop-start nature of cut-scenes and dialogue breaking up the pace of the game.

'straight' people suddenly finding themselves in a gay sex scene because they autisticly explored all dialogue options.

The massive increase in relationships as a game mechanic generally.

The rather lacklustre encounter design, both in variety and placing combined with not very imaginative locations and scenarios.

 

[Cael]

The consolisation was very noticeable for a game marketed at PC gamers in an era before Multiplatform gaming had made people fully expectant of such a move.

The constant stop-start nature of cut-scenes and dialogue breaking up the pace of the game.

'straight' people suddenly finding themselves in a gay sex scene because they autisticly explored all dialogue options.

The massive increase in relationships as a game mechanic generally.

The rather lacklustre encounter design, both in variety and placing combined with not very imaginative locations and scenarios.

This is very interesting. I was brought up on games like Ultima 4 and Karateka, so my bar is probably not as high as most people's in terms of how the game looks. I found DA:O to be quite pleasant to play and did not notice much of the things you mentioned.

The whole RTwP style of gaming means that the game is going to be fairly stop-start anyway. Sudddenly stopping for a dialogue isn't as noticeable in sure an environment. It would be jarring as hell in a RTS, for example, but fortunately, RTS makers generally do not do that.

I never ran into the gay sex scene accidentally. There were a couple of warning signs early on, and he eventually confronts you about it if you are carrying on with another NPC, where you can tell him that you aren't interested.

Relationships are take it or leave it. The NPC getting +6 to a stat isn't all that important in the slightest.

I don't usually expect imagination from western RPGs. The Tolkein influence is too strong. If you want imaginative zany stuff, go JRPG.

 

[ShadowSpectre]

ME3. I never ended up buying the DLC either, because I had enough of Bioware at that point. Although, I was arguably finished with them over DA:O. It had some good points, but the game felt like a pointless and boring grind. After hours going up that mage tower, I just stopped playing it. Both games left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[DragoFireheart]

There's no going back to DA:O. Chances are the next Dragon Age game is online with microtransactions. Avoid it like the cancer.

I threw my copy in the trash. I can't go back and play it because it just reminds me of the shit Bioware has become.

I could tolerate older stuff but jesus christ.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

I was brought up on games like Ultima 4 and Karateka, so my bar is probably not as high as most people's in terms of how the game looks. I found DA:O to be quite pleasant to play and did not notice much of the things you mentioned.

The ease of playing it was not an issue, in fact it was probably why most people finished it even if they weren't too plussed with it. Yes, it was quite pleasant in a pedestrian kind of way, just not enthralling.

You went from Ultima 4 to DA:O? What were you doing for the intervening 20 years?

 

[Cael]

The ease of playing it was not an issue, in fact it was probably why most people finished it even if they weren't too plussed with it. Yes, it was quite pleasant in a pedestrian kind of way, just not enthralling.

You went from Ultima 4 to DA:O? What were you doing for the intervening 20 years?

Nah. I played a lot of other games in the meantime. it was just an illustration of where I am coming from.

I was brought up in the era of Amiga graphics. Apple Intruders, games like that. My first comp was the Apple IIC in green monochrome :D I didn't even know white monochrome existed until much later. It basically gave me a very high tolerance when it came to graphics and that tolerance persisted even until today. I have no problems playing "dated" games that would have the scenery p0rn gamers scream bloody murder (like they did with FF9, even though that was the WHOLE POINT of the game).

I rather liked DA:O for the micro-stories it had. Zathrian and the Lady of the Forest was a classic tale. The relationship between Anora and Loghain. Cailan being such a manchild was endearing. Alistair less so, probably because we spend so much time with the guy.

What I didn't like was how the developers tried so hard to make it a grey and black world. Whatever happens, someone had to die. There is no saving everyone. They call it "reality". I say, "Keep your freaking reality out of my escapism".

 

[Shaewaroz]

I had actually already forgotten how huge disappointment NWN was back in the day, so I voted DA2.

I had high hopes for DA:O, but it didn't live up to the high expectations. It was OK, but not even close to the old Bioware.

I do enjoy the game a lot. Why was a disappointment? I take it this is american thing.

Are you referring to NWN or DA:O? Both games were disappointing in their own ways. NWN was simply a huge letdown after BG2. It didn't have the large party of awesome NPCs I'd come to appreciate. Quite honestly the only class I could tolerate playing in NWN was the Druid since as a druid I had a familiar and could summon an extra monster to fight alongside me. So this way I artificially created a party of 4. It's pathetic, I know, but without the companions the world just felt so utterly pointless and hollow. While I was playing NWN I constantly wanted to start replaying BG2 for the tenth time instead.

DA:O was marketed to be spiritual successor to the old Bioware games. So I hopped into the hype train. I actually absolutely hated the marketing campaign of DA:O - the blood, gore and sex was nothing like the epic fantasy of the Baldur's Gate series. I mean that's what they wanted to recreate, right? That's what they promised to bring back? The setting and enemies in DA:O were also a huge letdown. I wanted the world to be persistent and cohesive, filled with different exotic (and yet familiar) races and monsters. I dun't even remember the name of the main bad guys in DA:O and don't care enough to google it - they were just orcs but more ugly and dumb. You could never negotiate or try to avoid combat with them like you could in BG. Enemies that are absolutely evil are never interesting to begin with.

I hated how in DA:O you're immediately pushed into the role of the savior and herded you to prevent the doomsday scenario. You are always the most important character in the room - you were constantly referred to as The Gray Warden and everyone knew who you were. In Baldur's Gate, up until the very end of TOB, you were never the most important character in the room! This point is so fucking important I want to shout it out loud! This is what makes Fallout, Morrowind, PS:T, Wizardry 8 and so many other RPGs so great. You are a tiny spec in a vast, logical and consistent world, and you have to work hard to make a difference in those worlds. This was not the case with DA:O.

There were a lot of other problems with DA:O: it was too heavily focused on combat, health and MP regenerated automatically after combat etc. I can't even remember all the problems I had with DA:O. The origin stories were great and companions were interesting, but I just lost the will to play after about 10-15 hours.

And no, I'm not American. Thank God.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

like they did with FF9

So you expected it to be like FF9 and because it was like FF9 you liked it?

 

[Cael]

like they did with FF9

So you expected it to be like FF9 and because it was like FF9 you liked it?

No. They were moaning about how the graphics was a step back from FF7 and FF8 or some such drek, not realising that FF9 was designed as a nostalgic look at the series, complete with heads that are out of proportion with the rest of the body, a fixture of the old FF entries.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

like they did with FF9

So you expected it to be like FF9 and because it was like FF9 you liked it?

No. They were moaning about how the graphics was a step back from FF7 and FF8 or some such drek, not realising that FF9 was designed as a nostalgic look at the series, complete with heads that are out of proportion with the rest of the body, a fixture of the old FF entries.

I don't think anyone complained about the graphics in DA:O.

 

[Cael]

I don't think anyone complained about the graphics in DA:O.

Nevermind. I don't think you're getting what I am referring to.

 

[EnterEther]

Definitely DA: Inquisition. I'm a fan of the open world rpg, but I'd argue that Inquisition wasn't technically open world, and also that it abused fetch quests as a way to feign progression and accomplishment. I battled through ME3 and even gave DA2 a chance, but I couldn't continue with Inquisition.

 

[fantadomat]

like they did with FF9

So you expected it to be like FF9 and because it was like FF9 you liked it?

No. They were moaning about how the graphics was a step back from FF7 and FF8 or some such drek, not realising that FF9 was designed as a nostalgic look at the series, complete with heads that are out of proportion with the rest of the body, a fixture of the old FF entries.

I don't think anyone complained about the graphics in DA:O.

No self respecting codexer should care about graphics!!!

 

[anvi]

I remember lots of people complaining about the graphics in DAO. I never understood it because I thought it looked great. Yeah it was no Crysis but anyone used to playing stuff like BG or NWN must have though it looked great, like me. I could understand the "too brown" complaint, but not enough to mention. Also the character I made in DAO looked freakishly like me in real life, so I loved how I would see a cutscene with all the characters talking and there would be me in there talking to people. I got a kick out of that. I loved how the dialogue was done in a cinematic way too, rather than the isometric view staying put like it does in NWN etc, in DAO it goes into a dialogue camera mode were it zooms in on people talking. Yet out in combat you get an action RPG view or you can zoom it upwards to get a more tactical view. Technically I thought that game was awesome, everything played well, the spells felt instant etc. It felt great. I just thought the gameplay was lacking which was a big problem for me. But it was DA2 that made think oh fuck this.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I am amazed how long you all have cringed to hope. The last Bioware game I played was Jade Empire. When I looked at screenshots for Mass Effect and saw dialogue wheel I decided the game was not for me.

 

[anvi]

Jade Empire had some kind of interesting combat, especially for a single player game.

 

[Mexi]

I liked DA: O. Played the DA: 2 demo and haven't looked back at BioWare since.