PC Gamer reviews Dragon Age

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

"Taking control of the main character, I tell my party to wait back in the narrow pass. Then I stealth forward. This will turn out to be a common enough tactic for me that I eventually put the "Hold Position" and "Stealth" commands on my character's shortcut options."


On the other hand, this sounds exactly like something mentioned a few days ago in the Baldur's Gate discussions.



Still, it probably shouldn't take getting killed more than once before you start paying attention.

 

[MetalCraze]

Dude did you watch the tournament? There were RPG vets who had played BG 1 and 2 multiple time getting their ass whooped in the first few minutes on NORMAL.

And?
Getting their ass whooped in the first few minutes of the game because they don't know all mechanics yet means that the game is challenging or something? Or it has tactical depth?

This next-gen logic is retarded - any game where the gameplay is something more than a single-cell brainless button-mashing of ME/JE/GoW is considered tacticalstrategicalhardcore today. Who gives a shit that it plays just like any korean MMO and has just as much "tactics" (buff and then keep healing tank while DDs help kill the mob) - this is now taktikkks

 

[LazyD]

I care...

 

[Volourn]

More crying? WOWSERS!

 

[roll-a-die]

This next-gen logic is retarded - any game where the gameplay is something more than a single-cell brainless button-mashing of ME/JE/GoW is considered tacticalstrategicalhardcore today. Who gives a shit that it plays just like any korean MMO and has just as much "tactics" (buff and then keep healing tank while DDs help kill the mob) - this is now taktikkks

Hmm you mean exactly like BG and Arcanum. IE buff/summon creature, stealth in, pull mob(s), heal, DPS, heal, mob(s) dead, rest, next pull? Or are you complaining that it doesn't have X-Com/JA level of tactics? When it's not an S-RPG.

And what I meant by that is these were RPG veterans. They died 10 mins in and continued dieing regularly for the entire 24 hour compo. Most of the time when they made a mistake like not focusing fire or jumping into to big of a fight or going into an encounter before they were ready or any number of other reasons.

The funny thing is I think I remember mainstream people were making comments about how tactical GoW/ME was simply because it had a cover system.

 

[Texas Red]

I have faith that DA will be difficult. I had to load and reload many times in ME. Regeneration was reserved for only few classes though or armor upgrades. And also you had 5-7 healing packs(number depending on the upgrades) that had a cool down period after every use. There were several enemies that rushed towards players and one-hit killed them in melee.

All in all I think Bio got the obvious point that difficulty = enjoyment. ME's combat compared to tunnel crawling found in JE, KotOR1 and NWNs without any kind of difficulty was a good improvement.

 

[Serious_Business]

Youa re a fuckin' piece of shit loser

who sucks at gaming

Precision is very necessary

Nice thread didn't read it

fuckin'g piece of shit loser

 

[Deleted member 7219]

PC Gamer

They don't review games, they give them blowjobs.

Bloody hell, the Codex is stupid. If you really think the mags are paid to write good reviews, then surely it is the mags that are being given the blowjobs by the game companies, not the other way around.

Let's put this stupid "sucking Bioware/Bethesda's cock" myth to bed.

 

[Gay-Lussac]

^ My worldview has been shattered.

 

[Micmu]

But... mags like cock!

 

[Texas Red]

PC Gamer

They don't review games, they give them blowjobs.

Bloody hell, the Codex is stupid. If you really think the mags are paid to write good reviews, then surely it is the mags that are being given the blowjobs by the game companies, not the other way around.

Let's put this stupid "sucking Bioware/Bethesda's cock" myth to bed.

It would benefit a mag more to release an early review before all others. That way it not only generates more interest than other mags, but also more than websites which usually have the edge. What does the Man care who releases their screenshots and footage first as long as it is released?

 

[Silellak]

PC Gamer

They don't review games, they give them blowjobs.

Bloody hell, the Codex is stupid. If you really think the mags are paid to write good reviews, then surely it is the mags that are being given the blowjobs by the game companies, not the other way around.

Let's put this stupid "sucking Bioware/Bethesda's cock" myth to bed.

It's not really a question that game reviewers and software companies have a mutually beneficial relationship - game companies give websites and magazines the news "exclusives" that help keep them in business, and in exchange, those publications might give a hyped game a higher score than it probably deserves. Not to mention those are the same game companies that provide advertising that helps keep gaming media (both on and offline) alive. If the score is too low, those publications might be left out of the loop when it comes time for that company to out their Next Big Story, or might lose some valuable advertising dollars. Just look at the inflated GTA4 scores, or the scandal with Gamestop's review of Kane and Lynch.

Am I saying that this particular review or even PC Gamer is part of this? Nope, because I don't really know, and it's annoying when people cry "sell-out!!" just because they don't agree with a particular review. But it's foolish to deny that it happens, or to claim that gaming media doesn't have a vested interest in keeping game companies happy.

 

[Zed]

Gaming mags are dying because only losers buy them nowadays. PC Gamer give crack and BJs for early reviews and exclusives.

 

[Trithne]

When it's not an S-RPG.

 

[roll-a-die]

Trithne are they marketing it as an Strategy-RPG? Or a normal old-style Computer-RPG?

 

[MetalCraze]

Hmm you mean exactly like BG and Arcanum. IE buff/summon creature, stealth in, pull mob(s), heal, DPS, heal, mob(s) dead, rest, next pull?

That's exactly why IE combat sucks. Except in BG you also had to think about what you are doing since you couldn't rest always. Here after each combat encounter everything regenerates just in a few seconds. And people call this crap "challenging"?

I don't understand Arcanum's comparison though - you control only 1 character

S-RPG

Don't type that Ass-RPG shit, you sound like a next-gen prick. Seriously.

And what I meant by that is these were RPG veterans. They died 10 mins in and continued dieing regularly for the entire 24 hour compo.

I thought you meant 'first few minutes'?
But so what? OMG characters were dying in a game - can you imagine that?

Most of the time when they made a mistake like not focusing fire or jumping into to big of a fight or going into an encounter before they were ready or any number of other reasons.

"Veterans"? You mean guys who don't know how to play?

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

My copy of Dragon Age is in the mail with overnight shipping oh boy OH BOY. Unfortunately I may have fucked up my address so it will go to the post office instead of my door, so god damn it.

 

[Volourn]

Is metal crying AGAIN!?!

 

[yes plz]

he has a very sensitive anus, so you should be more caring

 

[GarfunkeL]

Even if the combat was exactly like in IE-games, it's still nothing to write home about. Sure, it's better than ME/JE but that's not really an achievement when talking about RPG's. That is Skyways point.

 

[roll-a-die]

Hmm you mean exactly like BG and Arcanum. IE buff/summon creature, stealth in, pull mob(s), heal, DPS, heal, mob(s) dead, rest, next pull?

That's exactly why IE combat sucks. Except in BG you also had to think about what you are doing since you couldn't rest always. Here after each combat encounter everything regenerates just in a few seconds. And people call this crap "challenging"?

I don't understand Arcanum's comparison though - you control only 1 character

S-RPG

Don't type that Ass-RPG shit, you sound like a next-gen prick. Seriously.

And what I meant by that is these were RPG veterans. They died 10 mins in and continued dieing regularly for the entire 24 hour compo.

I thought you meant 'first few minutes'?
But so what? OMG characters were dying in a game - can you imagine that?

Most of the time when they made a mistake like not focusing fire or jumping into to big of a fight or going into an encounter before they were ready or any number of other reasons.

"Veterans"? You mean guys who don't know how to play?

Going completely randomly through your questions.

About twelve hours in The top team(IE the one that died the least) in the tourney had around 150+ deaths/reloads.

SO if you were in a rush you wouldn't make a mistake? Fifty large would make anyone who doesn't routinely have that much money go stupid and make mistakes.

It's challenging in that you make a small mistake and you're dead. your toons will drop like flies if they get split up. Add in that if a toon dies and is respawned you get a big debuff that stacks until you get back to camp and heal it.

Rather keep hopes for the future than gaze morbidly on the past.

Even if the combat was exactly like in IE-games, it's still nothing to write home about. Sure, it's better than ME/JE but that's not really an achievement when talking about RPG's. That is Skyways point.

Was eating dinner as I was writing this so I'm editing this in.

I see so. What would be the perfect real time RPG combat system to you? Would you prefer something like the twitch melee based Morrowind/Oblivion system or the FPS based VtM;B combat? Would you like something similar to the recent SMT Raido series of games? What games do you feel real-time combat was done well in? Would you prefer that or some other games system?(It has to be real time because both dragon age and BG are both real time)

Point is when people think about Old School RPG combat systems they think of one game and that is Baldurs Gate and the Infinity Engine games. I personally prefer X-Com's system but meh most people didn't play X-Com. Or if they did gave up because it was too hard.

 

[GarfunkeL]

X-Com was quite popular back then.

Anyway, if you want a party, make it turnbased. It's always better. Infinity/Aurora-games manage with the autopause options and with party AI turned off but I would prefer it turnbased. But if it has to be realtime, then Operation Flashpoint comes to mind. Make the areas big enough so it's not just run into tunnel and press all the combos as quick as possible while spamming potions and hoping your guys have better stats than the monsters.

 

[Annonchinil]

I doubt that the game is easy but maybe its difficulty is exaggerated? Would it not be lowered with better character development and by not rushing the game, for example by doing more side quests?

 

[Jaime Lannister]

he has a very sensitive anus, so you should be more caring

the volourn does not feel for your soft human anuii

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I doubt that the game is easy but maybe its difficulty is exaggerated? Would it not be lowered with better character development and by not rushing the game, for example by doing more side quests?

Unless an encounter scales.