Tell me what is wrong with this DA video

[Texas Red]

Looks like it could be okay-ish in the vein of BG series with some improved quest variety and such, if the trailer is any indication of that, but the ye olde fantasy setting with elves + fake english accents + booring rt&pause combat makes for another typical Bioware snooze inducer.

Okayish in the vein of BG? BG was a combat simulator with *every* quest leading you to plunder some dungeon. Dialogs where your only response is to lick ass or refuse quests. Extremely limited character system, no &C and not even cosmetic choices. I know you're a Latvian but DA seems to have been improved in every possible way, except in the graphics but then again, nobody is going to rival well done 2D.

DA looks better than most RPG, to be honest. If you will every replay FO you will notice just how *small* the game is, and just how far it is from the RPGCodex preferences.

Right now most of the posters are just whining about art direction and the generic settings. I always say if a generic system is loaded with RPG goodness, it can be an excellent game. Certainly more fun to get real responses, perhaps some cosmetic/semi real C&C than going around fetching sandwiches or going to a dungeon that takes 4 hours to complete. If you enjoyed Witcher, NWN 2, Bloodlines or any other RPG which are never perfect, I'd wager you're going to like DA, an also inperfect game but, as with others, some considerable strengths.

 

[Haba]

Dragon Age

 

[heiamll]

Your missing the point, mmo boss fights aren't hard, just very restricted and rely heavily on timing. There is no challenge because there is no room for personal input, improvisation or quick thinking. If one person "slips-up" (ie his mother calls im down for dinner) everyone risks getting wiped. It's like one big multiheaded quick time event.

How would that be any different than the Kangaxx lich fight in BG2? Not being prepared or making a mistake during the battle can doom you really quick.

 

[JrK]

How would that be any different than the Kangaxx lich fight in BG2? Not being prepared or making a mistake during the battle can doom you really quick.

That was one of the stupidest fights in the whole game.

I really really like the key thing in the vid. If the entire game is more like that it might be good fun regardless of shitty combat. Though, knowing Bioware, there will probably be 70% combat...

 

[Stereotypical Villain]

Question: What's wrong with this DA video?

Answer: It's a Dragon Age video.

 

[The Feral Kid]

How would that be any different than the Kangaxx lich fight in BG2? Not being prepared or making a mistake during the battle can doom you really quick.

That was one of the stupidest fights in the whole game.

It's probably together with the rival party battle at the Guarded Compound the definitive battle in BG 2. (Unless you're one of those lucky or unlucky enough to do the quest that required a certain rogue stone to open a doorway, and engage in the savagery that followed.)

 

[Starwars]

Since the video is fairly old, this might be fixed by now, but the animations look a bit odd for being such a "cinematic" game. At least in the regular conversations, the arms kinda look like they don't belong to the rest of the body.

Still, I never thought DA is going to be the disaster everyone here thinks it'll be. Much of the typical Biowareness will be there unfortunately, but if the origin stuff *do* change some stuff in the game (and I certainly believe it will) then I think it could be worth playing.

The biggest thing that puts me off is how the "dark fantasy" was handled. They could've done something really interesting with it, but from what they've shown, it really looks bland.

Still, I'm looking forward to trying it out. If it *is* reminiscant of BG (not my favourite game at all but still good enough to play definetely) then I think it could be fun.

But to answer the OPs question. Come on man, it's the Codex and DA is a game by Bioware. Codexers aren't allowed to do anything else than hate it.

 

[Black]

This is a video from before bioware was eaten by ea.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Looks like it could be okay-ish in the vein of BG series with some improved quest variety and such, if the trailer is any indication of that, but the ye olde fantasy setting with elves + fake english accents + booring rt&pause combat makes for another typical Bioware snooze inducer.

Okayish in the vein of BG? BG was a combat simulator with *every* quest leading you to plunder some dungeon.

That's why i said ''improved quest variety''. Should've stressed that. Though as you may understand yourself, even though you're a Russian, many times it has been that devs make for some pretty interesting, diverse starting locations with fun quests, especially for trailer/hype purposes and then make the remainder of the game a combat simulator (Lionheart anyone). So, if this 'origin' thingie and general questing is like in the trailer for the most game, i say it's good despite the done to death, sissy ass high fantasy setting.

 

[Sander]

Okayish in the vein of BG? BG was a combat simulator with *every* quest leading you to plunder some dungeon. Dialogs where your only response is to lick ass or refuse quests. Extremely limited character system, no &C and not even cosmetic choices. I know you're a Latvian but DA seems to have been improved in every possible way, except in the graphics but then again, nobody is going to rival well done 2D.

Baldur's Gate was pretty damn boring.

Baldur's Gate 2, however, wasn't. It had some diverse characters, a variety of sidequests and a large and somewhat involving storyline. It pretended to offer choices that turned out to not matter (like join the vampire queen bitch or don't, whatever it all happens the same way anyway), as is standard for Bioware, and it was basically a walking cliche, but cliches can be fun nonetheless.
It looks like Dragon Age is trying to do the same thing, but so far all that's been seen of it is an attempt to be more gritty/EXTREME(gritty and dark = interesting apparently), shitty, shitty voice-acting and stupid characters that don't seem anywhere near as interesting as anything done in Baldur's Gate 2.

And Bioware has claimed to choices and consuences with basically every single one of their releases. Not once have they actually made good on that promise. I don't see how this will be any different.

 

[Texas Red]

Looks like it could be okay-ish in the vein of BG series with some improved quest variety and such, if the trailer is any indication of that, but the ye olde fantasy setting with elves + fake english accents + booring rt&pause combat makes for another typical Bioware snooze inducer.

Okayish in the vein of BG? BG was a combat simulator with *every* quest leading you to plunder some dungeon.

That's why i said ''improved quest variety''. Should've stressed that. Though as you may understand yourself, even though you're a Russian, many times it has been that devs make for some pretty interesting, diverse starting locations with fun quests, especially for trailer/hype purposes and then make the remainder of the game a combat simulator (Lionheart anyone). So, if this 'origin' thingie and general questing is like in the trailer for the most game, i say it's good despite the done to death, sissy ass high fantasy setting.

That's not valid criticism and even a Latvian should know that. The majority of RPGs start out good and end in a hack fest or have long dungeons in the middle.

While DA will have responses based on your origin, other legend RPGs lack that all together. In Arcanum, where such a system was more or less present, your race played a small role and never lead to any quests, just minor comments. Plus you could have been an elf but if your beauty was low, another elf would treat you just the same as an orc. Having a positive reaction modifier, be you either an elf or a dwarf, would not lead to any differences among common quest givers/NPCs. For example, as an elf you still have to either persuade the elf in Stillwater or make a quest for him if you wanted to know the location of the elven home. An elf could walk freely in the dwarven clans and so could a dwarf in the elven home.

Right now the origins seems like a great idea and judging by the videos pretty significant part of the gameplay. Of course you could say that Bioware is bullshitting and the game can end drastically different than presented, but that would be the same as saying that you can't judge a game until you have fully played it.

 

[entertainer]

Latvians about RPGs itt

 

[Rhalle]

It will be Bioware cartoony as always-- but with blood, which may end up making for a pretty laughable combination.

The game is ugly; the character and weapon models suck and the animations are shit. And the art folks obviously played too much WoW and decided to make a WoWy-looking world and WoWy combat, with a NWN pedigree, in a NWN2 engine.

Of course DA was supposed to be striving for realism.

And you can bet that for all the talk of pause and play strategy that it's going to play exactly like NWN-- quasi-realtime rounds where you just kick back and let the AI do the work unless it is unresponsive and you are forced to switch to another character..

I used to be excited about (and a supporter of) DA, but not anymore.

When EA marketing ate them around Christmas and they did a 180 on everything the game had been about since it's inception, I resolved not to fanboy for BW ever again.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Okay, DI, it's coll.:latvian:

Btw.

Location: Close to Latvia

Whatyamean ''close''? Where is that?

snip

Whatabout jews? I bet they're involved in this somehow, no?

 

[Zyrxil]

Your missing the point, mmo boss fights aren't hard, just very restricted and rely heavily on timing. There is no challenge because there is no room for personal input, improvisation or quick thinking. If one person "slips-up" (ie his mother calls im down for dinner) everyone risks getting wiped. It's like one big multiheaded quick time event.

That's just completely untrue. You follow the general plan going in, but 1 or 2 people will die during even successful kills. Raid recovery happens plenty of times. The main healer dying isn't automatic fail if the warrior reacts and uses an emergency 10 second survival ability and the leader quickly rotates backup healers in. 50% of the raid dying with the boss at 5% hp and no tanks left isn't absolutely fail if a ranged class can successfully kite it around the room and let the mages plink away.

 

[santino27]

How would that be any different than the Kangaxx lich fight in BG2? Not being prepared or making a mistake during the battle can doom you really quick.

That was one of the stupidest fights in the whole game.

It's probably together with the rival party battle at the Guarded Compound the definitive battle in BG 2. (Unless you're one of those lucky or unlucky enough to do the quest that required a certain rogue stone to open a doorway, and engage in the savagery that followed.)

The rogue stone fight (the twisted rune, I think it was?) was fun, but crazy. I remember stumbling onto it accidentally, and then thinking to myself... wait... a beholder, two liches, a crazy-ass vampire... WTF!?! I died quickly, as I was totally unprepared.

 

[Jaesun]

The biggest thing that puts me off is how the "dark fantasy" was handled. They could've done something really interesting with it, but from what they've shown, it really looks bland.

This times ten billion.

 

[1eyedking]

Your missing the point, mmo boss fights aren't hard, just very restricted and rely heavily on timing. There is no challenge because there is no room for personal input, improvisation or quick thinking. If one person "slips-up" (ie his mother calls im down for dinner) everyone risks getting wiped. It's like one big multiheaded quick time event.

That's just completely untrue. You follow the general plan going in, but 1 or 2 people will die during even successful kills. Raid recovery happens plenty of times. The main healer dying isn't automatic fail if the warrior reacts and uses an emergency 10 second survival ability and the leader quickly rotates backup healers in. 50% of the raid dying with the boss at 5% hp and no tanks left isn't absolutely fail if a ranged class can successfully kite it around the room and let the mages plink away.

You can sugar coat it all you like, but it's still tedious grinding.

 

[Volourn]

"Not once have they actually made good on that promise."

Stop lying. Every single one of BIO's (action) RPGs have had choices and conseqeunces in them.

 

[Jaesun]

Every single day the sun rises in the sky.

 

[Sander]

"Not once have they actually made good on that promise."

Stop lying. Every single one of BIO's (action) RPGs have had choices and conseqeunces in them.

I lulzed a bit. In my pants.

I can barely believe you're still around as the ultimate Bioware troll, Vollie.

 

[Mystary!]

Your missing the point, mmo boss fights aren't hard, just very restricted and rely heavily on timing. There is no challenge because there is no room for personal input, improvisation or quick thinking. If one person "slips-up" (ie his mother calls im down for dinner) everyone risks getting wiped. It's like one big multiheaded quick time event.

That's just completely untrue. You follow the general plan going in, but 1 or 2 people will die during even successful kills. Raid recovery happens plenty of times. The main healer dying isn't automatic fail if the warrior reacts and uses an emergency 10 second survival ability and the leader quickly rotates backup healers in. 50% of the raid dying with the boss at 5% hp and no tanks left isn't absolutely fail if a ranged class can successfully kite it around the room and let the mages plink away.

But it's still like a big choreographed dance, it's not very challenging, it's mostly twitch-based.

 

[Mystary!]

How would that be any different than the Kangaxx lich fight in BG2? Not being prepared or making a mistake during the battle can doom you really quick.

Sure, it's not the wiping part thats the problem, it is how your challanged. With the Kangaxx fight there are several different ways to win, while in mmo fights you follow the same a pattern over and over again. One challenges the mind, the other your motoric skills.

 

[SimpleComplexity]

What is it with Codexers being retarded and calling everything not turn-based QTEs? Witcher combat is QTE, WoW endgame is QTE, I bet you think Diablo/et al is a QTE too. Is it the new buzzword? I'm going to take a blind stab and say that you don't actually understand what the term means.

What is it with Codexers being retarted and calling everyone "Codexers being retarted" , just because one or a tiny part from the Codex said it.

 

[Gay-Lussac]

What is it with Codexers being retarded and calling everything not turn-based QTEs? Witcher combat is QTE, WoW endgame is QTE, I bet you think Diablo/et al is a QTE too. Is it the new buzzword? I'm going to take a blind stab and say that you don't actually understand what the term means.

Sure, it's not the wiping part thats the problem, it is how your challanged. With the Kangaxx fight there are several different ways to win, while in mmo fights you follow the same a pattern over and over again. One challenges the mind, the other your motoric skills.

So you ignored everyone saying "it's perfectly possible to recover after the main tank/healer dies" or "there are more than one way to complete an encounter, such as this, and this"? FYI, I find it funny you keep citing Kangaxx as a tactical challenge as if there's ever been a tactical challenge in a Bioware game--and no, having one character kite an ogre around while the party pelts it with missiles in BG1 doesn't count. BG2 combat is a matter of spamming the same spells over and over and over (in SoA: khelben's warding whip breach horrid wilting horrid wilting horrid wilting here are some summoned elementals, in ToB: comet, time stop, alacrity, dragon's breath, dragon's breath, summon planetar zzzzz), or using exploits (laying traps, scrolls of protection from magic) to cheat the retarded NPC AI. For that matter, how many abilities do your non-spellcasting characters even have? Oh, that's right. They charge in, buffed to the gills with immunity to everything, and then auto-attack until enemies fall over dead. Fun.

Thats BS specially the ToB part. The boss fights with ascension each required different tactics. Just do what you mentioned and prepared to get butt raped. And nobody is forcing you to use what you consider to be exploits (which I do to).