What was RIGHT with DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

[Captain Shrek]

DIACLAIMER: The OP has NEVER BOUGHT a game in this series. He has played DA2 for 4 hours after... acquiring it. He thinks DA2 should be sent back where it came from, up the digestive cavity of EA.

At the risk of being covered by feces of angry Chimps and orangs I will risk writing this up. Let me be clear: DA series is by no means GREAT. When the book of CRPGs is written in the blood donated generously by Avellone (hallowed be thy name), the entry for DA will read, "another pile of shit by Bioware".

But every shit looks a little golden if you look at it sideways when sunlight falls on it at this specific angle and..err whatever.

DA:O by my reckoning did two things very well:

It created reasonably good looking RPGesque experience where you could create a character from scratch and watch it grow into an invulnerable tank through repetitive game-play, all the while the world responding to it according to how you started the game -> Yes. The Origins. In my opinion it was a unique experiment that went rather well! Even when the origins were quite limited (there being only 6 origins), they offered distinct game-plays which reflected upon your character nicely and gave a conclusively enriched and evolving story.

The second was the ambiguous lore. Hear me out before you curl that prehensile tail of yours and reach for your bottoms! The DA:O has some very lore centric gameplay: Lore elements central to the plot like the identity of the Old Gods, The possibility of the Maker, The mystery of Fade, the Secret of Felmeth and the nature of Lyrium are very nicely kept out of your reach while engaging you in Codices that give opinions of Thedasians on these things. Most of which only make you more curious than less.

If DA series is to be salvaged at all, then these are two elements that MUST be somehow retained and expanded upon.

Of course GAMEPLAY WAS SHIT, ENCOUNTERS WERE FILLER AND LEVEL DESIGN WAS HORRID (Saving my ass).

So guys. Here it is. [/u][/i]

 

[Jaesun]

Hey another DA II Thread!!

edit: OMG! It's a DA:O thread!

 

[Xor]

Well, one thing they did right was release a demo so I could be convinced not to even bother torrenting this shit.

 

[Commissar Draco]

The origins were nice as I hate predefined PCs and it had the epic story (yes I'm storyfag)... some C&C but they have pussied out and dragons which were not trash mobs like in DA2. Speaking of trash mobs they atleast were not respawning from the air. Graphics but not art direction was better, 6/10 which is worth torrenting but not buying. Worse than Morrowind (7,5/10 and bought legaly) but better than any Betpizda game eversince.

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

The Origins
the iso cam
The skills for the dog
The quest where you save the possessed kid

Thats all I can come up with

 

[Lightknight]

What was RIGHT with DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

The voice acting.

 

[Serious_Business]

Well this is actually a thread about DA1 and not DA2, so I'll reply to it.

The origins : I beg to disagree. In fact, I disagree a whole lot. I agree that, in theory, on paper, opening vignettes are a good (even perhaps mandatory) idea for a rpg. I liked them a lot, especially the Dwarf ones. However, it broke down in a horrible way because the rest of the game was traditional Bio fare. You have this potentially great setup of evolving in an original setting (the dwarven culture), and then - "fuck you, go fight the orcs". It was almost cruel how much the whole thing degenerates to inconsequentiality. The origins don't make a difference, same thing with any Bioware C&C. They are here to taunt you, gaud you into lowering your defences, and give praise, just like you did. You've just been trolled. It could have been so much better. So yes, I prefer the DA2 approach where you just play Shepperd. Less crushed hopes that way

The lore is fucking terrible in DA1. It's bad : too much hamering of stories that have no consequence on what you see around you. No subtetly. Not to mention, of course, generic. I won't go into details but bottom of the line, fuck you. It could, again, have been so much more. Crafting a world from scratch? Fuck yes. So let's get started. Huhhh. Bioware meeting room. Huhhh. Let's put in elves and dragons. YEAAAAAA. Ambiguous lore? Yeah so how bout sucking my dick. Here's a funny story that I just picked up : did you know that the events of DA1, the orcs invading, happened 4 times before the game? It's the 5th time the orcs invade with dragons, called "old gods". Yeah, real lovecraftian horror right here. Fight the bad guys, go home, shitty humour, everyone's fucking fat and inconsequential and drinking their coffee and having a good comfortable time welcome to Bioware imagination

 

[Jaime Lannister]

Best combat from a mainstream RPG since TOEE. No joke. DA2's combat looks like shit so I didn't even bother with it.

Too many trash mobs though, especially in the ice caves, worst part of the game by far.

 

[RK47]

I can actually appreciate them putting effort into writing descriptions into their weapons.
There were efforts made to immerse, no matter how bad it is. I wasn't reminded that this game is in fact...a fucking stupid generic game like DA2 icon inventory was. They wrote several paragraphs for several unique artifacts, just like it was in BG and IWD.

After finishing DA2, I look back and appreciate that monsters are actually set pieces and they don't fucking spawn like ninjas. A common occurance in DA2 is to walk down one alley and sighed because 12 random faggots would pop out and start fighting. This in a city mind you, the first year there made sense, but by the time i was champion, the thugs still dared to attack me. Makes no fucking sense to me.

Unique maps are rare in DA2 as well. Recycled warehouse, caves, dungeons, fuck, even WILDERNESS. I felt this is damning evidence of a rushed product. Just look at DA 1 locales and you can see loads of difference. The Circle of Magi in Dragon Age 1 alone cannot be beat by any content in the sequel. Where was the spark of creativity that created DA1's Fade segment? Yet another proof of a rushed product.

In short this is what Dragon Age Origins got right:

1. Their origins.
Serious Biz got a point. But I still liked it anyway, it gave me a chance to experience the game differently. Albeit slight. Not so much in DA2.

2. Flexible and much deeper inventory system.
Archer Warriors, Arcane Warriors, Dual Wield Warriors. All these EXISTED. It wasn't optimal, but it's there. I could make Zhevran wear heavy plate. Whyne could make a good Mage in Plate armor. This is gone in Sequel. COMPLETELY gone.

3. Somewhat good setting and party ditch mechanics.
The Fade. I also liked the Holy Ashes a bit. And the fact you could kill several followers upon meeting them was a nice touch.

4. The Ending and Presentation
DA:O had at least explanations of what happened to each party members at the end. Speaking with them in the throne room at the end of the game, facing them as the new King of Ferelden...was a nice touch. There was nothing resolved by the end of DA2. The champion simply walked away after killing both factions, and his party split apart to god knows where. Another EA rush job.

 

[Daemongar]

I quit DA1 half way through because it got so boring, but did go back to finish it to see if it was as bad as everyone here said. It was. I started the game as a dwarf casteless rogue, and the start was ok but eventually got madening.

Some things were good:
1. The dog, and that you could add warpaints and all that (but he's offset by that enchantment guy.)
2. Some voices, and some of the side stories. Won't go into how much I hated EVERYTHING about Allistar. Will say that Morrigan was nicely voiced, animated, but by the end of the game, she really has no more depth than when you meet her. Same with almost all the characters backstories, except Zevhran, and in order to hear his tale, you know, he has to ravage your asshole.
3. The speciality classes looked promising (dwarf rogue assassin dualist I think I was)
4. One thing about it is at the beginning I hoped for more complexity, or choices having meaning, or gritty Darklands style hopelessness, or maybe some manner to alter an outcome here or there. For the first half of the game, that hope was kind of dangled in front of me, so that's not bad.
5. The finishing of quests to "raise an army" seemed kind of like it would have an influence, and had some promise.
6. The set bonuses, and uh, some of the inventory management was poor to ok. Being able to buy backpacks here and there was interesting. The buying of books to raise abilities was a neet touch you don't get in most D&D games. (Not that it mattered, but still.)
7. The Codex was interesting, but poorly laid out. The notes on your companions would update as you roamed through the game. That was kind of nice.
8. There were some hidden quests in there that were only revealed through the notes and stuff. The romance notes were kind of funny. Some Bioware peeked through here and there in that Journal.
9. The tactics part was an attempt to be a little different. Didn't do it for me, but I can see where it would be handy. Oddly, all I could think of was the tactics options in U7 were so much more simpler but accomplished the same thing. I like manually telling everyone what to do.

Ah, it's hard to compliment the game. I could compose a list of 100 gripes, but everyone has heard them all.

 

[sser]

Politics of Orzammar. The Sacred Ashes quest. The quest with the kid and blood magic. That one guy having a legitimate reason for backstabbing everyone at the Ostgar battle. He was the most realistic character in the entire game, really, with the asshole Dwarven politicians a close second. I thought most of the characters were pretty well done. Battles were challenging on Nightmare.

 

[circ]

Fucking Biofanboys. How to improve DA:O in so and so many easy steps:

Note, DA 2 can not be improved, only uninstalled. I'm pretty sure it was done in a week, the voice cast was sent on a 9 month holiday as the BW team ate and ate and ate, and the rest of the time was spent recording the voice actors voices.

Also note, improving something doesn't necessarily make it playable. As is the case with DA:O.

Anyway, steps.

Delete Alistair. I'm sorry Steve Valentine, you're fantastic, but Alistair is just shit.

Delete most of Morrigan's resources. Delete Claudia Black. Delete Morrigan romance, it's fucking stupid. Delete Morrigan default face and replace with one from a mod that makes her look like the trailer Morrigan, ie. a little bit realistic. Delete shapeshifter too, fucking useless.

Delete Wynne. All of it. If I want an old guy mentor character, I'll take Jolee Bindo, not a menopausal patronizing badly drawn piece of shit. You hate blood magic but don't mind me chosing blood mage as my spec? Ok, makes sense.

Delete Leliana romance. Delete Leliana voice files except battle quips. Replace Leliana model with mod one. Improve bard, it's shit-ish. Improve Ranger too while you're at it. What the fuck, animal summoner and that's it?

Delete Zevran. Leliana makes a better lock picker and generic thief. Some very very rare party banter is ok, but would require restoring Wynne too. No can do.

Make Oghren recruitable from day 1.

Delete Fade, Denerim, Brecilian forest, Mage tower, Ostagar, half of Deep Roads.

Hire competent coders and designers to rework Orzammar and Redcliff.

Reintegrate Shale into original game. All the resources are there, but you're telling me it was separately coded DLC? Bullshit. Not the most amazing groupmate by any means, but workable.

Hire competent people to look over skills and spells and quests, and then rewrite them.

Delete entire story and hire writer or writers not lacking large portions of their brains.

Hire artists that know the difference between pencils and drawing with your own shit-smeared hand.

Delete soundtrack and then hire any musician not named Inon or Jeremy.

That's for starters.

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

The Good in DA:O :

Well it got me to play some better fantasy games.

 

[CrimsonAngel]

The combat in DA:O was better and it only was brought down by the fact that a lot of the fights where badly designed and a TON of trash.

IF they had removed a ton of the trash and put more time into improving some of the fights it would be great, but you know bioware.

 

[Jaesun]

The combat in DA:O was better and it only was brought down by the fact that a lot of the fights where badly designed and a TON of trash.

IF they had removed a ton of the trash and put more time into improving some of the fights it would be great, but you know bioware.

Imagine if they had cut all romances, period, and spent all that extra time on, oh I dunno.... the rest of the game....

 

[Volourn]

"3. Somewhat good setting and party ditch mechanics.
The Fade. I also liked the Holy Ashes a bit. And the fact you could kill several followers upon meeting them was a nice touch. "

You can ditch party members in DA2. You can kill them. You can avoid them altogether. people are fukkin' moaning about not being able to find Iseballa (despite the fact she's in one of the two fukkin' taverns lmfao.. how the fyuck do you NOt go a tavern in a RPG first thing?HAHAH) and losing her for the entire game because if you don't interact with her at all in ch1(which is very long unless you do a speedy gonzales run as it took me 18ish hours though if I din't relax a bit it would have taken 14 hours or so). then these punks bitched and moaned some more at BIo ebcause they dared to hype a characetr so much yet make it possible for the player to miss. HAHAHAHA! So much fukkin' butthurt over b00bies!!!


There's lots of good things about DA1.. but, unelss the game turns to shit starting now... I don't know if it is worth outranking a game that has better consequences then DA1.

 

[curry]

You can ditch party members in DA2. You can kill them. You can avoid them altogether. people are fukkin' moaning about not being able to find Iseballa (despite the fact she's in one of the two fukkin' taverns lmfao.. how the fyuck do you NOt go a tavern in a RPG first thing?HAHAH) and losing her for the entire game because if you don't interact with her at all in ch1(which is very long unless you do a speedy gonzales run as it took me 18ish hours though if I din't relax a bit it would have taken 14 hours or so). then these punks bitched and moaned some more at BIo ebcause they dared to hype a characetr so much yet make it possible for the player to miss. HAHAHAHA! So much fukkin' butthurt over b00bies!!!


There's lots of good things about DA1.. but, unelss the game turns to shit starting now... I don't know if it is worth outranking a game that has better consequences then DA1.

What's with all the bioware dick riding?

 

[Jaesun]

You can ditch party members in DA2. You can kill them. You can avoid them altogether. people are fukkin' moaning about not being able to find Iseballa (despite the fact she's in one of the two fukkin' taverns lmfao.. how the fyuck do you NOt go a tavern in a RPG first thing?HAHAH) and losing her for the entire game because if you don't interact with her at all in ch1(which is very long unless you do a speedy gonzales run as it took me 18ish hours though if I din't relax a bit it would have taken 14 hours or so). then these punks bitched and moaned some more at BIo ebcause they dared to hype a characetr so much yet make it possible for the player to miss. HAHAHAHA! So much fukkin' butthurt over b00bies!!!


There's lots of good things about DA1.. but, unelss the game turns to shit starting now... I don't know if it is worth outranking a game that has better consequences then DA1.

What's with all the bioware dick riding?

What is your personal favorite cRPG curry?

 

[made]

There was nothing unique or innovative about the origins. In fact, it's a staple feature of MMOs - a genre DAO tried so hard to emulate.

 

[Lesifoere]

Best combat from a mainstream RPG since TOEE. No joke. DA2's combat looks like shit so I didn't even bother with it.

WoW has better combat.

<3

 

[made]

WoW also has better lore. And better balanced classes and abilities.

<3

 

[Lesifoere]

WoW also has better lore. And better balanced classes and abilities.

<3

And better graphics/art direction too!

 

[curry]

What is your personal favorite cRPG curry?

Gothic 2

 

[ironyuri]

You can ditch party members in DA2. You can kill them. You can avoid them altogether. people are fukkin' moaning about not being able to find Iseballa (despite the fact she's in one of the two fukkin' taverns lmfao.. how the fyuck do you NOt go a tavern in a RPG first thing?HAHAH) and losing her for the entire game because if you don't interact with her at all in ch1(which is very long unless you do a speedy gonzales run as it took me 18ish hours though if I din't relax a bit it would have taken 14 hours or so). then these punks bitched and moaned some more at BIo ebcause they dared to hype a characetr so much yet make it possible for the player to miss. HAHAHAHA! So much fukkin' butthurt over b00bies!!!


There's lots of good things about DA1.. but, unelss the game turns to shit starting now... I don't know if it is worth outranking a game that has better consequences then DA1.

What's with all the bioware dick riding?

could someone make that David Gaider head Volourn's avatar?

 

[waywardOne]

the best thing about da2 was the demo which solidly confirmed it was not worth buying. expect to never see a demo from bioware again.