Dragon Age 2 Incoming. - Part 1

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

Ironically, only the Morrigan romancing Warden got closure from Witch Hunt. The rest just up and vanished.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

double post.

 

[Benstamania]

Once, twice, three times a spoiler. Hypes acting up again.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I blame Corp and his shoddy moderation.

 

[El Bastardo]

Oh I agree that the one major issue I had with the game was reused dungeons. They did that in DAO and I was annoyed to see it return in 2. That's why I am hoping for some epic DLC... because the DLC for Origin's was.... less than stellar IMHO.

The Origins DLC really wasn't that bad, truthfully, it just for the most part didn't have anything to do with the main adventure. And that's fine, because the main adventure was long enough without really needing more.

Darkspawn Chronicles was meaningless, but had the possibility of being fun for people as an alternate-universe type deal.

Leliana's Song was their test model for DA2's narrative, and both were well-written.

Witch Hunt was a fitting end to the journey of the Warden, given everything that had and could have possibly happened over the course of Origins.

And Awakening was an expansion in the truest sense of the word, meaning not a full game and not attempting to be a full game, and I think it was overall a bit larger and longer than their BG2 expansion, and certainly better than the BG1 expansion.

Don't say that out loud or El Bastardo will come and get you in your sleep.

Why? It's subjective. It's going to bother some people, like you weirdos, and it's not going to bother sane people, like me.

(u c wut i did rite thar?)

I just don't care about reused maps. I realized it early on with some of the caves, and registered that the mini-map layout was similar to a cave I'd already been in, and then I didn't care. It doesn't take me out of the game. It doesn't ruin any sense of immersion. It doesn't stop me from having any type of fun or entertainment value.

So I don't care about them.

But I'm curious. Do they bother you so much that they ruin, to some degree, anything above? Really?

 

[Benstamania]

I didn't dislike Origin's DLC (outside of Gollums... which I hated) but I didn't LIKE them either, I was kinda "meh" on them. I mean, Witch Hunt was cool but over before it started.

I don't have a HUGE problem with the reused dungeons and whatnot. My only "issue" I had with them was probably because I JUST finished up DAO again and the reuse of those dungeons were still fresh in my mind.

It didn't take me out of the game though, so no biggie. Like I said, I'd still give it an 8.5.

 

[El Bastardo]

I find myself confused by your choices of terms.

Witch Hunt lasted give or take an hour, I think, as I rushed through it. Hence it was not over before it started, was it? Golems was longer, sure, but Witch Hunt was better.

Also, if you do not have a HUGE problem with reused maps, then how large or small a problem do you actually have? If your only problem was - well, I'm not even sure how to word that to clarify it, honestly - and it did not take you out of the game, then I would assume it's rather minute, not even a problem, in which case what's the point of even griping about it?

And I don't think this pertains to you, exactly, as I think it was Upset Spideyfan who said it, but please. Reused maps do not necessarily mean the game was rushed. I could take the other side of that argument and state that reused maps means more time developing other portions of the visual element of the game, or that reused maps means less funds portioned there, meaning more funds could be spent elsewhere. But I won't, because I can't back that up, just like nobody can ever begin to attempt to prove that the game was rushed.

It makes it a rather silly line, then, doesn't it?

 

[Benstamania]

The over all "small scale" of the game and the reuse of the dungeons and whatnot, for me took the game down from a 9 to around an 8.5... so, it wasn't THAT big of a deal to me but really the only "issue" I could think of.

Then again, I'm one of those people that still think 7-8.5 are still good scores.

When I said Witch Hunt was "over before it started" I meant I wish I would have gotten to know the two new characters in the DLC. Right when it seemed like I was getting to know them as characters and they were starting to converse and say funny stuff.... the DLC ended. It was good DLC butI wish it lasted a bit longer... even a half an hour longer.

As for rushed... No, twas not I that said that... I don't think it felt rushed at all, it's just completely different from Origins (yet, keeping some small things the same). However, I believe if it played EXACTLY like Origins people would complain that it wasn't different enough.

I just want more now... I want more DLC, an expansion or two... I enjoyed the game enough to get whatever else comes out for it. Just let me bring Hawke and Merrill and one or two others from my party and I'll be cool with it.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I hate that Kirkwall has only one cave anywhere in its vicinity. I hate that cave map so goddamn much it gives me heartburn. BioWare's already repeating 90% of the maps because you're running around Kirkwall 90% of the time, and that's fine. I'm fine with that because it makes sense; the city's not gonna change overnight, and the few changes that do appear between the acts (along with their accompanying plot changes) are enough to make the city feel fresh at the start of each act. But every single cave having the exact same layout with different doors closed or opened and different starting and ending points was a chuckle-worthy oddity in Act I, a minor annoyance in Act II, and an eyeroll-worthy bore in Act III for me. Ditto for warehouses, mansions, alleys, and Darktown passages. That's far and away my biggest complaint with the game.

Which, when you think about it, is actually pretty high praise for the game overall.

 

[Speedball]

Spoiler

There are people actually defending Anders. Its really mind boggling and a bit sickening.

Spoiler

While I'm not going to defend what he did, he is my Hawke's love interest, so I naturally can't kill him. I dunno what I'll do when i get to that point, we'll have to see what the options are. I have made my Hawke defend Apostates, but he never supports blood magic, unless it's Merrill. I'll probably side with the Mages as long as it doesn't involve blood magic.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Practically every game recycles used assets.
Most have enviroments that don't look like a last gen game though.

 

[Benstamania]

....I think you're a bit crazy. Did you have the same "last gen" complaints for DAO? Because that game, as a whole is one of the worst looking games of this gen.

 

[Soapy]

....I think you're a bit crazy. Did you have the same "last gen" complaints for DAO? Because that game, as a whole is one of the worst looking games of this gen.

I agree that DA1 looked pretty bad, but he has a point. Generally DA2 looks better, but I don't think it's a huge improvement across the board. DA2 has higher peaks, but it also has much lower valleys. There are some NPCs in this game that looked like they stepped right out of a Dreamcast launch game.

Practically every game recycles used assets.
Most have enviroments that don't look like a last gen game though.

No one is arguing that games don't reuse assets. That's a given. But Dragon Age II is ridiculous. There are like four or five areas the game sends you to for sidequests. And they never change. Ever.

 

[El Bastardo]

I agree that DA1 looked pretty bad, but he has a point. Generally DA2 looks better, but I don't think it's a huge improvement across the board. DA2 has higher peaks, but it also has much lower valleys. There are some NPCs in this game that looked like they stepped right out of a Dreamcast launch game.

... lol. I would so love to see you back that one up with some graphical comparisons.

 

[Benstamania]

I have a 47" TV and I'm not noticing these glaring graphical issues....

 

[El Bastardo]

I have a 17" laptop screen and I'm not noticing these glaring graphical issues.

Oh wait, it doesn't have FPS graphics. Clearly it's a Dreamcast launch title.

(Hi! I can hyperbole too!)

 

[Soapy]

... lol. I would so love to see you back that one up with some graphical comparisons.

Go look at any number of the NPCs standing around. Most of them look alright, but there are several that have really muddy textures and are clearly made of much fewer polygons than the rest.

hyperbole

You like using that word, don't you?

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

....I think you're a bit crazy. Did you have the same "last gen" complaints for DAO.

Dragon age at times can look beautiful and at other times, quite horrific.
It's not very persistent visually. Dragon Age 2 has some very nice textures and can look very good on the pc. e.g. http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9526/0702250f.jpg (not my screenshot, I bought Shogun 2 instead) but at the same time like the first game, it isn't persistent

 

[El Bastardo]

Go look at any number of the NPCs standing around. Most of them look alright, but there are several that have really muddy textures and are clearly made of much fewer polygons than the rest.

Go look at some screenshots of some Dreamcast launch titles. They look nothing alike. You're dealing with more than just polygon count here.

Hey, I know. Maybe you got bored with the game because you were running around inspecting every NPC's face.

You like using that word, don't you?

Why would I call a black cat anything but?

 

[Soapy]

I just met with [BLACKOUT]King Alistair[/BLACKOUT].

I liked the reference to the Hero of Ferelden and the slight jab at RPG naming conventions.

"You're always so formal. He has a name you know."

Why would I call a black cat anything but?

Well, I've seen you use it like a million times, so I just thought I would point it out.

 

[El Bastardo]

~50 hours, I should be finishing it in another couple hours or so.

I've met [blackout]Alistair[/blackout] and [blackout]Zevran[/blackout], the former being [blackout]King of Ferelden and married to the Hero of Ferelden[/blackout], which was referenced properly.

It seems the [blackout]Finding Nathaniel[/blackout] quest is bugged for me, as [blackout]Delilah Howe[/blackout] hasn't shown up in front of the Chantry where she's supposed to be. Bummer.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I met Nathaniel and it was awesome and we walked away from an explosion without even looking at it while Hawke put on a pair of sunglasses and you missed it.

 

[El Bastardo]

Suuuure you did.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

That wasn't nearly as insulting/arrogant or in general dickish as I was hoping.

Are you feeling ill today?

dick, hmm its not censored. Interesting.

 

[El Bastardo]

I'm sorry to let you down?