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[Chairman Yang]

Yeah, this is why everyone plays everything on Easy. I don't know why they even bother with Normal and Hard. No one uses them. Where's the motivation?

The motivation is to make the game more challenging, and make it rewarding to use tactics and varied abilities.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to illustrate.

 

[HK-47]

you guys are all crazy. Does this game look like ass right now?(PC version even more so)-YES, but thats what everyone said about the original Dragon Age before it launched. I have faith in Bioware and am sure this will be ace at launch.

The commercials were ass.

 

[TouchMyBox]

this is the chronicle of an adult video games journalist's attempt to update a driver.

this is a picture of a 5 year old installing a video card:

http://imgur.com/7qCA8.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

Doesn't windows update take care of everything he asked for?

 

[Lebron]

you guys are all crazy. Does this game look like ass right now?(PC version even more so)-YES, but thats what everyone said about the original Dragon Age before it launched. I have faith in Bioware and am sure this will be ace at launch.

The graphics are the least of this games issues.

 

[Chairman Yang]

Because it's more fun if it suits you? I mean, people can have fun with Street Fighter by button-mashing to wins and others enjoy taking the time to learn the combos and tactics involved. You get what you want out of it.

With ME2, for example, you can play it as a straight-up shooter if that's your thing, or if you prefer, you can also incorporate nifty adept and tech powers to get a different experience out of it.

People wouldn't bother learning Street Fighter tactics if they had no possibility of benefiting from them. You can only button-mash against the computer or crappy human opponents. Against real competition, it's worthwhile to learn the game. It's the same with RPGs. It's only worth learning tactics if the tactics actually do something.

ME2 worked because the powers were actually useful, and the encounters were designed around that. I suppose you could struggle through playing it as a pure shooter, but the game WASN'T designed around that. That's my point--you can only have the game designed around one or the other. It doesn't even make sense to say that the game rewards tactics but doesn't need tactics.

 

[stupei]

Do people really not remember how negative everyone on GAF was toward DA: O right before its release? All those trailers...

 

[epmode]

Do people really not remember how negative everyone on GAF was toward DA: O right before its release? All those trailers...

The game turned out better than I expected but the fears that the game would have very little in common with Baldur's Gate were well-founded.

 

[Chairman Yang]

Do people really not remember how negative everyone on GAF was toward DA: O right before its release? All those trailers...

Not everyone on GAF was negative (including me), and the negativity was mostly towards the graphics and marketing. Plenty of people realized DAO's potential.

 

[RyanDG]

Do people really not remember how negative everyone on GAF was toward DA: O right before its release? All those trailers...

The trailers got people down on the game simply because they were wanting Baldur's Gate 3 and instead got Marilyn Manson in random cg bloodfest generic dark fantasy orgy. It wasn't the footage of how the game played that got people down.

As for DAO2, the footage of the actual game, statements made by the development staff, and the move further away from Baldur's Gate 3 is what is getting people down. And to be perfectly honest, these are a lot more important concerns than what people had prior to the release of the first Dragon Age.

Just my thoughts at least.

 

[Lostconfused]

The Witcher 2 is looking great and all, but lets not forget that it's an action RPG more so than DAII looking to be, it's fully compatible with gamepad and from the videos it plays like a third person game you usually see on consoles and PC, the difference is that CDProjekt wanted to make a game like that, it looks like an action RPG and probably plays like one, it's beautiful, they clearly know what they are doing but it's nothing like DAO, the play/pause and isometric camera of classic BioWare games are not there, it's not really the same thing, that can replace DAO, different games.

Whats your definition of action rpg? Or what do you expect Witcher 2 to be more like Fable or Gothic?

Also do we know if the ISO view and pause are gone from Witcher 2?

 

[kitzkozan]

Do people really not remember how negative everyone on GAF was toward DA: O right before its release? All those trailers...

Bioware has passed Bethesda as the biggest hate magnet toward crpg fans. :lol It doesn't help that they want to be as mainstream as possible,to the point where they are now even pissing off a good portion of their most hardcore fans on their own forums. Dumbing down their games better end up with performance of 5-6-7+ million copies sold.

 

[Fredescu]

The motivation is to make the game more challenging, and make it rewarding to use tactics and varied abilities.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to illustrate.

Going on a lot of comments in the OT, a lot of console gamers played DA:O without pausing and without taking control of their squad members, so it's hardly contradictory to have both options. I'm sure you could play DA:O in real time on the easiest difficulty on PC.

Increasing simple things like enemy damage output could easily make pause and play necessary where it wasn't before. That is to say, increase the difficulty, increase the need for pausing. If you want to make the game challenging, I'm sure that's what you'll do.

 

[TouchMyBox]

Do people really not remember how negative everyone on GAF was toward DA: O right before its release? All those trailers...

Yeah, there was some negative buzz, but I always thought those people were insane. "OMFG it looks like lord of the rings, this sucks" isn't exactly intriguing criticism.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

their curricula should grant them some sort of blind trust

Not really.

 

[Chairman Yang]

Going on a lot of comments in the OT, a lot of console gamers played DA:O without pausing and without taking control of their squad members, so it's hardly contradictory to have both options. I'm sure you could play DA:O in real time on the easiest difficulty on PC.

Increasing simple things like enemy damage output could easily make pause and play necessary where it wasn't before. That is to say, increase the difficulty, increase the need for pausing. If you want to make the game challenging, I'm sure that's what you'll do.

Oh ok, I see what you're saying. Yeah, difficulty levels might make both options viable, although my impression was that Bioware was claiming both options would be viable in the same playthrough.

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

Like how the fell of the deep-end post BG2; let things get much worst for the next decade, claw back to a still somewhat shitty KotoR level with DA:O and then take another huge step back?

Hurrah! Clearly my point isn't relevant as they never attempted to sell DA:O as the spiritual successor of BG2.

Thank fuck Europe exists.

eh, hoping for a new BG won't bring you much joy. I see KOTOR and DAO as truly excellent games and yes, I've played and loved BG2. The only one game that disappointed me was Jade Empire: it was still great but definitely too short.

They're some of the highest rated developer in the industry, so it's not just personal preference. I agree with such ratings thus I expect DA2 to be a great game. It can look like ass now, combat may look like oversimplified shit now but no way in hell I'm expecting Bioware to release a mediocre game, and it won't happen, 100% sure of that

 

[K.Jack]

While I'm in Rag Mode, where do I start, on how badly designed Isabella is?

Shirt. No pants. Underwear? Wearing 20lbs of BLING. The Aunt Jemima doo-rag. Thigh high ultra-buckled boots, straight from your least favorite JRPG. Looking like a pirate from that one porn I watched....

That shit is downright nonsensical.

 

[HK-47]

Not really.

They number of devs I might be inclined to blindly trust can be counted on one hand. No WRPG dev is among them (one JRPG team is though).

 

[water_wendi]

you guys are all crazy. Does this game look like ass right now?(PC version even more so)-YES, but thats what everyone said about the original Dragon Age before it launched. I have faith in Bioware and am sure this will be ace at launch.

The thing people were going crazy about before DA1 hit was the horrible marketing campaign. DA2 though has been a clusterfuck since the first reveal. Different starting places? Gone. Different races? Gone. Dialogue trees? Gone. Mass Effect-style voiced main characters? In. Tactical overhead? Gone. Button = Awesome? In.

 

[HK-47]

When were dialogue trees out?

 

[Beowulf28]

Isabella looks nothing like her DAO counterpart

 

[Draft]

All haters will be proved wrong the first time they press a button and something awesome happens.

 

[Kittonwy]

All haters will be proved wrong the first time they press a button and something awesome happens.

And then they will all get grey warden tattoos.

 

[cartman414]

Bioware has passed Bethesda as the biggest hate magnet toward crpg fans. :lol It doesn't help that they want to be as mainstream as possible,to the point where they are now even pissing off a good portion of their most hardcore fans on their own forums. Dumbing down their games better end up with performance of 5-6-7+ million copies sold.

Well, you described exactly why Bioware has become the latest fan outcry magnet.

 

[HK-47]

All haters will be proved wrong the first time they press a button and something awesome happens.

When do I get my lightsaber?

 

[water_wendi]

When were dialogue trees out?

First reveal. Dialogue trees are out and dialog wheel with emote faces in.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

They number of devs I might be inclined to blindly trust can be counted on one hand. No WRPG dev is among them (one JRPG team is though).

Is it who I think it is?

 

[Draft]

When do I get my lightsaber?

You have to finish the first world. That will make getting the lightsaber more meaningful.

 

[HK-47]

Is it who I think it is?

I dunno. Who do you think it is?

 

[Kittonwy]

While I'm in Rag Mode, where do I start, on how badly designed Isabella is?

Shirt. No pants. Underwear? Wearing 20lbs of BLING. The Aunt Jemima doo-rag. Thigh high ultra-buckled boots, straight from your least favorite JRPG. Looking like a pirate from that one porn I watched....

That shit is downright nonsensical.

I don't know why but I hate this Isabella character so damn much.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I dunno. Who do you think it is?

Does the lead game designer and writer have a name that begins with an M?

 

[HK-47]

Does the lead game designer and writer have a name that begins with an M?

Matsuno is one man. I'm talking teams here.

 

[Draft]

The only RPG designers I trust are From Software because I know they are genuinely, crazy dedicated to making their style of games, and not a bunch of bloated, goateed shills chasing DLC dollars only possible with awesome buttons.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Matsuno is one man. I'm talking teams here.

Hey!

His old quest team is amazing.

....Is it Atlus?

 

[K.Jack]

Isabella looks nothing like her DAO counterpart

The fuuuu?! You mean that's supposed to be the same Isabela you

Spoiler

go find to learn Duelist

?

No way! They couldn't have retconned her that hard, right? :lol

 

[Fimbulvetr]

The fuuuu?! You mean that's supposed to be the same Isabela you

Spoiler

go find to learn Duelist

?

No way! They couldn't have retconned her that hard, right? :lol

I'm sure they have a good reason to make her look completely different and creepily man-ish.

 

[water_wendi]

I'm sure they have a good reason to make her look completely different and creepily man-ish.

From what was posted in the other thread they changed the look just because. There wasnt any reason given. Shes just totally different this time.

 

[Ceebs]

The only RPG designers I trust are From Software because I know they are genuinely, crazy dedicated to making their style of games, and not a bunch of bloated, goateed shills chasing DLC dollars only possible with awesome buttons.

I just heard a big "Wait just a minute!" shout from Eastern Europe.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

From what was posted in the other thread they changed the look just because. There wasnt any reason given. Shes just totally different this time.

I was being sarcastic.

 

[Revolution number one]

At least the witcher 2 is coming out next year.

 

[TheChaos]

People on the BW forums confirmed your party members don't change appearance when you switch armor around, in case anybody didn't know. Lovely.

 

[Aaron]

It's a shame that the team-based, semi-turn based RPG is now dead. There's some great RPGs coming out of Europe, but the combat is all action based. I'm playing Divinity II now and loving it, but wish I had a squad instead of AI controlled summons.

 

[SenorDingDong]

First reveal. Dialogue trees are out and dialog wheel with emote faces in.

I've always viewed dialog wheel is just an aesthetic change. Just because the Mass Effect series has an overly simplistic approach to the various dialog options does not necessarily mean the same will apply to Dragon Age. One only needs to look at the implementation of the dialog wheel in Alpha Protocol where the wide ranging conversations were easily the best part of the game.

I've never quite understood why the dialog wheel was heralded as some great innovation by the gaming press. It always just struck me as a slick interface, despite being near identical functionally to the a numbered list of options.

 

[water_wendi]

I've always viewed dialog wheel is just an aesthetic change. Just because the Mass Effect series has an overly simplistic approach to the various dialog options does not necessarily mean the same will apply to Dragon Age.

I've never quite understood why the dialog wheel was heralded as some great innovation by the gaming press. It always just struck me as a slick interface, despite being near identical functionally to the a numbered list of options.

Its not the same because with a dialogue tree i know what is going to be said. With the wheel its just a close approximation and can be misleading sometimes.

It's a shame that the team-based, semi-turn based RPG is now dead. There's some great RPGs coming out of Europe, but the combat is all action based. I'm playing Divinity II now and loving it, but wish I had a squad instead of AI controlled summons.

Drakensang 2?

 

[Mrbob]

People on the BW forums confirmed your party members don't change appearance when you switch armor around, in case anybody didn't know. Lovely.

Seriously? Now that is just lazy. I expect this out of 99 cent iphone games. Not 10 million selling epics.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

I've never quite understood why the dialog wheel was heralded as some great innovation by the gaming press. It always just struck me as a slick interface, despite being near identical functionally to the a numbered list of options.

The wheel allows you to select an intention and then witness the results instead of giving you word-for-word exactly what you're going to say.

 

[HK-47]

I've always viewed dialog wheel is just an aesthetic change. Just because the Mass Effect series has an overly simplistic approach to the various dialog options does not necessarily mean the same will apply to Dragon Age.

I've never quite understood why the dialog wheel was heralded as some great innovation by the gaming press. It always just struck me as a slick interface, despite being near identical functionally to the a numbered list of options.

It does change the responses from exact to more vague summations, while lacking the conversation flow of an Alpha Protocol.

 

[SenorDingDong]

Its not the same because with a dialogue tree i know what is going to be said. With the wheel its just a close approximation and can be misleading sometimes.

I believe the purpose of the icons is to try and minimise the level of ambiguity sometimes experienced in Mass Effect, as opposed to polarizing good and evil options.

 

[Kittonwy]

you guys are all crazy. Does this game look like ass right now?(PC version even more so)-YES, but thats what everyone said about the original Dragon Age before it launched. I have faith in Bioware and am sure this will be ace at launch.

The original Dragon Age looked like ass when it released.

 

[water_wendi]

I believe the purpose of the icons is to try and minimise the level of ambiguity sometimes experienced in Mass Effect, as opposed to polarizing good and evil options.

i was just fine knowing exactly what i was going to say. The real reason dialogue trees are out is that the two characters (male Hawk and female Hawk) are voiced. If there were to keep the same amount of dialogue that trees have that would mean much more recording. Just basing this off of the few hours i played of Mass Effect 1. Most of the Shepard speaking stuff was light from what i remember.