Game News Five Facts About Hawke In Dragon Age II

[trololo]

Hawke? Mike Hawke? :D

 

[Norfleet]

I think all you people are freaking out about this prematurely. I remind you, there's no such thing as DA2. It is nothing more than empty vaporware, devoid of actual substance. When they bother to actually MAKE the game, we shall see. Until then, it is just another DNF.

 

[Azrael the cat]

I take it a Tony Hawke skateboard crossover is out of the question then?

 

[chzr]

Looking forward to EXTREME HAWKE LP

 

[Overweight Manatee]

I don't think ME2 outselling DA outselling ME1 has much to do with quality at this point. Bioware has created a large fanbase that prefers Bioware games. And I would say its one of the most stable fanbases currently, as unlike other examples like COD/Halo/GOW, they are the 'niche' developer who has far less competition. They are essentially the only big name developer making these kind of faux-rpg epics. Yes there are a few other developers doing the same kind of game, but without exception 95% of reviewers will include the words 'knock off of *insert bioware game here*' or 'like *bioware game here* but worse'.

Call it the 'Apple Effect' or something. Its probably also a prime factor in Bethesda's success.

 

[Radisshu]

Oh god. Aren't they really fucking themselves over with this one? I think the DA fans will disapprove.

 

[random_encounter]

 

[Silellak]

I think all you people are freaking out about this prematurely. I remind you, there's no such thing as DA2. It is nothing more than empty vaporware, devoid of actual substance. When they bother to actually MAKE the game, we shall see. Until then, it is just another DNF.

You seriously think it's not already at least a year into development? They don't wait to start making a game until after the marketing announcement, you know.

 

[Korgan]

3) Pissing off party members won't always be a bad thing. "They won't necessarily leave. They may still join you, but they're going to try to show you up, and that may influence battle in a different way."

5) The way the story unfolds will be very different compared to the past Bioware games. "Dragon Age II has a framed narrative structure, which means that the exploits of Hawke occured in the past, but are being retold in the present." "Narrators with unique insights into the events in question tell the tale of his past adventures."

Seriously, it's very nice to see they're willing to take lessons from Alpha Protocol. I actually have hope for C&C now. Maybe they'll also remember to make all options ambivalent for supposedly difficult choices, instead of like in Redcliffe or the Circle.
What pisses me off is that instead of fixing the combat system they are wimping out and adding some action bullshit. Worst case scenario, this ends up like in Witcher.

 

[Serious_Business]

Heh, fuck it. Bioware can't pull off old-school rpgs, that should be clear to everyone by now, they've evolved into something else by now I'd say. I mean Fallout was 13 years ago, BG 12, and even BG failed miserably at carrying the torch that Fallout had ignited, so what the fuck are we supposed to get mad about? This is just Bioware being Bioware. Even if they're taking a further step away from "old school games", what does that matter? Who cares? DA was a piece of shit, what do you think this is going to change about anything?

 

[Fomorian]

I think the Codex liked DA:O a lot more than it's willing to admit judging by the furor DA 2 has ignited.

Shit game gets shittier. Who cares?

 

[Volourn]

Eh. It should be common knowledge that the Codex is BIO's most hardcore fans. Trust me on this.

 

[Jaesun]

Yeah, 5 of our favorite games of all time are done by BioW... oh wait.

 

[Araanor]

Anyone still cares about this? Extremeware's continual descent into munchkinmountain should be par for the course by now.

 

[Silellak]

Seriously, it's very nice to see they're willing to take lessons from Alpha Protocol. I actually have hope for C&C now.

 

[Silellak]

To elaborate - AP C&C at its best:

 

[Cassidy]

To elaborate - AP C&C at its best:

But depending on your choices, you'll be fighting guys with red uniforms instead of guys with green uniforms that will follow the same script and send coincidentally the exact number of operatives even if they belong to two radically diffeerent organizations! And you can side with different groups in the end although you'll have to go through the same level regardless and do the same things!

And you won't receive cool emails or bang chicks if you choose wrong!

 

[Silellak]

To elaborate - AP C&C at its best:

But depending on your choices, you'll be fighting guys with red uniforms instead of guys with green uniforms that will follow the same script and send coincidentally the exact number of operatives even if they belong to two radically diffeerent organizations! And you can side with different groups in the end although you'll have to go through the same level regardless and do the same things!

And you won't receive cool emails or bang chicks if you choose wrong!

This is actually past that point...

Spoiler

In this playthrough, I didn't have high enough rep with Leland to get offered a job with Halbech. Marburg then says he wishes he could offer you a position with VCI, and your choices are as shown above. Why even have your villain say something like that if you're just going to blatantly railroad the PC into a certain response?

Really, if I could boil AP down to a one-word issue, that word would be "railroading" - you're railroaded through the linear levels, railroaded into idiotic action sequences by Thorton's often-inexplicably asinine actions, and railroaded through a story with only shallow, mostly-cosmetic C&C.

 

[racofer]

Only Troika manage to pull one of those with class: the Bertram Tung dialog.

 

[Azrael the cat]

To elaborate - AP C&C at its best:

But depending on your choices, you'll be fighting guys with red uniforms instead of guys with green uniforms that will follow the same script and send coincidentally the exact number of operatives even if they belong to two radically diffeerent organizations! And you can side with different groups in the end although you'll have to go through the same level regardless and do the same things!

And you won't receive cool emails or bang chicks if you choose wrong!

Close but not quite: the numbers of operatives, weapons, AI tactics all change. But I get your basic point though. I fucking hated it how in FO they'd pretend to have choices, but you still ended up seeing pixels on a fucking screen, just put in different patterns with different texts beneath.

 

[Azrael the cat]

To elaborate - AP C&C at its best:

Yeah, I lolled at that when it came up. Mainly though because it isn't very representative - it's one of the only examples of '3 choices, all with the same meaning' in the game. In fairness, it also results from you having already established an attitude/relationship towards that guy with your earlier choices - it just doesn't allow you to change your view at the last minute. Having said that, they DO allow you to switch over to Leland if you've got high rep with him, and then betray him after, so it might have been better if they did the same with that guy. On the other hand, it made the 'what do I have to do to kill Mahberg?' a bit more interesting - basically gave you a consequence for either sucking up to him or pissing him off earlier, rather than being able to choose to fight him regardless of your earlier choices.

Still, even though the game rarely pulls that one on you, there's no excuse for a game EVER doing that. If they can't give you a real choice, just keep the dialogue/cutscene running until a real choice comes up. The way it was handled just seems to scream out that they wanted it to be a 'frustrate the player by an obvious non-choice', to just rub your face in it that you can't choose to kill him, so that players then go back to work out what they have to do to avoid the non-choice. Understandable, but bad design nonetheless.

 

[Silellak]

If they can't give you a real choice, just keep the dialogue/cutscene running until a real choice comes up.

Yeah, especially considering how often you don't get a choice in what Thorton has to say.

 

[Silellak]

I fucking hated it how in FO they'd pretend to have choices, but you still ended up seeing pixels on a fucking screen, just put in different patterns with different texts beneath.

Remember that part in Fallout where the stealth-oriented PC is forced by the game to surrender all his weapons and march right into his adversary's lair?

 

[Arcanoix]

4) We're getting the ME2 conversation wheel, but this time instead of having some dialogue be a particular color the center of the wheel will show a symbol to show what kind of reply it is. (The article uses the examples of them being something like aggressive or sarcastic)

Mass Effect was fucking shit. The primary villains are a rip-off of VanDread.

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3. Hawke didn't just survive the blight...he escaped it.

Hawke is a pussy who is going to turn EXTREME, AMIRITE!? Where the fuck was "Hawke" when my Warden was showing up from the battle at Ostagar?

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4. Hawke is the Champion of Kirkwall.

So? Oh wait - Champion was a Class in DA:O, wasn't it? Great. Set Race, Set Class - WOO HOO! And let me guess, we can't play Mages because then technically in the games lore that would make Hawke maleficarum.

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5. Hawke drives the story.
Dragon Age II is not about killing an ancient evil or about quelling another blight; Hawke is the driving force behind the narrative. Over the course of the game's 10-year timeline, players' actions and choices will determine Hawke's history, relationships, and regrets...all in service to answering the larger question: Who is the Champion of Kirkwall?

What about me? What if I want to drive the story? Oh - that's right - EA.

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4. Hawke is the Champion of Kirkwall.

Who is the Champion of Kirkwall?

YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A SPOILER ALERT, FUCK!!!!!

In all honesty though - If I already know Hawke is going to be Champion of Kirkwall, what the fuck is the difference in the EPIC SCHEME of things? Maybe if I played as Hawke I wouldn't want to be a Champion. But nooo, it's gotta happen - it just HAS to. Goddamnit!!!

"Rather than try to mimic the PC experience on consoles, Dragon Age II has a battle system more tailored to the strengths of the PS3 and 360."

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[Arcanoix]

I take it a Tony Hawke skateboard crossover is out of the question then?

Skateboarder Outfit/Armor DLC. 5-dolla. Love longtime.