First DA2 Screens from Game Informer

[Deleted member 7219]

Wow... those screens look fucking terrible. Way worse than Origins. I can see the art direction they are going in - kind of Paper Mario-like, but much more angular and much lower def. How could they drop the ball so fucking badly?

When they said they were bringing it into line with the Mass Effect series, I was expecting a graphics upgrade, not a complete kick in the balls. What are they THINKING?

 

[Shannow]

Nature, not only mankind, has always striven for a dynamic between ornamentation and functionality. And in a fantasy setting with "magic" even ornamental equipment can be functional, because of "magic". So if ornamental equipment can be as functional as plain equipment it makes internal sense to have more ornamental equipment...
I generally prefer low-magic settings myself, but if it has fireballs it can have big pauldrons/unlikely weapons, imho.

 

[Azrael the cat]

Why would you put serrations on a sword?

To further wound the target when it's removed?

Not that any game but JA2 ever bothered with bloodlosss...

Nah, you'd still be better just cutting through with a sharp edge. Saws are used for cutting through hard material at a slower pace - definitely usefull for cutting through bone, but not in the middle of battle.

I guess he could have it as a giant 'swiss army knife' idea. I.e. if he's going to be out and on the road, and fighting off the odd bandit rather than participating in battles, then a built in bone saw could be useful. Not to mention if he needs to cut some wood for the campfire.

 

[CrimHead]

This could be promising if they decide to take the non-rpg route with it. Bioware should stick to action games. Mass Effect 2 is actually a very good one. And from everything I've heard about DA2, it sounds like they're doing just that.

I have to wonder about such a short development cycle though. ME2 took like 3 years IIRC.

Anyway, I find the new screenshots better looking, actually, at least as far as the character models go. Screen is also not as ridiculously saturated with the BROWN N GRITTY GRIMDARK filter.

 

[hoochimama]

 

[Roguey]

Someone who claims to be informed told me those shots are missing normal and specular maps and will look much better with them. Those crazy, sloppy Bioware people.

 

[Angthoron]

What is this?

 

[Radisshu]

What is this?

Early concept screens of DA. REALLY old. I think they were done using a modified Aurora engine or something.

Still, though, they look much better than the new DA2 (early concept, most likely, but still) screens.

 

[piydek]

it's an early development dragon age in-game screenshot.

 

[circ]

Still, though, they look much better than the new DA2 (early concept, most likely, but still) screens.

That's debatable.

 

[Angthoron]

Ah, thanks. Looked like something out of an MMO.

Nature, not only mankind, has always striven for a dynamic between ornamentation and functionality. And in a fantasy setting with "magic" even ornamental equipment can be functional, because of "magic". So if ornamental equipment can be as functional as plain equipment it makes internal sense to have more ornamental equipment...
I generally prefer low-magic settings myself, but if it has fireballs it can have big pauldrons/unlikely weapons, imho.

Well, I agree. I don't generally go "Bwaa, unrealistic", it's just that I want to see that internal logic lead up to the end, otherwise it's poor and using plotholes. Giant sword? Alright, so how does it work? Huge pauldrons? Why are you able to move your arms better than McCain?

This is where fantasy and proper sci-fi part ways - sci-fi generally tries to validate their "magic" and "technology" feats by writing a pile of gibberish about how it works. The Helmsman Saga, for example, goes out of its way to explain pretty much all but the most mundane sci-fi clichés - spaceship tech, engines, etc - this is all arguably unnecessary in space opera, and yet it's there, and everything else aside, I could really appreciate this.

Same tends to go for sci-fi games - even Bioware has some reasoning behind the working of the setting.

Now, in a high-fantasy setting, magic is as "mundane" as technology in sci-fi - there ought to be treatises on the use of magic, descriptions of application of ENCHANTMENT! to weapons and armour et cetera. Hell, remember FFG's bodice description from Torment? It specifically mentioned that her bodice actually has minor enchantments warding it from dust, stains and wrinkling.

So yeah, I don't mind "magic did it" explanation, but I do mind the taking of magic for granted as a mechanic that doesn't need explanation or validation. It becomes a universal plothole protection device - hey, it's because a wizard did it!

 

[Overweight Manatee]

All the artists working on the Dragon Age series suck, I want to kick them in the balls.

The only people at Bioware who aren't inept are the ME2 team's art designers, and perhaps the ME2 writers.

This is the first I've heard of ME2 having writers. How much talent does it take to fill 85% of the game with the same "help my emo problems" side quests, almost entirely eliminate the main plot and ret con half of the first game?

What is this?

Early concept screens of DA. REALLY old. I think they were done using a modified Aurora engine or something.

Still, though, they look much better than the new DA2 (early concept, most likely, but still) screens.

Look like its out of Prince of Persia

 

[Angthoron]

All the artists working on the Dragon Age series suck, I want to kick them in the balls.

The only people at Bioware who aren't inept are the ME2 team's art designers, and perhaps the ME2 writers.

This is the first I've heard of ME2 having writers. How much talent does it take to fill 85% of the game with the same "help my emo problems" side quests, almost entirely eliminate the main plot and ret con half of the first game?

You just wrote a post. You're now a writer. It's easy.

 

[Radisshu]

Still, though, they look much better than the new DA2 (early concept, most likely, but still) screens.

That's debatable.

You think so? At least it sort of like it's from a game, these new "screens" make me feel like some half-assed 3d modeler decided to fake a game.

I'm finding them incredibly offputting, and I wasn't even a fan of DA's look to begin with.

 

[Fens]

his other honor... i stare at it and it stares right back

 

[Lyric Suite]

The thing is, the first game looks SO MUCH better. Here's a cool screenshot of mine:

Still looks like shit to me. Consoles have destroyed all evolution of computer graphics. Long live consoles.

 

[racofer]

Oh Lyric Suite, your brian is still damaged I see. Poor fella.

 

[piydek]

What the hell do you want, even more sloppy coding and accent on teh graffix because PC hardware can take virtually endless abuse of those two? if there was no clean cuts in "generations" of consoles, in no way could i still play new games on my 4 years old PC.

when computers are good enough to handle huge amounts of tesselation with no sweat i wonder what they'll come up with next.

 

[Angthoron]

Time Emulation Cards and Smell-o-Vision (TM).

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Funny that people here always blame consoles for shitty graphics. But then when a really gorgeous looking game gets released and you like it you're suddendly a graphics whore. Or can't run it on your shitty PC.

 

[Volourn]

"I have to wonder about such a short development cycle though. ME2 took like 3 years IIRC."

Chances are they've been working on DA2 before DA even came out.

 

[Silellak]

Why bother releasing early screenshots when you know it's going to stir up cries of 'OMG SH1T'? Just wait until you have something presentable, then throw them out there.

The public will bitch either way.

Codex != Public. I bet other places are all ZOMG AWESOME.

Very unimpressive. I can see the game render still lacks contrast for some reason... Nothing happens by coincidence in big productions like this, so we can assume the lack of contrast here and in Dragon Age: Origins was probably intentional. O_O

Ground texture and enemy polycount is horrible as well. What the heck is going on here.

Less photorealism? Check? More killing Skeletor with what appears to be a large butter knife? Er, also check? Oh, BioWare...

Is it me, or does it look a bit ...cartoonish?

I'm disappointed, I prefer the Origins looks.... gritty and realistic. This...this... I think I'll pass.

Um... what... is...

Bioware, guys, please tell me these are badly picked shots or previews of the alpha build. I love y'all, but these look... quite a bit worse than Dragon Age 1.

From those screenshots, all I can say is it looks bad. It's clearly been affected with consolitis.

All of these from Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5585343/dragon-age-iis-new-look-in-screen-shots

 

[ironyuri]

Another change - and this might be the biggest - is that only the PC version will retain Origins' "strategic combat". The console versions will feature a new combat system, one BioWare says plays to the strength of the control pad. "Rather than try to mimic the PC experience on consoles", the GI report states, "Dragon Age II has a battle system more tailored to the strengths of the PS3 and 360."

- http://kotaku.com/5585473/dragon-age-2-following-in-mass-effects-footsteps

I find this to be a more disturbing problem than the graphics. It is good that Bioware is at least planning to delineate between console and PC but if they spend time developing two separate combat systems isn't it possible (read: highly likely) that they'll fuck both of them up entirely?

 

[hoochimama]

I think that's unlikely, it looks like the "strategic combat" is just a port, it shouldn't cost the same amount of resources as developing the new combat system.

And considering that it seems to be just an extra for the pc version it would probably get scraped before it could leech off other features' resources.

 

[Undead Phoenix]

Looks like shit. I don't quite know how they managed to make it look that bad... even early beta Mount & Blade looked better than those screenshots

A few choice comments from GameInformers:

"LOOKS AMAZING. Reminds me of comic style with a twist. Now I want to see the trailer. From the pictures the ogre looks more like an ogre. And the combat looks some what the same. I am glad the darkspawn got a make over."

"I hope the tone down the strategy-esque gameplay and ramp up the combat... Maybe incorporate a Mass Effect 2 control scheme...!"

"So wait, Bioware are the ones developing DA2 right? This isn't being contracted out to Obsidian or something?

The reason I ask, is because those shots look pretty weird. I hope it's just because it's early in development, but the whole "new art direction" thing has me concerned -- That usually spells trouble to me. Besides, there was nothing so wrong with Origins that the franchise should get a complete overhaul."

Please help Codex, I don't know whether to , to , or to