Preview Negative Dragon Age preview

[aries202]

Look guys, this is a Bioware game; Morrigan does not decide to bed down with you just because you give her a book. And you can say 'no'. This is an RPG - remember... :

The story needs to unfold, the romance or relationship needs to develop for 30+ hours, probably more, to get you to the point where you can choose dialogue options that may or may not lead to a romance, love or sex scene.

To me, marketing seemed to have failed miserably, not understand the audience for this game....

 

[Andyman Messiah]

If only. I'd actually play a Bioware game with rape.

For once I'd like to play one without rape. Hurts, y'know.

 

[Lesifoere]

Wonder how the Bioware boards are taking these negative previews

"Cry, cry, cry."

Actually, hell if I know. I abandoned those boards years ago because of the massive circle-wanks and pity parties.

I take a look at those boards sometimes. It's full of stupidity and people who make Andhaira look like a genius. And yeah, circle-jerks and pity parties are very much the norm. "Think of the children!" Internet nannies abound there.

 

[Gromnir]

"I believe the problem isn't with the fact of the boobies' presence but the boobies' context. "

first, Gromnir already addressed context. is tough to argue context when all you got is a 5-minute video. again, even Jane Austen romance scenes seems pretty childish and puerile if you only read the lovey-dovey scenes themselves. you ain't got no context with a preview.

second, the chicks-in-chaimail bit is almost a given in fantasy... so to complain 'bout it showing up in bio is kinda silly. fine. you got a problem with the industry using b00bies in an immature way... whatever that means. great. is use o' sex in the new battlestar galactica series mature or immature? da developers mentioned numerous times that they were much influenced by the new bsg stuff and there were no shortage o' gratuitous seeming sex in bsg. ever see the Conan movie with arnold? is actually a pretty good flick, but there is more than a few gratuitous sex scenes. so what? frank miller's 300, Sin City and The Dark Knight Returns is considered mature as far as graphic novels is concerned, but try and tell us that TDKR's giant-b00bed nazi with the swastikas on her nipples were necessary and we is gonna have a hard time taking you serious.

third, people 'round these parts didn't run for their pitchforks and torches when previews o' troika games or even obsidian games were using T&A to sell games, so is seeming a tad hypocritical to once again single out bio as a purveyor o' gaming iniquity.

"Oh yes! Let's pick out an example of marketing done wrong by a company these people like, it'll justify the crap marketing of a company in question here!"

is not meant to justify the current use o' b00bies in DA marketing... never suggested that it were. however, is a clear indicator o' how bioware has gotta measure up to a different set o' standards 'round these parts. troika game has Blood & B00bies previews, and they gets a pass from codex. DA does similar bad and they gets the criticism.

*shrug*

am all in favor o' getting some o' the eye-roll inducing sex out o' games... but am not gonna single da or bio out. heck, even if such stuff remains it not mean that game is gonna be bad.

HA! Good Fun!

 

[phanboy_iv]

am all in favor o' getting some o' the eye-roll inducing sex out o' games... but am not gonna single da or bio out. heck, even if such stuff remains it not mean that game is gonna be bad.

They singled themselves out by insisting on the "mature" label. If they weren't constantly trying to impress that word on us, we might not worry about it too much.

 

[Volourn]

Bullshit. The Codex is made to complain, moan, and botch. Espicially about BIO, and other top dev houses for doing the same thing other dev houses THAT CODEX SLOBBERS OVER do or did (lol, troika, lol).

 

[Gromnir]

am all in favor o' getting some o' the eye-roll inducing sex out o' games... but am not gonna single da or bio out. heck, even if such stuff remains it not mean that game is gonna be bad.

They singled themselves out by insisting on the "mature" label. If they weren't constantly trying to impress that word on us, we might not worry about it too much.

am calling bs.

bio clear referenced mature in regards to themes and content...no argument. however, to suggest that gratuitous sex somehow prevents the applicability o' "mature" is nonsense. again, some o' the oft mentioned influences for the bio writers o' da were george r.r. martin and the new bsg stuff. you not think you got b00bies in bsg? heck, george r.r. martin for all o' his current fame regarding Game of Thrones as "dark and mature" is probable the biggest Conan fan you is ever likely to meet. "If you don't know Conan, you don't know fantasy."-- George R.R. Martin.

you folks is trying too hard... and regardless, if is bad for bio to do, then it were bad for troika and obsidian. to single bio out is reducing the strength o' your position.

HA! Good Fun!

 

[Melcar]

What the gaming medium (or the whole entertainment medium for that matter) considers "mature" is actually rather childish; boobs, asplosions, gratuitous sex, boobs, even more better asplosions, "fuck" inserted every 2 words in a dialogue, the color black, boobs. This is what a game developer means by "mature themes".
The problem is that most here are trying to apply the "mature" that means "non-childish". Discussions of political and philosophical nature, themes dealing with sexual identity, moral and ethical choices with no clear demarcation of "good and evil", etc. All these are "mature" themes, but unfortunately they don't sell games.

 

[Brother None]

I'm not sure I agree fully, Gromnir.

I think Bloodlines' boob physix has been remarked upon and mocked extensively, tho' I'm not enough of a Codex regular to know how much of that was here. Regardless, I don't think even a lot of Codexers would deny that bouncy boobies in that game are overdone.

But even if that weren't the case. "The other guys do it too" is a really pointless, weak defense. It doesn't make BioWare doing it better, it doesn't make their current PR campaign any less ridiculous. For Frith's sake, even the gaming media are mocking how ridiculously childish and badly done all this shit looks. When even the guys who always default to "looks great" have their doubts, then something is not right in Poland.

Does that mean it'll be terrible in the game itself as well? I dunno, but I'm hardly looking forward to finding out

 

[Zomg]

I need gameplay in my video game fucking. Some QTEs or something, dammit. Tactical sex. They don't just show a gorny cutscene during a fight and have an NPC tell you you were so amazingly good at it and you totally killed the shit out of everyone and it was sooooo sweet.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Warmly recommend picking up The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Swamp Thing.

I might do that. Are they graphic novels?

Comics, available in graphic novel format. League has thus far four volumes, with volume 2 being absolutely stellar. Swamp Thing that you'll want is volumes 1-6, covering the Alan Moore run of the character (which is unbelievable from end to finish).

Both also show that a strong female character doesn't need to be an adept fighter or have some magical powers either. All Mina Murray has is willpower, and Abigail Arcane isn't far away from an ordinary woman.

 

[Gromnir]

I'm not sure I agree fully, Gromnir.

I think Bloodlines' boob physix has been remarked upon and mocked extensively, tho' I'm not enough of a Codex regular to know how much of that was here. Regardless, I don't think even a lot of Codexers would deny that bouncy boobies in that game are overdone.

But even if that weren't the case. "The other guys do it too" is a really pointless, weak defense. It doesn't make BioWare doing it better, it doesn't make their current PR campaign any less ridiculous. For Frith's sake, even the gaming media are mocking how ridiculously childish and badly done all this shit looks. When even the guys who always default to "looks great" have their doubts, then something is not right in Poland.

Does that mean it'll be terrible in the game itself as well? I dunno, but I'm hardly looking forward to finding out

you seeming is being serious... so we answer in kind.

nowhere did Gromnir say or even suggest that codexian silence regarding vampire b00bs & blood legitimizes da use of similar. our only point in referencing codex were the hypocrisy inherent in slamming bio and giving troika a pass. necessarily makes a reasonable person wonder if the animosity is 'bout the b00bs or 'bout bio... with b00bs being an excuse.

as for the gaming media concerns being noteworthy... am gonna disagree. first, Gromnir is pretty dismissive of gaming media in general. you suggest that if the pansy, softball media hacks is criticizing DA already, then there must be a problem, no? sadly, the hacks is being their typical useless selves... as far as we can tell. am recalling mass effect previews. the previewers criticized gratuitous blue-alien sex, but they near universal laud the dialogue wheel. huh? the alien sex were as stoopid as any previous bio romance but not noticeably worse... did not see Gomorrah rising in response to bio's 30 seconds o' sweaty alien love. nevertheless, the hacks were calling the dialogue wheel "innovative," in spite of fact that all wheel genuine did were save developer resources... makes player feel likes they gots multiple dialogue options but only gives one genuine vo response.

critic concern over bio romance is nothing new, so am not all that concerned... save for the whole gift-giving mechanic being patently offensive to our delicate romantic sensibilities... and our general hate o' a tangential romance options.

HA! Good Fun!

 

[Mr. Teatime]

Warmly recommend picking up The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Swamp Thing.

I might do that. Are they graphic novels?

Comics, available in graphic novel format. League has thus far four volumes, with volume 2 being absolutely stellar. Swamp Thing that you'll want is volumes 1-6, covering the Alan Moore run of the character (which is unbelievable from end to finish).

Both also show that a strong female character doesn't need to be an adept fighter or have some magical powers either. All Mina Murray has is willpower, and Abigail Arcane isn't far away from an ordinary woman.

Cool, I'll see if I can pick them up. On comic vs graphic novel, I've always assumed it was a matter of the impression each term gives. To the uninformed a comic sounds like something a 14 year old might read while a graphic novel sounds closer to literature and therefore should be taken more seriously.

I prefer the term comic, simply because that's what it is. I just get the impression the writers in question prefer the term graphic novel for the reason above. Anyway. I think this is the realm of critics, really, labelling stuff and ordering it in importance, which is one of the reasons I generally don't like critics, going on what I know of them.

 

[Melcar]

HA! Good Fun!

It was fun back then, but now it sounds lame and corny. Maybe it's just me and my jaded self. God dammit Codex! You sucked the life out of me like a cheap Asian hooker.

 

[oldmanpaco]

So what are we thinking the over under is on the first nude mode for this game? I'm thinking in the 27 minute range.

 

[Silellak]

So what are we thinking the over under is on the first nude mode for this game? I'm thinking in the 27 minute range.

There isn't one already?

 

[MLMarkland]

I need gameplay in my video game fucking. Some QTEs or something, dammit. Tactical sex. They don't just show a gorny cutscene during a fight and have an NPC tell you you were so amazingly good at it and you totally killed the shit out of everyone and it was sooooo sweet.

You aimed for Leliana but hit Morrigan instead.

 

[Fat Dragon]

I need gameplay in my video game fucking. Some QTEs or something, dammit. Tactical sex. They don't just show a gorny cutscene during a fight and have an NPC tell you you were so amazingly good at it and you totally killed the shit out of everyone and it was sooooo sweet.

You aimed for Leliana but hit Morrigan instead.

A critical miss that still ends up as a critical hit, nice.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Critical Failure: You miss and plow into her sharp clit ring, lopping off the head of your dick.

I'm not sure I agree fully, Gromnir.

I think Bloodlines' boob physix has been remarked upon and mocked extensively, tho' I'm not enough of a Codex regular to know how much of that was here. Regardless, I don't think even a lot of Codexers would deny that bouncy boobies in that game are overdone.

But even if that weren't the case. "The other guys do it too" is a really pointless, weak defense. It doesn't make BioWare doing it better, it doesn't make their current PR campaign any less ridiculous. For Frith's sake, even the gaming media are mocking how ridiculously childish and badly done all this shit looks. When even the guys who always default to "looks great" have their doubts, then something is not right in Poland.

Does that mean it'll be terrible in the game itself as well? I dunno, but I'm hardly looking forward to finding out

you seeming is being serious... so we answer in kind.

nowhere did Gromnir say or even suggest that codexian silence regarding vampire b00bs & blood legitimizes da use of similar. our only point in referencing codex were the hypocrisy inherent in slamming bio and giving troika a pass. necessarily makes a reasonable person wonder if the animosity is 'bout the b00bs or 'bout bio... with b00bs being an excuse.

as for the gaming media concerns being noteworthy... am gonna disagree. first, Gromnir is pretty dismissive of gaming media in general. you suggest that if the pansy, softball media hacks is criticizing DA already, then there must be a problem, no? sadly, the hacks is being their typical useless selves... as far as we can tell. am recalling mass effect previews. the previewers criticized gratuitous blue-alien sex, but they near universal laud the dialogue wheel. huh? the alien sex were as stoopid as any previous bio romance but not noticeably worse... did not see Gomorrah rising in response to bio's 30 seconds o' sweaty alien love. nevertheless, the hacks were calling the dialogue wheel "innovative," in spite of fact that all wheel genuine did were save developer resources... makes player feel likes they gots multiple dialogue options but only gives one genuine vo response.

critic concern over bio romance is nothing new, so am not all that concerned... save for the whole gift-giving mechanic being patently offensive to our delicate romantic sensibilities... and our general hate o' a tangential romance options.

HA! Good Fun!

I'm not reading your posts. Stop posting like a faggot and maybe more people will pay attention to you.

 

[Volourn]

"For Frith's sake, even the gaming media are mocking how ridiculously childish and badly done all this shit looks. When even the guys who always default to "looks great" have their doubts"

This is stupid. You only say that because they agree with you. If you think the main stream are liars when they post soemthing you disagree with them but now think it's all trueth when they back up your insertions it's a cop out.

Either you believe the media is full of shit or not. Stop trying to have it both ways.

I don't care what the media thinks where they give a game I like a 90% or a 50%. It's completely and utterly irrlevant.


"I'm not reading your posts. Stop posting like a faggot and maybe more people will pay attention to you."

Apparantly enough pay attention to his posts. R00fles!

 

[Brother None]

This is stupid. You only say that because they agree with you. If you think the main stream are liars when they post soemthing you disagree with them but now think it's all trueth when they back up your insertions it's a cop out.

Don't you ever get tired of handing out these standard answers?

Anyway, my assertion isn't that the main stream press are incompetent, know-nothing liars, my assertion is that they tend to be overly positive. Notice how the former assertion indicates you can't trust them on anything, while the latter just means you need to expect 9.0+ reviews and ecstatic previews, and that when this does not happen it really is a sign of things to come.

I don't trust them very far either, but if an AAA-release is getting frowns in previews, then either it's looking bad or it's under the thumb of a highly incompetent marketing campaign. I suspect it's mostly the latter for DA.

our only point in referencing codex were the hypocrisy inherent in slamming bio and giving troika a pass. necessarily makes a reasonable person wonder if the animosity is 'bout the b00bs or 'bout bio... with b00bs being an excuse.

Selective bias is like the Codex' signature. Hardly shocked. It just doesn't invalidate criticism by itself. As such, you gotta wonder if it's useful to even bring up or not...

as far as we can tell. am recalling mass effect previews. the previewers criticized gratuitous blue-alien sex, but they near universal laud the dialogue wheel.

I don't think blue butt was criticized as much as the DA sex scene has been. But I might be remembering wrong. In particular, the gaming ranks closed around it once Fox started taking shots, so there wasn't much elbow room for criticism amongst the circle jerks.

The dialogue wheel is idiotic. But hey, BioWare has been selling us exactly the same fake branching dialogue for ages, they've just now packaged it up in a more honest, "intuitive" way.

 

[Forest Dweller]

"I'm not reading your posts. Stop posting like a faggot and maybe more people will pay attention to you."

Apparantly enough pay attention to his posts. R00fles!

Only enough to realize it's gay.

 

[Barrow_Bug]

I don't mind sexualised content as long as it progresses characterisation. I can't really think of a game that has done that properly though. Y'know, wherein your sexual relationship actually benefits or hinders your realtionships with the group as a whole. In terms of titilation, it's a given. Unless I'm wrong, I'm pretty sure teenage boys still play video games-so you'd have to be a fucking idiot to be horrified at the aspect of in-game sex.

 

[Gromnir]

"Selective bias is like the Codex' signature. Hardly shocked. It just doesn't invalidate criticism by itself. As such, you gotta wonder if it's useful to even bring up or not..."

the locals not see same as do you. see themselves as the last Honest gamers on the planet... or somesuch nonsense. suggest a codexian bias and they actually get offended. so yeah, is worth bringing up that perhaps the the current codexian sensitivity to the exploitation o' the female form might be more related to bio hate than the espoused maturity argument.

and our recollection is that blue alien sex got substantial criticism... especially when the lesbian angle got thrown into the mix.

am willing to bet that the current sex-talk dialogue in da is no worse than similar stuff in previous bio games. the problem is context. honest, go back and review any bio romance. they all gots lame dialogues to initiate physical encounters. the thing is that the sex-talk is a culmination o' an entire romance side-quest, so if folks were enjoying the romance, chances are that they enjoyed the climax and denouement too. chop up and show just the sex-talk... along with a pr0stitution angle? am not sure how such stuff can possibly seems good, regardless o' the writer. again, read Austen or Shakespeare, but only the serious romance encounters. is genuine eye-rolling material... without benefit of context.

*shrug*

am not seeing how critic comments regarding romances can be particularly worrisome. ALL previous bio romances has suffered from being rushed and forced... which is kinda inevitable considering the fact that they is tangential and optional. to hear that critics were unamused by 5 minutes o' mercenary DA romance is hardly noteworthy. the folks that like bio romances will probable like the DA flavor just as much as past incarnations... is a mystery to Gromnir why anybody enjoys the bio romances, but am not surprised that a 5-minute snippet o' DA wh0re talk might discourage critics.


edit:

oh and again, the notion that b00bies in da somehow invalidates bio "mature" goal is utter nonsense. the examples bio used as examples o' dark and mature were making considerable use of the jiggly. is gravity defying mammaries unnecessary from a Gromnir pov? sure, but the inclusion o' such stuff happens in an overwhelming majority o' film, games and books directed at the Target Demographic. b00bies don't preclude artistic merit and they don't prevent maturity o' theme and content neither.

you wanna stop seeing? then stop buying.

HA! Good Fun!

 

[Barrow_Bug]

"Selective bias is like the Codex' signature. Hardly shocked. It just doesn't invalidate criticism by itself. As such, you gotta wonder if it's useful to even bring up or not..."

the locals not see same as do you. see themselves as the last Honest gamers on the planet... or somesuch nonsense. suggest a codexian bias and they actually get offended. so yeah, is worth bringing up that perhaps the the current codexian sensitivity to the exploitation o' the female form might be more related to bio hate than the espoused maturity argument.

and our recollection is that blue alien sex got substantial criticism... especially when the lesbian angle got thrown into the mix.

am willing to bet that the current sex-talk dialogue in da is no worse than similar stuff in previous bio games. the problem is context. honest, go back and review any bio romance. they all gots lame dialogues to initiate physical encounters. the thing is that the sex-talk is a culmination o' an entire romance side-quest, so if folks were enjoying the romance, chances are that they enjoyed the climax and denouement too. chop up and show just the sex-talk... along with a pr0stitution angle? am not sure how such stuff can possibly seems good, regardless o' the writer. again, read Austen or Shakespeare, but only the serious romance encounters. is genuine eye-rolling material... without benefit of context.

*shrug*

am not seeing how critic comments regarding romances can be particularly worrisome. ALL previous bio romances has suffered from being rushed and forced... which is kinda inevitable considering the fact that they is tangential and optional. to hear that critics were unamused by 5 minutes o' mercenary DA romance is hardly noteworthy. the folks that like bio romances will probable like the DA flavor just as much as past incarnations... is a mystery to Gromnir why anybody enjoys the bio romances, but am not surprised that a 5-minute snippet o' DA wh0re talk might discourage critics.


edit:

oh and again, the notion that b00bies in da somehow invalidates bio "mature" goal is utter nonsense. the examples bio used as examples o' dark and mature were making considerable use of the jiggly. is gravity defying mammaries unnecessary from a Gromnir pov? sure, but the inclusion o' such stuff happens in an overwhelming majority o' film, games and books directed at the Target Demographic. b00bies don't preclude artistic merit and they don't prevent maturity o' theme and content neither.

you wanna stop seeing? then stop buying.

HA! Good Fun!

I agree for the most part. However, I know a lot of the old-skoolers here love them some original style Fantasy RPG's and they are all pretty naff if you ask me- especially in their depiction of women. And considering a majority of the posters here are furries or reprobates of some form or another, it's pretty entertaining all round I say.