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So... Dragon Age 2...

Am I a terrible judge of games?


  • Total voters
    74

Delterius

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
15,956
Location
Entre a serra e o mar.
It could have been done much better I think
That's about it. Or I should say that it could have been done at least decently. The way to hell is paved with good intentions.
It's me. Roguey is my waifu.

...anyway, how is your sex life?

Not good. I think she might be stalking some asshole. Better tape the phone. I record everything.
tumblr_m3ubrooV3n1r8czhco1_500.jpg

YOU'RE TEARING ME APART ROGUEY
 

tuluse

Arcane
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
11,400
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong
1 - I think I know what you mean but you phrased it horribly, if you mean that many RPG's would benefit from having a time limit to add to that atmosphere and tension... sure that is awesome by me (is this what you are talking about?). If on the other hand you mean that the world should only change when you want it to, under your control... that is bad. The world should go on without you there, that is what immersion is all about...
No, I meant Fallout used the passage of time. Over time the world state changes (super mutants invading).

What I said was good, was that the player has control over how long he/she takes to do things. It never takes that out of the player's hands and says you spend 5 years mining spice for the Hutts or whatever.

3 - Here you just talking about a totally different rpg experience, you are talking about the daggerfold/morrowind rpg where you are no one and the npc's just give fetch quests with no character. By no means a bad experience if you are willing to use your imagination. I am talking about rpg's that are story driven, if you are not invested in the characters or groups involved then it the game just becomes a corridor grind because of its overall linear nature. Two different things my friend.
I reconsidered actually, I liked how New Vegas and Bloodlines tie the player character to the world. However, still shows this is nowhere close to a "new" idea.
 

poetic codex

Augur
Joined
Aug 14, 2010
Messages
292
The three main things that caught my attention were:
1.) The time frame and location. I don't mean the city of Kirkwall itself, but the way the game is set in one location over a period of time (where things happened and the situation changes).

Hello. I can see where you're coming from , but alas...gaming has made me into a cynic over the years so I don't quite agree with you on this point. The reason Bioware/EA restricted the game to one location was not because they were trying to experiment, or do something new. The main reason they did it was that the limited time frame allotted by EA forced them to cut corners. They had to rush out DA 2 as quickly as possible to cash in on Dragon Age's success.

The game just feels lifeless at times with its non existent exploration. Repeated locations become old very quickly and once their luster wears off, it begins to feel like a chore to venture forth "Sigh, this fucking beach coast again."

From your optimistic perspective, Bioware was trying something new by limiting the game to one location. From my cynical perspective, they were just cutting corners to rush out a $equel.
 

Commissar Draco

Codexia Comrade Colonel Commissar
Patron
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
20,856
Location
Привислинский край
Insert Title Here Strap Yourselves In Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Divinity: Original Sin 2
From your optimistic perspective, Bioware was trying something new by limiting the game to one location. From my cynical perspective, they were just cutting corners to rush out a $equel.

F... this :bro: So what is realy worthwile in DA2? Varys the beardless dwarf Bio Dandelion? I never played game I felt I wasted my time so much before.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,232
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
From your optimistic perspective, Bioware was trying something new by limiting the game to one location. From my cynical perspective, they were just cutting corners to rush out a $equel.

It's possible to do both. From compromise comes creativity.

Not saying that DA2 was in any way successful at that, of course.
 
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
14,149
The idea of inhabiting a single city and watching it charge in time and in response to your actions reminds me a lot of Pathologic. Naturally DA2 couldn't have been a game more different than that. That doesn't mean that the idea isn't sound, or that there isn't one lone, intelligent soul who pitched the idea of a plot and setting that wasn't a rehash.

Bioware just failed miserably at making their first new plot since BG2, and failed at everything else in the meantime (probably EA's pushing for shorter deadlines).
 

RPGMaster

Savant
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
703
Yeah the idea of setting it in one city was a good one. It was the execution that was horrible.

But typically that wasn't the lesson BioWare learned from the game. So now they're making more areas than ever before for DA3! All of which will presumably be just as dead and lifeless as Kirkwall.
 

Delterius

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
15,956
Location
Entre a serra e o mar.
Back in the day, DA2 pre-release defenders last stand was to shift in full 'it might still be good for what it is' mode. Amongst their arguments was the idea that BG1 revolved a large area across the Sword Coast while BG2 concentrated its efforts in the surroundings of Athkatla. People would often say that BG1's larger scope served only to dillute content when compared to BG2, which is, of course, only partially true - BG2 benefits from what might be called higher overall production values, if the same happened to BG1 its vast forested wastelands would be filled with interesting quests and encounters.

Back then, the choice of limiting the plot to a single city could have been a artistic choice, but in wiser words, it was simply a artistic effort to do as little work as possible. If anything, that BioWare jumped the Skyrim 'vast as a ocean, probably deep as a puddle' bandwagon, you might say that limiting the game to Kirkwall's environs was a much more hollow change than the most cynical shitpost could have foreseen.
 

tuluse

Arcane
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
11,400
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Bloodlines takes place entirely in one city, The Witcher takes place primarily in and around a single city, I'm sure there are other examples.
 

MasPingon

Arcane
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
1,797
Location
Castle Rock
You got to say EA had the balls to release a demo. It's like they expected you to have sex with a hooker while you already know she have aids
 

Roguey

Codex Staff
Staff Member
Sawyerite
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
35,653
You can't even tell, unless you're somewhat familiar with Dragon Age's setting. Bad abstraction. Some people weren't even sure if they'd retconned that, or not, because there was no way to tell.
They copy/paste a codex entry from Origins that states teleportation is impossible, so no, not a retcon. One can see DA2's gone superabstract with the combat the first time they see enemies pop out of the sky or a rogue vanish and instantly teleport behind a guy to backstab and so on.

He used to post here in fact, but I haven't been able to figure out his identity. Haven't actually made much of an effort though.
 

Delterius

Arcane
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
15,956
Location
Entre a serra e o mar.
Though what is more puzzling is that David Gaider claimed they didn't have time to make a proper spell effect for the 'teleportation', hence why it looks like that as opposed to some magical rush.
 

sea

inXile Entertainment
Developer
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
5,698
They copy/paste a codex entry from Origins that states teleportation is impossible, so no, not a retcon.
It's funny because I was reading a Dragon Age LP done on the Codex recently and Morrigan even says the word "teleport". Why do people living in a medieval fantasy land, who would be amazed by the invention of the printing press, even have the word "teleport" in their language?

Also,

motivator6b47116cc41571.jpg
 

Mary Sue Leigh

Erudite
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
414
Location
Mysidia
I must admit that I gave this game a pass because even the console-playing monkey I am keeping in a secluded controlled experiment environment, while becoming mellowly pacified and sexually aroused when it played Dragon Age 1, got extremely infuriated fast when I added Dragon Age 2 (The Quest for Swords) to its habitat.
Long story short, even though the adorable critter was conditioned to like streamlined console RPGs by prolonged exposure to Mass Effects 1 through 3, couldn't stand to play DA2 even halfway through and eventually choked on its own excrement in a cowardly attempt to get out of its misery while also trying to please itself in its final moments, possibly due to gratituous (read: awkwardly edited and lame) sex scenes..
It left me with a creeping suspicion that the game might not be suitable for all audiences, but more tests may be needed.

I'll be auditioning for new test audiences shortly to replace my beloved console-monkey Steven, if possible all applicants please bring their own chloroforme soaked rags. Hey that stuff's not cheap, this gal here runs a business. Brain damage is not necessary, but a most welcome trait.
 

AstroZombie

Arcane
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Messages
1,041
Location
bananolândia
Divinity: Original Sin
Banal. Shit. Boring.

That describes the codex response to this topic.

Narcissistic is the word I would use to identify those inane ramblings which serve neither to entertain me with wit nor to provide any meaningful insight into this subject for review. The delusional notion that your shallow, idiotic opinions would even be worth my time- it's times like this that I can't help but feel disgusted by this place.

You're not one to detect your own ironies, are you?
 

pan

Learned
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Messages
214
Banal. Shit. Boring.

That describes the codex response to this topic.

Narcissistic is the word I would use to identify those inane ramblings which serve neither to entertain me with wit nor to provide any meaningful insight into this subject for review. The delusional notion that your shallow, idiotic opinions would even be worth my time- it's times like this that I can't help but feel disgusted by this place.

You're not one to detect your own ironies, are you?

 

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