The Dragon Age: Inquisition Thread

[Roguey]

but it seems that only in DA2 it was deemed such a heinous crime.

They were way too obvious about it. Every crypt and cave in The Witcher uses the same level, but they were able to sufficiently disguise them enough so that most people wouldn't notice/care. DA2 was so rushed that they didn't have enough time for this fine-tuning.

 

[pippin]

The funny thing for me is that the game is much more console friendly than DAO yet even consolefags agree DAO was better on pc. The port was a shit even to their standards. Then you had the problem of Bioware falling apart during DA2, it was the time where they realized they couldn't go on and soon after many people left, at least from what I remember. Everything was mad worse by the fact that Witcher 2 was better in any possible way, and irnically that game was extremely consolized too.

 

[Infinitron]

hen you had the problem of Bioware falling apart during DA2, it was the time where they realized they couldn't go on and soon after many people left, at least from what I remember.

This never happened

 

[pippin]

When was it, then? I remember a time when many,many people left including the doctors, I believe. Was it during the development of DAI then?

 

[Frozen]

Doctors left after Mass Effect 3 fiasco.
I think they did let quality people go but not all at once (and I don't think on doctors).

 

[prodigydancer]

DA2 also had the enemies -ninja spawning in from out of nowhere. They were hidden in the ceiling, on rooftops, dropped out of the sky, and always in groups of three or so. Shit was maddeningly boring and nonsensical.

FFS. Waves were the best part of the game because on Nightmare they actually kept you on your toes. As for enemies spawning out of nowhere - literally every BioWare game had that to some extent. But yet again only in DA2 it was suddenly considered a problem.

What is really nonsensical is how 90%+ of DA2 "criticism" was actually people mindlessly parroting /v/. To hear the very same gibberish in 2016 is mind-boggling. DA2 wasn't really great, but it was a decent ARPG, clearly rushed but still quite enjoyable if you kept your expectations in check.

 

[commie]

I like the taste of shit.

Edited for brevity.

 

[Coma White]

FFS. Waves were the best part of the game because on Nightmare they actually kept you on your toes. As for enemies spawning out of nowhere - literally every BioWare game had that to some extent. But yet again only in DA2 it was suddenly considered a problem.

What is really nonsensical is how 90%+ of DA2 "criticism" was actually people mindlessly parroting /v/. To hear the very same gibberish in 2016 is mind-boggling. DA2 wasn't really great, but it was a decent ARPG, clearly rushed but still quite enjoyable if you kept your expectations in check.

I liked Dragon Age II more than Inquisition, and even I'm willing to admit Dragon Age II is tripe.

 

[Modron]

Amalur had this:

Yeah but how can you fap when the game was designed around breaking your hands. I mean if tits are the only metric by which you play a game why don't you go play the River of Time or something.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

River of time wasn't half-bad either.

 

[Roguey]

As for enemies spawning out of nowhere - literally every BioWare game had that to some extent. But yet again only in DA2 it was suddenly considered a problem.

Not in every battle and not falling out of sky as in DA2. As I understand it, the DLCs addressed the criticism by reducing the number of times it happened and having them spawn out of sight like a normal game, and the Biodrones who played them were pretty satisfied with this solution.

Additionally, no one complains about the sky-spawning in Inquisition, because like Devil May Cry, they're demons transported there through magical means or skeletons magically raising up from their graves. Can't bend the willing suspension of disbelief too much.

 

[Commissar Draco]

River of time wasn't half-bad either.

Was much better than Biowhore offerings both as tits and as RP game.

 

[Coma White]

Additionally, no one complains about the sky-spawning in Inquisition, because like Devil May Cry, they're demons transported there through magical means or skeletons magically raising up from their graves. Can't bend the willing suspension of disbelief too much.

This is another thing I absolutely loathed about Inquisition -- the rift battles. What must have been over a hundred similar encounters over and over and over again.

 

[Wayward Son]

FFS. Waves were the best part of the game because on Nightmare they actually kept you on your toes. As for enemies spawning out of nowhere - literally every BioWare game had that to some extent. But yet again only in DA2 it was suddenly considered a problem.

I'm gonna call bullshit on this one. As someone who has played the Mass Effects, DA:O and BG1 a lot, as in several playthrough a of the Mass Effects and most of the way through DA:O and in the middle of BG, I can assure that this did not happen that often in those games. Sure, in the end level of ME2 the Collectors fly up and attack in waves, difference being that they didn't literally pop up out of nowhere. Waves were done, but at least in my experience, it felt logical, instead of bandits and rogues popping out of nowhere. In DA:O, I have encountered only one point where the enemies illogically appear out of nowhere in waves, which was the Redcliffe quests. Lastly, I'm sure people would have gotten over that, had the rest of the package been decent to good, but it wasn't, so they didn't. Almost forgot, I don't know how it happened in DAI, as I, as someone who thoroughly enjoyed ME3 up until the last couple of levels, can't play that shit for longer than 30 minutes. /walloftext

 

[oldmanpaco]

FFS. Waves were the best part of the game because on Nightmare they actually kept you on your toes. As for enemies spawning out of nowhere - literally every BioWare game had that to some extent. But yet again only in DA2 it was suddenly considered a problem.

I'm gonna call bullshit on this one. As someone who has played the Mass Effects, DA:O and BG1 a lot, as in several playthrough a of the Mass Effects and most of the way through DA:O and in the middle of BG, I can assure that this did not happen that often in those games. Sure, in the end level of ME2 the Collectors fly up and attack in waves, difference being that they didn't literally pop up out of nowhere. Waves were done, but at least in my experience, it felt logical, instead of bandits and rogues popping out of nowhere. In DA:O, I have encountered only one point where the enemies illogically appear out of nowhere in waves, which was the Redcliffe quests. Lastly, I'm sure people would have gotten over that, had the rest of the package been decent to good, but it wasn't, so they didn't. Almost forgot, I don't know how it happened in DAI, as I, as someone who thoroughly enjoyed ME3 up until the last couple of levels, can't play that shit for longer than 30 minutes. /walloftext

The only bio game I remember this in was JE. Buts its been a while since I played it so maybe not. In DA2 they literally showed them dropping down from the sky. It was so weird I sometimes forgot to push the Awesome Button for a few seconds.

 

[prodigydancer]

this did not happen that often in those games.

Quantification doesn't disprove my point - the mechanic wasn't exclusive to DA2. DA2 was more action-y than its predecessors, hence the more widespread use of reinforcements.

illogically appear out of nowhere

Breaking news: a video game is not completely realistic! We'll update you as the story develops.

In DA2 they literally showed them dropping down from the sky.

Yeah, the presentation was terrible. But that's a cosmetic issue and it shouldn't lead us to "worst game ever" conclusion.

---

Once again: I'm not a DA2 fanboy. The game had p. serious problems, particularly in act 3. It just wasn't as irredeemably bad as many people believe. It had some fun aspects, and it was definitely much better than DA:I.

 

[oldmanpaco]

In DA2 they literally showed them dropping down from the sky.

Yeah, the presentation was terrible. But that's a cosmetic issue and it shouldn't lead us to "worst game ever" conclusion.

No there were plenty of other reasons to label DA2 as the worst Bio game ever:

Gayest game ever made - not just bioware but ever!
Reused areas.
City RPG with an empty city.
Awesome button!
I want to be a Dragon!

And that is just what I can remember from one play through 5 years ago. This was the game that stopped me from buying any more Bio games (admittedly only 2 so far).

 

[prodigydancer]

Gayest game ever made - not just bioware but ever!

But gay content is optional. I skipped it. Of course, if you're deeply offended by its mere presence, then DA2 is a true abomination.

Reused areas.

Cosmetic.

City RPG with an empty city.

ARPG. Enemies were plenty so I don't know how you can call it empty.

Awesome button!

/sigh It's just a meme, bro. Like 90% of shit people still say about DA2, "awesome button" was initially a part of a social engineering stunt pulled by /v/. Fact is, on Nightmare you cannot faceroll DA2. You won't win a major fight without having a plan.

I want to be a Dragon!

I don't even remember what this was supposed to mean. Another meme?

This was the game that stopped me from buying any more Bio games (admittedly only 2 so far).

Ah, true. A long-awaited triple-A game with an aggressive ad campaign. I remember. People were understandably disappointed back then, but that anger from five years ago shouldn't cloud our minds now.

 

[Wayward Son]

Quantification doesn't disprove my point - the mechanic wasn't exclusive to DA2. DA2 was more action-y than its predecessors, hence the more widespread use of reinforcements.

There's a large difference imo, and I believe in the majority opinion, between a rare or one-time mechanic and a constant and prevalent mechanic. Also, the cosmetics has something to do with it, if there's wave after wave appearing out of nowhere, that's stupid. If the waves appearing have some logic to their spawning (zombies coming from graves, spiders coming from some sort of nest, etc.), then, while not necessarily good design, it works. Also, you said ALL BIO games, and didn't even try to disprove my claim where it didn't happen.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Gayest game ever made - not just bioware but ever!

But gay content is optional. I skipped it. Of course, if you're deeply offended by its mere presence, then DA2 is a true abomination.

The problem was that it seemed every NPC hit on the main character at least once no matter gender. Apparently the DA world was filled with pansexel people just looking for love. It was jarring.

Reused areas.

Cosmetic.

No lazy.

City RPG with an empty city.

ARPG. Enemies were plenty so I don't know how you can call it empty.

So your theory is that because the city was filled with teleporting enemies it isn't empty? That's what makes a good city? Random enemies to fight in empty streets?

Awesome button!

/sigh It's just a meme, bro. Like 90% of shit people still say about DA2, "awesome button" was initially a part of a social engineering stunt pulled by /v/. Fact is, on Nightmare you cannot faceroll DA2. You won't win a major fight without having a plan.

Your right it is a meme. A meme that summarizes the elimination of RPG mechanics in bioware games.

I want to be a Dragon!

I don't even remember what this was supposed to mean. Another meme?

Stupid dialogue is stupid. I'll give you that one because stupid dialogue is not a issue isolated to DA2.

This was the game that stopped me from buying any more Bio games (admittedly only 2 so far).

Ah, true. A long-awaited triple-A game with an aggressive ad campaign. I remember. People were understandably disappointed back then, but that anger from five years ago shouldn't cloud our minds now.

Bioware of course does not owe me or anyone anything. But for a long time they made games I liked (BG, BG2, TOB, KotoR, JE, ME) and then all of a sudden they stopped (DA:O, ME2). DA2 was the last game I bough because it was when I realized that the old bioware was not coming back. So now they make cover shooters (ME3) and crappy light RPGs (DA:I).

 

[prodigydancer]

There's a large difference imo, and I believe in the majority opinion, between a rare or one-time mechanic and a constant and prevalent mechanic.

I liked it.

Of course, if we assume that enemies must always spawn in a realistic (or as you insist, "logical") way, there's a problem. But I know many games where they don't. As somebody who played BG1 "a lot", you probably remember that random encounter map where the party was suddenly surrounded by a dozen or so of bandits. It wasn't even a forest map. There isn't always "logic" behind encounter design. And while not many games utilized the concept of reinforcements extensively, the phenomenon of enemies spawning out of thin air wasn't invented by Bioware in 2011.

Also, you said ALL BIO games, and didn't even try to disprove my claim where it didn't happen.

Well, which game didn't have it at all? You said most of them didn't do it so often and I'm not saying they did.

 

[Neanderthal]

You know there were a few things surprised fuck outta me when I played (endured) that DA2:

First were that this pile o shit took eighteen months to make, same as New Vegas which takes a dump on it from a large height in every way.
Second were that Witcher back in 2007 made a living, breathing city for their first game that shits all over the AAA studio abortion, and wi a fraction o budget.
Third were that this "cinematic story" game had shit cinematics and a retarded storyline, well alright for retarded Biodrones but they like that nonsensical, cheesy, squeeing shit.
Fourth were that i've never met such an unlikeable cast o characters, all unmotivated, useless, needy bunch o crying babies that I wanted to kill but couldn't until game railroaded into one of its "thrilling" choices.
Fifth were how linear and unambitious it were, talk, run along corridor, fight, loot, repeat, real high point of the decline and a sign of all thats bad wi modern RPGs.
Sixth were conversation and alignment sysytem, upper, middle or lower right, thats best they could fuckin do, ought to be ashamed on emsens.
Seventh were enemy every ten feet, in a city, where supposedly this "strong guardswoman" maintains peace, fuckin tiresome dull grinding fit only for lowest common denominater.

Apart from that it were alright, well visuals were shit but hey ho. Oh an main character were shit an all, apart from it being one o Biowares clumsy power fantasies I couldn't understand why anyone'd follow the dim bastard.

 

[Athelas]

Bioware of course does not owe me or anyone anything. But for a long time they made games I liked (BG, BG2, TOB, KotoR, JE, ME) and then all of a sudden they stopped (DA:O, ME2). DA2 was the last game I bough because it was when I realized that the old bioware was not coming back. So now they make cover shooters (ME3) and crappy light RPGs (DA:I).

Maybe it's your own preferences that changed? I can't imagine why else someone who says he liked Kotor and Jade Empire would suddenly think DA:O was bad when it was a refinement/improvement of the same general formula.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Bioware of course does not owe me or anyone anything. But for a long time they made games I liked (BG, BG2, TOB, KotoR, JE, ME) and then all of a sudden they stopped (DA:O, ME2). DA2 was the last game I bough because it was when I realized that the old bioware was not coming back. So now they make cover shooters (ME3) and crappy light RPGs (DA:I).

Maybe it's your own preferences that changed? I can't imagine why else someone who says he liked Kotor and Jade Empire would suddenly think DA:O was bad when it was a refinement/improvement of the same general formula.

ME was the refinement/improvement of KotoR and JE. And I liked that game. ME2 went to shit but whatever. DA:O was supposedly their "real" rpg game. They were the ones going around saying it was a the spiritual successor to BG2. Some people liked it, more people thought it was shit. And DA2 was significantly worse than DA:O.

But what you really seem to be saying is if I liked KoToR DA2 should have been right up my alley? Seems like a stretch.

 

[Coma White]

The last truly great game BioWare made was Baldur's Gate II. The decline began with KOTOR -- not nearly as shite as something like DAII, but the seeds of decline are present.