The Dragon Age: Inquisition Thread

[hell bovine]

Yeah, but if you compare it with level 1 mages in BG, where you had spells like sleep, and you'd score an automatic hit against sleeping targets... I actually played a bit with a solo sorceress with the Stratagems mod and the game got very easy quickly.

Two things.

First, Sorcerer wasnt in BG1 as it was a BG2 class included along with other 3rd Ed classes.

Second, D&D had rest per day so your casting had a price, mages at low levels are pretty much one hit wonders that cannot take much abuse as you cannot spam Sleep unless you want to finish your quest when the rest of the party still havent gained a Wis bonus due to old age.

A BG2 mage didn't need anyone, since you could even melee better due to the time stopping mechanics and that ridiculous shapeshifting spell. Without mods AI in BG was not very memorable, I don't recall a single unmodded fight.

Spellcasters at higher levels are simply ridiculous overpowered, this always been the case in D&D but that is assuming they get that high level and there is also the case at lv 10+ you pretty much fighting mystical beasts and enemies, Classes always had their own power curve, Fighters shine at low level and peak at lv 10 and this is why each class had their own XP tables back in 2nd since they knew otherwise things would get out of whack.

You are talking about mods when you already appear to be using the Enhanced Editors that added a lot of shit apparently.

Nope, I've played BG1tutu with Stratagems, and BG2 with Tactics, because without it, the challenge is even less - at least with them the enemy mages and priest can get nasty too. Also: wands.

 

[Morality Games]

... both I and my computer are getting too old for this. Stutters even when I set everything to Medium detail and run in windowed. Since I bought this as eye candy, I refuse to play it on any setting lower than Ultra. Back to Wasteland 2.

 

[Nryn]

I'm just about 90 minutes into the game, but my overwhelming thought is that the game's a chore to control when combat starts if you are using a mouse & keyboard. It's too early for me to compare other elements of the game, but the control aspect has been butchered compared to DA2, let alone DAO:

- There is no more auto attacking during real time play. It's similar to how one had to mash the attack button in the console version of DA2. Wonder if Bioware will patch it in for this game like they did for the second game on consoles after all the criticism they received.
- They've removed click to move in the real time mode.
- The so called "tactical mode" doesn't actually help survey the battlefield much. One can barely zoom out. But more inexplicably, moving the mouse to the edge of the screen does not pan the camera anymore in this mode. You need to use WASD, or hold the middle mouse button to make a cursor appear in the centre of the screen, and then pan the screen by moving this cursor around. It's incredibly clunky, and comes off as being designed around an analog stick.
- The inventory and skills/abilities UI has the potential to be aggravating. There are unnecessary clicks, and they unfortunately remind me of the Witcher 2's UI.
- The tactics slots seem stripped out compared to what we had in DA:O and DA2. The AI members had space for about 5 tactics slots if I had to guess. I'm sure my assumption about this is wrong and there are probably more slots to unlock in the future, because I cannot imagine the thought process behind this decision otherwise.

On a final note, the chosen one story this time around has got to be the most contrived one Bioware has ever written. I realize that modern Bioware writing is all about the ego-stroking, but there is almost no resistance aimed at the PC. I wish I was exaggerating, but the PC goes from criminal to savior within the opening 5 minutes. The writers missed a golden opportunity for the PC to eventually win over even those party members and other npcs who constantly challenged the Inquisitor's authority at the beginning -- even the ego-stroking writing is shabbily executed here.

 

[Nikaido]

On a final note, the chosen one story this time around has got to be the most contrived one Bioware has ever written. I realize that modern Bioware writing is all about the ego-stroking, but there is almost no resistance aimed at the PC. I wish I was exaggerating, but the PC goes from criminal to savior within the opening 5 minutes. The writers missed a golden opportunity for the PC to eventually win over even those party members and other npcs who constantly challenged the Inquisitor's authority at the beginning -- even the ego-stroking writing is shabbily executed here.

Dude, without the instant gratification all the biodrones would've boycotted the game. The ego stroking has to be instant and constant or the game would've sold much worse.
Going from criminal to jesus in 5 minutes is standard modern bioware fare.

 

[RK47]

 

[Grunker]

The implausible part isn't that they give you command of the Inquisition, it's that anybody is bothering to challenge you at all.

In those historical moments where one person or faction suddenly becomes the key to a knot of problems (social, military, political, etc), the established powers of the status quo nearly always ingratiate themselves with that person. A prolific example would be Hernan Cortes and Montezuma during the Age of Discovery. Frankly, if this was happening in the real world, the moment the player character was discovered he would be made a member of the peerage, possibly a duke, as the kings of various nations attempted to secure his loyalty to seal Fade Portals in their own countries at the expense of the others.

like the romans made jesus their god-chancellor the day they met him, amirite

 

[Seerix]

HhhHahahaahahahahahahahAHAHHA...

This last video blatantly shows that BioWare actually went over the top with the recycling. The combat in Dragon Age Inquisition is a copy paste from Dragon Age 2, rogue melee was exactly the same "awesome" mess, same goes for that bald elf in the background, swining his magic stick, every single animation exactly the same as in DA2, what the fuck.

Now I've got to ask... did they actually went with that fancy new engine? Or they did and that's were money ended? Or is this some sort of amazing incompetence that comes from studios that lose contact with reality?

 

[Abu Antar]

Our lords and saviors Obsidian Entertainment have our backs.

 

[Dreaad]

The implausible part isn't that they give you command of the Inquisition, it's that anybody is bothering to challenge you at all.

In those historical moments where one person or faction suddenly becomes the key to a knot of problems (social, military, political, etc), the established powers of the status quo nearly always ingratiate themselves with that person. A prolific example would be Hernan Cortes and Montezuma during the Age of Discovery. Frankly, if this was happening in the real world, the moment the player character was discovered he would be made a member of the peerage, possibly a duke, as the kings of various nations attempted to secure his loyalty to seal Fade Portals in their own countries at the expense of the others.

like the romans made jesus their god-chancellor the day they met him, amirite

 

[eremita]

The implausible part isn't that they give you command of the Inquisition, it's that anybody is bothering to challenge you at all.

In those historical moments where one person or faction suddenly becomes the key to a knot of problems (social, military, political, etc), the established powers of the status quo nearly always ingratiate themselves with that person. A prolific example would be Hernan Cortes and Montezuma during the Age of Discovery. Frankly, if this was happening in the real world, the moment the player character was discovered he would be made a member of the peerage, possibly a duke, as the kings of various nations attempted to secure his loyalty to seal Fade Portals in their own countries at the expense of the others.

like the romans made jesus their god-chancellor the day they met him, amirite

Jesus probably never existed... It's likely that faggot Paul the Apostle just managed to brainwash people around him (not that hard of course, as we all know, people were more idiotic with all the religious bullshit back then than they're now). Hey Paul, thanks very much for all the religious freaks still fucking around to this day and pissing me off.

 

[Glaurung]

This game treats the player character exactly like a trained waiter at an overpriced French restaurant treats a customer. Please, right this way, MONSIEUR, how was your day today, everything good? *without listening to response* Ho-ho-ho that is perfect! A menu for you, MONSIEUR, and if MONSIEUR needs anything, please call.

Then brings you one mayo-covered potato in a comically large plate and charges 80 euros.

Honestly, this isn't even infuriating or annoying. It's just boring. Characters bicker, bitch and moan at each other and about everything in the world, but the moment they address you it HAS to be in this bland, artificial tone of fake and unearned respect.

"Warden/Champion/Inquisitor, clearly you're the only one deserving of respect in this joint of half-wits and whores. What do YOU think of my incredibly private opinions that you've never demonstrated any competence or interest in whatsoever? Oh, I see your point. Hmm, perhaps you are right. Now go kill 10 monsters and report back. You are awesome."

This is the AAA games business formula. They're not telling you a story or giving you a game to play, they're just servicing your presumed needs. Mostly a manufactured feeling of power and control over a fantasy populated by one-dimensional sexual fetishes.

Yes yes, old news, but somehow I still can't wrap my mind around it.

 

[Morality Games]

like the romans made jesus their god-chancellor the day they met him, amirite

Historical monarchies can be thought of as a corporation that sells a product in exchange for currency. Basically, they sell social stability in exchange for farming the population's wealth through taxation and fines. Like a corporation that consistently fails to deliver on a touted product or service, their market share plummets the more and more it seems like they can exert any meaningful influence on the affairs of their realm. In the economy of medieval politics, this means restive populations and conspiring nobility gunning to replace them. Demons charging through Fade Portals to butcher your subjects is the ultimate harbinger of a monarchy on the out.

In terms of how the Romans perceived him, Jesus was a rogue spiritual teacher who was basically hurting their corporate bottom line because he was undermining the social structure they had imposed on the unruly Jewish populace they needed to pacify in order to maintain their trade and taxation brackets in the region. Not killing him raised the question of what exactly the Jews needed the Romans for, which was often asked by the people of that country and usually resulted in a rebellion.

Generally speaking, none of the monarchies of Thedas can afford *not* to try and recruit the Inquisitor into their camp because its a choice between (1) allowing a problem they have no visible control over continue to undermine their rule or (2) get the only guy who seems to exercise any influence over it on their side.

Rasputin and the Czar's wife, anyone?

 

[Ninjerk]

What did they even spend their money on?

 

[DalekFlay]

HhhHahahaahahahahahahahAHAHHA...

This last video blatantly shows that BioWare actually went over the top with the recycling. The combat in Dragon Age Inquisition is a copy paste from Dragon Age 2, rogue melee was exactly the same "awesome" mess, same goes for that bald elf in the background, swining his magic stick, every single animation exactly the same as in DA2, what the fuck.

Now I've got to ask... did they actually went with that fancy new engine? Or they did and that's were money ended? Or is this some sort of amazing incompetence that comes from studios that lose contact with reality?

Reportedly the engine switch took a ton of development time, plus they built massive (and pointless) zones filled with nothing, so I would guess reusing a lot of animations was a way to get the game done. It's pretty obvious, but then it's the same series, so whatever. Far from my biggest complaint with this POS.

 

[Morality Games]

What did they even spend their money on?

What, monarchies? ... they farm money so they can finance courts, and finance courts so they can make money.

 

[Seerix]

Reportedly the engine switch took a ton of development time, plus they built massive (and pointless) zones filled with nothing, so I would guess reusing a lot of animations was a way to get the game done. It's pretty obvious, but then it's the same series, so whatever. Far from my biggest complaint with this POS.

But they DID scrapped majority of assets from Origins when making DA2. I know it doesn't have much to do with this wonderful discussion about third game, but it still makes me wonder if there was some fight at BioWare and somebody in charge really hated most of the assets(or people who made them) created for the first game.

 

[Malpercio]

What did they even spend their money on?

Probably VA for the main story and the "beautiful" Oblivion-like areas with fetch quest.

Which would explain why these zones are filled with journal notes instead of NPC.

 

[Raghar]

What did they even spend their money on?

What, monarchies? ... they farm money so they can finance courts, and finance courts so they can make money.

They also paid for education, research, armies, palaces, food. And they created demand for economy. They also were responsible to preserve food so one bad harvest would be survivable, you can imagine what would happen when this task would be given normal merchant. (Merchants would sell stuff first, think about consequences later.)

 

[Nihiliste]

Fucking lol. He obviously means bioware not monarchies

 

[SophosTheWise]

We got an Xbox code and they were saying there wouldn't be any PC codes for reviewing. Neveretheless we still got one and I'm curious as to how the game actually is. I try not to be too biased but all this talk about it being an MMO makes me uneasy.

 

[Jaesun]

I try not to be too biased but all this talk about it being an MMO makes me uneasy.

Is this your first Dragon Age game? Because we have such sights to show you....

 

[SophosTheWise]

I try not to be too biased but all this talk about it being an MMO makes me uneasy.

Is this your first Dragon Age game? Because we have such sights to show you....

No it's not. I know it's generally frowned upon here, but I liked Origins a lot, mainly because it finally felt like an adventure again, instead of a giant playground where I have to do chores fore basically everyone. I liked Origins for it's long quests and I think it's the most fun I've had with an RPG until D:OS

 

[Jaesun]

I liked Origins a lot, mainly because it finally felt like an adventure again, instead of a giant playground where I have to do chores fore basically everyone. I liked Origins for it's long quests and I think it's the most fun I've had with an RPG until D:OS

If you actually liked D:OS why in the fuck are you wasting any time with this fucking garbage? Seriously, there are a LOT of great cRPG's out there now. This fucking garbage isn't one of them.

 

[Arkeus]

We got an Xbox code and they were saying there wouldn't be any PC codes for reviewing. Neveretheless we still got one and I'm curious as to how the game actually is. I try not to be too biased but all this talk about it being an MMO makes me uneasy.

Well, there is currently quite a big hatebox going on here, so i'd suggest to try the game without really looking at what people are saying too much.

I'd /also/ suggest waiting a couple of days so that there is a patch for the tactical camera zoom bug as it makes the combat much worse than it should be, but there is no telling when or even if that will come.

Oh, and save when it comes time to choose between the mages and the templars, as that's a pretty big C&C thing.

I am having a lot of fun playing a Dallish Elven gods worshipper insulting the maker in every dialogs, so don't hesitate to make some weirder char, there are /huge/ changes depending on races.

 

[set]

I try not to be too biased but all this talk about it being an MMO makes me uneasy.

Is this your first Dragon Age game? Because we have such sights to show you....

No it's not. I know it's generally frowned upon here, but I liked Origins a lot, mainly because it finally felt like an adventure again, instead of a giant playground where I have to do chores fore basically everyone. I liked Origins for it's long quests and I think it's the most fun I've had with an RPG until D:OS

I don't think liking Origins is a sin. It was a mediocre game but it wasn't bad or anything.

DA3 is mediocre by today's standards but today's standards have sunk so low...