Dragon Age 3: Inquisition announced

[bystander36]

I cant remember, but wasnt it in DA:O or awakenings, just before the final battle, while fighting through the city, you could call armies to assist you, dwarves or elves or whatever, depending on who you recruited? They actually fought right along side you. This gave me the feeling of being a leader, in contrast to just standing in front of a table and watching animations.

It was DA:O, but seriously, how often does a leader of an Army actually fight with his soldiers? He sits at a table of advisers and makes choices. I'm not sure you'd call what you were doing, being a leader. At least not in the same sense. That DA:O scenario is more like being a Quarterback, where as the DA:I is more like being a CEO of the team or some other higher up role.

 

[Blanky]

Isn't that what leaders do? They send people to do this and that, read a few things, or have people tell you what something says, then respond.

I don't disagree that you don't make a lot of meaningful choices, but it definitely puts you in what appears like a leadership role.

Oh, I agree it does appear to be one

 

[bystander36]

Oh, I agree it does appear to be one

That is all the game is trying to do. To actually give you real control of the outcomes there would be a huge cost in production. Either we wouldn't get quality cutscenes, or they'd have to spend a ton more money for all the different possibilities.

Of course we'd all like to see that we have real control, but it is a game after all. There are limitations.

 

[KeithTalent]

I cant remember, but wasnt it in DA:O or awakenings, just before the final battle, while fighting through the city, you could call armies to assist you, dwarves or elves or whatever, depending on who you recruited? They actually fought right along side you. This gave me the feeling of being a leader, in contrast to just standing in front of a table and watching animations.

Yeah, that was awesome. Whether inquisition has more realistic leadership or not (I mean, it certainly does not feel like it to me, but I guess it does?) the point is, it's dull and poorly implemented and it certainly does not feel like I have any extra control over anything.

KT

 

[cbrunny]

That is all the game is trying to do. To actually give you real control of the outcomes there would be a huge cost in production. Either we wouldn't get quality cutscenes, or they'd have to spend a ton more money for all the different possibilities.

Of course we'd all like to see that we have real control, but it is a game after all. There are limitations.

Are you suggesting we did get quality cutscenes?

 

[bystander36]

Yeah, that was awesome. Whether inquisition has more realistic leadership or not (I mean, it certainly does not feel like it to me, but I guess it does?) the point is, it's dull and poorly implemented and it certainly does not feel like I have any extra control over anything.

KT

They aren't necessarily going for "more realistic", but simply putting you in a different role. In DA:O, you were in a band of 4-8 people working on your own. Eventually you try to gain support, but you were not really leading an organization like the Inquisition.

They put the war table in to show that you are the leader of a large organization, instead of just leading a small group of fighters.

 

[bystander36]

Are you suggesting we did get quality cutscenes?

There aren't many RPG's with better, if any. Either way, the quality would be worse.

 

[zinfamous]

I honestly think that dropping healing was one of the best updates to the game.



Healing blows anyway--it is always for noobs!

 

[cronos]

I honestly think that dropping healing was one of the best updates to the game.



Healing blows anyway--it is always for noobs!

Ha. Say what you want, but I love playing a healer . In fact, the first time I played DA:Origins I crafted my character as a pure Spirit Healer. I did get in trouble towards the end when the story forced me to play solo without my party (had no idea that was going to happen), but somehow I got through.

 

[zinfamous]

Ha. Say what you want, but I love playing a healer . In fact, the first time I played DA:Origins I crafted my character as a pure Spirit Healer. I did get in trouble towards the end when the story forced me to play solo without my party (had no idea that was going to happen), but somehow I got through.

healing, aka: make-red-bars-go-up, is generally inferior to prevent-red-bars-from-falling; assuming the game in question has a developed damage prevention system.

that's how I've always gone about it, anyway. This game, especially, is designed to avoid healing whenever possible. tbh though, I'd prefer a single spike-heal type skill to the potion nonsense.

 

[frozentundra123456]

It was DA:O, but seriously, how often does a leader of an Army actually fight with his soldiers? He sits at a table of advisers and makes choices. I'm not sure you'd call what you were doing, being a leader. At least not in the same sense. That DA:O scenario is more like being a Quarterback, where as the DA:I is more like being a CEO of the team or some other higher up role.

Seriously? They are fantasy games. I play to have fun. I dont think the games are designed to initiate a discussion on leadership style. It was a lot more fun going through the city fighting with allies than standing around a table clicking on someones portrait to send them on a mission. I already said that I have no great problem with the war table, it just does not give me any great sense of excitement or leadership. Obviously you feel differently and that is fine.

 

[SPBHM]

I have to agree, the war table didn't add anything to this game.

 

[bystander36]

Seriously? They are fantasy games. I play to have fun. I dont think the games are designed to initiate a discussion on leadership style. It was a lot more fun going through the city fighting with allies than standing around a table clicking on someones portrait to send them on a mission. I already said that I have no great problem with the war table, it just does not give me any great sense of excitement or leadership. Obviously you feel differently and that is fine.

It may not seem important to you, but it did serve a purpose in the story.

 

[zinfamous]

It may not seem important to you, but it did serve a purpose in the story.

I think the reason that people feel that the war table leaves an empty taste, is because it doesn't really "do" anything.

There are no battles lines, or "influence" line that moves back and forth. You don't have to control and maintain territory in a map that is perpetually shifting alliances.

You send your diplomat off to appease or annoy some noble, then read some text...but nothing really happens. You can gain agents here and there to lessen the time for your circle to complete missions, but 90% of those missions don't effect much of anything in the game.

--total of 15 or so hours over various missions tracking down dome dwarf pretending to write Varrick's fake novel, and I get some crummy item that I don't think I ever used?

an example, anyway.

It was a great idea, and it was novel for a little while, but it never felt like you were actually directing armies, or effecting diplomatic influence anywhere.

Doesn't seem that hard to have an actual "military strength" where, at the very least, you can move battalions around the board if trouble arises in certain zones, likewise diplomats and agents.

I was always broke, too. Why not have the thing set up some sort of freaking tax revenue based on influence, or, at the very least hake the "collect coin" missions reward something more than 100 freaking gold. seriously?

I end up with 300 unused power points near the end of the game, without even trying, and yet I'm broke as shit....and I barely purchased anything!

 

[bystander36]

I'm not arguing that. I just thought it was important to the story telling. I would have liked a better war table, none the less.

 

[Carfax83]

Looks like I was incorrect regarding the amount of tessellation used in this game. I thought it was only used on the ground, and on walls. But it's apparently used in the terrain as well. Here's a comparison shot between the PS4 and PC from Redgamingtech. I don't think it's a direct capture, hence the blur but you can still make out the details:

PC tessellation

PS4 tessellation

PC also has a lot more foliage than the PS4 version. Redgamingtech has better analysis than Eurogamer. Eurogamer is biased as hell towards the consoles, and often don't put the PC in the best light possible.

Redgamingtech article

 

[RussianSensation]

Looks like I was incorrect regarding the amount of tessellation used in this game. I thought it was only used on the ground, and on walls. But it's apparently used in the terrain as well. Here's a comparison shot between the PS4 and PC from Redgamingtech. I don't think it's a direct capture, hence the blur but you can still make out the details:

PC tessellation

PS4 tessellation

PC also has a lot more foliage than the PS4 version. Redgamingtech has better analysis than Eurogamer. Eurogamer is biased as hell towards the consoles, and often don't put the PC in the best light possible.

Redgamingtech article

Wow, it's actually shocking how little graphical difference there is between DAI on the PC and DAI on PS4. Sure, the PC has more foliage, a bit better textures in the draw distance and more tessellation but the game looks 90% identical. That's incredible for console owners considering PS4 is just $400 and very disappointing for PC gaming when we have 970 SLI and 4790K/5820K at our disposal.

Every time I want to upgrade, I just see XB1/PS4 console ports with 10% improved graphics.

PC

PC

PS4

vs. BF4 on PC vs. PS3

PC

PS3

PC

PS3

HUGE differences between a PC game at the end of a PS360 generation vs. PS4 vs. PC now.

From a technical point of view, 2014 was nothing more than a console port PC year. Looking forward to a true technical masterpiece PC game built for the PC. Oh how I miss Crytek now. (Yes, I know that gameplay > technical graphics).

 

[KeithTalent]

I think the reason that people feel that the war table leaves an empty taste, is because it doesn't really "do" anything.

There are no battles lines, or "influence" line that moves back and forth. You don't have to control and maintain territory in a map that is perpetually shifting alliances.

You send your diplomat off to appease or annoy some noble, then read some text...but nothing really happens. You can gain agents here and there to lessen the time for your circle to complete missions, but 90% of those missions don't effect much of anything in the game.

--total of 15 or so hours over various missions tracking down dome dwarf pretending to write Varrick's fake novel, and I get some crummy item that I don't think I ever used?

an example, anyway.

It was a great idea, and it was novel for a little while, but it never felt like you were actually directing armies, or effecting diplomatic influence anywhere.

Doesn't seem that hard to have an actual "military strength" where, at the very least, you can move battalions around the board if trouble arises in certain zones, likewise diplomats and agents.

I was always broke, too. Why not have the thing set up some sort of freaking tax revenue based on influence, or, at the very least hake the "collect coin" missions reward something more than 100 freaking gold. seriously?

I end up with 300 unused power points near the end of the game, without even trying, and yet I'm broke as shit....and I barely purchased anything!

You were broke? I was actually wondering where the heck I spend money in this game? My gear is pretty much all from drops and you never have to buy healing potions or anything, so I just have tens of thousands of moneys and nothing to spend it on.

Looks like I was incorrect regarding the amount of tessellation used in this game. I thought it was only used on the ground, and on walls. But it's apparently used in the terrain as well. Here's a comparison shot between the PS4 and PC from Redgamingtech. I don't think it's a direct capture, hence the blur but you can still make out the details:

PC tessellation

PS4 tessellation

PC also has a lot more foliage than the PS4 version. Redgamingtech has better analysis than Eurogamer. Eurogamer is biased as hell towards the consoles, and often don't put the PC in the best light possible.

Redgamingtech article

I don't even know what that is. Is that why their faces are shiny? Does not really matter I guess. The controls on the other hand...

KT

 

[Blanky]

I think the reason that people feel that the war table leaves an empty taste, is because it doesn't really "do" anything.

There are no battles lines, or "influence" line that moves back and forth. You don't have to control and maintain territory in a map that is perpetually shifting alliances.

You send your diplomat off to appease or annoy some noble, then read some text...but nothing really happens. You can gain agents here and there to lessen the time for your circle to complete missions, but 90% of those missions don't effect much of anything in the game.

--total of 15 or so hours over various missions tracking down dome dwarf pretending to write Varrick's fake novel, and I get some crummy item that I don't think I ever used?

an example, anyway.

It was a great idea, and it was novel for a little while, but it never felt like you were actually directing armies, or effecting diplomatic influence anywhere.

Doesn't seem that hard to have an actual "military strength" where, at the very least, you can move battalions around the board if trouble arises in certain zones, likewise diplomats and agents.

I was always broke, too. Why not have the thing set up some sort of freaking tax revenue based on influence, or, at the very least hake the "collect coin" missions reward something more than 100 freaking gold. seriously?

I end up with 300 unused power points near the end of the game, without even trying, and yet I'm broke as shit....and I barely purchased anything!

Agree, that is the problem with the war table.

As far as money is concerned. Like I said, I'm at the skyhold part now + around 8-10 hours and I've bought ONE thing. I bought a schematic. Otherwise, f**king nothing is worth buying, it's all crap. I have 10,000 gold and for what? Oh, that's not true, actually. I completely gave up picking herbs, so now I buy all my elf root and dawn lotus, so that is entirely where my money goes. Buying herbs.

Also, all the upgrades to skyhold for aesthetics, seriously? I'm going to pay to change the appearance of my bedroom? A room I never go in? In a single player game? That's just stupid, there's no reason that is in the game.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Some of the sky hold upgrades seem like ideas that would fit better in some type of mp game.

 

[cbrunny]

Agree, that is the problem with the war table.

As far as money is concerned. Like I said, I'm at the skyhold part now + around 8-10 hours and I've bought ONE thing. I bought a schematic. Otherwise, f**king nothing is worth buying, it's all crap. I have 10,000 gold and for what? Oh, that's not true, actually. I completely gave up picking herbs, so now I buy all my elf root and dawn lotus, so that is entirely where my money goes. Buying herbs.

Also, all the upgrades to skyhold for aesthetics, seriously? I'm going to pay to change the appearance of my bedroom? A room I never go in? In a single player game? That's just stupid, there's no reason that is in the game.

I would have much preferred if skyhold had some form of income, and that was the reason for upgrades. E.g. as you gain power at the war room, people are supporting the inquisition, skyhold's population increases (changing skyhold, upgrading, etc), which increases the economy (changing skyhold, upgrading shops, etc), increasing your tax base, and you as inquisitor get a cut.

Oh look, I just fixed my biggest complaints in two sentences. Where the eff was Bioware on that one?

 

[ControlD]

I didn't have a problem with the idea of the war table, but I just didn't care at all about the decisions I made there. It was nice when a new area got opened up, but the rest of the missions that simply required me to send people out? Didn't even end up reading most of those. Click the icon, send whoever is available, repeat until I had nobody left. Even when I clicked on the reports I didn't really pay attention to them. I would have been a lot more invested in the war table if one of the choices would have been sending me to complete the mission and I actually got to play through it.

 

[Mem]

Speaking of money there is no reason to be broke in this game,loot drops keep you going until you can craft better gear/weapons etc,all the rest just sell,I had too much money at the end of this game,even the expensive items in store you can normally craft better yourself,think I only purchased a few schematics from store for my crafting, all the rest was from drops and exploring ie chests etc...

Regular visits to sell all my junk and I was doing well on the money front.


Speaking of herb resources,easy to find and by the time you explored most of the map you know where to find stuff you need,I rather gather for free then buy it from a vendor/store,remember all areas respawn for resources once you leave and come back later so never ending supply.

 

[Mem]

I would have much preferred if skyhold had some form of income, and that was the reason for upgrades. E.g. as you gain power at the war room, people are supporting the inquisition, skyhold's population increases (changing skyhold, upgrading, etc), which increases the economy (changing skyhold, upgrading shops, etc), increasing your tax base, and you as inquisitor get a cut.

Oh look, I just fixed my biggest complaints in two sentences. Where the eff was Bioware on that one?

Yep actually seeing the money go to better defences on Skyhold,see the troops walking around with better gear,there is a lot more they could of done with skyhold,most of the upgrades were just comestic.

 

[zinfamous]

You were broke? I was actually wondering where the heck I spend money in this game? My gear is pretty much all from drops and you never have to buy healing potions or anything, so I just have tens of thousands of moneys and nothing to spend it on.

KT

well, same thing. I spent the first 90% or so of my play through selling nearly everything that dropped, then near the end, I think I spent whatever cash I accumulated on some tier 3 schematics...and I don't think I ever used them.

You can't see the quality of those schematics until you try to use them--so that you can compare with what you already have--so that's annoying.

I bought a few in the Imperial capital place (the expensive ones, so I assumed they were good) but ended up being two items lower armor or DPS than what I had already found. I tried to clear out the schematics from the desert guy and that last Inquisition fort in Ponce de Lion or wherever, but I think I ran out of monies.