So Dragon Age 2 is really bad on the PC and consolized?

[Phokus]

I see a tremendous amount of bitching on here

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3393011&pagenumber=70&perpage=40

and on other forums about the game.

WTF, you can't even change your party member's armor???

I'm holding out until i get a better sense of how the game is, i loved DAO. Might wait a year for it to be $20

 

[sticks435]

This is from the gamespot review. They said it was good, but was a step back from DA:O in many area's.

"Several areas, such as inventory management and skill progression, have been stripped down in one way or another--a case of developer BioWare inexplicably fixing that which wasn't broken. The story, too, has seen a downward turn, failing to connect its various (albeit excellent) quests to a clear central goal"

"PC players unfortunately lose an important aspect of the series that tied it to BioWare RPGs of yore: the tactical camera. You do get a certain amount of camera control, but no longer can you zoom far out and view the battlefield from above. Yet, you still must hover the attack cursor over the enemy you want to attack, which can be somewhat awkward from a third-person view. (If PC players had to be stuck without a tactical view, the console versions' auto-targeting would have been a better solution than the strange "in-between" approach taken.) The camera view isn't the only facet that's less tactical. On consoles, the difficulty level is more or less the same as in the original game; on the PC, the game demands far less of you on normal difficulty than did Dragon Age: Origins. Series veterans will want to pump up the difficulty level straight away. Yet while these changes to the PC version weren't for the better, the combat is entertaining in its own right."

 

[Phokus]

This is from the gamespot review. They said it was good, but was a step back from DA:O in many area's.

"Several areas, such as inventory management and skill progression, have been stripped down in one way or another--a case of developer BioWare inexplicably fixing that which wasn't broken. The story, too, has seen a downward turn, failing to connect its various (albeit excellent) quests to a clear central goal"

"PC players unfortunately lose an important aspect of the series that tied it to BioWare RPGs of yore: the tactical camera. You do get a certain amount of camera control, but no longer can you zoom far out and view the battlefield from above. Yet, you still must hover the attack cursor over the enemy you want to attack, which can be somewhat awkward from a third-person view. (If PC players had to be stuck without a tactical view, the console versions' auto-targeting would have been a better solution than the strange "in-between" approach taken.) The camera view isn't the only facet that's less tactical. On consoles, the difficulty level is more or less the same as in the original game; on the PC, the game demands far less of you on normal difficulty than did Dragon Age: Origins. Series veterans will want to pump up the difficulty level straight away. Yet while these changes to the PC version weren't for the better, the combat is entertaining in its own right."

This makes baby jesus cry. DAO was so great because you could choose how much you wanted to micromanage. I'm playing DAO a second time around and i'm pretty pro at setting up auto tactics and also adjusting tactics on the fly by manually taking control of characters when needed on higher difficulty settings. The Camera is a huge part of this.

 

[sticks435]

There was a lot more they mentioned too. Herbalism, trap and poison making are completely changed. Stealing, coercion and survivalist are completely cut, etc. Basically they called it an Action RPG.

 

[jonks]

I have faith, but man, I did NOT like the demo.

 

[darkewaffle]

14 hours after release - clearly everyone has beaten the whole game and knows exactly what they're talking about.

 

[CVSiN]

I played the final last night for about 2 hours.
really liked it so far.
I loved ME and ME2 though and didnt really get into DA or DA:O got bored with DA not enough combat too much running around. especially during the "planes" when you had to solve that damn puzzle with the elemental the mouse and the other forms.. oh I hated that part.. enough to make me turn off the game.

 

[dighn]

so Bioware finally sold out. Oh well they had a pretty good run. Just don't mess up ME3 please. After ME3 I am done with Bioware.

 

[CVSiN]

14 hours after release - clearly everyone has beaten the whole game and knows exactly what they're talking about.

game has been leaked since Friday.

 

[Phokus]

14 hours after release - clearly everyone has beaten the whole game and knows exactly what they're talking about.

Some of these complaints are subjective, some are objective... the objective complaints sound absolutely awful... no overhead camera and not being able to change party member's armor? That's inexplicably bad.

 

[darkewaffle]

game has been leaked since Friday.

96 hours after release - clearly everyone has beaten the whole game and knows exactly what they're talking about.

 

[Phokus]

96 hours after release - clearly everyone has beaten the whole game and knows exactly what they're talking about.

I beat DAO in like 50 hours the first time around... you KNOW some people poop socked DA2

 

[zinfamous]

*waits for complete game (+ the "DLC" BS) purchasable at regular price (~$40) or less on Steam

 

[darkewaffle]

Some of these complaints are subjective, some are objective... the objective complaints sound absolutely awful... no overhead camera and not being able to change party member's armor? That's inexplicably bad.

Actually what's inexplicable is how big a deal people are making out of little things so they can feed the "consolization" hatewagon. You want an RPG experience? How "in character" is it for you to go around dressing your friends and your teammates and being able to see both in front and behind of yourself at the same time? Yea it sounds stupid but so do the arguments against it.

They're minor design decisions; I mean one one hand a lot of people were bitching about difficulty, and the tactical camera definitely made DAO easier if nothing else. Now that the tactical camera has been removed, which you could argue is a gameplay decision, everyone wants it back despite it being both arguably contrary to an RPG experience and making a game a lot of people wanted to be harder, easier.

 

[Phokus]

Actually what's inexplicable is how big a deal people are making out of little things so they can feed the "consolization" hatewagon. You want an RPG experience? How "in character" is it for you to go around dressing your friends and your teammates and being able to see both in front and behind of yourself at the same time? Yea it sounds stupid but so do the arguments against it.

They're minor design decisions; I mean one one hand a lot of people were bitching about difficulty, and the tactical camera definitely made DAO easier if nothing else. Now that the tactical camera has been removed, which you could argue is a gameplay decision, everyone wants it back despite it being both arguably contrary to an RPG experience and making a game a lot of people wanted to be harder, easier.

The whole appeal of DAO was the tactical way in which you could play but also you had some leeway in how much of a tactical game you wanted to make it. I mean, why not let the user decide whether or not they want the tactical camera? You get the best of both worlds. I mean, i'm replaying DAO right now on nightmare. People in other forums are saying DA2 is so much easier you should start on the harder settings to get any sort of challenge.

 

[darkewaffle]

I beat DAO in like 50 hours the first time around... you KNOW some people poop socked DA2

Oh I'm sure they did. On the same note I poured just over 80 hours into DAO the first time around

But I think someone who has beaten the game already likely was either rushing or not paying a lot of attention to much outside the main storyline; part of what made DAO great was the amount of depth -outside- the main events. I can't speak to it yet because I've not ventured far into DA2 yet, but I'd almost say someone who beat the game already is more likely to be dissatisfied with it just as I'd say someone who rushed DAO would enjoy it less.

 

[nageov3t]

so is DA2 actually better on the xbox? that might make me actually buy it.

my boyfriend doesn't mind so much when we're hanging out on a boring night and I'm playing my xbox, because he can read or do his own thing and kinda follow along with the story or watch me play. when I'm PC gaming, though, I'm by myself in my home office (where my desktop computer is)

 

[sticks435]

The issue is that Dragon age was supposed to be a throwback RPG for people who remember old school, which is mostly was. Then instead of improving upon that, they go the ME route and throw the baby out with the bath water and make it seem like a completely different game. That's 2 original IP's with a sequel apiece that Bioware has mishandled. 3 if your counting KOTOR. They seem to be great at that first game, then veer of course. Hopefully ME 3 will show us they know how to properly correct their mistakes.

 

[DaveSimmons]

^ Obsidian did KOTOR II, and it is 90% of a much better game than I until it falls apart at the end.

Mass Effect 2 was a great game, so I wouldn't call it off course either.

 

[cronos]

Actually what's inexplicable is how big a deal people are making out of little things so they can feed the "consolization" hatewagon. You want an RPG experience? How "in character" is it for you to go around dressing your friends and your teammates and being able to see both in front and behind of yourself at the same time?

You're kidding, right? If I'm playing a party-based RPG I'm expecting to be playing and in control of all characters in the group, not just one.

 

[Gheris]

Mass Effect 2 was an improvement in more ways than it was a let down.

I am looking forward to DA2. I have expectations but I am aware of the changes going in. Much of the changes were known so I don't understand people complaining now. Unless people magically thought Bioware would change their minds and cater specifically to the PC market. Which is certainly not the case anymore unfortunately. I blame EA.

 

[sticks435]

^ Obsidian did KOTOR II, and it is 90% of a much better game than I until it falls apart at the end.

Mass Effect 2 was a great game, so I wouldn't call it off course either.

I was referring to The Old Republic actually. I am aware Obsidian did KOTOR II. So technically TOR is Bioware's sequel to their original game.

Did you play ME1? ME 2 was so off base from a game play/design standpoint from what ME1 was it's embarrassing. Even Bioware themselves admitted they made it to much of a shooter.

 

[Phokus]

Some french review site claims they beat DA2 in 30 hours on the hardest difficulty setting, LMAO

http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...&threadid=3393011&pagenumber=71#post388993321

 

[CVSiN]

I was referring to The Old Republic actually. I am aware Obsidian did KOTOR II. So technically TOR is Bioware's sequel to their original game.

Did you play ME1? ME 2 was so off base from a game play/design standpoint from what ME1 was it's embarrassing. Even Bioware themselves admitted they made it to much of a shooter.

I loved ME2... liked it more than the first one... and I had 6 throughs of the first one..
i don't think they messed it up at all.

and so far I'm really digging DA2

 

[sigurros81]

While I was disappointed with ME2 and somewhat enjoyed Dragon Age Origins, I have very little interest in DA2, and I'm sure I'm not in the minority. Very bland looking art direction and I'd rather not thoughtlessly button smash my way to victory.


It's quite disappointing really, because Bioware stated at the beginning that they wanted DA to be a throwback to their high epic RPG days of Baldur's Gate. I cannot remember a single memorable moment in Origins, however I still have fond memories of Minsc, trying to kill Drizzt, and trying over and over to 1 shot backstab a dragon with my thief in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2.

Aw well, bring on Witcher 2 and Skyrim.