The Technology of Dragon Age II

[Skurge]

Part I

Part II

Good read, I wish they went more in depth. Looking like it might turn out looking good. The demo wasn't though.

Textures could use a bit of work though.

 

[Gloomy]

I think it looks great. I'm not a good judge of potential though but I don't see where they need any improvement? Seems like they have a pretty great looking game already...

 

[Idontcare]

I just got done playing DAO and I think the screenshots in DOA2 look amazing compared to the original. I'm curious what the game play will be like. They left a lot of unused world in the first game, they could really open up the territory for game play in DOA2.

 

[mnewsham]

I just got done playing DAO and I think the screenshots in DOA2 look amazing compared to the original. I'm curious what the game play will be like. They left a lot of unused world in the first game, they could really open up the territory for game play in DOA2.

Not only did they leave a lot of Ferelden they left lots of other countries as well. Should be good for a few more games if the sequel is good.

 

[Arkadrel]

To be truthfull... when it comes to RPGs grafics arnt that important.

Final fantasy 7, was probably the best rpg I ever played... old school turn based thingy with boxy fugly ps1 grafics, but all the small mini games, the open map(s) all the hidden extras in the game just made it brillant gameplay.

I was near tears when Ariel died in it... the storyline was beautifull and the music... it was just a great game.


Id take 1 good turn based old school rpg over 50 of these new "shiny grafics" action based crappy rpgs.
That said, I liked the first Dragon Age, and will probably get this 2nd one too.

*edit:
I also think this new Dragon age II looks good, even in the directx 9 screenshots that link had.

 

[Skurge]

To be truthfull... when it comes to RPGs grafics arnt that important.

Final fantasy 7, was probably the best rpg I ever played... old school turn based thingy with boxy fugly ps1 grafics, but all the small mini games, the open map(s) all the hidden extras in the game just made it brillant gameplay.

I was near tears when Ariel died in it... the storyline was beautifull and the music... it was just a great game.


Id take 1 good turn based old school rpg over 50 of these new "shiny grafics" action based crappy rpgs. That said, I liked the first Dragon Age, and will probably get this 2nd one too.

FF7 was one of the best looking games on the PS1. FF has always had some of the best graphics.

 

[SlowSpyder]

FF7 was one of the best looking games on the PS1. FF has always had some of the best graphics.

Panzer Dragoon Saga on the Sega Saturn owned FF7. My kids middle name is from the main charactor in PDS. I am admittedly a Sega fan boy, though.

 

[taltamir]

Good read, I wish they went more in depth. Looking like it might turn out looking good. The demo wasn't though.

Technology was one of the major focus points of the programming team during the transition from Origins to Dragon Age II. After the art team presented us their vision for a rebooted art style, we spent a lot of time with them identifying the technology improvements that would best bring that art style forward.

Dragon Age Origins had absolutely stunning and awesome art design, graphics, story, voice acting, atmosphere and other "interactive movie" elements.

Where it failed, epically, was the "game" part. Horrible enemy balance, horrible class balance, horrible level up mechanics, horrible difficulty implementation, horrible controls on the xbox and horrible enemy boosting for the PC to compensate for how much better the controls were (30 wolves have spawned, they are tougher then the dragon you just killed). The game itself tried its hardest to be WOW, introducing all the flaws of MMOs which WOW has been progressively stripping out as if they were vaunted features. The world was tiny with the same quests "spawning" at the same on screen location, and if you took multiple quests spawning at the same time on top of each other. Oh, and lets not forget the immersion killing in game sales pitches (the guy in the camp with the "quest" to go online and buy warden keep!)

If their strategy for Dragon Age II design was "reboot the art style" (which was awesome) then I don't think it is going in the right direction.

I never finished the game. I started as a mage, had a blast, loved the interactive movie... Quickly learned all the flaws in the game part... played through begining, played through the mage and elf area first, then went to do the dwarves... after 2 hours of boring boring boring pointless grind where i killed countless enemies without a single interactive movie cutscene i just got tired of the game and quit playing it.

 

[Idontcare]

I never finished the game. I started as a mage, had a blast, loved the interactive movie... Quickly learned all the flaws in the game part... played through begining, played through the mage and elf area first, then went to do the dwarves... after 2 hours of boring boring boring pointless grind where i killed countless enemies without a single interactive movie cutscene i just got tired of the game and quit playing it.

I could see where it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. I deplore the drip-drip-drip content release that is the modern DLC marketing scheme...so much so that I intentionally wait 1+ yrs after a game has been out before I buy it because then they bundle everything together in an "Ultimate" pack.

I bought DAO Ultimate just this past Jan, with all the goodies, and at a discount price of a mere $15 (stardock impulse). At that price it was worth the 2 weeks of game play I got out of it.

And the game play was a bit formulaic (Bard's Tale ruined all RPG's for me) in keeping with the old-school tradition, right down to fighting the rats that spawn in the cook's pantry (sigh).

But the real fun for me came once I realized I could basically print my own money by crafting and selling potions. Once I was liberated from the limitations of the coin then the rest of the game opened up in a most enjoyable form.

The spawning stuff was annoying at first for me too, until I realized that this was the game designers was of forcing you out of your comfort zone when it came to battle strategies and compel you to use more of the game features such as bombs, traps, area magic, stealth, etc.

I'm probably going to play the game again knowing what I know now so that I can do a better job of managing my choices in my level-ups. I wasted a lot of level-up points on some real useless skills.

 

[aigomorla]

was near tears when Ariel died in it... the storyline was beautifull and the music... it was just a great game.

Do you mean Aerith?
Ariel is from the little mermaid

And it was unfinished.. lol.. according to the rumors on the real script, you should of been able to get her back, which is why she even has a final move.

If Square was to ever remake that game completed with today's graphics, im fairly sure it would end all RPGs.
However i think square is worried of royally messing up there most all time epic games, and why they only TEASE us with stuff like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thsnDqQu0mQ

Dragon Age Origins had absolutely stunning and awesome art design, graphics, story, voice acting, atmosphere and other "interactive movie" elements.

Where it failed, epically, was the "game" part.

lol... to be honest i think i played it more for the story, if anything.
It had a really nice voice cast for the characters, and it was comical to see the reaction of things.

Like what happens when you keep talking to your dog.

 

[BD231]

Weird, I always hated the graphics in DOA Origins. To many over used textures and colors.

 

[Annisman*]

I've read that Bioware is releasing a downloadable high-res texture pack for those who want them in DA 2

 

[bryanW1995]

Do you mean Aerith?
Ariel is from the little mermaid

And it was unfinished.. lol.. according to the rumors on the real script, you should of been able to get her back, which is why she even has a final move.

If Square was to ever remake that game completed with today's graphics, im fairly sure it would end all RPGs.
However i think square is worried of royally messing up there most all time epic games, and why they only TEASE us with stuff like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thsnDqQu0mQ



lol... to be honest i think i played it more for the story, if anything.
It had a really nice voice cast for the characters, and it was comical to see the reaction of things.

Like what happens when you keep talking to your dog.

alistair and the dog have a few interesting conversations...

 

[sticks435]

I've read that Bioware is releasing a downloadable high-res texture pack for those who want them in DA 2

Yes, it will be available tomorrow. There will also be new drivers from both ATI and Nvidia that increases performance with DX11.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6346703

 

[Skurge]

So its coming out the same day as the 6990 and the are promoting it so hard with the card.

Im not surprised as this is a Gaming Evolved title. The High-res pack would be welcome, I thought the textures could look better.

 

[Arkadrel]

So its coming out the same day as the 6990 and the are promoting it so hard with the card.

So eyefinity will work well with title hmmm?

It makes sense to promote eyefinity in games, when your releaseing a title game, why else would anyone buy a insane fast gpu like the 6990 (if not for 3 screen resolutions)?

 

[Skurge]

So eyefinity will work well with title hmmm?

It makes sense to promote eyefinity in games, when your releaseing a title game, why else would anyone buy a insane fast gpu like the 6990 (if not for 3 screen resolutions)?

Im sure they had a hand in DX11 too like most of the gaming evolved titles. I wonder if AMD sent out copies to reviewers.

 

[Grooveriding]

Im sure they had a hand in DX11 too like most of the gaming evolved titles. I wonder if AMD sent out copies to reviewers.

 

[alcoholbob]

Well the technology still sucks.

There are still flaws from the engine framework that plagued the Aurora engine. Framerate will dip if enough view distance is applied, which is why Bioware games have always been boxed in with very small areas.

Second, the engine is bad at rendering fire. REALLY bad. I was chugging along in the 5-10fps range when Flemeth was walking through flames. This is on Crossfire 6970s.

 

[Skurge]

:hmm: maybe people confused the launch date of DA2 with that of the 6990?

 

[Aristotelian]

If Square was to ever remake that game completed with today's graphics, im fairly sure it would end all RPGs.

If only they would do the same for Xenogears (not that Xenosaga trash) and FFVI.

I like the "fastest graphics card in the world" logo. I wonder if the 590 will have that too...

 

[Arkadrel]

I like the "fastest graphics card in the world" logo. I wonder if the 590 will have that too...

depends on how much energy nvidia want it to use at stock speeds
at 700watts Im sure nvidia's 590 will beat a 6990.... but if they want to keep it close to the 450watts of the 6990... probably not.

if nvidia try to stay under the 300watts mark... it ll be a slaughter, since they arnt as energy effecient.
And since the 6990 isnt trying for the 300 mark.

 

[Skurge]

If only they would do the same for Xenogears (not that Xenosaga trash) and FFVI.

I like the "fastest graphics card in the world" logo. I wonder if the 590 will have that too...

AMD would only put that there if they were really confident and sure they were faster than the 590 (if there is a 590). Although, AMD's Graphics division has been pretty cocky lately.

 

[Hauk]

Thanks OP. I own all DAO titles and hadn't taken time to research Dragon Age II. With DAO titles, I often paused and rotated around characters to check out the visuals of a freshly unleashed spell. I'm looking forward to enhanced lighting, environment tesslation, and ambient occlusion.

 

[Throckmorton]

DA2 runs a lot better on my computer than DAO. I only have an 8800GT and 2.4ghz C2Duo. Or maybe the demo just had downgraded textures and effects?