Couple of thoughts...
- Following the story of a hero that you personalize over a significant period of time (apparnetly the game covers about 10 years of story) where your actions have a real and lasting impact in the way things came out? Isn't that what Fable was touted as back in 2004 or so? Still, I have much greater faith in Bioware then I do in Molyneux. Face it, their track record is just plain better.
- Might just be a personal quirk, but I'm actually kinda tickled that they're using the mage-class for the promo-art. Bioware has a bit of a history of using the fighter-type for all their promo materials and "default" character, so seeing the mage on the cover of the box (and in the promo videos) is kinda neat. Toss in that they decided he was bearded too with mid-lengthhair and it seems the art department managed to trump marketting for once.
- Qunari horns. Wikileaks-task-force? Ok, so they do make the qunari look like more then just big humans (really, Sten could have passed for just a really big guy), but it was kinda interesting that the main differences between them and the other races wasn't aesthetic but cultural. So I'm kinda a wash on that, I suppose it'll matter on just how it looks in the game itself.
- It amuses me that apparently the main character is going to be related to the human mage you could play as in Dragon Age. More so because that's my favorite Grey Warden to play.
- Voice acting... apparently the main character will be fully voiced, and they're going with a "conversation wheel" like in Mass Effect. Kinda ambivalent about that. One of the amusing things about the ol' "dialogue option 1,2,3,...17" was seeing all the ways your character could be a snarky ass. Also (in Mass Effect at least) all the options from those "dialogue wheels" seem to come down to some flavor of "shotgun". Then again, in Code Indigo (or whatever it was called) they actually pulled it off well, but you also made your selection while the other person was talking so it was more seamless with less "stand there and wait" going on. So it could get either way, I suppose.
- Martial magic? Heck yeah!2
________
1Kinda funny. I was actually going back through Dragon Age recently and wanted to look up something real quick and when I was googling for help I came across the Destiny trailer [link] and pretty much went "WOW!"
2In case that wasn't clear, that they made the "mage" archetype still kick plenty of ass without being stuck in a robe in the back lines is a big "plus" for me. That it seems the main character stuck a magic wand on the end of a sword just makes it better. What can I say? I enjoy front-line mages, even if most games punish you for that.
I hated Dragon Age. It was so railroady that it made my teeth hurt. The story was sub-par, and the game was buggy.
The Bioware logo is just a way for EA to try to get people to overlook the EA logo.
DAII? Won't play it.
But that's just me.
But it worked well in Mass Effect, so I don't see why they wouldn't do it in DA2.
And it's coming out 10 days before my birthday, so that makes me happy! Especially now that Portal 2 was pushed so far back (BOO!! HISS!!).
I'm looking forward to it.
From what I read yeah, you can choose gender and class, but no choice on race or origin story this time.
Ah, good to hear.
It sounds like it's more like the main character generation in Mass Effect (you are Shepard, whether you're a boy or a girl, a criminal or a military hero, etc), less like DA:O. Which I think will help tell a more cohesive story. ME 1&2, IMO, had a better overall story experience than DA:O, mostly because the lack of choices in character generation lead to better storytelling ability.
So on a completetly different note, am I the only one kinda excited about Dragon Age II coming out next month? I admit I found out about it kinda late1 (I only knew there was going to be a Dragon Age II a couple of weeks ago) but I figure that just means I don't have to wait as long and the enthusiasm won't be in a shallow grave by the time the game finally hits shelves.
Glad you're excited too! So many people are being negative about DA2, but to me it looks like DA:O, but with all the bad parts fixed.
Following the story of a hero that you personalize over a significant period of time (apparnetly the game covers about 10 years of story) where your actions have a real and lasting impact in the way things came out? Isn't that what Fable was touted as back in 2004 or so? Still, I have much greater faith in Bioware then I do in Molyneux. Face it, their track record is just plain better.
When people complained about Fable, it was never because it took place over many years.
Might just be a personal quirk, but I'm actually kinda tickled that they're using the mage-class for the promo-art. Bioware has a bit of a history of using the fighter-type for all their promo materials and "default" character, so seeing the mage on the cover of the box (and in the promo videos) is kinda neat. Toss in that they decided he was bearded too with mid-lengthhair and it seems the art department managed to trump marketting for once.
I was kind of hoping female for once they'd make the female version the focus instead of the male version (like Mass Effect). But I'm fine with it... Hawke looks pretty sexy kick-ass.
Qunari horns. Wikileaks-task-force? Ok, so they do make the qunari look like more then just big humans (really, Sten could have passed for just a really big guy), but it was kinda interesting that the main differences between them and the other races wasn't aesthetic but cultural. So I'm kinda a wash on that, I suppose it'll matter on just how it looks in the game itself.
A big goal of theirs is making all of the races feel more distinct. In DA:O I could only tell humans and elves apart by their accents. I think they said that some Qunari don't have horns, so they don't have to retcon Sten or anything.
It amuses me that apparently the main character is going to be related to the human mage you could play as in Dragon Age. More so because that's my favorite Grey Warden to play.
Everyone loved the mage the best. I mean, come on, it's hard to argue that any other class was more fun than them when you look at all the options mages had.
Voice acting... apparently the main character will be fully voiced, and they're going with a "conversation wheel" like in Mass Effect. Kinda ambivalent about that. One of the amusing things about the ol' "dialogue option 1,2,3,...17" was seeing all the ways your character could be a snarky ass. Also (in Mass Effect at least) all the options from those "dialogue wheels" seem to come down to some flavor of "shotgun". Then again, in Code Indigo (or whatever it was called) they actually pulled it off well, but you also made your selection while the other person was talking so it was more seamless with less "stand there and wait" going on. So it could get either way, I suppose.
I honestly feel that anything is a better alternative to the way DA:O handled it. Yeah, a lot of the dialogue options were hilarious, and I'm sure they still will be, but it's not the same when everyone is speaking EXCEPT for the protagonist. I'm sure the dialogue will still be as excellent (this is Bioware we're talking about), and now I'll actually get to hear what my character is saying (and hopefully see more facial expressions)
Martial magic? Heck yeah!
I want to beat people senseless with a stick.
I hated Dragon Age. It was so railroady that it made my teeth hurt. The story was sub-par, and the game was buggy.
Are we talking about the same game? I don't know how a game could be any less railroading and still have a plot.
Only if you played the x-box version. The PC version had people workin on fixes from day one. New items, new quests, in camp storage, nudity...
I bought the PC version, and, when I pay for a single-player game, I expect it to be at least playable out of the box. The bug that really got to me was the 20 minute load times (more specifically the load times got longer and longer as you played). They, apparently, finally fixed it in patch 1.03, but I haven't bothered to play.
I bought the PC version, and, when I pay for a single-player game, I expect it to be at least playable out of the box. The bug that really got to me was the 20 minute load times (more specifically the load times got longer and longer as you played). They, apparently, finally fixed it in patch 1.03, but I haven't bothered to play.
Never had that problem, and my computer isn't exactly state of the art.
I did. It doesn't exactly have to do with state of the art either. DAO came with a memory leak glitch that's never been fixed. It only seem to occure in dual core machines that run Windows Vista-64 and the like. I have a program on my machine that 'decouples' my dual core processor that fixes the glitch at the cost of some system stability. I don't think bioware ever came out with a permanent fix.
-Polaris
You say the new protagonist is related to the human mage protagonist? What do you folks figure the odds are that "related to" means "offspring of" in this instance? Is Morigan going to make an apperance as mommy?
Zero chance. The DA2 Story overlaps the DAO story by about a year. The DA2 story starts when you are a refugee in Lothering fleeing the Darkspawn. No way the protagonist is the Grey Warden's Son (or Daughter). I am given to understand he (or she) is a cousin.
-Polaris
I hated Dragon Age. It was so railroady that it made my teeth hurt. The story was sub-par, and the game was buggy.
Are we talking about the same game? I don't know how a game could be any less railroading and still have a plot.
I couldn't agree with this more. The game is as close to a sandbox as you can get without giving up the paths needed to fulfill an epic storyline. And the story is good. It's not great, but it's definitely not sub-par. I am thinking someone just rushed through the plot without stopping to see the sights. Exploration is actually quite fun in DA:O.
Exploring the world is the best part of the game, I cannot understand the people who don't as they will not get the full experiance. I hope DA2 is as good.
Agreed. Exploration, to me, is what sets a game apart from the average game. I look for the nooks and crannies. When attention to detail is made in those remote locations, I know that they truly care about the game.
Say what you want about WoW, but when it first came out, there was just so damn much to explore, especially a druid in sea lion form. And so little of the world felt generic. LotRO was the same. Just immense, detailed worlds to explore in.
Like how they did with Mass Effect was nice, a little blurb here or there mentioning a DLC event, but nothing world shaking.
I just hope that all the DLC from DA:O isn't neccessary to enjoy the story of DA2. For example: I have very little interest in picking up Witch Hunt because my "canon" character had nothing to do with Morrigan and refused her having the deamon child. (And we know that BioWare will bring in continuity, because the game takes place during and after DA:O, so choices like who rules Ferelden [and if that leader is alive] are going to be very important).
I very much doubt they'll make Morrigan and/or her demon baby a major point.
Why?
Because it's been stated that if you don't import your old save file you can still choose from (at least) three different "wardens" to have been the grey warden in DA:O, including ones that didn't take the ritual.
I just finished the warrior playthru in the demo, damn it's sweet. I'm telling everybody I know about the demo and the 1,000,000 loot giveaway.
I found out today there is even more free loot if you have the farcebork version. I may have to finally break down and create a FB account to get that stuff as well.
Yeah, and you get goodies for completing the demo, too.
Of course, I know nothing of the story. Apparently it's not as great as DAO which is a shame.
Yeah, and you get goodies for completing the demo, too.
Do you have to pick the items up in the demo to have them in game? Once I realized you couldn't change out gear I didn't bother with looting bodies. What good is coin if you cannot buy anyhting, or weapons if your only given one chance to change out your style of weapon.
I think your account gets flagged as completing the demo and you will download the content.
)And how cool does Flemeth look? Badass!
I'm sure the story is going to be tight, as are most BioWare games. Pity the game comes out just days before PAX East. If nothing else its something to pass the time until ME3 comes out.
I loved the 2 handed play thru.
My mage died in the second ogre attack, and my 2 weapon rogue finished the demo as well but was not as fun as the 2 hander. Which reflects my DA:O play thru to a tee.
Flemith is awesome now.
Flemeth was awesome before. Now she just looks awesome.
Hawke runs into Flemeth around the time Lothering is burning. Even if the Warden goes to the circle right away, that's (at the earliest) happening as Lothering burns. So by the time the Warden gets around to dealing with Flemeth, Hawke has already met her and gone on his/her way.
Throw in that Morrigan said out-right that "killing" Flemeth almost certainly wouldn't really kill her, and that it would just slow her down, and having Flemeth reappear later in Hawke's story (I have no idea if she does or not) doesn't break sequence either as Hawke's story crosses multiple years, which (if the writers decide so) is enough time for Flemeth to get a body back if you killed her old one.
Then again, even if they do go with "a [witch] did it", at least they did the set-up before you killed her the first time.
So either way, it won't feel like an [ass-pull] to me.
Still, good stuff. Played through with a warrior. The combat seems more fluid and more visceral this time out. A little button-mashy, but I think that will even out once you level up and get a few more new moves under the belt.
And a nice touch that the female warrior didn't have boob-cups on her armor. I'm not averse to them personally - style over realism is fine with me - but it will make a lot of folks happy (or at least give them one less thing to complain about).
Man I cannot wait to get this one! DA:O was a huge time-sink for me and this looks to be no different.
And yes, Flemeth really did look frakking awesome.
And a nice touch that the female warrior didn't have boob-cups on her armor. I'm not averse to them personally - style over realism is fine with me - but it will make a lot of folks happy (or at least give them one less thing to complain about).
LOL. You know what I liked? That the female versions of every class were dressed pretty much the same as the male versions - no crazy stripped-down version of the mage or rogue with "necessary" unarmored stomach (for ease of movement, of course), no "breast" plate for the fighter.
It's not that I don't like style over function, it's just that I dislike female versions being sexed up/showing more skin than their male counterparts. If everybody's stylized and sexy, then woohoo!
But I had issues with the way people treated my Warden in the first one, anyway, so I don't have high hopes for avoiding the "You're a woman?!?" comments in this one. And it's not that it would bother me so much, but they say in the character building part of the game that women and men do the same stuff in Ferelden ... but they didn't follow through with it. It was just as male-dominated as anything, with the attitude to boot!
As I've said before, it's just something that I felt could have been improved in the original.
I hope that the option to change your allies' tactics to "Use health potion at <50% health" is still available, because it wasn't in the demo. I swear, it's the first thing I did when I got a new companion, and it saved their lives (and mine) more times than I can count!
Still very excited about it!
Next week! w00t!
But I had issues with the way people treated my Warden in the first one, anyway, so I don't have high hopes for avoiding the "You're a woman?!?" comments in this one. And it's not that it would bother me so much, but they say in the character building part of the game that women and men do the same stuff in Ferelden ... but they didn't follow through with it. It was just as male-dominated as anything, with the attitude to boot!
As I've said before, it's just something that I felt could have been improved in the original.
I've completed the game with male and female main characters. I don't recall that reaction anywhere in the game.
Other than the dalish elves that is. But they were serious d-bags anyway. Long live the werewolves.
When I played an elf, I got the "you're an elf?", so I think race plays a big part in the experience (which makes more sense, since they expressly say that), but when I played as a human woman, I got the "there are girl Wardens?" from at least 4 different sources (Alistair, when meeting him the first time; a Dwarf [in power] whose name I can't recall; one of the Templars; and IIRC one of the human nobles). It has been a while, so I'm not as specific about it as I was, but it has stuck with me. There were more than I can remember, otherwise I would have written it off as one person's opinion - but apparently, Alistair hadn't seen/heard of a female Warden.
Not to mention the preponderance of male NPCs running about, influencing the world. It is not the model of the "men and women do the same things" world that they presented at character generation, but more the "default" male-dominated society.
If you're going to make a point of how women are equally represented in your world at character creation, then, IMO, you better back it up.
Meh, overall I believe it was an oversight, without much thought given to how to construct it in that sense. It's something that I would have liked to have seen differently, but it certainly doesn't mean I think the developers are horrible people, or it's a terrible game. I can find flaws in things I like, without depreciating my liking them.
And I've complained about this before, so I'm not going to go into it again. There was another Dragon Age thread that I vented in, so I don't really want to get this one all ranted-up.
So, moving on ...
I liked the Dalish and the werewolves - 4/5 playthroughs, I got them to work together. Their leader was a jerk, though.
And moving on to DA2 ...
I really like the skill trees in the demo. They are very intuitive and quick to navigate - much better than the other ones, IMO. I would have liked to have played around with the inventory, but the demo was already almost 2G to download, so I was like "OK, no inventory". LOL.
I still want to play through as a Rogue (ranged and TWF), and as a sword-and-shield Fighter. That's actually one thing I hope they do better at - making the Mage have two distinct paths, like the other classes, rather than having whatever they want to pick. While it provided a variety of playing styles, I felt like I could play two completely different Fighters and Rogues, but would pretty much make the same Mage again.
Oh, and I hope they include an option to rebuild your character, like they did in the DLC for DA:O! That made my life so much easier!!
I never did play the DLC (apart from what came with the CE). Not for lack of want but cos my poor little 20gb 360 hard drive just can'a take it, cap'n! It's crammed full as it is and just can't handle any more big DLC. Time for a HD upgrade, I think.
Totally. My husband's Xbox was getting crazy full, so I got him the limited edition Halo: Reach 360 for our anniversary. Needless to say, he loved it!
I managed to sell his old Xbox (the one he got for his deployment) to another family whose soldier is deploying, so it was nice to see it go on to another deployment. I played a couple of the DLCs, but then didn't have any time to play through Morigan's and Liliana's (though my husband played through both on his Xbox, and the Liliana one was really good to watch!). I kind of want play them, but meh.
On-Topic: So, if rumor is to be believed (and it seems there's a lot to back up the rumor), it seems that all the love-interests in Dragon Age 2 are open to either gender. This excites me (not that way, ya pervs), as it's the first time that Bioware (or any gaming company that I know of) has done this in a western RPG.
Slightly Off-Topic: In other news, I was actually contacted by a writer for GayGamer.net about possibly using some fan art I'd posted on the Bioware forums in an article the guy was going to write sometime in the next two weeks about the game. This at once makes me smile (someone wants to include my art in an article!) and a little sad (it's friggin' fan art for crying out loud! Scribbled out in something like four or five hours a piece! It looks like crap! I made it because the reactions of the fangirls amused me! I have better stuff in my friggin' gallery! I only have three pieces of fan-art in my gallery, and that's the only thing that's gotten attention (even from a writer for an online special interest news source) in four or five years? ALKDJFLAJSF!#!$!@). Ah well, I think the happy overwhelms the bitter.
On-Topic: So, if rumor is to be believed (and it seems there's a lot to back up the rumor), it seems that all the love-interests in Dragon Age 2 are open to either gender. This excites me (not that way, ya pervs), as it's the first time that Bioware (or any gaming company that I know of) has done this in a western RPG.
That's awesome, if true.
Slightly Off-Topic:In other news, I was actually contacted by a writer for GayGamer.net about possibly using some fan art I'd posted on the Bioware forums in an article the guy was going to write sometime in the next two weeks about the game. This at once makes me smile (someone wants to include my art in an article!) and a little sad (it's friggin' fan art for crying out loud! Scribbled out in something like four or five hours a piece! It looks like crap! I made it because the reactions of the fangirls amused me! I have better stuff in my friggin' gallery! I only have three pieces of fan-art in my gallery, and that's the only thing that's gotten attention (even from a writer for an online special interest news source) in four or five years? ALKDJFLAJSF!#!$!@). Ah well, I think the happy overwhelms the bitter.
That's even better! I mean, I understand the feeling - I have one painting which everyone likes that is completely different from what I like to do (and is, in fact, based on the Peacekeeper symbol from Farscape). While it thrills me that people want to buy it from me (but that will never happen, as it was a gift for my husband), it annoys me that it's that piece.
Fable III was very "in your face" about it, too.
On-Topic: So, if rumor is to be believed (and it seems there's a lot to back up the rumor), it seems that all the love-interests in Dragon Age 2 are open to either gender. This excites me (not that way, ya pervs), as it's the first time that Bioware (or any gaming company that I know of) has done this in a western RPG.
Fallout (2?).
I don't think any of the text changed based no your gender, only your model, and there was a guy, and a girl "love" (i use the term loosly) interest. Conviently located in room next to each other (they may have been siblings).
Still the only game where planting grenades and dynamite on people where good tactics.
@Jharii: Unless they got better as the series went, Fable romances were very shallow, a very different beast from the romances that Bioware puts into it's game. And the Witcher... never played it, but as far as I can tell from looking online the protagonist is exclusively straight.
So yeah. I'm going to stick with this being good/big news if you're interested in LGBT representation in video games.
... Plus, the color palette for DA:O was designed too much for PC (so I've heard)...
According to my database, DA:O was being developed not long after the last expansion pack for Bioware's Neverwinter Nights. Of course my sensors were not present at any Bioware studio between the time of the expansion's release and the announcement of DA, thus it may have been in development before then. Therefore it is reasonable to expect the game asthetics to be designed for the platform it was originally built for.
You cant make everyone happy. Plus, the color palette for DA:O was designed too much for PC (so I've heard) which is why the palette for DA2 looks much better. Consoles and PCs have different color mechanics...you cant just change it from 32bit color to 64bit on a 360.
I am not talking about graphics but gameplay. DA1 on PC could be played in real-time-strategy-like-bird-eye-view, a feature the console version of DA1 lacked. Now even the PC version of DA2 lackes it.
If I want an action game I play Force Unleashed or God of War.
Gonna have to dissent on loving Flemeth's makeover. Do not like. An ordinary-looking old lady who can kill you with a thought is more scary than some crazy-hair who actually looks like she can kill you with a thought. And has a boob-window.
Also, my PC can't keep up with a rogue. Used backstab, and the perspective went crazy. Would not calm down for several overly long seconds. Had to not play a rogue. Not a fault of the game, just me using an old PC.
I haven't seen anywhere that they are carrying over data from DA:O. My initial thoughts were that they were, but the timeline of DA2 is parallel to DA:O, and you're playing a different character.
Are there actual events that occur in DA2 that result from actions taken in DA:O?
EDIT:
Will the Dragon Age 2 story react to the decisions I made in Dragon Age: Origins?
Yes. If you import your Origins playthroughs, you will experience the consequences of the choices you made previously. However, this is not necessary to fully experience Dragon Age 2.
And here I stopped my XBox playthrough because I thought it didn't matter.
Damn store lost my preorder for the 360 Signature Edition! Picked it up for the PS3, but it means all the carryover stuff based on my DA:O save is useless.
That sucks man. Did you have money on it? Did they allow you to transfer the money to the PS3 copy?
No cash, I reserved in on my credit card. My preorder jsut…vanished, like it had never happened.
Oh well, I'll just stick with the PS3 version. I'd rather get $20 worth of free DLC than a few token nods to my DA:O actions. ;)
Unless, of course, EA are smart and the relevant playthrough info is tagged to a player's EA Online account and thus can transfer to whichever platform on which they play. Hmm…
Spoiler for something fairly early on, but a spoiler none-the-less
Yes. A [Witch] did it. Flemeth gave you a quest, and upon completion she remarks that it was basically "insurance" against her dying.
Damn store lost my preorder for the 360 Signature Edition! Picked it up for the PS3, but it means all the carryover stuff based on my DA:O save is useless.
I could try to get it on your xbox for free?
Still, enjoying the game. Only spent a few hours with it last night but looking forward to more.
And yes, I haven't seen any of the (free) released DLC. I am sure that is coming soon. It took about a week for us to see it with DA:O as well.
I wish we were able to pull out to a tactical view for issuing orders to my party members. So far I've been playing it pretty much as a straight-up action game cos I wanted to dive into the action on my first night. I'll have to spend some time this weekend setting up behaviour scripts for my party members.
I went with a rogue, because I cannot stand leaving unopened chests behind. They're awfully damn fun in combat in DA2, too. I started with a mage, but it felt a bit removed from the action.
I like that the game informs you what type of response you'll make for a given option (charismatic, sarcastic, aggressive, etc.) but my normal instincts are being tested.
Invariably in games like this I always opt for the good or noble responses, it's just the way I'm wired. In DA2, however, this is sometimes at odds with the options most likely to curry favour or get lots of dosh to help get my mother out of squalor.
Curse you and your skilled team of writers for making me care, Bioware!!! ;)
SPOILER ALERT: About Flemeth
I like that the return of Flemeth both makes sense and involves Hawke. Nicely done.
I am finding the morality system more challenging this time around.
I like that the game informs you what type of response you'll make for a given option (charismatic, sarcastic, aggressive, etc.) but my normal instincts are being tested.
Invariably in games like this I always opt for the good or noble responses, it's just the way I'm wired. In DA2, however, this is sometimes at odds with the options most likely to curry favour or get lots of dosh to help get my mother out of squalor.
Curse you and your skilled team of writers for making me care, Bioware!!! ;)
I agree wholeheartedly!!! They have done a fantastic job giving you interesting choices... and you definitely have to carefully weigh out your response. I, too, try to play the "honorable, noble hero." This game really does present you with a lot of different shades of gray.
I agree wholeheartedly!!! They have done a fantastic job giving you interesting choices... and you definitely have to carefully weigh out your response. I, too, try to play the "honorable, noble hero." This game really does present you with a lot of different shades of gray.
And how!
A great example is…
Spoiler Alert!
…when Hawke is approached by a city magistrate and asked to return an escaped prisoner, alive. Sounds pretty clear cut, morally speaking. How can you go wrong bringing a guy in alive to face justice? Not to mention that getting on the magistrate's good side might be helpful to Hawke in regaining the family estate.
As you progress however you find out not only what the prisoner did to get locked away in the first place but who he is, as well as meeting the vengeful father of one of his victims, and things start seeming a lot less black-and-white. When you finally find the guy he turns out to be a simpering little turd who knows he'll take more lives and begs for you to kill him in order to stop him.
By the time you've got to make the big choice about what to do the formerly clear-cut morality of "bring the prisoner back alive" seems a lot fuzzier.
And this is just one relatively tiny little side-quest. Great stuff, Bioware!
…when Hawke is approached by a city magistrate and asked to return an escaped prisoner, alive. Sounds pretty clear cut, morally speaking. How can you go wrong bringing a guy in alive to face justice? Not to mention that getting on the magistrate's good side might be helpful to Hawke in regaining the family estate.
As you progress however you find out not only what the prisoner did to get locked away in the first place but who he is, as well as meeting the vengeful father of one of his victims, and things start seeming a lot less black-and-white. When you finally find the guy he turns out to be a simpering little turd who knows he'll take more lives and begs for you to kill him in order to stop him.
By the time you've got to make the big choice about what to do the formerly clear-cut morality of "bring the prisoner back alive" seems a lot fuzzier.
And this is just one relatively tiny little side-quest. Great stuff, Bioware!
Being that none of my players have played either game I am going to loot both DA:O and DA2 for future D&D plots.
Good idea. Just having an arsenal of side quests converted to D&D for those "emergency" encounters would be well worth it.
Sure, you occasionally do clear-cut good, but usually for not so clear-cut reasons. And there's a whole mess of ambiguous grey you do. Top it off that they gave just about everyone nicely fleshed out motivations...
So yeah. I'm really digging the story of the game.
Spoiler
Though I'm pretty sure Anders is going to break Hawke's heart...
Then of course I get a random email yesterday telling me the previsouly vanished pre-order I'd had has shipped. WTF? So now I have two copies? Guess someone's getting a good b-day gift soon.
Boraxe, PC or XBox or other?
PS3.
Three players, three different classes.
I'd call it Providence:
So far I'm loving the Mage. I'm working with my allies to make combos. My Warriors are all about Staggering enemies so I can shock them with lightning spells. Mean while my ice spells make enemies brittle so that my Warriors can shatter them.
I'm having a hard time finding a good party balance though. Aveline may as well have a lock next to her picture since she never leaves the party. I was using Carver a bunch, but then I switched to Fenris for a while. I never use Anders (mostly because I didn't care much for him in DA:A, and I think he's even more annoying now). I want to fit Merril into my party but she's not a healer, Anders is. I think I'm nearing the end of Act 1 and I've been running mostly with Aveline, Varric, and Isabella (her DPS is ridiculous and she survives just as long as Fenris/Carver do if not longer).
Also about romances:
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I'm glad all 4 romance options are available to each gender, however only Fenris and Anders have offered up the gay sexy time chat options (even had to flat out turn down Anders, while I was able to just be friends with Fenris). Meanwhile Merril just thinks I'm nice, and Isabella has only offered me quests. I don't know if I've messed up my chances but apparently my only options for my male Hawke is penis. Maybe the girls open up later than the guys otherwise my Hawke is looking at being single for life...
I, too, am playing a mage. I have Aveline, Fenris, and Varrick by my side at all times.
I'm romancing Fenris, and had an ... awkward post-coital moment with him. I don't know where our relationship is going. I mostly picked to romance him because I liked his voice the best. And I dig tattoos.
I have to say that the game is really smooth and good-looking, and it hasn't frozen up once (knock wood!). Very good, so far!
I'm having a hard time finding a good party balance though. Aveline may as well have a lock next to her picture since she never leaves the party. I was using Carver a bunch, but then I switched to Fenris for a while. I never use Anders (mostly because I didn't care much for him in DA:A, and I think he's even more annoying now). I want to fit Merril into my party but she's not a healer, Anders is. I think I'm nearing the end of Act 1 and I've been running mostly with Aveline, Varric, and Isabella (her DPS is ridiculous and she survives just as long as Fenris/Carver do if not longer).
Same three for me. I'm playing a warrior - two-handed style - so Aveline makes a great tank, Isabela's DPS is insane so I work on getting her into flanking positions, and Varric can unleash hell from a distance. Plus this combination seems to have the best array of NPC banter options. I would give my left eye for even on emore party member slot, though. So far I've not found healing to be an issue, I just keep stocked up on potions and healing kits.
Also about romances:ShowI'm glad all 4 romance options are available to each gender, however only Fenris and Anders have offered up the gay sexy time chat options (even had to flat out turn down Anders, while I was able to just be friends with Fenris). Meanwhile Merril just thinks I'm nice, and Isabella has only offered me quests. I don't know if I've messed up my chances but apparently my only options for my male Hawke is penis. Maybe the girls open up later than the guys otherwise my Hawke is looking at being single for life...
More re: Romance
I believe you can flirt with any of the interests in Act I (as well as Aveline, but she doens't notice), but things won't get "serious" until Act II regardless. And yeah... from what I hear, Anders is the ninja-mance this time around... he's kinda... obsessive... I blame Justice, myself. Gives the guy tunnel vision in whatever he's doing.
Regarding mechanics though, I think that to "initiate" the romance, you have to...
Then you'll get a chance to chat 'em up at their home base where they'll put the moves on you.
But that's just from what I've read. So far the only one I've romanced is Anders.
Regarding mechanics though, I think that to "initiate" the romance, you have to...
- Have flirted with the companion
- Have friendship or rivalry halfway
- Have completed their companion quest in Act II
Then you'll get a chance to chat 'em up at their home base where they'll put the moves on you.
But that's just from what I've read. So far the only one I've romanced is Anders.
End game spoiler
As a side note, for anyone that's "completed" the other romances, are any of them half as tragic as Ander's romance? I mean really... finally managed to make the guy briefly happy, then he descends even further into madness and blows up the frickin' chantry. I ended up siding with the mages out of loyalty to him (well, that and Meridith is a nut-case. She knows who blew up the chantry. He's right in front of her. She knows he didn't have help from the circle. And she goes after the circle anyway. Misdirected rage much?) but it really felt like chosing the murder knife option would have been the merciful option. The guy was just... broken... at the end.
I'm not sure if my FemHawke play through will go after either of the men. Why are they both so dark and broody emo-types? Merril's got the Tali/Aeri/ thing going for her but I feel like I've already sipped from that well enough times in BioWare games. Still don't know what to make of Isabella. Looking forward to seeing how their stories develop later. Maybe the romance options will grow on me a bit more.[/sblock]
So the general consensus is that Aveline is a tank goddess. I really like her story over all. Sure she's not the funny one or the hot one or whatever but she's a really well written character and her story so far does her character justice. Varric is also rock solid, great DPS, and he also does some decent control which I love about the new Archers. Kind of makes me think my Archer play through will be last because I can't imagine not having him in the party. For those of you who've gone far, does Fenris ever catch up in the DPS game? Or do big weapon warriors generally play more of an "off-tank" role? So far I find Isabella to be just as survivable since she can stealth/evade.
Also has anyone tried out Sebastian yet? I just finished up his intro quest last night but still haven't added him to my party. Curious if he's as good as Varric, at least combat wise, not sure if anyone will live up to his banter.
Act 1 Finale Mage Update
Okay so I went to the Deep Roads with Aveline, Isabella, and Varic and had a pretty easy go at it right up until the Rock Wraith. I have a sinking suspicion that I had a harder time because I did not make the deal with the demon. Good grief was this a hard fight. I have a feeling that Fenris/Carver would have been a better choice than Isabella since they can Sunder Armor. I lost Isabella after the Rock Wraith summoned the first wave of little rock dude which hit like trucks. I wasn't paying enough attention and sudden;y she was dead. Then Varric fell, then Aveline. Thank goodness for the Mabari hound I could summon. I spent about half an hour kiting the boss and blowing through Rejuvenation and other Potions but survived the fight.
Not sure if I just didn't have the right spells or what but it took forever just chipping away. Keeping Aveline alive was hard enough. Perhaps the Deep Roads is easier with 3 ranged characters and 1 tank.
Okay so I went to the Deep Roads with Aveline, Isabella, and Varic and had a pretty easy go at it right up until the Rock Wraith. I have a sinking suspicion that I had a harder time because I did not make the deal with the demon. Good grief was this a hard fight. I have a feeling that Fenris/Carver would have been a better choice than Isabella since they can Sunder Armor. I lost Isabella after the Rock Wraith summoned the first wave of little rock dude which hit like trucks. I wasn't paying enough attention and sudden;y she was dead. Then Varric fell, then Aveline. Thank goodness for the Mabari hound I could summon. I spent about half an hour kiting the boss and blowing through Rejuvenation and other Potions but survived the fight.
Not sure if I just didn't have the right spells or what but it took forever just chipping away. Keeping Aveline alive was hard enough. Perhaps the Deep Roads is easier with 3 ranged characters and 1 tank.
Warning: Act 1 Spoilers AheadAct 1 Finale Mage Update
Okay so I went to the Deep Roads with Aveline, Isabella, and Varic and had a pretty easy go at it right up until the Rock Wraith. I have a sinking suspicion that I had a harder time because I did not make the deal with the demon. Good grief was this a hard fight. I have a feeling that Fenris/Carver would have been a better choice than Isabella since they can Sunder Armor. I lost Isabella after the Rock Wraith summoned the first wave of little rock dude which hit like trucks. I wasn't paying enough attention and sudden;y she was dead. Then Varric fell, then Aveline. Thank goodness for the Mabari hound I could summon. I spent about half an hour kiting the boss and blowing through Rejuvenation and other Potions but survived the fight.
Not sure if I just didn't have the right spells or what but it took forever just chipping away. Keeping Aveline alive was hard enough. Perhaps the Deep Roads is easier with 3 ranged characters and 1 tank.
Act 1 Finale
Hrm... I've done it twice now, haven't had a hard time yet. But I also went with two mages (Hawke and Anders) so I had plenty of AoE to crush the adds and spare healing, letting Varric and Aveline/Carver focus on the big one. Didn't take the demon's deal either time.
Act 1 Finale
Okay looks like part of my troubles had to do with my party. I figured out the tactics of hiding behind pillars and taking out the mooks pretty quickly (after Isabella dropped). I have a sinking suspicion that Warrior Hawke would have an easier time in this fight (or just play/control Aveline more).
Okay looks like part of my troubles had to do with my party. I figured out the tactics of hiding behind pillars and taking out the mooks pretty quickly (after Isabella dropped). I have a sinking suspicion that Warrior Hawke would have an easier time in this fight (or just play/control Aveline more).
Plot Spoilers
The first was the big Qunari fight that ends with Hawke meeting Meredith for the first time. Three of my party - including Hawke - were taken out at the same time by the big purple burst spell from a Qunari caster. This left me running around as Aveline, jumping in for a couple hits and retreating to safety, before I could finally take the last caster out.
The second was the fight with the Arashok. The guy hits like a frakking semi! My "strategy" quickly became summon Gnarls Barkley (my dog) to tank, burn all my special attacks, run figure eights around the pillars playing keep away to get some breathing room so I could chug potions to regain health and stamina, keep running figure eights until my special attacks are available again, repeat.
It worked, it just took a while and didn't feel very heroic. Made me feel like a chump, too, after all the times I'd gone to bat for the Qunari. Next playthrough I'm telling the Arashok to go
himself first chance I get. ;)
The second was the fight with the Arashok. The guy hits like a frakking semi! My "strategy" quickly became summon Gnarls Barkley (my dog) to tank, burn all my special attacks, run figure eights around the pillars playing keep away to get some breathing room so I could chug potions to regain health and stamina, keep running figure eights until my special attacks are available again, repeat.
It worked, it just took a while and didn't feel very heroic. Made me feel like a chump, too, after all the times I'd gone to bat for the Qunari. Next playthrough I'm telling the Arashok to go
himself first chance I get. ;)Plot Spoilers
The second was the fight with the Arashok. The guy hits like a frakking semi! My "strategy" quickly became summon Gnarls Barkley (my dog) to tank, burn all my special attacks, run figure eights around the pillars playing keep away to get some breathing room so I could chug potions to regain health and stamina, keep running figure eights until my special attacks are available again, repeat.
It worked, it just took a while and didn't feel very heroic. Made me feel like a chump, too, after all the times I'd gone to bat for the Qunari. Next playthrough I'm telling the Arashok to go
Might want to spoiler your first line as that is a big reveal for those that are still early in the game.
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If I knew enough about computer web design to do so...
Second character is a magi. I don't like the brother, he's as bad as the uncle.
Carver is a whiner.
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Glad he joined the Templars, although I've considered replaying the end of Act 1 to have him go in another direction...
Carver is a whiner. Glad he joined the Templars...
WTF? Seriously, people, SPOILER ALERTS! They're free, use as many as you need.
[ sblock ] spoilery text [ /sblock ] but without the spaces.
On another note, how many people noticed that if you right click on your Hawke while controlling another character he has a little line just like your companions? Since I've been all aggressive/angry this time around, he says things like "I don't like it when people interupt my thoughts" and "You'd better have a good reason for bothering me." Small, I know, but it amuses me. I feel tempted to load up my first save in which I was all snarky/charming and see what he says.
Act II Romance Nonsense
Blarga. There I was, trying to be all sweet to Fenris so we can have some wall-banging action, but he's having none of it. Not sure what I did to screw that up... then I flirt with Merril one time (didn't flirt at all in Act I or up to this point) when she's feeling really down, something along the lines of "I'm concerned about you", and next thing I know she's at my house trying to shag Hawke.
Blarga. Ah well, I suppose Fenris will have to wait till another play through. On that note, how come Merrill gets a shirtless/underwear scene? The scenes with Anders and Isabella were fully clothed (though you did get to toss around Isabella's knives). Of the ones I've seen (friendship-Isabella, friendship-Anders, rivalry-Merill. I note the friendshi/rivalry 'cause I don't know if that changes the love scenes much) she's the only one that gets actual pillow talk. The others get talk before and after, but no pillow talk.
Blarga. Ah well, I suppose Fenris will have to wait till another play through. On that note, how come Merrill gets a shirtless/underwear scene? The scenes with Anders and Isabella were fully clothed (though you did get to toss around Isabella's knives). Of the ones I've seen (friendship-Isabella, friendship-Anders, rivalry-Merill. I note the friendshi/rivalry 'cause I don't know if that changes the love scenes much) she's the only one that gets actual pillow talk. The others get talk before and after, but no pillow talk.
Act II Romance NonsenseBlarga. There I was, trying to be all sweet to Fenris so we can have some wall-banging action, but he's having none of it. Not sure what I did to screw that up... then I flirt with Merril one time (didn't flirt at all in Act I or up to this point) when she's feeling really down, something along the lines of "I'm concerned about you", and next thing I know she's at my house trying to shag Hawke.
Blarga. Ah well, I suppose Fenris will have to wait till another play through. On that note, how come Merrill gets a shirtless/underwear scene? The scenes with Anders and Isabella were fully clothed (though you did get to toss around Isabella's knives). Of the ones I've seen (friendship-Isabella, friendship-Anders, rivalry-Merill. I note the friendshi/rivalry 'cause I don't know if that changes the love scenes much) she's the only one that gets actual pillow talk. The others get talk before and after, but no pillow talk.
Act II Cursing Fit
Act II Cursing Fit
Isabella's romance scene is actually kind of funny. My male Hawke has to beat Anders and Fenris off with a stick. Still nada with Merril although I haven't been able to get her friendship up all the way since I haven't used her that much. I'm not sure how much that matters considering how quickly Anders and Fenris pursue Hawke. I think it may just be you have to do their quest/give gifts.
Anyone using Merril? I find myself waiting so that I can build up her CON in order to use her blood magic powers. But that leaves her with both a limited mana pool and health pool. Don't know if anyone is having success with her. Not an issue now since I'm playing a Mage but in future play throughs I'd like to use her more. She's actually pretty funny in how she interacts with the others, almost as good as Varric. Thats one thing I really like in DA2. The writers gave lots of great interactions between characters, even in cut scenes.
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I'm actually using Fenris now more than Isabella in Act 2. He's got better defenses which is just keeping him alive longer than Isabella and her ridiculous damage (even if I'm the only mage he likes). Sebastian seems to do more damage than Varic but his personality is not nearly as interesting as Isabella and the dwarf. Kind of wish he was a Sword & Board warrior and an option to replace Aveline. I love Aveline, but it would be nice to let her get back to being Captain of the Guard every once in a while.
Also, Isabella will quit your team any time you cross the Qunari gates, so its kind of obvious you shouldn't bring her with you to meet with the Arishok.
I'm actually using Fenris now more than Isabella in Act 2. He's got better defenses which is just keeping him alive longer than Isabella and her ridiculous damage (even if I'm the only mage he likes). Sebastian seems to do more damage than Varic but his personality is not nearly as interesting as Isabella and the dwarf. Kind of wish he was a Sword & Board warrior and an option to replace Aveline. I love Aveline, but it would be nice to let her get back to being Captain of the Guard every once in a while.
Also, Isabella will quit your team any time you cross the Qunari gates, so its kind of obvious you shouldn't bring her with you to meet with the Arishok.
Meh, I think she's kind of cute/clueless/dangerous. She kind of reminds me of some of the characters one of my players used to play. I haven't played with her, as I'm playing a mage, but I'll probably use her in future playthroughs.
Nobody in the game has captured my heart like Alistair did, though. <3
People actually use the sniveling elf bitch? I hated her from the first moment I met her.
Geez, man, did she come to your house and piss on your rug or something? Chill out, dude.
One of the best movies of all time. Easily. other than that, by far one of the best games i have played in a while. i'm on console but the controller layout is fairly simple and easy to use. Contender for GotY for me. Even though this year is not looking to crazy for great games.
Edit: just cause i can't miss out on a great quote chance.
Do you have to use so many cuss words?
WTF are you talking about?
Ok, Dude. Have it your way.
There are also at least two bugged quests in Act 3, and one in Act 2, that I've come across. Luckily they are only side quests.
Merril is easily my favourite NPC for personality. She's hilarious. Love her interactions with the others, with the PC, all of it. She's fun.
I think my favorite is still Varric, but almost all the characters are extremely well done (I don't care for Anders or Sebastian, but mostly because one annoys me and the other's a wimp). Merril was a surprise for me. I thought I wasn't going to care much for her or her story. She has a lot of parallels with Tali from ME2 and I love Tali.
Possible Merril Spoilers
I am kinda bummed that Merril basically traps you into a romance though. Sure I think you can cheat on her but your companions will hate you for it. They also get upset with you if you balk during the pillow talk scene and she leaves. Basically everyone in the party loves Merril, even Fenris isn't as broody with her. I love that her outfit changes to show off her new station in life. Odd that she never fully moves in though.
I had originally intended to romance Isabella, but wow... she really is quite the **** (See scene with Anders in Act 2). I guess I'll have to save her for my Warrior Hawke.
I had originally intended to romance Isabella, but wow... she really is quite the **** (See scene with Anders in Act 2). I guess I'll have to save her for my Warrior Hawke.
Anyone else get caught by the speed/damage bug from Isabella and Sebastian's friendship bonus? Not sure if it's PC only, but holy cow is that a game crushing bug. Thank god for the save editor and the modding community.
No, never got caught by that bug. Was playing around with Isabella fairly frequently in Act II and Act III, have her at full friendship, and I just don't notice any speed-difference. Then again, I'm also playing a mage this time around. Is it not as noticable for them?
Possible Merril SpoilersI had originally intended to romance Isabella, but wow... she really is quite the **** (See scene with Anders in Act 2). I guess I'll have to save her for my Warrior Hawke.
Anyone else get caught by the speed/damage bug from Isabella and Sebastian's friendship bonus? Not sure if it's PC only, but holy cow is that a game crushing bug. Thank god for the save editor and the modding community.
No, never got caught by that bug. Was playing around with Isabella fairly frequently in Act II and Act III, have her at full friendship, and I just don't notice any speed-difference. Then again, I'm also playing a mage this time around. Is it not as noticable for them?
Absolutely game crushing for me. It may be because I got Isabella's loyalty up too fast by what I read on the forums. By the Begining of Act 3 my speed was down like 75% and I could barely cast a spell let alone get off an attack. It also has to with losing them from your party by force such as when you enter Hawke's house. Who knows. Either way I hope they patch it.
Possible Merril SpoilersI had originally intended to romance Isabella, but wow... she really is quite the **** (See scene with Anders in Act 2). I guess I'll have to save her for my Warrior Hawke.
With few exceptions I had a better playthru with the two handed fighter than my current magi. She is just so borring. Fling spells, heal, fling more spells... stuff dies.
I didn't find the Mage boring really. Controlling, AoE damage, and buffs mean I can do a bit of everything. the game was just harder, even on normal. The DPS Warrior is just a beast. I've wiped out more enemies before my companions can even draw their weapons than ever before. Often by the time I wiped out the first wave my party is just waiting on the roof jumper enemies and secondary spawns. I'll go tank the higher health mobs. By the time my powers return from cool down it's just mop up time unless its one of those silly encounters were enemies keep jumping off of roofs, in which case, Wash/Rinse/Repeat. My biggest problem has been traps. I tend to get too far ahead of Varric/Isabella before they spot stuff.
Now that I play a melee class I realize just how bad the Fire based spells are. The damage is nice but they offer little else. Primal is an awesome tree of spells, as is Force Mage. The rest just have a few nice powers each.
Anyone else on their second class? Liking or disliking anything?
The ice spells are rather good, Combined with someone who can shatter them. But I find myself watching the fight rather than doing something active, and enter melee with my magi more and more often. I like the force spells as well for the bunching effects they have.
Oh yeah. Ice is great if you have a Rogue and Warrior in your party who can affect Brittle enemies (hint: get ice spells and make sure you at least have Fenris or Varric in your party). Chain Lightning is also awesome against staggered enemies. My party right now has Merrill using Chain Lightning on enemies I stagger and it basically wipes out 5-8 enemies between the two of us after only using 1 power each.
The Force Mage powers are great at keeping enemies inside your AoE zones and Fist of the Maker does decent damage.
PRO-TIP: Fist of the Maker is supposed to be the power we saw in all the trailers where two spectral hands come out of the sky and rip apart the the Qunari guy... Sadly the spell does nothing like that at all.
I'm playing a Sword-n-Board Warrior this time, and I'm enjoying how tough I am.
I'm running with the female Rogue, Anders, and Merril, and having a great time. How is the damage output for sword n board? Avaline can take a pounding but never seems to do much damage.
Versus a single target the Sword & Board Warrior can do as much damage as the Two-Handed Weapon Warrior since you have access to the same damage trees (Vanguard, Reaver, Berserker). The difference is you don't do as much AoE damage or burst as much.
I don't find myself using Aveline as much with my Warrior Hawke since I can currently wipe out most encounters before she's needed (and a pity because I think she's an awesome character). That said if you know you're going up against a boss monster she's still awesome. She can tank the big guy while I zip around clearing out the mooks, unload on the boss, then go back to killing mooks if needed.
On another note ... This is totally why I love Bioware, and why they always get my money and support:
phyrra.net/2011/03/why-bioware-enforces-...
The whole thing (including the entirety of the Bioware employee's response) is here:
social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/304/ind...
Man, I love you, Bioware! <3
Yay!
Nearly every time I have Isabella in the party Avaline has to be there for the interactions. They are as good as Morrigan and Allistair in the first game.
Isabella, Varric, & Merrill have all the best lines. Aveline interacts really well with all of them too. Fenris gets pretty mean with Merrill and Anders if you miss Morrigan's bitchiness.
Thats not to say the Mage or other classes aren't fun. It's just that the big weapon Warrior is BEASTLY! I came across a place where you're fighting some of the stronger "mini-bosses" towards the end of the game and didn't even realize what fight I was in until it was over about 30 seconds later.
Anyways, and awesometm game! Replay-ability may be limited due to repeated maps but I look forward to see how they continue the tale via DLC.
On a related note, has anyone played Dragon Age Legends on Facebook? Playing it can get you some swag in DA2 and vice-versa.
I've been too busy lately to get back into playing. I've just dipped my toe into the waters of chapter 3 and I'm itching to get back to it.
On a related note, has anyone played Dragon Age Legends on Facebook? Playing it can get you some swag in DA2 and vice-versa.
I have. It's nice but gets a little stale. I unlocked all 5 items by the time I got to level 4 or 5. They're really only useful for Act 1 but a couple of the rings are useful for almost the entire game.
Don't say that... I've avoided the farcebork trend till now. I don't want to get sucked into it now.
At this stage saying "I'm avoiding Facebook" is kinda like an old man railing against the telephone. It's far beyond the point of there being any cache in either joining or avoiding it. Facebook is simply a communication medium and actually quite useful for keeping in touch with far-flung friends and reconnecting with old acquaintances.
They're really only useful for Act 1 but a couple of the rings are useful for almost the entire game.
Don't say that... I've avoided the farcebork trend till now. I don't want to get sucked into it now.
Well if it'll make you feel better, Hawke will likely find replacements for all the items by the end of Act 1. Some items may still be useful for other teammates.
So randomly? I think it's funny that apparently through the end of April you get a free copy of ME2 with a purchase of DA2.
Thats actually worth it, simply because, while DA2 is good (really it is), it's buggy and in the end, not the great game we've come to expect from BioWare. In fact, if the game were developed by anyone else people would probably say nicer things. Anyways if you get DA2 and get ME2, which is a great game, then yeah thats a bargain.
Finally finished my third play through as a Rogue and I think I've finally figured out BioWare's plan for balancing the classes. Also re-tweeked my Mage to replay a few parts that really gave me a hard time, lessing my disappointment in the class. In the end I think the Warrior ended up being my favorite class, which I shouldn't be surprised about really since it was also my favorite class in DA:O. By the middle of the game you can wipe out entire first waves with barely any help from the party on Hardcore and still have most of your abilities and stamina for the next couple of ninja waves.
I also got a chance to play the game on the PS3... I can see why the game opened to less than stellar reviews. Load times, interface, and not having to button mash are perhaps the top three reasons to play this game on a PC/Mac.
So randomly? I think it's funny that apparently through the end of April you get a free copy of ME2 with a purchase of DA2.
That's not funny, that's incredible. That's like buying a ruby and getting a free diamond!
So randomly? I think it's funny that apparently through the end of April you get a free copy of ME2 with a purchase of DA2.
That's not funny, that's incredible. That's like buying a ruby and getting a free diamond!
I just wish my PC could run ME2 or that it was also for the 360 download. But none the less i thinks it's pretty awesome to buy a game you want and receive a game you loved for free. KUDOS to Bioware.
Their forum trolls were having a field day though.
LOL. This could be said for just about any major to moderate release over the last decade or so.
Regardless, I'll probably get around to trying ME2 now. I wasn't really happy with ME1, so we'll see how it goes. I know I'm gonna be disappointed in the romances though.
Regardless, I'll probably get around to trying ME2 now. I wasn't really happy with ME1, so we'll see how it goes. I know I'm gonna be disappointed in the romances though.
For whatever reason some people still love the ME1 romances even though Ash has the personality and usefulness of a doorstop and Liara was just a token blue alien. ME2 romances are better (although I've never played as FemShep).
ME2 has a better story and combat, just make sure you get the patch that makes planet scanning less boring.
I didn't realize it, because my first playthrough was "sarcastic/good" and my second was "good", but the non-choice dialogue has also changed because of my choices with the dialogue. I think that's pretty damn cool - my chick is consistently short, curt, and rude, rather than having a disjointed dialogue.
Anders hates me (but not full rivalry yet - gotta get that Achievo!) and Fenris thinks I'm awesome. Aveline keeps fluctuating between liking and hating me.
I have to say the ME2 thing is pretty cool. But you know, it's that whole internet thing - you could be giving people $20 and they'd be complaining about it. I think DA2 has been a great game. I've played through twice, and will be completing at least one more!
ME2 romances are better (although I've never played as FemShep).
ME2 FemShep was basically, "Let's go to bed" in terms of romance.
spoiler
Stupid Anders is such a heartbreaker... no compromises, no happy endings...
Oh yeah, I haven't finished my second DA2 playthrough... I'm in the third act right before the final quest... I don't wanna do it...spoilerStupid Anders is such a heartbreaker... no compromises, no happy endings...
But you know, it's that whole internet thing - you could be giving people $20 and they'd be complaining about it. I think DA2 has been a great game. I've played through twice, and will be completing at least one more!
A great man once said "WotC could give away boxes full of free money and there'd still be people on the forums complaining about how it's folded". It's not a huge leap to extend that to most companies and forums.
So, I'm playing my "mean" (bottom right dialogue choice) playthrough as an Archery Rogue, and keeping Anders, Avaline, and Fenris in my party to try to get some rivalry, and I have to say that it is extremely amusing!
I didn't realize it, because my first playthrough was "sarcastic/good" and my second was "good", but the non-choice dialogue has also changed because of my choices with the dialogue. I think that's pretty damn cool - my chick is consistently short, curt, and rude, rather than having a disjointed dialogue.
I like and don't like the dialog tone system. I like that it changes, and that a "Paragon" Hawke giving a red response will be different than a Sarcastic or Renegade Hawke using the same choice. The only problem is your tone gets set at the beginning of the act and there's no way to change it or grow it until the next act. I never play a "Renegade" Hawke because I don't like being a d-bag and that's how Hawke will always come off even in just short conversations. While I like some of the lines Sarcastic Hawke gives it feels completely out of place to me, almost like a Yankee in King Arthur's court. He's funny but I feel like he's a detached character waiting for a chance to break the 4th wall.
At the same time I kind of wish I could set my tone for specific people/situations. I'd always be rude to Anders, couldn't stand him in Act 1 (or Awakenings for that matter) which makes decisions in Act 3 real easy for me. But no matter what since I always side with the Mages he keeps thinking I'm his best friend...
Sadly all my games have been Paragon with sarcastic and rude responses where necessary. In the end I just like to be a good guy hero.
My ChoiceIn my 2nd playthrough, I told him to come with us - he gave a very touching speech about it, and then we moved on to kill stuff and ride off into the sunset (he is mentioned as the "everyone left the Champion's side, except Anders" in the epilogue. So, why can't you have a happy ending with him?
My ChoiceIn my 2nd playthrough, I told him to come with us - he gave a very touching speech about it, and then we moved on to kill stuff and ride off into the sunset (he is mentioned as the "everyone left the Champion's side, except Anders" in the epilogue. So, why can't you have a happy ending with him?
They're really only useful for Act 1 but a couple of the rings are useful for almost the entire game.
Don't say that... I've avoided the farcebork trend till now. I don't want to get sucked into it now.
Well if it'll make you feel better, Hawke will likely find replacements for all the items by the end of Act 1. Some items may still be useful for other teammates.
So randomly? I think it's funny that apparently through the end of April you get a free copy of ME2 with a purchase of DA2.
Thats actually worth it, simply because, while DA2 is good (really it is), it's buggy and in the end, not the great game we've come to expect from BioWare. In fact, if the game were developed by anyone else people would probably say nicer things. Anyways if you get DA2 and get ME2, which is a great game, then yeah thats a bargain.
Finally finished my third play through as a Rogue and I think I've finally figured out BioWare's plan for balancing the classes. Also re-tweeked my Mage to replay a few parts that really gave me a hard time, lessing my disappointment in the class. In the end I think the Warrior ended up being my favorite class, which I shouldn't be surprised about really since it was also my favorite class in DA:O. By the middle of the game you can wipe out entire first waves with barely any help from the party on Hardcore and still have most of your abilities and stamina for the next couple of ninja waves.
I also got a chance to play the game on the PS3... I can see why the game opened to less than stellar reviews. Load times, interface, and not having to button mash are perhaps the top three reasons to play this game on a PC/Mac.
So randomly? I think it's funny that apparently through the end of April you get a free copy of ME2 with a purchase of DA2.
That's not funny, that's incredible. That's like buying a ruby and getting a free diamond!
So randomly? I think it's funny that apparently through the end of April you get a free copy of ME2 with a purchase of DA2.
That's not funny, that's incredible. That's like buying a ruby and getting a free diamond!
I just wish my PC could run ME2 or that it was also for the 360 download. But none the less i thinks it's pretty awesome to buy a game you want and receive a game you loved for free. KUDOS to Bioware.
Their forum trolls were having a field day though.
LOL. This could be said for just about any major to moderate release over the last decade or so.
Regardless, I'll probably get around to trying ME2 now. I wasn't really happy with ME1, so we'll see how it goes. I know I'm gonna be disappointed in the romances though.
Regardless, I'll probably get around to trying ME2 now. I wasn't really happy with ME1, so we'll see how it goes. I know I'm gonna be disappointed in the romances though.
For whatever reason some people still love the ME1 romances even though Ash has the personality and usefulness of a doorstop and Liara was just a token blue alien. ME2 romances are better (although I've never played as FemShep).
ME2 has a better story and combat, just make sure you get the patch that makes planet scanning less boring.
I didn't realize it, because my first playthrough was "sarcastic/good" and my second was "good", but the non-choice dialogue has also changed because of my choices with the dialogue. I think that's pretty damn cool - my chick is consistently short, curt, and rude, rather than having a disjointed dialogue.
Anders hates me (but not full rivalry yet - gotta get that Achievo!) and Fenris thinks I'm awesome. Aveline keeps fluctuating between liking and hating me.
I have to say the ME2 thing is pretty cool. But you know, it's that whole internet thing - you could be giving people $20 and they'd be complaining about it. I think DA2 has been a great game. I've played through twice, and will be completing at least one more!
ME2 romances are better (although I've never played as FemShep).
ME2 FemShep was basically, "Let's go to bed" in terms of romance.
spoiler
Stupid Anders is such a heartbreaker... no compromises, no happy endings...
Oh yeah, I haven't finished my second DA2 playthrough... I'm in the third act right before the final quest... I don't wanna do it...spoilerStupid Anders is such a heartbreaker... no compromises, no happy endings...
But you know, it's that whole internet thing - you could be giving people $20 and they'd be complaining about it. I think DA2 has been a great game. I've played through twice, and will be completing at least one more!
A great man once said "WotC could give away boxes full of free money and there'd still be people on the forums complaining about how it's folded". It's not a huge leap to extend that to most companies and forums.
So, I'm playing my "mean" (bottom right dialogue choice) playthrough as an Archery Rogue, and keeping Anders, Avaline, and Fenris in my party to try to get some rivalry, and I have to say that it is extremely amusing!
I didn't realize it, because my first playthrough was "sarcastic/good" and my second was "good", but the non-choice dialogue has also changed because of my choices with the dialogue. I think that's pretty damn cool - my chick is consistently short, curt, and rude, rather than having a disjointed dialogue.
I like and don't like the dialog tone system. I like that it changes, and that a "Paragon" Hawke giving a red response will be different than a Sarcastic or Renegade Hawke using the same choice. The only problem is your tone gets set at the beginning of the act and there's no way to change it or grow it until the next act. I never play a "Renegade" Hawke because I don't like being a d-bag and that's how Hawke will always come off even in just short conversations. While I like some of the lines Sarcastic Hawke gives it feels completely out of place to me, almost like a Yankee in King Arthur's court. He's funny but I feel like he's a detached character waiting for a chance to break the 4th wall.
At the same time I kind of wish I could set my tone for specific people/situations. I'd always be rude to Anders, couldn't stand him in Act 1 (or Awakenings for that matter) which makes decisions in Act 3 real easy for me. But no matter what since I always side with the Mages he keeps thinking I'm his best friend...
Sadly all my games have been Paragon with sarcastic and rude responses where necessary. In the end I just like to be a good guy hero.
My ChoiceIn my 2nd playthrough, I told him to come with us - he gave a very touching speech about it, and then we moved on to kill stuff and ride off into the sunset (he is mentioned as the "everyone left the Champion's side, except Anders" in the epilogue. So, why can't you have a happy ending with him?
My ChoiceIn my 2nd playthrough, I told him to come with us - he gave a very touching speech about it, and then we moved on to kill stuff and ride off into the sunset (he is mentioned as the "everyone left the Champion's side, except Anders" in the epilogue. So, why can't you have a happy ending with him?