Dragon Effect 2.

[Phasmatis]

Hello,

Recently Dragon age 2 was announced and if you have read the few sentences released about the up coming game, you will no doubt get my extremely hilarious pun in the thread title.

I shall link to this thread - http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic ... ex/3064634 on the Dragon Age forums by SirOccam as it outlines everything we know so far.

Basically, the player character is now going to be human (and only a human, no elf or dwarf) with the last name Hawke, he/she is refugee and he/she will be fully voiced. One other fact is, DA2 will use a dialogue wheel like MassEffect.

I am really trying to reserve judgement until there is more information, these things are a little jarring though, not enough for me to say, "screw it! I'm not buying it" not at all, that's ridiculous, there isn't enough information to suggest it's getting totally away from original DA gameplay.

One of the main reasons I enjoyed DA was because I could be a Dalish Elf, go to see the Dalish Elves and have whole conversations about my background and be welcomed by them as if I was one of their own and similarly, with the city elves and dwarves. The people of Ferelden didn't react as much as I would like to being Elf or a Dwarf. Especially being a noble dwarf, they hardly mentioned me in Orzammar considering my character was the frigging princess of Orzammar, you'd think they would say something even if she was exiled but it was still very interesting when something about your character's background was mentioned. Obviously with Hawke, you're just a human, sure you may be able to pick a background of sorts but I can't imagine it being as cool as being a Dalish elf talking to the dalish. Perhaps more information will be released to put my fears to rest, I shall wait that out.

About the main character having full VO - I'm not sure how I feel about this. I went from Mass Effect 2 to playing Dragon Age and at first it felt strange that my character didn't say anything but after a while I got very used to it and enjoyed the freedom of saying things in my head how I wanted to say them instead of having an actor doing it for me. There's also the problem of options, with text you have options of what to say even if you're basically saying the same thing so you can roleplay your character a bit more.

The dialogue wheel - I think this is more to do with the console than a design decision, you have 8 directions with the stick but with a mouse it's just as easy if not easier to pick lines from a list so as long as the console limitations don't interfere with the rest of the game then I'm fine with it.

tl:dr
Some design decisions aren't great imo but I'll wait for more information until I write it off as a no buy.

What are your thoughts?

[Jaedar]

Man I want to be so *smug* about this, but I really do think it sucks that BioWare has seemingly abandoned hardcore RPG's. I didn't like DA much, as you might have noticed, but it had potential at least(and it was bloody entertaining to whine about). This really does feel like Dragon Age: Shephard edition. Not surprising perhaps considering how much better ME2 sold over DA. It might be EA's "fault" (blame it on the publisher Bio-friends /Obsidian) that they're streamlining it, or it may just be Bio thinking it will be better this way.

I'm personally looking forward to all the flame-wars and stuff that will happen when its revealed that DA2 is a Diablo-style hack and slasher

Also, on a side note, I'm surprised no one here played awakening considering how much DA:O love was spouted by some.


I also think its interesting that BioWare declared morrigan having the baby with the original PC as canon without making the DA2 PC that kid, that would at least provide a good excuse for why Hawke will be totally super awesome and "The only one who can stop evil" aka the chosen one. I also wonder how much save-game importing will matter now that we can't get emails due to our choices in the original.

“Dragon Age II has a framed narrative structure, which means that
the exploits of Hawke occured in the past, but are being retold in the
present.” “Narrators with unique insights into the events in question
tell the tale of his past adventures

This sounds somewhat interesting though...

[Jonas]

Man I wish it ends up as Dragon Effect (Mass Age? Nah). I loved DA, but its gameplay was not the most stimulating I've ever experienced. Seeing how most of the hard-core RPG fans seemed to hate DA anyway, they might as well just go all the way and give that market the finger, they're impossible to please anyway (case in point: Jaedar). I demand more action in my RPG's!

[Jaedar]

Man I wish it ends up as Dragon Effect (Mass Age? Nah). I loved DA, but its gameplay was not the most stimulating I've ever experienced. Seeing how most of the hard-core RPG fans seemed to hate DA anyway, they might as well just go all the way and give that market the finger, they're impossible to please anyway (case in point: Jaedar). I demand more action in my RPG's!

Actually, a lot of hardcore RPG fans loved DA(based on intel from the Codex 50% loved it, 50% hated it, with no middle ground because that's not how the internet works), and I'm not really hardcore as I haven't even played Arcanum . Also, how could one inject more action into say, ME2? Imposshibible I say.

Thanks for my custom title btw

[Phasmatis]

Actually I'm not sure ME2 did outsell DA, people are spouting it as being BioWare's best selling game no real information on this though. David Gaider himself has said it sold so well, why would we change it so much? (or words to that effect) in argument to people saying it's gonna suck.

Ah Awakening - I did play it, I played it quite a lot and enjoyed it to a certain extent but the dialogue system wasn't great imo it was all about your companions and very little to do with your relationship with them. Which is another thing, they are saying they will be using the dialogue system similar to awakening and Dragon Age, so a cross between the two, I don't know what that means though.

[Jonas]

Actually, a lot of hardcore RPG fans loved DA(based on intel from the Codex 50% loved it, 50% hated it, with no middle ground because that's not how the internet works), and I'm not really hardcore as I haven't even played Arcanum

I really really really really wanted to like Arcanum, but I just couldn't get into it. You should give it a try if you haven't already though.

Also, how could one inject more action into say, ME2? Imposshibible I say.

I'm inclined to agree with you there (except you could cut out the dialogue system and just replace the plot-critical conversations with cutscenes I guess, but I don't think anybody wants that), but if BioWare were to design Dragon Age with the exact same gameplay as Mass Effect 2, I would strongly approve.

Thanks for my custom title btw

You're welcome. I was pretty annoyed with you. Wanted to call you "Elitist Bastard" or "RPGCodex Envoy" or "Angry Old Man" or something actually descriptive, but I decided that wouldn't be offensive, that'd just please you. This one seemed worse

[bobby 55]

but if BioWare were to design Dragon Age with the exact same gameplay as Mass Effect 2, I would strongly approve.

If they do I'll play it. I'll come back in 20 pages time to see.

[Phasmatis]

Also, how could one inject more action into say, ME2? Imposshibible I say.

I'm inclined to agree with you there (except you could cut out the dialogue system and just replace the plot-critical conversations with cutscenes I guess, but I don't think anybody wants that), but if BioWare were to design Dragon Age with the exact same gameplay as Mass Effect 2, I would strongly approve.

So the complete lack of customisation, the lack of your companions reacting or indeed doing anything while you're on a mission? I loved Mass Effect 2 very much but I loved it as an Action/RPG, Dragon Age I loved very much too but as an RPG, I had options, my companions reacted to conversations stuff like that.

[Jonas]

Yes I agree.

The problem is I'd take an FPSRPG* over an RPG any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

* Includes third-person games. Yeah I know, not the best acronym.

[Phasmatis]

If Mass Effect 2 had the customisation, I can't get enough customisation!! and your companions reacted on missions, in fact actually what I would like is dialogue between team mates like in dragon age, I loved it how they argued/flirted with each other. Then I would love Mass Effect just as much as Dragon Age and wouldn't have a problem with the changes.

I think me being a PC gamer also makes a difference - dragon age appeals to me more because it was made for the PC, where as Mass Effect 2 was primarily made for the Xbox.

[Jonas]

what I would like is dialogue between team mates like in dragon age, I loved it how they argued/flirted with each other.

Yeah that was really nice actually, I could use some of that in Mass Effect 3.

[Jaedar]

I really really really really wanted to like Arcanum, but I just couldn't get into it. You should give it a try if you haven't already though.

I have a copy on my HD, but I have yet to summon the energy to pass that initial threshold old games tend to have. New games are much better at pick up and play.

You're welcome. I was pretty annoyed with you. Wanted to call you "Elitist Bastard" or "RPGCodex Envoy" or "Angry Old Man" or something actually descriptive, but I decided that wouldn't be offensive, that'd just please you. This one seemed worse

Fnerr fneer, giving me any custom title can only please me as it will elevate me above the rank and file posters fnerr fnerr.

Actually I'm not sure ME2 did outsell DA

According to vgchartz(not terribly accurate, I know) ME2 sold 1.2 Million more copies than DA.

I think me being a PC gamer also makes a difference - dragon age appeals to me more because it was made for the PC, where as Mass Effect 2 was primarily made for the Xbox.

Not strictly true, Dragon Age received a full makeover for the console versions, including adjusting difficulty, enemy spawns and UI. Bioware spent like half a year making sure it would feel at home on the Xbox and PS3.

Also, I don't like Hawke. It sounds much to masculine imo... will be weird when they say it to female PC's.

[Phasmatis]

I can't find the info on vgchartz, I see the information on the console versions and yeah Mass Effect sold more on the Xbox but Dragon Age sold 3.5m copies, at least, one of the devs announced that quite a while ago.

A lot of people who played the console version say it's better on the PC, I came to love the tactics part in the end for instance, especially with the tactics mod. I don't think there was an isometric camera either but I'm not sure about that.

You may already know this but Hawke is the last name of the character, like Shepard but yeah it's still quite masculine.

[Jaedar]

A lot of people who played the console version say it's better on the PC, I came to love the tactics part in the end for instance

The engine was quite good, I just wish the encounter design had been better.

I've heard they'll be using Unreal engine for this, and I've also heard that it doesn't support proper looting, can anyone confirm either of that?

You may already know this but Hawke is the last name of the character, like Shepard but yeah it's still quite masculine.

I swear I've seen at least one male NPC with that name in an RPG, but I can't remember which... I'm leaning towards NWN2, but I'm not sure.

I can't find the info on vgchartz

Yeah turns out I can't find it either and what I said in my previous post was just an inability to read properly. I still believe ME2 sold more though. It seems to have sold about 2m in one week. Linky: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177757 Can't find any other relevant data though. But 2 million sales in one week should imply a lifetime sales of much more than 3.5 million. But it seems we can only speculate.

[Mr_Cyberpunk]

It's a real shame they've gone down this path. I really loved playing Dragon Age with the different races and to be honest all this new fluff their adding to the game isn't going to make it play any better, Dragon Age's major flaw was the level scaling and that there were just too many dud skills, the player had to basically pick all the best skills in order to even complete the game. The level scaling ensured that all that grinding you did ended up totally and utterly pointless.