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[cleveridea]

Does anyone know a way to get isaac armor switched from ps3 etc to xbox? got game on xbox but dead space 2 CE on ps3?

 

[Melhisedek]

Do dead characters get xp?

 

[cleveridea]

You can just change difficulty with your current game and not have to restart, unless thats not an option on consoles, though I would be surprised if it wasnt. Anyways things get harder sort of, most of the boss fights introduce some pretty noticeable difficulty spikes, but outside of them normal encounters dont really vary too much especially if youre careful and manage your party and positioning.

Weird, seems no achievement for completing at higher difficulty level.

Is there some kind of benefit playing Hard in terms of XP, enemy count or more/better loot/cash?

 

[Patryn]

Does anyone know a way to get isaac armor switched from ps3 etc to xbox? got game on xbox but dead space 2 CE on ps3?

There isn't a way, as far as I know. PS3 codes only work for the PS3, while 360 codes work for PC and 360.

 

[Enduin]

Weird, seems no achievement for completing at higher difficulty level.

Is there some kind of benefit playing Hard in terms of XP, enemy count or more/better loot/cash?

I havent tested it out but I believe its just enemy strength/health and possibly abilities. I think numbers are the same as is loot and XP. Im sure theres more to it AI wise and what not but in simplest terms they hit harder and take longer to kill.

 

[cleveridea]

There isn't a way, as far as I know. PS3 codes only work for the PS3, while 360 codes work for PC and 360.

DELETED

 

[Enduin]

There isn't a way, as far as I know. PS3 codes only work for the PS3, while 360 codes work for PC and 360.

Yes there is a way someone way earlier in the thread talked to EA or Bioware online support and they switched up the armor for him right then and there from PS3 to 360.

 

[Patryn]

Yes there is a way someone way earlier in the thread talked to EA or Bioware online support and they switched up the armor for him right then and there from PS3 to 360.

Well, then, I guess take this advice, and talk to Bioware/EA?

Weird, seems no achievement for completing at higher difficulty level.

Is there some kind of benefit playing Hard in terms of XP, enemy count or more/better loot/cash?

Depending on what value you place on strategy, friendly fire could be seen as a benefit.

 

[cleveridea]

Yes there is a way someone way earlier in the thread talked to EA or Bioware online support and they switched up the armor for him right then and there from PS3 to 360.

Ah nice. Thanks.

 

[Acheteedo]

Found some time to play last night, really couldn't put it down, there's something about Bioware games that really resonates with me, I'll never understand the hate.

 

[Lostconfused]

I think I like Jade Empire more than DA2. But I'll wait to play it a few more times before coming to a final conclusion.

 

[Interfectum]

I didn't see it on my phone, but this is funny

http://i.imgur.com/BEZOe.png

LAUGH, MY CHILDREN

It's hilarious that the escapist review is the one featured in that picture. Oh how awesome that is. PR paid "review" next to an employee "user review".

 

[Sathsquatch]

I just finished the game. Clocked in at just under 59 hours, playing on Nightmare and doing every quest that became available to me (I'm sure I missed a handful here and there); I expected a couple more hours at the end, but Act 3 is kind of abrupt. I'll probably let my thoughts crystallize for a bit before I do a bit more of a full writeup, but for now, after seeing the highs and lows of Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2, this is my immediate impression:


Dragon Age Origins is what happens when you give a development team years worth of time and all the budget necessary to create exactly the game they aspire to create, but they don't aspire to anything other than bog-standard mediocrity, in just about every respect. It's exactly the game it was meant to be, and it was always meant to be the most nondescript fantasy RPG around.

Dragon Age 2 is what happens when you have a development team with good ideas and a desire to create something interesting, but you choke back their budget and their timeline to the point where the game is releasing 1.5-2 years before it was meant to come out. It's got some heavy, heavy flaws dragging down some very nice ideas, and you can trace many of those flaws almost directly back to issues of time or budget constraint.



I pretty solidly preferred DA2 to the original, although a lot of its flaws are such that they grate more and more the further you get into the game, and I'm not as entirely taken by it as I was in the beginning. Still, if I'm going to be dealing with elements of mediocrity in my games, I'll take the one that's mediocre because the execution didn't do justice to the concept over the one that's mediocre because nobody bothered trying to develop anything interesting.

Edit: One more thing, Gamlen wins the "Best Creepy Uncle in a Video Game" award for the line: "So I hear you're slipping it to that pirate wench. I always wondered what it's like... Two women." It's creepy even without the fantasizing-about-your-niece angle, but that's given it a pretty commanding lead.

I agree with you completely. I think BG2 is one of the best games ever made, and I think every Bioware game after BG2 is very good but disappointing compared to BG2 (except Mass Effect 2). That being said, DA2 is only disappointing to me because it feels rushed and they plainly intended to have a lot more content in the game.

I liked the combat in DA2 on hard far more than the combat in DAO. The faster pace means that you have to pause your game far more frequently, but it makes the combat feel more tense when you know how fast events can unfold once you unpause the game. Also, they do a much better job of making each of your attacks and abilities feel powerful than they did in DAO. While it is probably too much to have so many enemies just explode, it is cool seeing enemies flying back when you hit them with shield bash or mind blast. I found that basically every ability in the game felt powerful but also required you really think about how to use it.

One nice thing about the constant reinforcements is that you have to really think about when you want to use your abilities because you cannot predict how the battle might unfold. Some people argue that the waves of enemies detracts from the strategic element of the game, but I completely disagree. The game asks you to be able to reevaluate your situation frequently and adjust your strategy to unexpected situations, which requires a deeper understanding of the game mechanics than knowing that you can always just have your tank in front and your mages behind him or her. I think that they probably overuse the "spawn enemies behind you" trick, but it is still effective.

I liked the fact that the game was more about the internal and political threats that ancient prophecies and invading monsters, but I do admit they could have had a stronger sense of an overall narrative. We do not even see two of the most important characters in the game until the end of the second act, and I do not see a reason for that. I think they could have still presented the story as a gradual deterioration of the political situation that Hawke just happens to get caught up in and still had a stronger connection between the chapters in the game.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

More after thinking about it for a few moments this morning. I like the way they told the story and the story actually could have been really good, but there just wasn't must to it. The tiny amount of actual story missions are hidden behind a ton of repetitive side-quests. I would like Bioware to try this style of game again and focus more on the main story with less but more meaningful sidequests.

 

[Kyoufu]

I agree with you completely. I think BG2 is one of the best games ever made, and I think every Bioware game after BG2 is very good but disappointing compared to BG2 (except Mass Effect 2)

Uhhhhhh

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh

You start off with what seems to be an insightful post but then you just ruin it with that

ME2 is a perfect example of why Bioware are not good at sequels this gen. DA2 just further proves it.

I don't think both games are bad, but when you compare them to their prequels, their foundations... They are very underwhelming.

 

[Lostconfused]

Uhhhhhh

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh

You start off with what seems to be an insightful post but then you just ruin it with that

ME2 is a perfect example of why Bioware are not good at sequels this gen. DA2 just further proves it.

I don't think both games are bad, but when you compare them to their prequels, their foundations... They are very underwhelming.

This has been going on forever.

After BG2 we got NWN
After Kotor there was Jade Empire
After DA:O we have DA2

This is Bioware's track record. There is a fifty fifty chance the game is either great/good or mediocre/bad.

Edit: I left out ME and ME2 but people tend to have their own opinion as to how that one goes.

 

[Interfectum]

Uhhhhhh

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh

You start off with what seems to be an insightful post but then you just ruin it with that

ME2 is a perfect example of why Bioware are not good at sequels this gen. DA2 just further proves it.

I don't think both games are bad, but when you compare them to their prequels, their foundations... They are very underwhelming.

Yeah I agree with this. They've been very odd this generation. They kick started two brand new series that were very promising in their own right and then followed them up with stripped down sequels that don't hold up to what they started.

 

[Darkone]

I just finished the game. Clocked in at just under 59 hours, playing on Nightmare and doing every quest that became available to me (I'm sure I missed a handful here and there)

I am playing the game on Hard, Whats the diffreance between them??

 

[Salaadin]

I really dont get the ME2 hate. Aside from its lack of story, I thought it was an improvement over the original.

DA2 is a step backwards, clearly rushed, and a small piece of what it could have been. The core game isnt bad but everything it surrounds itself with is awful and really bogs down the entire game.

You guys are really making me want to play BG2 though Im not sure I can step back in time 11 years to play it. Everytime I try that, I give up....unless there are some good mods that bring the game into current day.

 

[koji]

I am playing the game on Hard, Whats the diffreance between them??

Nightmare has friendly fire. That and probably MOAR WAVES, not sure about that though.

Any news on a PC patch btw? I'm holding off playing till performance is sorted (i7 920 @ 4.2ghz / GTX580), games enough in my backlog atm...

Oh, it took me some time to defeat that first Ogre on hard, was the first time I played the game, never tried the demo, had to reload like 5 or 6 times and I eventually got him down by kiting him with my mage, that was some pretty lame shit. Playing with a rogue as MC, guess she's still a bit underpowered to actually pull of hard... Or it was just some really shitty balancing, anyway, he's dead.

 

[glaurung]

I really dont get the ME2 hate. Aside from its lack of story, I thought it was an improvement over the original.

DA2 is a step backwards, clearly rushed, and a small piece of what it could have been. The core game isnt bad but everything it surrounds itself with is awful and really bogs down the entire game.

You guys are really making me want to play BG2 though Im not sure I can step back in time 11 years to play it. Everytime I try that, I give up....unless there are some good mods that bring the game into current day.

I think there is a resolution bump mod that allows you play the game in glorious HDs.

 

[Jenga]

I wonder how many professional reviewers went easy on the game because they want to be able to review ME3 in a timely fashion for the attention

quite a lot apparently

 

[Lostconfused]

You guys are really making me want to play BG2 though Im not sure I can step back in time 11 years to play it. Everytime I try that, I give up....unless there are some good mods that bring the game into current day.

Other then the AD&D rule set the game isn't really any different from modern day RPGs.

I think there is a resolution bump mod that allows you play the game in glorious HDs.

 

[2San]

Edit: I left out ME and ME2 but people tend to have their own opinion as to how that one goes.

I really don't think that's fair. They either think ME is great and ME2 is good or they think that ME is good and ME2 is great. It's only a small minority I think that find either of these game bad/mediocre. Personally I think they are both great in their own ways.
So I do think they did build up a track record with ME1->DA:O->ME2

 

[ithorien]

Just finished it before heading into work, and I have to say I liked it more than the first one, but Act 3 feels like an underwhelming rush job (like many claim). Completely lost steam by the end, and the last dungeon is very weak. The lass boss doesn't even compare to 1.

Time to finish - just under 25 hours with most of the side quests done. Original game I skipped pretty much everything and I was over 40.

 

[Salaadin]

Cool picture

Thats what it looks like? I can play that.

I never played D&D so I have no idea what the AD&D ruleset is.

 

[Lostconfused]

I never played D&D so I have no idea what the AD&D ruleset is.

That's what it looks like. There are at least three or four threads on gaf about playing BG2. But yeah you are going to need to learn the basics of DnD because that stuff isn't really self explanatory.

 

[koji]

Thats what it looks like? I can play that.

I never played D&D so I have no idea what the AD&D ruleset is.

Some DnD background helps. There's some serious numbercrunching going on behind the scenes... Shame it isn't used more in recent RPGs. I loved toying around with ADnD 3.5 on the PWs in NWN, talk about flexibility and freedom...

 

[Trickster]

Can someone explain to me how to use aveline as a proper tank when playing on hard? She works fine when there are low number of enemies, but when the game decides to throw 8-10 enemies with a fair bit of hp and dmg output at you at once, it just get freakishly hard (too chaotic more like) to win the battle, and then when the game throws 8-10 even tougher enemies at you right as you finish the last one of it just becomes impossible. Maybe my group combosition is bad, but since this is the start of the game I don't have other character available to choose from yet :|

Also still haven't been able to find a way to get my fucking dlc to work...This fucking game man...

 

[Salaadin]

That's what it looks like. There are at least three or four threads on gaf about playing BG2. But yeah you are going to need to learn the basics of DnD because that stuff isn't really self explanatory.

Some DnD background helps. There's some serious numbercrunching going on behind the scenes... Shame it isn't used more in recent RPGs. I loved toying around with ADnD 3.5 on the PWs in NWN, talk about flexibility and freedom...

Where should I start? Is there a D&D beginners handbook somewhere thatll clue me in on the basics?

I saw BG2 Complete is on GOG. Ill probably pick it up there.

 

[GrandHarrier]

So here are my thoughts on the game.

The characters are pretty amazing. Many if not all of them grew on me over time. I didn't expect to love Aveline as much as I did; From the Demo my initial impressions were that I would sideline her ASAP. But she was a very powerful character and I really, really, really loved

Spoiler

the direction that she goes as a "LI". I went into the game knowing she wasn't a "true" LI but was intrigued by her "Heart" options. When she says "Hawke, did you ever think about you and me?", the "Broken Heart" option was pretty powerful emotionally.

The overall story isn't what most people were expecting... but I liked it. I will readily admit that the copy paste design of dungeons was truly unfortunate and that it would have been nice if Kirkwall and the surrounding areas had been fleshed out a bit more, HOWEVER, I feel that the trade-off of having more sidequests was worth it, considering the shorter dev cycle of the game. I clocked in just under 50 hours. An overall satisfying 50 hours. I also enjoyed the different tone of the game; By focusing on Kirkwall over a span of time, you got to deal with some fascinating social issues. I found the

Spoiler

Qunari

to be a thought provoking antagonist during Act 2 and the promise of Act 3 and the

Spoiler

Mage / Templar War

very interesting. It certainly built up over the coarse of the game.

I have grown very fond of this universe. Some people might accuse it of being uninspired but I don't think that is the case. Perhaps on the surface. But I only want more. I want to experience the feelings that Bioware's brand of storytelling brings forth in me. For every technical hiccup, bad texture, or restrictive exploration path there is a character I grow to care about and a story that I wish I could have more of. I want to know

Spoiler

what happens to characters like Leliana, Alistair, Isabella, Varric and Merrill!

 

[RedSwirl]

So I finally went and played the PS3 demo just to see how they got this to work on consoles and am actually surprised that they basically decided to rip off Phantasy Star Online.

 

[Kyoufu]

So I finally went and played the PS3 demo just to see how they got this to work on consoles and am actually surprised that they basically decided to rip off Phantasy Star Online.

wat

 

[kinoki]

All will be forgiven if the DLC is REALLY good though!

You have no idea how much I'd love Awakenings-type DLC for DA2. Hopefully whatever they do occurs after the main story-line. Adding more fluff to the huge pile of fluff that is the main campaign seems redudant.

 

[Nose Master]

Do you ever get another character who can equip a fucking shield? I hate Aveline with a passion, but she's the only tank character introduced so far. So, I have to drag her around and have her piss and moan about every questionable guy I stab.

Also: Jesus, the Warrior Elf (Fernin?) has given me -10 on the past 3-4 cutscenes. It's pretty awesome when I got the option during a cutscene

Spoiler

to just have him force choke a guy into giving me information, though.

 

[Kyoufu]

You have no idea how much I'd love Awakenings-type DLC for DA2. Hopefully whatever they do occurs after the main story-line. Adding more fluff to the huge pile of fluff that is the main campaign seems redudant.

It needs to be new areas and stuff. If they recycle shit again in DLC then heads will roll...

 

[GrandHarrier]

Do you ever get another character who can equip a fucking shield? I hate Aveline with a passion, but she's the only tank character introduced so far. So, I have to drag her around and have her piss and moan about every questionable guy I stab.

Also: Jesus, the Warrior Elf (Fernin?) has given me -10 on the past 3-4 cutscenes. It's pretty awesome when I got the option during a cutscene

Spoiler

to just have him force choke a guy into giving me information, though.

Spoiler

Aveline is your only Sword and Board Tank unless your Hawke becomes one. Fenris can be built into a 2 Handed Tank, but it requires spec'ing him specifically for it. He takes mobs down faster, but suffers against bosses. Anders is also your only Healer.

For those reasons, I tend to specifically play a Tank or Healer myself. (Usually Healer). Aveline also isn't as big of a deal if you know how she thinks. Go for the common good and she'll look past most of your actions.

 

[Nose Master]

Spoiler

Aveline is your only Sword and Board Tank unless your Hawke becomes one. Fenris can be built into a 2 Handed Tank, but it requires spec'ing him specifically for it. He takes mobs down faster, but suffers against bosses. Anders is also your only Healer.

For those reasons, I tend to specifically play a Tank or Healer myself. (Usually Healer). Aveline also isn't as big of a deal if you know how she thinks. Go for the common good and she'll look past most of your actions.

Spoiler

The sister has some healing magic, also. I forget the name right now.

 

[Kyoufu]

I like that the characters are mostly unique. You have options no matter what build you go for on Hawke.

Spoiler

The sister has some healing magic, also. I forget the name right now.

Bethany ACT 2 SPOILERS INC FOR THOSE NOT THERE YET

Spoiler

but in act 2 she is taken to the Circle for me. Does she ever come back?

note that from what i saw, she can't revive.

 

[Salaadin]

I didnt like Aveline at first but she really grew on me. She was my tank the entire game save for a few missions where I let her rest while I checked out other teammates to figure out my preference. I was surprised at the end when

Spoiler

she sided with me the whole way through even though I went directly against the templars.

 

[Nose Master]

Way to not designate that as an act 2 spoiler when all I was discussing was skill trees, bro.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

I like that the characters are mostly unique. You have options no matter what build you go for on Hawke.




Bethany

Spoiler

but in act 2 she is taken to the Circle for me. Does she ever come back?

note that from what i saw, she can't revive.

Agreed. And if you're not playing on nightmare, you don't need to have a dedicated healer. There are plenty of potions to use that'll offset a dedicated healer. And, if I read the guide right, each potion type has it's own cool down timer. But the "quick heal" option defaults to the standard healing potions and ignores other types like Elfroot & Restoration. You'll have to use those manually.

There is a "Life Ward" potion that will auto revive a party member with 40% health. Of course, it needs to be consumed before death.

 

[Hari Seldon]

How the hell can you have a dedicated healer in this game? They get 1 healing spell and it is on a 10 fucking day timer.

 

[Kyoufu]

How the hell can you have a dedicated healer in this game? They get 1 healing spell and it is on a 10 fucking day timer.

Anders has 2 heals actually! Heal and Aid Allies.

 

[Basileus777]

How the hell can you have a dedicated healer in this game? They get 1 healing spell and it is on a 10 fucking day timer.

Hawke as a spirit healer or Anders.


Though potions + heal + damage prevention have been enough for me even on nightmare.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Anders has 2 heals actually! Heal and Aid Allies.

Hmm Aid Allies, yeah I'll have to check that spell out. There are some mods that reduce the healing CD but I figure that will break the game balance.

 

[Salaadin]

How the hell can you have a dedicated healer in this game? They get 1 healing spell and it is on a 10 fucking day timer.

Anders gets "Heal" which is a big cure for a single person and "Aid Allies" which is a small cure for all allies.

 

[Kyoufu]

Anders has a tendency to let me down when it comes to his AI. Despite setting his tactics up so that he won't die to small fry enemies, I still catch him getting molested by a small group of enemies half the time. At one point he thought it was a good idea to take an enemy halfway across the map from me... Stupid AI

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Anders gets "Heal" which is a big cure for a single person and "Aid Allies" which is a small cure for all allies.

Don't forget his own special tree, he gets panacea and another ability that basically makes him into a "tree of life" He'll constantly heal everyone, but he'll lose his offensive capabilities while doing so.

By the way, has anyone dabbled with the respec potion yet? Does it accurately give you back all if your stats and ability/talent points upon use? Even the points gained through special books/potions? I asked because using the respec potion in DA:O-Awakening would not give me back the points I gained in the Fade during the Circle quest line.

 

[Salaadin]

Anders has a tendency to let me down when it comes to his AI. Despite setting his tactics up so that he won't die to small fry enemies, I still catch him getting molested by a small group of enemies half the time. At one point he thought it was a good idea to take an enemy halfway across the map from me... Stupid AI

Thats no so much Anders being dumb as it is the game being dumb. Anders set to ranged will always try to stay ranged. When enemies spawn on him (as they often do), he tries to move ranged and the enemies follow....setting up this game of cat and mouse between Anders and the enemy.