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Dragon Age II |OT| The Revenge of Shit Mountain

Maybe this decision was made to retain a shred of the tactical combat that distinguished Origins, but if that’s the case, the attempt is meager and insufficient. You have no zoomed out isometric view, and the waves and waves of filler enemies that pad out encounters make strategy futile. Yes, you can pause and issue commands, but this maneuvering is pointless when you never know how many more bad guys will jump from the rooftops, rise from the ground, or simply materialize out of nowhere. Even with more foes, the fights are considerably easier (unless you really crank up the difficulty), so planning is a waste of time. You can win most fights without worrying about strategy, so why invest unnecessary time and effort in the tactical approach? This conundrum creates a combat system that does not convey the thrill of controlling an unstoppable hero, but also doesn’t accommodate the strategy that is supposed to serve as an alternative.

But, but... Bioware said combat was just as tactical.

I'm honestly surprised to see 8-ish scores. The negatives must be pretty significant to overcome the deliberate mainstream targeting with it's snazzy looking moves, a dialogue wheel, and romances.
 

Ceebs

Member
Lostconfused said:
My hang up is that I don't fully understand the Dark Eye mechanics and I don't want to buy an actual rule book to read up on them.
I read this forum thread and was good to go. It explains pretty much everything in the game at it's base level. You just have to take a glance at the in game ability formulas you get by right clicking on things. It's not a difficult system, just pretty much opposite the usual D&D inspired stuff.

http://forum.dtp-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=12047
 
I'm on board the day one train when Atlus releases the US version on '360.

I think I'll play with DA2's character editor tonight. But I won't really play the game until I finish Awakening, Golem DLC and the Witch Hunt DLC.
 
So my PC Signature Edition did manage to get here, even though it didn't ship until around midnight local time.

I have to say, Bioware truly spared no expense. The cheap eco-friendly plastic case, and the same manual as all other PC versions. They couldn't even splurge for a special color cover for the signature edition? Come on.

I guess the DLC is already on the disc? No redemption codes in the box, anyways.

Fake Edit: I guess Signature Edition content is actually incorporated into the online pass.
 

FlyinJ

Douchebag. Yes, me.
I would like to hear from people playing on Nightmare (that's the only difficulty that has friendly fire, right?). Controlling the party positions on the 360 was a nightmare in DA1. Is this improved in DA2? The demo wouldn't allow for FF, so it was hard to tell how difficult it would be.

It seems to me that this game is designed to be played on a controller this time around. Also, is it true that the combat is harder on the PC SKU, on all difficulties?

Trying to figure out which SKU to get this time.
 

Haunted

Member
bishopcruz said:
If it was from some random eastern european company though, PC Gaf would probaly be in love with it.
European companies aren't particularly known (or loved) for dumbing down mechanics and gameplay to appease to a more base denominator. And I've worded this as nicely as I could.

And if they do, they get crucified for it, and rightfully so. Go read the official threads for Two Worlds I and Gothic 4 and then repeat the line above. It just doesn't hold.
 
subversus said:
Like which one? The only game which costs full price is Two Worlds II and it has sold as good as ME2 because it has something.... fun, you know.

To you perhaps. I found Two Worlds II to be downright dreadful. And I found ME2 to be one of the best games I've ever had the pleasure of playing.
 

subversus

I've done nothing with my life except eat and fap
Vamphuntr said:
Really hated the non expansion version on 360. I made it to the part you get the tower and finally unlock the dragon and almost fell asleep. I guess with mods the game can be really amazing but the console version sucked really bad. There were huge balance issues with the game. Good luck playing as a mage... I had to glitch bosses in the environment so I could beat them. There was this one guy who would one shot me with explosive arrow until I glitched him in a path.

Yeah, Divinity II Ego Draconis sucked even on PC, but we're talking about enhanced version here. It was fixed a lot, but I won't play it consoles still. Let's not mention xbox version of Risen. Two Worlds II plays well on all platforms from day 1.

But Bioware fucked up DA2 in the same amateur manner as some eastern european devs - no auto-attack on consoles, no names for items, high-res textures as a separate patch + the game work like shit on Nvidia. That's not acceptable for AAA-game.
 
Ceebs said:
I read this forum thread and was good to go. It explains pretty much everything in the game at it's base level. You just have to take a glance at the in game ability formulas you get by right clicking on things. It's not a difficult system, just pretty much opposite the usual D&D inspired stuff.

http://forum.dtp-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=12047
Thanks. It bothers me to no end when I don't know the exact mechanics behind the game and I blindly stumble around trying to figure out whats what. Which was what pissed me of and soured me so much on Dragon Age the first time I played. Which in part lets me appreciated the simplifying and streamlining of combat in DA2.
Hilaho said:
Someone already left that here. Way to make juniors look even worse jagoff.
He is the one that originally posted it here in the first place.
 
SerArthurDayne said:
So my PC Signature Edition did manage to get here, even though it didn't ship until around midnight local time.

I have to say, Bioware truly spared no expense. The cheap eco-friendly plastic case, and the same manual as all other PC versions. They couldn't even splurge for a special color cover for the signature edition? Come on.

I guess the DLC is already on the disc? No redemption codes in the box, anyways.

Fake Edit: I guess Signature Edition content is actually incorporated into the online pass.
Blame EA for shitty "Eco-cases" and craptastic, black & white, manuals. They're all about the profit margin.

But it sucks that BioWare couldn't get EA to produce a proper LE like DAO had. I love those metal cases, seems like publishers hare them these days.
 
meltingparappa said:
I can weather pre-order bonuses that are largely inconsequential, I'm ok with copy and pasted dungeons as a consequence of so quick a turnaround, but cliffhanger endings are by far the worst thing in videogame stories, and so when it's (apparently) in a heavily story-based game like this, it makes me rage out.

Wait Cliffhanger ending? Fucking DLC, man. I like this game less now that I have purchased and opened it. Oh well. Hopefully I will enjoy the actual playing of it. Still haven't purchased any Mass Effect DLC. Don't see why I'll start now.
 

subversus

I've done nothing with my life except eat and fap
Kinspiracy said:
To you perhaps. I found Two Worlds II to be downright dreadful.

I'm yet to play it. The only thing I stated is that the game is pretty polished on consoles + it's fun for a lot of people as sales + reviews + some impressions on Neogaf show. Some people found ME2 to be dreadful and cliched sci-fi shit. I liked it though.
 

Moonstone

Member
Lostconfused said:
My hang up is that I don't fully understand the Dark Eye mechanics and I don't want to buy an actual rule book to read up on them.

The basic rules are included as pdf, at least in the german version. But PC rules != p&p rules. The feats are different, but the skillsystem is the same. Actually it isn't that complicated, everything is d20 based you always have to role under not like DnD, skillsystem is a bit akward, though.

Dragon Knight saga $40

Yes, awesome game worth every penny!
 

StuKen

Member
Lostconfused said:
My hang up is that I don't fully understand the Dark Eye mechanics and I don't want to buy an actual rule book to read up on them.

You are the reason game design is progressively going to shit, well, you and costly asset creation. The embrace of ignorance, apathy toward learning and an inability to see beyond the box you built for yourself.
 

DaBuddaDa

Member
Vamphuntr said:
Really hated the non expansion version on 360. I made it to the part you get the tower and finally unlock the dragon and almost fell asleep. I guess with mods the game can be really amazing but the console version sucked really bad. There were huge balance issues with the game. Good luck playing as a mage... I had to glitch bosses in the environment so I could beat them. There was this one guy who would one shot me with explosive arrow until I glitched him in a path.
Along with a small budget comes bad console ports. The PC, Dragon Knight Saga version of the original game is fantastic.
 
Hari Seldon said:
So does this have a chance to be the lowest reviewed Bioware game ever?

I mean 80% SHOULD be a good score. But everybody expects a mediocre game to get at least a six, and anything less than 85 or 90 is pretty suspect.
 
X-Frame said:
The Signature Edition bonuses will be in a chest once you get to Kirkwall IIRC from the last BioWare live stream. You apparently don't start with them all.

Yeah, I know you don't automatically start with them. My question is that, on the unlockables menu at the start screen it shows everything you can potentially unlock. The stuff you can't unlock is greyed out while the stuff you have unlocked via pre-release DLC, redemption codes is highlighted with the note that it will be available later at your house in Kirkwall. For information on how to unlock the other stuff it says to log on to Bioware's social site. My problem is that, despite entering my redemption code from the signature edition, the four weapons and ring that are listed as additonal signature edition bonus content remains greyed out in the unlockables section of the menu screen. I somehow have the the Facebook stuff (not the beta stuff) unlocked, even though I don't have a Facebook account. It's really not that big of deal since I do have the armory and prince DLC unlocked, but I'd like to get everything that is listed as signature editon bonuses.
 
StuKen said:
You are the reason game design is progressively going to shit, well, you and costly asset creation. The embrace of ignorance, apathy toward learning and an inability to see beyond the box you built for yourself.


Edit: Oh nvm, yeah I was too lazy to read the exact part you quoted. Yeah nvm whatever man, complain all you want.
 

DaBuddaDa

Member
Kinspiracy said:
Sessler mentions two more Bioware games coming out this year. Mass Effect 3 and what?
The Star Wars MMORPG, which will probably be this winter's big MMO release, but might slip to 2012.
 
Haunted said:
European companies aren't particularly known (or loved) for dumbing down mechanics and gameplay to appease to a more base denominator. And I've worded this as nicely as I could.

And if they do, they get crucified for it, and rightfully so. Go read the official threads for Two Worlds I and Gothic 4 and then repeat the line above. It just doesn't hold.

Fans will crucify game, but it doesn't mean the game is bad because things changed. Streamlining or targetting a different market will obviously piss off fans of the original, but the games should be reviewed on their own merits and not trying to maintain a legacy.

DaBuddaDa said:
The Star Wars MMORPG, which will probably be this winter's big MMO release, but might slip to 2012.

They haven't stated Winter or even Fall. Right now late spring/summer is the target.
 

JohngPR

Member
The game informer PC review reads like the person never played DAO. Is he seriously complaining about having to use the mouse and keyboard in a PC game?

I'm a console gamer, but even I think that's a bit much. From what I can tell from the demo, the PC gameplay isn't SO different that it makes owning a gamepad or having to pause and move the camera around like you did in DAO a pain.

With that said, the reviews seem mostly positive with a few caveats. If anything, I think the game's more streamlined approach might work better for me, but I'm also going to keep my expectations for the game in check.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Their solution for DLC on the PC is really inelegant. First, you have to register some key to "unlock" the signature edition. Next, you go in game, and instead of being able to manage DLC in-game like in DA:O, you click on a link that sends you to a website. Unfortunately this website is for Dragon Age: Origins DLC (go testing!). So after digging around Bioware's website a bit, I finally find this page. I then need to click "Buy Now" (even though I should already have these on my account), follow the links, and finally am allowed access to this page, which allows me to manually download and install individual DLC content.

I needed to go to work, so I didn't get any further, but I certainly hope this manual installation business works.
 

kai3345

Banned
Played for about an hour last night.

I imported my save that was at the beginning of the final Quest of Origins. I was going to play Awakenings and Witch Hunt, but do the decisions made in these DLCs affect anything in game?

Ive played both on 360, so it isnt really a matter of experiencing the content, just a fact of if it will affect my DA2 game.
 

Moofers

Member
SerArthurDayne said:
So my PC Signature Edition did manage to get here, even though it didn't ship until around midnight local time.

I have to say, Bioware truly spared no expense. The cheap eco-friendly plastic case, and the same manual as all other PC versions. They couldn't even splurge for a special color cover for the signature edition? Come on.

I guess the DLC is already on the disc? No redemption codes in the box, anyways.

Fake Edit: I guess Signature Edition content is actually incorporated into the online pass.

So you PC gamers must have gotten a bum deal then because my PS3 version has the black and white signature edition cover, a signature edition manual, and a signature edition disc.
 
TheExodu5 said:
Are you somehow trying to diminish Eatern European RPGs? Risen and The Witcher were both great RPGs... Both games also look significantly better than DA2 (save for Risen's character models, perhaps).

Not at all. I quite like The WItcher and haven't played Risen. But those games get a pass on a lot of their jank and poor design choices.


Will post more when I am no longer doing so on a kindle.
 

Zeliard

Member
So do your party members auto-equip armor now that you can no longer equip them yourself? Another ridiculous change from Bioware.
 

DaBuddaDa

Member
BattleMonkey said:
They haven't stated Winter or even Fall. Right now late spring/summer is the target.
I will bet you my entire gaming collection, my cats, my car and my job that SWTOR won't be out until this Fall or later.
 
kai3345 said:
Played for about an hour last night.

I imported my save that was at the beginning of the final Quest of Origins. I was going to play Awakenings and Witch Hunt, but do the decisions made in these DLCs affect anything in game?

Ive played both on 360, so it isnt really a matter of experiencing the content, just a fact of if it will affect my DA2 game.
From what I've read, decisions made in Awakening do carry over. I'm not sure about the Golems DLC, but the save importer will reference the decision made in Witch Hunt.

ceski said:
I was the someone that already left that here but thanks!
Are the same person who posted the same link on almost everyone of the last 5 or so pages? Because it's so good that it needs to be on every page, right?
 

Salaadin

Member
Zeliard said:
So do your party members auto-equip armor now that you can no longer equip them yourself? Another ridiculous change from Bioware.

They change their look throughout the game as the story progesses. You equip their rings and accessories like in DA:O. Im not sure about weapons.
 
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