-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Dragon Age: Origins |OT| Letting The Fade fade out of memory
- Thread starter EviLore
- Start date
The problem with this game is that it creates an unfair division between console and PC gamers, because it's so fucking demanding on a PC.
I'm using an older Mac Pro that's running Vista 64 bit through boot camp:
Two dual core Xeon 5150's (of course no games uses both physical slots so I just have a dual core processor in effect)
6MB DDR2 667 Fully Buffered ECC memory
HD4850 512mb
I hope this can pull off at least 360 quality visuals. I hate playing games with bad frame rates and being Bioware.. on a not top of the line PC.. I worry.
Edited to add:
Don't pick on my avatar, I work with Macs for a living but I turned my home mac (was free) into a PC. I swing both ways.
I'm using an older Mac Pro that's running Vista 64 bit through boot camp:
Two dual core Xeon 5150's (of course no games uses both physical slots so I just have a dual core processor in effect)
6MB DDR2 667 Fully Buffered ECC memory
HD4850 512mb
I hope this can pull off at least 360 quality visuals. I hate playing games with bad frame rates and being Bioware.. on a not top of the line PC.. I worry.
Edited to add:
Don't pick on my avatar, I work with Macs for a living but I turned my home mac (was free) into a PC. I swing both ways.
bengraven said:
All-righty, I've been holding my tongue to save people from any spoilers. But I'll concede. The material I put in spoiler quotes won't be too spoilerish as they'll be vague, but just in case, they'll still be tagged as such.
I've logged in 22 hrs on the Xbox 360 version and I'm still loving it.
The Magi tower was took about 3 hours to finish. It allowed for unique moments as an individual without any party members.
I enjoyed the PC version more and I had 10 hours into that. I was able to work in more commands for my teammates and targeting my own teammates for spells was easier. For example, I would have Alistair taunt all the enemies and they would begin to beat on him. I would then follow it up with a barrier spell (forgot the name) where he would freeze and not be allowed to attack or take any damage. At that point, I would have my ranged teammates pick off the enemies who are trying to damage Alistair.
Party advice: (generalizations)
- I can't stand Sten. The dude is always pissed off, never wants to talk, and when i do try to talk to him, he disapproves.
- When in camp, always talk to your warhound as the scenes that follow are humorous.
- I won't say who, but one of the NPCs you meet early on will undoubtedly turn out to have one of the most quoted lines of... "Enchantments? Enchantments!" That's all he basically yells out -- so be prepared.
- When Leliana says "I've got this" when lock-picking a chest... chances are, she can't haha.
- In order of preference: Shale, Oghren, Morrigan, Leliana, Alistair, Wynne, Warhound, Sten, Zevran
- When in camp, always talk to your warhound as the scenes that follow are humorous.
- I won't say who, but one of the NPCs you meet early on will undoubtedly turn out to have one of the most quoted lines of... "Enchantments? Enchantments!" That's all he basically yells out -- so be prepared.
- When Leliana says "I've got this" when lock-picking a chest... chances are, she can't haha.
- In order of preference: Shale, Oghren, Morrigan, Leliana, Alistair, Wynne, Warhound, Sten, Zevran
Orzammar turned out to be my favorite place to visit so far. Redcliffe was a little annoying, but it had a fantastic decision for the players to make. The Magi Tower was unique, but pretty straightforward. Boss battles wasn't as epic as the bosses that were in Orzammar.
I'm on my way to convince the elves to join my cause. I believe I have 45% of the world explored now.
If you have questions, I should be able to find time to answer a few.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Caspel said:
I have heard that the exploration that takes places is fable-ish, narrow paths and walkthroughs. Is this entirely accurate or does the areas of exploration open up a bit more later in the game?
Shake Appeal
Member
Swap Alistair with Oghren and Caspel's ordering of the NPCs corresponds to my impressions of them from videos/marketing.
They still seem fairly weak on the whole, although I think Bioware's NPCs have been getting steadily worse with each game.
They still seem fairly weak on the whole, although I think Bioware's NPCs have been getting steadily worse with each game.
Amneisac said:
by the specs you have the game should run fine...
RECOMMENDED SPECS
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz Processor or equivalent
RAM: 4 GB (Vista) or 2 GB (XP)
VIDEO: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
AMD Phenom II X3 Triple-Core 2.8 GHz or greater
Revengeance
Member
God, too many games. Still knees deep in Borderlands, now this is upon us, plus The Ballad of Gay Tony, plus MW2. Dragon Age seems like it's going to really suck up time, might save it for after MW2.
Oh, 360 version, btw. Would go for pc, but don't have the hardware. I think us netbook-only owners are probably the pc equivalent of Wii only console gamers. :lol :lol
Oh, 360 version, btw. Would go for pc, but don't have the hardware. I think us netbook-only owners are probably the pc equivalent of Wii only console gamers. :lol :lol
Maybe I'm an isolated case, but Bioware is really mucking up the marketing for DA. This was how it went for me:
Announcement->First Screens: I MUST HAVE THIS GAME
First Trailers->This Week: What the hell is that music? Why does it look so generic? Eh. Maybe I'll pick it up later on when it drops in price.
After watching GiantBomb Quicklooks: I MUST HAVE THIS GAME
It's kind of sad when the thing that hypes me the most for the game is done by a third-party Web site, and all the official marketing materials makes it look like a subpar fantasy game.
Announcement->First Screens: I MUST HAVE THIS GAME
First Trailers->This Week: What the hell is that music? Why does it look so generic? Eh. Maybe I'll pick it up later on when it drops in price.
After watching GiantBomb Quicklooks: I MUST HAVE THIS GAME
It's kind of sad when the thing that hypes me the most for the game is done by a third-party Web site, and all the official marketing materials makes it look like a subpar fantasy game.
lorddarkflare
Banned
Patryn said:
You should see how badly they are mucking up ME2.
chico said:
That tears it. I gotta get XP on my laptop. I could never understand why vista demands so much memory, but my games would probably run smoother if i had an extra gig.
Minsc
Gold Member
Durante said:Hah! You can't fool me!
Sssh! There is no fooling! It wouldn't be fair to be picking at such a beast with just any sword, I can't be leaving all the work to Boo!
Take another look, and see the wisdom. Sometimes all it takes to want a bigger sword is a pair of wings, 100 feet across! Even mighty berserker rage needs to be helped from time to time.
fizzelopeguss
Banned
Controls/graphics aside the real reason to get this on pc is probably going to be for the community mods.
Durante said:Hah! You can't fool me!
Heh, on the great let's-take-odd-jobs-in-Athkatla-to-raise-money-to-pay-some-thieves-so-they'll-help-me-rescue-my-sister quest, Firkraag's job was the first one I took.
I took Minsc's advice.
Well. Not entirely true.
I saw a big red dragon, SAVED, and then ignored Minsc's advice just to see how I would fare. :lol
Solideliquid
Member
chico said:
Wow 4Gs of RAM for Vista wtf? Most people (read: me) have a 32-bit OS which doesn't support over 3GB of ram. So there isn't a big reason to go above 2GB.
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
JayDubya said:
Same here. Well second job actually because I knew that Nalia's quest would bring me my stronghold. First time through the game though, I turned around at the sight of that big bastard. Went back after I got Imoen and took care of him.
I cant wait for this game now, just a bit gutted my monitor is only 19"
But am going with the pc version, I may pick up the console version at a later date if they do a game of the year edtion.
I wonder if Bioware have plan to do a expansion for Dragon Age or will they go straight to a sequel.
But am going with the pc version, I may pick up the console version at a later date if they do a game of the year edtion.
I wonder if Bioware have plan to do a expansion for Dragon Age or will they go straight to a sequel.
gregor7777
Banned
fizzelopeguss said:
no question
Lone_Prodigy
Member
Best OP ever. I was wary after seeing a bunch of image links, but Firefox (and Text-to-Image) performed admirably. :lol
And like every other Bioware game, my first run will be as a dude, and my second will be as a lesbo chick.
And like every other Bioware game, my first run will be as a dude, and my second will be as a lesbo chick.
Lemmy Caution
Member
For some reason, I'm expecting to be attacked over this post, anyhoo here goes:
Great OP, though I can't fully revel in the console bashing as the most technically demanding game my old PC could handle was Grim Fandango, I've been Mac ever since (loaded with the Lucasarts collection, NES/SNES/Arcade emulators and Starcon2) with my current gaming needs being fulfilled by consoles.
As a PS3/Wii owner, this is my first chance to get my hands on a Bioware game. I'd read lots on KOTOR and Mass Effect and always thought they'd be among the few types of RPGs I'd enjoy.
So, what should I expect from Dragon Age? Can y'all (you all) point me to some vids online that are indicative of the gameplay? I'm not familiar with Baldurs Gate, is there another prominent game that would be somewhat comparable?
I see some people are excited by the prospect of lesbian encounters, will I be able to scissor with an elf?
anyhoo, I'm definitely interested in this game, have some gift certificates to spend and am debating between this and Demon's Souls for my PS3 RPG fix.
Great OP, though I can't fully revel in the console bashing as the most technically demanding game my old PC could handle was Grim Fandango, I've been Mac ever since (loaded with the Lucasarts collection, NES/SNES/Arcade emulators and Starcon2) with my current gaming needs being fulfilled by consoles.
As a PS3/Wii owner, this is my first chance to get my hands on a Bioware game. I'd read lots on KOTOR and Mass Effect and always thought they'd be among the few types of RPGs I'd enjoy.
So, what should I expect from Dragon Age? Can y'all (you all) point me to some vids online that are indicative of the gameplay? I'm not familiar with Baldurs Gate, is there another prominent game that would be somewhat comparable?
I see some people are excited by the prospect of lesbian encounters, will I be able to scissor with an elf?
anyhoo, I'm definitely interested in this game, have some gift certificates to spend and am debating between this and Demon's Souls for my PS3 RPG fix.
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
Lemmy Caution said:
Here's a video of a playthrough of the 360 version http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-dragon-age-origins-360/17-1528/.
The PS3 version should be pretty close to that. There was a video of the PS3 version a week or so ago at gamespot I think, but it didn't show too much.
I imagine it will play similar to KOTOR. Other people may have better and more accessible examples of games it may it play like.
bengraven said:Thanks! I'll be taking the Alistair tip to heart.
I'm looking forward to Orzimmar and Redcliffe both.
A three hour dungeon though? That's pretty amazing for a modern game.
Well it's a mandatory "dungeon" -- if that's what you must call it. Though, once you enter, you can't leave until you finish the quest to eradicate the evil inside it.
Only reason I used to prefer using Oghren over Alistair was because he had better constitution stats so he was a better fit to become a tank with Shale through my missions on
Deep Roads
The first 2-4 hours is linear. Once you leave Lothering, the world is open and players can go to any area of their desire. I went to Redcliffe, Orzammar, and the Mage Tower (with a few side stops at specific areas for side-quests and items). I'm on my way to the forest to meet with the elves.
When I playing on the PC, I went to Denerim and that was the worst choice to start off with since it was uneventful (fighting mercenaries and assassins as opposed to zombies, werewolves, ent-like creatures, etc).
Almost every area or dungeon has paths to sneak past or behind the enemies for opportune attacks. Many enemies will actually fight one another.
I was a witness to an Ogre getting mauled by 6-7 giant spiders and it lost the battle. The next area over, a horde of darkspawn was getting overrun by giant spiders until their new enemy type that I had never encountered appeared.
momolicious
Member
Tonza said:
why do you drop pc games in the middle?
Castor Krieg
Banned
Caspel, can you tell me if the history of some larger-than-life characters is more detailed? Examples:
Branka - Oghren's wife and a Paragon
Witch of the Wilds - Morrigan's mother
Wynne - her history as first Enchanter
These are the elements that make the characters and story truly legendary, they make you feel like you are in presence of someone of epic proportions. I felt that in Planescape:Torment (Fall from Grace, Dakkon, Nameless One obviously), I have rarely felt it since.
Can you please confirm if these specific aspects of the characters are elaborated on?
Branka - Oghren's wife and a Paragon
Witch of the Wilds - Morrigan's mother
Wynne - her history as first Enchanter
These are the elements that make the characters and story truly legendary, they make you feel like you are in presence of someone of epic proportions. I felt that in Planescape:Torment (Fall from Grace, Dakkon, Nameless One obviously), I have rarely felt it since.
Can you please confirm if these specific aspects of the characters are elaborated on?
Castor Krieg said:
The history of Paragons and Branka is discussed heavily in Orzammar. I won't ruin it for you,
Branka plays a big part for the mission to gain dwarven allegiance
Through conversation, Morrigan will reveal more about her mother, Flemeth. I'd say there is at least 8 minutes of conversation so far, from Morrigan alone, that has helped detail Flemeth, the Witches of the Wilds, and so on. I haven't
seen Flemeth since the start of the game, but her area is always open and I could revisit her at anytime
Wynne just joined my party --
and at that time, she wasn't a 1st Enchanter. Maybe it was in her past since Irvine is the 1st Enchanter of the Magi Circle
Castor Krieg
Banned
Caspel, thx a lot for the reply. You gave lots of great info without giving away any story moment.
Already pre-ordered the game at local game store - I think this is the first game EVER in Poland that has a dedicated pre-order bonuses.
Already pre-ordered the game at local game store - I think this is the first game EVER in Poland that has a dedicated pre-order bonuses.
Basileus777
Member
Caspel said:
Can you get away without using a rogue all the time without missing too much?
SlasherJPC
Banned
Great info there. Thanks for answering our questions. Well Borderlands will keep me plenty occupied till next week! Then Borderlands will hit the shelves.
Caspel, what character do you find yourself spending the most time on? Your created character or others?
I imagine I'd want to control a fighter type for taking point in a dungeon until engaging in which a mage would probably require the most attention with the AE spells. Does the AI allow for positioning? i.e. have a rogue always go for the back and have fighters hug one side so a mage can get an AE attack in easier.
I imagine I'd want to control a fighter type for taking point in a dungeon until engaging in which a mage would probably require the most attention with the AE spells. Does the AI allow for positioning? i.e. have a rogue always go for the back and have fighters hug one side so a mage can get an AE attack in easier.
gregor7777
Banned
Awesome impressions, Caspel. Thanks
We will be requiring a numbered score at the end of your playthrough. Your choice of scale. Text optional.
We will be requiring a numbered score at the end of your playthrough. Your choice of scale. Text optional.
I shrugged off this game until I saw gaintbomb's quicklook. I felt that there was no way this game was going to come close to the awesomeness that is BG2, but it seems as though they did a pretty damn good job on the combat. I'm loving the party-based, pause-based combat. I guess we'll have to see how well they do with the characters, story, side quests, etc ..
Not a day one purchase for me as I'm not as big of an RPG fan as I used to be .. but maybe a week 1 purchase depending on its reception by some of GAFS more rabid BG2 fans. (you know who you are)
Not a day one purchase for me as I'm not as big of an RPG fan as I used to be .. but maybe a week 1 purchase depending on its reception by some of GAFS more rabid BG2 fans. (you know who you are)
GreenNight
Member
This is my specs:
Athlon 64 4000+ Socket 939
Gigabyte GA-K8N Ultra-9 Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra
Visiontek Radeon X1950 Pro PCIe 256MB GDDR3 Memory
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS GAMER Limited Edition
Corsair ValueSelect 3GB (2x512, 2x1gig) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Would I be OK if I got a new video card?
Athlon 64 4000+ Socket 939
Gigabyte GA-K8N Ultra-9 Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra
Visiontek Radeon X1950 Pro PCIe 256MB GDDR3 Memory
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS GAMER Limited Edition
Corsair ValueSelect 3GB (2x512, 2x1gig) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Would I be OK if I got a new video card?
DenogginizerOS
BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
The biggest decision about purchasing this game for me is not which platform (I am getting the PC version) but whether or not to get the digital version off of Steam. I wish someone from Bioware and/or Steam would comment on the option to preload this game and when/if it is coming.
BuckRobotron
Member
Beginning to pay more attention to this (for 360) as I see it upcoming in the release lists.
DenogginizerOS
BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
Based on the shenanigans that are PC minimum requirement specifications, I would say you either upgrade your entire PC or get the console version.GreenNight said:
popsicle_sundays
Member
Relix said:
I'm going tomorrow as well, I really wish I saw more media on the PS3 version as I'd prefer that but it looks like I'll thrown down money on the 360 version.
GreenNight
Member
DenogginizerOS said:
Damn. Well, it might be about that time.