I have to agree with the op,dragon age origins is over hyped IMO.
A mature RPG! really i didn't see it,having played the witcher.
If i wanted to watch a movie i would rent one,dragon age is all flash and no dash.
Linear does not begin to explain this game,it's way over the top,even knowing bioware.
Skill system=OK but that's all it is.
Graphics..hmm i had this up full blast and thought the toons were ok but the landscape was not.
The crafting is a joke and lacks any imagination at all,it's a cop out. Herbalism, Trap-Making, or Poison-Making is all you can do,it's bad.
BioWare make good games and in one or two cases great games,but they have lost their way and forgotten what an RPG should feel like. It should not feel like a 50+ hour movie running along at light speed,i felt like a message boy instead of a hero.
Also their is a game out their that is similar to Dragon Age Origins but for me i think it's better in a lot of ways.
It shares more in common with Baldur's Gate than DAO does. Dragon Age Origins feels like a movie,it is a good game but that's all it is for me i am afraid.
I can't really say i had a deep meaningful RPG experience.I think BioWare have lost a bit of the RPG magic in their quests for perfect story or what they feel is a great story(lord of the rings anyone).
This game is not really known in north America and it's one of them RPG that fall off the radar . It shares the party aspect with DAO and the same type of controls and camera view,the world is less linear and the graphics are better IMO.
The voice over in DAO are better because it's fully voiced,the rule set is not D&D,instead the game is based on the german Das Schwarze Auge (The Black Eye) rpg which feels quite different than D&D right from the beginning of the game.
Don't expect the fast pace of DAO,nope you will find yourself truly lost in this world and not like the camera are rolling.
It's skill system is fantastic and is sandbox ,meaning you can be anything or choose any skill.
Its been said many times in this thread but I'll say it once more.
Its exactly like KOTOR, which was a game of the year, and KOTOR 2, which was as well.
Guess what else was game of the year?
Oblivion.
Why are people making these arguments? Clearly both games are excellent. If you PERSONALLY don't like some details of the game then that is you however a majority of people enjoy these types of games.
I can't believe people are complaining about how involved the companions are when if you think about it this is how ToR will probably be. Not to mention the way they interact and have opinions on things is EXACTLY like KOTOR 1 and 2, so how can you be surprised or upset? They made a wonderful spiritual sequel to KOTOR. Props to them.
Linear, I don't see how you can say something is linear when most of the quests have more than two sides to complete them, not to mention you can do all the quests in any order and different things happen in different orders different times you play the game.
That doesn't seem to me like it fits the word "linear."
The entire story felt like it was told in second person, with Alistar being the main hero when I played it. Which I found interesting and refreshing, name another game or story that is told from second person....
Its been said many times in this thread but I'll say it once more. Its exactly like KOTOR, which was a game of the year, and KOTOR 2, which was as well. Guess what else was game of the year? Oblivion. Why are people making these arguments? Clearly both games are excellent. If you PERSONALLY don't like some details of the game then that is you however a majority of people enjoy these types of games. I can't believe people are complaining about how involved the companions are when if you think about it this is how ToR will probably be. Not to mention the way they interact and have opinions on things is EXACTLY like KOTOR 1 and 2, so how can you be surprised or upset? They made a wonderful spiritual sequel to KOTOR. Props to them.
Linear, I don't see how you can say something is linear when most of the quests have more than two sides to complete them, not to mention you can do all the quests in any order and different things happen in different orders different times you play the game. That doesn't seem to me like it fits the word "linear." The entire story felt like it was told in second person, with Alistar being the main hero when I played it. Which I found interesting and refreshing, name another game or story that is told from second person.... I can't.
When people mention linear they are talking about the world and how boxed in it is,meaning you can't go of the path, not how many ways you can finish a quests.
Game of the year,yes it may be game of the year but that's more to do with who BioWare are and reputation. If another dev team would of made dragon age origins it would not be getting the hype it is now.
Their are better RPG,even oblivion was not that good,it's the mods that make that game.
The story was a rip off from lotr,at least be original,that's another point about another dev team using lotr story in their RPG,gaming sites would have a fit but BioWare have got away with it.
Believe me, ive played both versions side by side, 360 and ps3, and the ps3 version is way worse. May be because the ps3 hardware is crap, dont know (they cant even put gran turismo 5 out in that thing). Either way is easy, go to a store and ask to make the side by side comparison.
The PC version, the one i play, has excellent graphics, and doesnt demand a top computer. So, i really cant see how graphics in this game can be criticized. Dont blame Bioware for a consoles limitations
I , for one, am perplexed by the hype/reviews of this game. I mean, I get why it's so hyped on this site as mmorpg.com has increasingly lost credence in the journalistic department and seem to be more shills for the highest advertiser than anything at this point...but In my own opinion this game is just...well, not good. Far be it from me to just post nonsense like that without giving you my reasons though:
1) Load screens.Lots of them. 2) Ok, the story is KIND OF interesting. Doesn't mean I wanna take 3 steps watch a 5 minute cut scene, fight one mob, watch a 5 minute cut scene...etc 3) very , very , very linear. There is no "world". There is a series of linear, very restricted zones. You port from one to the next. "Exploring" consist of bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball between walls, both invisible and not down the corridor that is the "story" 4) combat. Sigh. Revolutionary? Breathtaking? My god. Swing my sword, hit pause, cue attacks, unpause, watch action for 3 seconds, pause again. yeah...takes my breath right away. Guys..."exhilarating combat" generally doesn't involve the pause button. 5)DLC ON LAUNCH DAY!!!!!!! LOLOLOL 6) partyy system. Meh, this one is personal preference, but I dont want to have to control a party. Game would have been better , imo if it was just me and my hound. When I think of a classic rpg, i think of me. My chararacter.Singular.Micromanaging sucks.
Iv'e got more, but will stop there. Not really designed to be a bash of boware or their game, I just don't like it. Obviously a ton of people do. It just surprises me is all. I am an older guy so perhaps what i think of as a "good game" is just different from the current generations. Seems "playable movies" are the new thing
I've never played one bioware RPG. The main reason is b/c of the EXTREMELY heavy dialogue. I for one am not fond of dialogue being shoved down my throat 24/7. So they all were never played by me. Walls of text= no damn way. Dialogue 24/7 nope. If i want walls of text i'll read a novel. If i want extreme amounts of dialogue i'd go watch some boring flick.
Games shouldn't have walls of text. TES series is still my favorite style of RPGs, Bioware will never even get recognized as decent by me till they learn that 7 novels worth of dialogue doesn't make it a good game.
Of course it is linear! This game is the definition of linear!
How can anyone who has played this game say it is not? Sure there might be different character story arcs, but when you are in an area, you have a path, encounters appear on that path. There are no other options, you can't run off in some rich world and explore some cave off the forced beaten path like oblivion. There is only the beaten path.
Evenj though it is as linear as a game can be, it doesn't attempt to be anything but that, and for what it is, it is really good. There are balancing issues, as in when you figure out the right combinations of classes, spells, tactics and abilities the game can get very easy even on the difficult setting. And it can be damn near impossible if you do not organize yoru tactics, spells and group make up properly. There is a bit too much varience there, but it is a great game, and I am digging it more the more I play it.
It is definately a great game of it's own genre... that is, a game more like NWN2 or /Baldurs gate than Oblivion, which I would put in a completely different genre.
I like Bioware games. I loved Baldur's Gate 2, I enjoyed Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights 1 and even 2, loved Mass Effect but Dragon Age.... I don't know why. I did not quite enjoy this one. It has a really good, if very generic story. I think that's the reason. I had no expectations before playing it, but this game feel so damn generic. It's generic as you can get. It has good characters and story so this redeems it somewhat, but its sore lack of originality just made me sigh. It's like come on Bioware, do you really need to rehash the "unite the elves, dwarves and humans of a medieval fantasy world to destroy the big bad evil before it destroys the world" storyline?
The problem of Dragon Age, Mass Effect, NWN.. is not in its obvious linearity, but in its extreme stupidity and infantility. I guess I'm getting too old for that genre. I still think Baldur's Gate 1, Planescape Torment, Eye of Beholder series, Pool of Radiance were brilliant RPGames. The new console rpg's which are being released are just way off anything I could possibly enjoy. Constantly playing more with the camera view and controls than the actual gameplay makes me sick.
I don't know, alot of people seem to want single player MMO's. Some people I've met ever play MMO's as if they WERE single player...
That being said, I liked Dragon Age: Origins. After having played previous Bioware titles (BG1+2, IWD 1+2, NWN1+2...), much of the gameplay was what I expected it to be based on the info they gave pre-launch. What I expected was something of a blend between BG2 and NWN2, with a skill system similar to a few popular MMO's... and that's what we got.
1.) Loading screens are part and parcel to RPG's, it seems. Not a big deal - I can't think of any RPG I've played that didn't have them in some form. 2.) I liked the storyline. I find it well-written. And you've obviously not played much of the game, if you hold the opinion that its "take 3 steps watch a 5 minute cut scene, fight one mob, watch a 5 minute cut scene". This might be the case for the first two parts of the game (character background and Ostagar), but its definitely not the case later on. There are some really epic battles later on
3.) Linearity was to be expected, as well. Following a set, specific storyline doesn't allow for a very non-linear approach to a game world. While I love (and still play) Oblivion, sometimes it was TOO open ended - there was no real incentive to go and actually do the storyline. With DA:O, you have to do the storyline, which I approve of in an RPG - that's what the games about And the incentive is there - no storyline, no progression through the game.
4.) Eh, its combat. Genre's running out of room for 'revolutionary'. Aside from that, the tactic slot system is great IMO. by 10 I had enough slots to never have to touch my archer or Morrigan... which is good because, yeah. Micromanagement is boring.
5.) As for DLC's... I hate the things. Completely and honestly... hate them. I find it vastly annoying that any company would expect me to pay between 5-15$ for content that access to a 3DS Max exporter and a game editing toolkit would allow me or the community to easily make ourselves in a few days (if that).
6.) See 4. Also, can't think of any really good classic CRPG's that were only ever just you, other than Daggerfall or maybe Lands of Lore 3, and even then... whats good is a person taste.
Playing: *sigh* back to WoW -------- Waiting for: SW:TOR, APB, WoD --------- Played and loved: Eve and WoW -------- Played and hated: WoW:WotLK, Warhammer, every single F2P
I was expecting more from Bioware than elves, dwarves and men banding together to fight Evil. But, when I think about it, the only bioware rpg I liked was kotor, and that was because it was star wars. Granted I only evr played kotor and NWN, never played mass effect, and from what people say, its amazing, but then again, people also say dragon age is amazing, so, I dunno.
Anyway, I just cant get around the fact that lotro already provides all the elven-dwarven-human VS Evil I'll ever need, or want. Also, I didnt like the downloadable content idea either.
If you stand VERY still, and close your eyes, after a minute you can actually FEEL the universe revolving around PvP.
I really enjoy the game. All of my friends enjoy it too.
Maybe you don't like the dark fantasy genre? Maybe you don't like the storyline-type RPG? Maybe you're the anti-hype type (or the one that loves underdog games)?
Loading screens, DLC, ... those are all part of storyline RPG. Just hit escape to skip the dialogues and go if you just wanna fight!
I really enjoy the game. All of my friends enjoy it too.
Maybe you don't like the dark fantasy genre? Maybe you don't like the storyline-type RPG? Maybe you're the anti-hype type (or the one that loves underdog games)?
Loading screens, DLC, ... those are all part of storyline RPG. Just hit escape to skip the dialogues and go if you just wanna fight!
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
If you stand VERY still, and close your eyes, after a minute you can actually FEEL the universe revolving around PvP.
I was expecting more from Bioware than elves, dwarves and men banding together to fight Evil. But, when I think about it, the only bioware rpg I liked was kotor, and that was because it was star wars. Granted I only evr played kotor and NWN, never played mass effect, and from what people say, its amazing, but then again, people also say dragon age is amazing, so, I dunno. Anyway, I just cant get around the fact that lotro already provides all the elven-dwarven-human VS Evil I'll ever need, or want. Also, I didnt like the downloadable content idea either.
Well not to say they couldn't have picked other races. But to compare the Elves, Dwarves and Humans from LOTRO to DAO is being abit much. Heck the Elves in DAO are nothing like the Elves in LOTRO.
Ultimately all games are XX vs XX and its generally a Good vs Evil debate. Because anyone can always break a problem down to a side being good or evil regardless of the contex its being used in.
DAO was a great entry for a new IP into the RPG realm. I can't wait to see what they plan for expansions as the story left ALOT of room to expand the IP in just about anyway the developers want to go.
The depth of all the characters in the game is insane. Your party members themselfs all have great backgrounds and there own reasions for tagging along with you. Some of them have no issues telling you what they think about how you handled a situation.
I really enjoy the game. All of my friends enjoy it too.
Maybe you don't like the dark fantasy genre? Maybe you don't like the storyline-type RPG? Maybe you're the anti-hype type (or the one that loves underdog games)?
Loading screens, DLC, ... those are all part of storyline RPG. Just hit escape to skip the dialogues and go if you just wanna fight!
I really enjoy the game. All of my friends enjoy it too.
Maybe you don't like the dark fantasy genre? Maybe you don't like the storyline-type RPG? Maybe you're the anti-hype type (or the one that loves underdog games)?
Loading screens, DLC, ... those are all part of storyline RPG. Just hit escape to skip the dialogues and go if you just wanna fight!
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
Its a Dark Fantasy because of the choice that you have to make sometimes means killing people that have done nothing wrong. It is a very dark world in that the evil is taking over and nobody is able to stop it.
Trust me, I played though with all three classes. It is a dark fantasy game for sure.
I really enjoy the game. All of my friends enjoy it too.
Maybe you don't like the dark fantasy genre? Maybe you don't like the storyline-type RPG? Maybe you're the anti-hype type (or the one that loves underdog games)?
Loading screens, DLC, ... those are all part of storyline RPG. Just hit escape to skip the dialogues and go if you just wanna fight!
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
Its a Dark Fantasy because of the choice that you have to make sometimes means killing people that have done nothing wrong. It is a very dark world in that the evil is taking over and nobody is able to stop it.
Trust me, I played though with all three classes. It is a dark fantasy game for sure.
Dark fantasy for who? In compare to what? Dark fantasy is Ravenloft. Dragon Age is another generic fantasy really.
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is? No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
I'd say its because you're fighting demons in a blighted, politically corrupted world. You spill blood everywhere, can behead foes, can order prostitutes of your favourite gender, are seen, or see elves as second class citizens... It's less "politically correct", more "horror and gloom".
On the other side, fantasy RPGs that are not "Dark Fantasy" would be Aion, the Final Fantasy serie, or Warcraft (because it's more cartoonish than realistic).
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is? No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
I'd say its because you're fighting demons in a blighted, politically corrupted world. You spill blood everywhere, can behead foes, can order prostitutes of your favourite gender, are seen, or see elves as second class citizens... It's less "politically correct", more "horror and gloom".
On the other side, fantasy RPGs that are not "Dark Fantasy" would be Aion, the Final Fantasy serie, or Warcraft (because it's more cartoonish than realistic).
1. Dragon Age has a cartoony graphics as well
2. In WoW you kill demons.
Is WoW dark fantasy? Hardly. Dark Fantasy is Ravenloft. Dark fantasy could be Witcher. Dark fantasy could be Planescape Torment. Dark fantasy is Vampire: Dark Ages.
I really enjoy the game. All of my friends enjoy it too.
Maybe you don't like the dark fantasy genre? Maybe you don't like the storyline-type RPG? Maybe you're the anti-hype type (or the one that loves underdog games)?
Loading screens, DLC, ... those are all part of storyline RPG. Just hit escape to skip the dialogues and go if you just wanna fight!
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
Its a Dark Fantasy because of the choice that you have to make sometimes means killing people that have done nothing wrong. It is a very dark world in that the evil is taking over and nobody is able to stop it.
Trust me, I played though with all three classes. It is a dark fantasy game for sure.
Dark fantasy for who? In compare to what? Dark fantasy is Ravenloft. Dragon Age is another generic fantasy really.
Never played Ravenloft but DragonAge is a Dark Fantasy, alot of the choices effect the lives of "NPCs" which make some of your choice very dark in nature. Hense a Dark Fantasy.
Also it is not another generic fantasy game based on the fact that elfs are enslaved by humans and dwarfs are anti social with all but dwarfs. Not your typical fantasy based races.
Also alot of the story is based on demons and demons controlling humans which is very dark in nature.
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is? No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
I'd say its because you're fighting demons in a blighted, politically corrupted world. You spill blood everywhere, can behead foes, can order prostitutes of your favourite gender, are seen, or see elves as second class citizens... It's less "politically correct", more "horror and gloom".
On the other side, fantasy RPGs that are not "Dark Fantasy" would be Aion, the Final Fantasy serie, or Warcraft (because it's more cartoonish than realistic).
1. Dragon Age has a cartoony graphics as well
2. In WoW you kill demons.
Is WoW dark fantasy? Hardly. Dark Fantasy is Ravenloft. Dark fantasy could be Witcher. Dark fantasy could be Planescape Torment. Dark fantasy is Vampire: Dark Ages.
WoW does not have demons controlling little kids and forcing you to choose to either kill the demon and/or the kids as well.
WoW does not give you the chooce to kill an injuried person or let them live.
DragonAge is a dark fantasy game basied on everything I have seen while playing the game. It is alot darker then Fable and Witcher.
Comments
I have to agree with the op,dragon age origins is over hyped IMO.
A mature RPG! really i didn't see it,having played the witcher.
If i wanted to watch a movie i would rent one,dragon age is all flash and no dash.
Linear does not begin to explain this game,it's way over the top,even knowing bioware.
Skill system=OK but that's all it is.
Graphics..hmm i had this up full blast and thought the toons were ok but the landscape was not.
The crafting is a joke and lacks any imagination at all,it's a cop out. Herbalism, Trap-Making, or Poison-Making is all you can do,it's bad.
BioWare make good games and in one or two cases great games,but they have lost their way and forgotten what an RPG should feel like. It should not feel like a 50+ hour movie running along at light speed,i felt like a message boy instead of a hero.
Also their is a game out their that is similar to Dragon Age Origins but for me i think it's better in a lot of ways.
It shares more in common with Baldur's Gate than DAO does. Dragon Age Origins feels like a movie,it is a good game but that's all it is for me i am afraid.
I can't really say i had a deep meaningful RPG experience.I think BioWare have lost a bit of the RPG magic in their quests for perfect story or what they feel is a great story(lord of the rings anyone).
This game is not really known in north America and it's one of them RPG that fall off the radar . It shares the party aspect with DAO and the same type of controls and camera view,the world is less linear and the graphics are better IMO.
The voice over in DAO are better because it's fully voiced,the rule set is not D&D,instead the game is based on the german Das Schwarze Auge (The Black Eye) rpg which feels quite different than D&D right from the beginning of the game.
Don't expect the fast pace of DAO,nope you will find yourself truly lost in this world and not like the camera are rolling.
It's skill system is fantastic and is sandbox ,meaning you can be anything or choose any skill.
Just to give you an idea on how this game works..
www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.67558
www.drakensang.com/index_en.htm
Try the demo,it takes 20 mins to download,you will be happy you tried it.
www.videogamer.com/pc/drakensang_the_dark_eye/download/demo.html#
Its been said many times in this thread but I'll say it once more.
Its exactly like KOTOR, which was a game of the year, and KOTOR 2, which was as well.
Guess what else was game of the year?
Oblivion.
Why are people making these arguments? Clearly both games are excellent. If you PERSONALLY don't like some details of the game then that is you however a majority of people enjoy these types of games.
I can't believe people are complaining about how involved the companions are when if you think about it this is how ToR will probably be. Not to mention the way they interact and have opinions on things is EXACTLY like KOTOR 1 and 2, so how can you be surprised or upset? They made a wonderful spiritual sequel to KOTOR. Props to them.
Linear, I don't see how you can say something is linear when most of the quests have more than two sides to complete them, not to mention you can do all the quests in any order and different things happen in different orders different times you play the game.
That doesn't seem to me like it fits the word "linear."
The entire story felt like it was told in second person, with Alistar being the main hero when I played it. Which I found interesting and refreshing, name another game or story that is told from second person....
I can't.
I don't hate it but I never tried it cause i don't think it fits me. I mean like it is not my type of mmo.
When people mention linear they are talking about the world and how boxed in it is,meaning you can't go of the path, not how many ways you can finish a quests.
Game of the year,yes it may be game of the year but that's more to do with who BioWare are and reputation. If another dev team would of made dragon age origins it would not be getting the hype it is now.
Their are better RPG,even oblivion was not that good,it's the mods that make that game.
The story was a rip off from lotr,at least be original,that's another point about another dev team using lotr story in their RPG,gaming sites would have a fit but BioWare have got away with it.
The fanbois are never far off..........
I've never played one bioware RPG. The main reason is b/c of the EXTREMELY heavy dialogue. I for one am not fond of dialogue being shoved down my throat 24/7. So they all were never played by me. Walls of text= no damn way. Dialogue 24/7 nope. If i want walls of text i'll read a novel. If i want extreme amounts of dialogue i'd go watch some boring flick.
Games shouldn't have walls of text. TES series is still my favorite style of RPGs, Bioware will never even get recognized as decent by me till they learn that 7 novels worth of dialogue doesn't make it a good game.
Of course it is linear! This game is the definition of linear!
How can anyone who has played this game say it is not? Sure there might be different character story arcs, but when you are in an area, you have a path, encounters appear on that path. There are no other options, you can't run off in some rich world and explore some cave off the forced beaten path like oblivion. There is only the beaten path.
Evenj though it is as linear as a game can be, it doesn't attempt to be anything but that, and for what it is, it is really good. There are balancing issues, as in when you figure out the right combinations of classes, spells, tactics and abilities the game can get very easy even on the difficult setting. And it can be damn near impossible if you do not organize yoru tactics, spells and group make up properly. There is a bit too much varience there, but it is a great game, and I am digging it more the more I play it.
It is definately a great game of it's own genre... that is, a game more like NWN2 or /Baldurs gate than Oblivion, which I would put in a completely different genre.
I like Bioware games. I loved Baldur's Gate 2, I enjoyed Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights 1 and even 2, loved Mass Effect but Dragon Age.... I don't know why. I did not quite enjoy this one. It has a really good, if very generic story. I think that's the reason. I had no expectations before playing it, but this game feel so damn generic. It's generic as you can get. It has good characters and story so this redeems it somewhat, but its sore lack of originality just made me sigh. It's like come on Bioware, do you really need to rehash the "unite the elves, dwarves and humans of a medieval fantasy world to destroy the big bad evil before it destroys the world" storyline?
Man there sure are a lot of people posting in this thread that sound like they want a single player RPG to play like an MMOrpg.
I wonder how many of those posters have never PLAYED a single player RPG before? O.o
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
The problem of Dragon Age, Mass Effect, NWN.. is not in its obvious linearity, but in its extreme stupidity and infantility. I guess I'm getting too old for that genre. I still think Baldur's Gate 1, Planescape Torment, Eye of Beholder series, Pool of Radiance were brilliant RPGames. The new console rpg's which are being released are just way off anything I could possibly enjoy. Constantly playing more with the camera view and controls than the actual gameplay makes me sick.
REALITY CHECK
I don't know, alot of people seem to want single player MMO's. Some people I've met ever play MMO's as if they WERE single player...
And the incentive is there - no storyline, no progression through the game.
That being said, I liked Dragon Age: Origins. After having played previous Bioware titles (BG1+2, IWD 1+2, NWN1+2...), much of the gameplay was what I expected it to be based on the info they gave pre-launch. What I expected was something of a blend between BG2 and NWN2, with a skill system similar to a few popular MMO's... and that's what we got.
1.) Loading screens are part and parcel to RPG's, it seems. Not a big deal - I can't think of any RPG I've played that didn't have them in some form.
2.) I liked the storyline. I find it well-written. And you've obviously not played much of the game, if you hold the opinion that its "take 3 steps watch a 5 minute cut scene, fight one mob, watch a 5 minute cut scene". This might be the case for the first two parts of the game (character background and Ostagar), but its definitely not the case later on. There are some really epic battles later on
3.) Linearity was to be expected, as well. Following a set, specific storyline doesn't allow for a very non-linear approach to a game world. While I love (and still play) Oblivion, sometimes it was TOO open ended - there was no real incentive to go and actually do the storyline. With DA:O, you have to do the storyline, which I approve of in an RPG - that's what the games about
4.) Eh, its combat. Genre's running out of room for 'revolutionary'. Aside from that, the tactic slot system is great IMO. by 10 I had enough slots to never have to touch my archer or Morrigan... which is good because, yeah. Micromanagement is boring.
5.) As for DLC's... I hate the things. Completely and honestly... hate them. I find it vastly annoying that any company would expect me to pay between 5-15$ for content that access to a 3DS Max exporter and a game editing toolkit would allow me or the community to easily make ourselves in a few days (if that).
6.) See 4. Also, can't think of any really good classic CRPG's that were only ever just you, other than Daggerfall or maybe Lands of Lore 3, and even then... whats good is a person taste.
No one cares, go play some crappy fps and stfu.
Playing: *sigh* back to WoW
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Waiting for: SW:TOR, APB, WoD
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Played and loved: Eve and WoW
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Played and hated: WoW:WotLK, Warhammer, every single F2P
I loved Dragon Age. I'm about to finish the game for the second time. I cannot wait for some DLC.
-Davorn
I was expecting more from Bioware than elves, dwarves and men banding together to fight Evil. But, when I think about it, the only bioware rpg I liked was kotor, and that was because it was star wars. Granted I only evr played kotor and NWN, never played mass effect, and from what people say, its amazing, but then again, people also say dragon age is amazing, so, I dunno.
Anyway, I just cant get around the fact that lotro already provides all the elven-dwarven-human VS Evil I'll ever need, or want. Also, I didnt like the downloadable content idea either.
If you stand VERY still, and close your eyes, after a minute you can actually FEEL the universe revolving around PvP.
I really enjoy the game. All of my friends enjoy it too.
Maybe you don't like the dark fantasy genre? Maybe you don't like the storyline-type RPG? Maybe you're the anti-hype type (or the one that loves underdog games)?
Loading screens, DLC, ... those are all part of storyline RPG. Just hit escape to skip the dialogues and go if you just wanna fight!
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
If you stand VERY still, and close your eyes, after a minute you can actually FEEL the universe revolving around PvP.
Well not to say they couldn't have picked other races. But to compare the Elves, Dwarves and Humans from LOTRO to DAO is being abit much. Heck the Elves in DAO are nothing like the Elves in LOTRO.
Ultimately all games are XX vs XX and its generally a Good vs Evil debate. Because anyone can always break a problem down to a side being good or evil regardless of the contex its being used in.
DAO was a great entry for a new IP into the RPG realm. I can't wait to see what they plan for expansions as the story left ALOT of room to expand the IP in just about anyway the developers want to go.
The depth of all the characters in the game is insane. Your party members themselfs all have great backgrounds and there own reasions for tagging along with you. Some of them have no issues telling you what they think about how you handled a situation.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1096-Dragon-Age-Origins
Explain how that's dark fantasy? everyone knows it's just fantasy all over again.
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
Its a Dark Fantasy because of the choice that you have to make sometimes means killing people that have done nothing wrong. It is a very dark world in that the evil is taking over and nobody is able to stop it.
Trust me, I played though with all three classes. It is a dark fantasy game for sure.
Sooner or Later
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
Its a Dark Fantasy because of the choice that you have to make sometimes means killing people that have done nothing wrong. It is a very dark world in that the evil is taking over and nobody is able to stop it.
Trust me, I played though with all three classes. It is a dark fantasy game for sure.
Dark fantasy for who? In compare to what? Dark fantasy is Ravenloft. Dragon Age is another generic fantasy really.
REALITY CHECK
I'd say its because you're fighting demons in a blighted, politically corrupted world. You spill blood everywhere, can behead foes, can order prostitutes of your favourite gender, are seen, or see elves as second class citizens... It's less "politically correct", more "horror and gloom".
On the other side, fantasy RPGs that are not "Dark Fantasy" would be Aion, the Final Fantasy serie, or Warcraft (because it's more cartoonish than realistic).
I'd say its because you're fighting demons in a blighted, politically corrupted world. You spill blood everywhere, can behead foes, can order prostitutes of your favourite gender, are seen, or see elves as second class citizens... It's less "politically correct", more "horror and gloom".
On the other side, fantasy RPGs that are not "Dark Fantasy" would be Aion, the Final Fantasy serie, or Warcraft (because it's more cartoonish than realistic).
1. Dragon Age has a cartoony graphics as well
2. In WoW you kill demons.
Is WoW dark fantasy? Hardly. Dark Fantasy is Ravenloft. Dark fantasy could be Witcher. Dark fantasy could be Planescape Torment. Dark fantasy is Vampire: Dark Ages.
REALITY CHECK
Maybe to you..? Perhaps you have been over-exposed to explicit content, which is not surprising in today's gaming standard.
I certainly don't want my kids to play DA:O until I feel they're old enough.
What exactly makes it dark fantasy? cause its what the ads say? take this with a grain of salt because I didnt play it, I just read about it and watched gameplay and cinematic videos, but what kind of features make dragon age "dark fantasy" instead of the boring generic fantasy I think it is?
No hostility here, I just heard the term dark fantasy being branded onto this game, and I wonder exactly why.
Its a Dark Fantasy because of the choice that you have to make sometimes means killing people that have done nothing wrong. It is a very dark world in that the evil is taking over and nobody is able to stop it.
Trust me, I played though with all three classes. It is a dark fantasy game for sure.
Dark fantasy for who? In compare to what? Dark fantasy is Ravenloft. Dragon Age is another generic fantasy really.
Never played Ravenloft but DragonAge is a Dark Fantasy, alot of the choices effect the lives of "NPCs" which make some of your choice very dark in nature. Hense a Dark Fantasy.
Also it is not another generic fantasy game based on the fact that elfs are enslaved by humans and dwarfs are anti social with all but dwarfs. Not your typical fantasy based races.
Also alot of the story is based on demons and demons controlling humans which is very dark in nature.
Sooner or Later
I'd say its because you're fighting demons in a blighted, politically corrupted world. You spill blood everywhere, can behead foes, can order prostitutes of your favourite gender, are seen, or see elves as second class citizens... It's less "politically correct", more "horror and gloom".
On the other side, fantasy RPGs that are not "Dark Fantasy" would be Aion, the Final Fantasy serie, or Warcraft (because it's more cartoonish than realistic).
1. Dragon Age has a cartoony graphics as well
2. In WoW you kill demons.
Is WoW dark fantasy? Hardly. Dark Fantasy is Ravenloft. Dark fantasy could be Witcher. Dark fantasy could be Planescape Torment. Dark fantasy is Vampire: Dark Ages.
WoW does not have demons controlling little kids and forcing you to choose to either kill the demon and/or the kids as well.
WoW does not give you the chooce to kill an injuried person or let them live.
DragonAge is a dark fantasy game basied on everything I have seen while playing the game. It is alot darker then Fable and Witcher.
Sooner or Later