9 replies to this topic

[Stardusk]

http://www.eurogamer...ge-ii-interview

[Thandal]

Thanks for the link, Stardusk! Good interview. I can certainly agree with much of what was said, both by Mr. Laidlaw and by some who have not been as favourable toward the game as he might have liked...

[jim_uk]

Maybe if Mr. Laidlaw had a look at his own forums he'd know why there is so much negativity, that's if the posts are not locked and "disappeared" with minutes of them being made.

[Thandal]

I've seen lots of "locked" threads on the BSN. Except in the cases of the duplicates being shut-down with a pointer to another, earlier one, it was invariably because people started attacking other people, or saying nothing more than "this is crap". Saying it once, seems to be fine. Continuing to say it without adding any more to the discussion... isn't. (And would likely get the same reaction from the Staff here.)

There are certainly plenty of topics on the BSN filled with posts of negative opinions and complaints about the games themeselves, or technical problems getting them working.

Having been allowed to moderate THESE forums for a little while, I can also say that the ones that just "disappear" probably had foul language and/or other legally actionable material in them that BioWare is REQUIRED to remove.

[jim_uk]

I was looking at a website today that claimed 40 were locked in a very short space of time, some I saw locked last night were constructive. The change over there is quite staggering, pre-release you couldn't raise any concerns without being jumped on by an army of fanboys, now the pitchfork waving mob have taken over.

What annoyed me the most was Laidlaws suggestion that the negativity is coming from people who don't like change, surely he understands that you will have problems when that change is a change for the worse, you're very unlikely to find many in this world who don't like change when it's for the better. The very fact that he's doing these interviews so shortly after release speaks volumes, it's a damage limitation exercise.

[Liquidacid23]

if I was a BW mod I'd lock and delete them too.. I mean those game forums are there to cater to the players and such .. I'm sure BW doesn't pay for those servers to hold storage for people venting in 10000 different threads about a game they claim to despise yet can't seem to stop posting about.. I could see all those random over inflated hate threads flooding out thread that people playing the game actually wanna read

I'm all for expressing your opinion but when I don't like a game I stop playing it, maybe make one post detailing why I didn't enjoy it and then move on .. I just don't get these kids who say they hate it but then sit on the games forum arguing with people about why it's a bad game for weeks

and this

", surely he understands that you will have problems when that change is a change for the worse, you're very unlikely to find many in this world who don't like change when it's for the better."

I thought the change was for the better.. but that's just my opinion as it is others that it was for the worse so that argument doesn't really hold up either way you go since it's basically arguing over something that is subjective.. which only leads to more arguing then insulting , flaming and the rest because you know civility always gives way on the internet..

Edited by Liquidacid23, 11 March 2011 - 07:13 PM.

[SaKaToX]

Taking sides on this topic is just plain stupid. We don't need to choose where we stand to look at the facts and summarize that we like the game or not.

One side is about hating how they watered down everything that is rpg and made it a handheld railroad-rpg with almost no choice (Leaf-Mask-Judge + Angel/Sarcastic/Evil comes to mind..). Those choices you have don't really mean squat when you look at the big picture, it's still something framed by Varric, the liar no less.

On the side, we have the console peasants, the fps kiddies, the casual gamers, etc.(List is very long) and all the BioWare exclusive... uh... "product" eaters, that like their product extra smelly and swirly. They welcome the change because a normal rpg is too hard for them. Hell, even Origins was a generic stroll down the boring avenue, nothing groundbreaking.

I am doing a list of things that i don't like and a whole playthrough of the game with several characters just to see everything happening that i want to see, i'll post again when i'm finished with the first playthrough. Right now, i'm annoyed to and back from hell because of the bad voiceacting in places (Like Hawke's mother, when Bethany died.. no emotion just oh no sob sob forced in), Fenris a brooding elf that has emo hair and white hair, also a bisexual one(Hardly a surprise), Anders that got made into a lolwatbisexualKARL brooding apostate mage that hates templars.

Fenris and Anders are like polar opposites, but they in fact really are not. Fenris has lyrium in his veins, Anders has a fade spirit went demon in his head. Both reassuring about their complaints about every single thing that has to do with Magic or Templars or Magic or Templars... did i forget to mention templars and mages?

This whole forced Templar/Mage quarrel is just ugh. Like they couldn't think of anything else, bring out the MAGIC EXISTS TO SERVE MAN, AND NEVER TO RULE OVER HIM. Seems like a religious game with a mage side, so that everyone can have their fun. They should rename Andraste the pope and we would be having a real life medieval rpg. Bah, i'm rambling.

Merrill is gigglesqueeeCUTElolwut keeper's first little bloodmage, Carver is simply dull.

The dialogue wheel and the paraphrasing is limiting everything from choice to simple lines.
The darkspawn are so deep and edgy and gory and grimdark, i wonder why they aren't bald yet... wait, the Ogres are.

THE OGRES. Don't get me started on the forced choice of Bethany/Carver, that was the stupidest thing in the whole world.
They had THREE capable fighters, one/two mages and one/two warriors. Two mages + One Warrior sounds like everyone surviving, but no, BETHANY HAS TO DIE BECAUSE DERP, WE WANT IT TO BE DEEP AND EDGY, and it's a BioWare Cliché to have atleast one person die every hour, excluding the enemies you face in combat.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Paint me an idiot or call me one, but i think this reeks of badly done stuff and badly done change. I don't have a problem with the new map, i like it very much, i just wish there was more than just simply one city and a few outside areas, oh well... what to expect from a rushed game?

My point is: I'm with the haters on this one, i'd rate it a 0/10 if i could, but it still has some rpg elements. However, that still doesn't mean it's Dragon Age or an RPG.
Dragon Age Origins and Awakening was dull and boring, but rpg. Dragon Age 2 is HACKNSLUSH and buttonmashing and everything boobies.

Back on the news:
Isn't this the same person that said the autoattack feature is not in the console version because they missed the AUTOATTACK FILE?! If so, i won't believe a single word he says. No one is that stupid to buy that load of .... yes, that.

Edited by SaKaToX, 11 March 2011 - 08:16 PM.

[sacredtrojanblade]

Mike Laidlaw has different view of what constitute RPG. I remembered, in one interview, he mentioned that people role-play GTA without realizing it. He was working on console version of DA: O when former lead designer left BioWare. So I won't be surprised if he advocates simplicity, action oriented and "when you press a button, something awesome happens." He seem to be influenced more by JRPG then classic RPG. I guess his "modern RPG" concept is Interactive Cinematic Action Adventure Game as he claims, "I'd much rather make a game that challenges people and doesn't just rest on its laurels." So I expect more and more "streamlined" in coming Bioware's games.

[LadyMilla]

I think people who display negativity are basically worried that Dragon Age is headed in this direction.

http://uploads.ungrounded.net/495000/495903_PressSpaceRPG.swf

Originally posted at: Super Press Space to Win RPG

[Viperswhip]

Heh, that was fantastic. I actually enjoyed it more than the DA2 Demo!