10 replies to this topic

[KrunkFu]

first before i get anyone mad, i think DA2 was a good game.. but only half of what DA:O was. looking at it as if it was a standalone game and not a sequel, it would have been great. but i expected it to be what dragon age origins was with an upgraded combat system and better graphics. anyways heres the main issues i believe were in DA2

1. Companions - Cant change armor. Not near as much... "chattabily" with them.
2. Communication - Instead of thinking of the right choice, you get 3 obvious ones. 1 Good, 2 funny/normal 3. Rude/cruel
3. Campaign - MUCH more linear.
4. Quests - VERY boring. Feels like grinding quests from an MMO like world of warcraft, just with voice acting. (not counting the few main quests that had to do with the story) and i actually felt like not finishing the game with the endless side quests in this same city.
5. Combat - Was obviously made for consoles, it went from RPG like to god of war like. Which makes it much more fun to play on consoles.
6. Armor - Very few armors in the game that aren't the exact same. (most of them are just recolored)
7. Story - Dull and doesn't pull you into the story and make you feel as if you are a part of it.
8. Character creation - DA2, male or female. DA:O, male human, male dwarf, male elf. female human, female elf, female dwarf. And those choices get different story options for each selection. for example you can be a noble dwarf or a common dwarf.

all that was just off the top of my head. so do you think DA3 will combine DA:O's great storyline with DA2's revamped combat to make a great game? or will it be DA2 with a new storyline? if so will you purchase?

[Tair]

5. Combat - Was obviously made for consoles, it went from RPG like to god of war like. Which makes it much more fun to play on consoles.

Responsive, reactive, visceral combat is obviously made for consoles. Right. "Obviously," games with similar combat systems like WoW were originally designed for consoles, too.

In DA: O, mage animations made them look geriatric. Male melee types ran around with hunched backs. I'd really love to talk to the art director that approved that.

I don't see how dramatically reduced combat speeds and cripplingly slow reaction speeds make a combat system feel more "RPG like." It's not stop-motion, turn-based combat like Etrian Odyssey, but the same exact basic elements of classic RPG combat are there if you're willing to adapt.

I won't argue that DA 2's combat system has flaws that inhibit its potential (hello, Healing Aura and Panacea), but with a bit of modding, DA 2's combat system is one of the most dynamic and fluid systems I've ever seen. Yet, if you still want it to, it holds onto core RPG elements and strategies. It all depends on your comp, your tactics, and your approach.

Writing it off as being "obviously made for consoles" is up there with similar platitudes like "X game is too linear" in terms of legitimate criticism.

Edited by Tair, 07 May 2011 - 05:10 AM.

[brokenergy]

No, because what you perceive as flaws may not be flaws to BioWare.

1. If you ever checked up you log books, you can see that DA2 companions have the same amount of "chattyness" as Origins. It's only more spread out than click everything after you leave Lothering. I also disagree with changing companion armour, your playing a RPG not a Sim. They should expand with that idea and work more with it.

2. Have you seen the responses for Origins, it's basicly the same just with no icons.

3. All games have linear stories.

4. The quests are better structured than Origins but still has the same flaws as Origins.

5. What Tair said.

6. That's the same thing as Origins.

7. Maybe if you checked the story a little more, you would have realised how DA2 was massive a departure from BioWare's usual stories. The story is much better than Origins but still comes to taste (i.e some people hated Origins too).

8. All Origins end at Ostagar and after that, it ends up being the same just with little changes like "you elf!" or "you dwarf", it was nothing more than cosmetic for "RPG" fans to feel better about. Where as in DA2, it was more consistant and didn't had to deal with short crusted variables. You'll never going to see something like Origins ever again (thank the Maker).

Overall all the points that you mentioned are nothing but half-way points which can be argued for hours on both sides. Just because you didn't like them, doesn't mean that others though the same. I have many ideas into what BioWare can do with DA3 but overall must first sentence summarise it up. I could go into more detail if I wanted too but I chose not to deal with these types of issues anymore. And considering that you decided to call everyone who enjoyed DA2 as mentally ill in another thread, I'll probably just leave it at that.

[Halororor]

1. Companions - Cant change armor. Not near as much... "chattabily" with them.

That's not an issue, it's a matter of taste. I preferred not having to manage my teammates' armor.

4. Quests - VERY boring. Feels like grinding quests from an MMO like world of warcraft, just with voice acting. (not counting the few main quests that had to do with the story) and i actually felt like not finishing the game with the endless side quests in this same city.

Oh, and running through a dungeon that stretches on endlessly, killing about a thousand enemies before reaching your objective isn't considered grinding?

5. Combat - Was obviously made for consoles, it went from RPG like to god of war like. Which makes it much more fun to play on consoles.

Once again you assume your opinion = an issue with the game. I played on PC and i much preferred DA2's combat to DA:O's combat,as it was at least something to look at, instead of just my mage standing there, pointing his staff at an enemy repeatedly and hurling a spell every once in a while.

6. Armor - Very few armors in the game that aren't the exact same. (most of them are just recolored)

Err, and Dragon Age Origins was the game with the biggest selection of armors ever? Most of the melee armors looked alike until the much later levels of the game and for mages you had two choices, either the earthly colored canary look, or the bightly colored canary look.

7. Story - Dull and doesn't pull you into the story and make you feel as if you are a part of it.

Did for me. I didn't feel like I was playing 'Generic save the world fantasy game number 2035' like I did in DA:O.

all that was just off the top of my head. so do you think DA3 will combine DA:O's great storyline with DA2's revamped combat to make a great game? or will it be DA2 with a new storyline? if so will you purchase?

DA:O's great story? What, you mean 'oh noes, monsters have arrived to kill us all. Now a lone hero must save the entire world/land/galaxy'. Nah, if they did another story like that, I'd probably give it a miss.

[Raydric]

DA:O's great story? What, you mean 'oh noes, monsters have arrived to kill us all. Now a lone hero must save the entire world/land/galaxy'. Nah, if they did another story like that, I'd probably give it a miss.

Haha I soo much agree on this one.

I think DA2 was a cool game. I actually liked the story, and loved the ending. It felt way more epic then DAO.

The companions armor, I actually liked a different approach this time aswell. in DAO i spent hours managing my items and gearing all my characters the best way. In DA2 I still did spent hours beceause the inventory doens't allow you to properly manage items. Maybe the new companion armor does need a little tweek tho. Maybe where u can slightly influence to look of your companions armor based on decissions involving you companion evolving within the story? (sorry for that sentence).

[billyro]

You LIKED the ending?! I thought it sucked. I felt really empty, like I learnt nothing from the whole game. Nothing afterwards, just locked up in your house...

I don't know about companion armour. In Origins, I just stole all the best pieces for myself, and gave my companions what was second best. It's good having choices.
As for talking to companions, ruined compared to Origins. DAO lets you talk about heaps of stuff, and you can control the conversation. In DA2, you can only talk to companions the way the game is made. Ands if you have already talked to them, they just say a random thing. "Did I mention that I don't really like it here?". What's fun about a companion who just says that all the time?

Usually just three talking options, sometimes you pick one and the character says something you didn't intend, can't say something particular, basic stuff like that.

[brokenergy]

You do realise that the whole point of the game was Hawke's rise to power not the mage and Templar conflict. The mage/Templar conflict was nothing more than side step from the entire game.

[Tair]

You do realise that the whole point of the game was Hawke's rise to power not the mage and Templar conflict.

This. I'm still confused as to why some players can't understand that DA 2 was clearly used as prepositioning element.

Edited by Tair, 15 May 2011 - 07:31 AM.

[Thandal]

You do realise that the whole point of the game was Hawke's rise to power not the mage and Templar conflict.

This. I'm still confused as to why some players can't understand that DA 2 was clearly used as prepositioning element.

^^This^^ some more.

The "ending" is not the battle with the Big Boss(es). It's that Cassandra and Sister Nightingale (no spoilers ) are desperately looking for her/him, but even Varric doesn't know where the Champion is!

[HayleyOfTheFunk]

1. Companions - I agree, I quite enjoyed pimping my companions and chatting to them.
2. Communication - I didn't mind about this too much, but it did make it all to simple, there's like...no trail and error
3. Campaign - It was more linear..it more or less pointed out where EXACTLY you had to go, and there wasn't very much adventure.


6. Armor - Very few armors in the game that aren't the exact same. (most of them are just recolored)
7. Story - Dull and doesn't pull you into the story and make you feel as if you are a part of it.
8. Character creation - I was a bit gutted about this, but it wasn't a major deal for me.

ROMANCE!!! This needs major working at. I feel deceived by the lack of it or even being dumped in like a couple of seconds (yes Fenris, you) lol