New video for Dragon Age 2

[Retribution]

http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/07/30/dragon-age-2-team-discusses-story-combat-and-hawke.aspx

[brokenergy]

So PC remains the same in terms of gameplay and the Free Marches is like the Greek city-states where anyone can strike rich? Interesting although they having talked much about the story though.

[Retribution]

No, both the PC and console versions are much more fluid. Party members respond quickly to your commands, instead of you telling them to go attack an enemy, and when they get there, the enemy is already gone. That happened to me quite a bit in Origins. Attacks are also faster. No more of characters slashing with their swords, waiting, slashing again, etc. The changes to the console version make it more like an action game, I believe, even though combat is very similar. I mean, the controls are different. I think that's the main difference.

[brokenergy]

Yeah but basically the the tactical aspect of the game remains for PC (which is what I love most about cRPG's) and the classes are getting a makeover, which is great as there was no difference between warriors and rouges to begin with. I'm starting to get really into DA2 but I'll try not to get carried away with the hype. I hope they put better loot in DA2 this time.

[Retribution]

So far everything about Dragon Age 2 seems better than its counterpart in Origins, except for the fact that you can't play as your Warden, and the dialog wheel. The voiced main character can't really be compared to Origins, as there's no way for The Warden to ever be voiced.

[danscott84]

So, DA meets ME (combat) meets Half-Life (NPC story telling results of past events) meets Elder Scrolls series (DA exploring a different part of the world with each new game). Not so interested in this. It sounds to me that they are not sure exactly where to go, so they are taking clues from other successful games to continue on with DA. I smell EA really at work here. Promise a lot and deliver about half.

[Jonnywah]

Knowing that the PC version of Dragon Age 2 is keeping the tactical combat system, opposed to a more hacknslash system is a huge sigh of relief. From what they have spoken about, it seems pretty interesting and I'm intrigued to find out more on how the story in Dragon Age 2 develops as you play.

[Retribution]

The console version is still tactical, I believe they just control differently.

[VGfallout]

hmm, pretty vague all-around, it was like generic descriptions and nothing of real importance was revealed

 

you know those fortune cookies? "in order for one to move ahead, he must not look back" it's like yeah carrot-top, i get it, tell me tech specs at least

 

my hopes

 

a.) do not use the same engine + a few extras which bioware is infamous for doing with its sequels, though forgivable, visual aspect is nearly as critical in appeal for game play in a game as wealthy as dao is regarding time spent in cinematics/dialogue - lighting system desperately needs overhaul, the 4x4 square lighting radius is painfully ugly

b.) animations, new animations, animations, animations & animations. don't let me catch idle npcs or conversation hand gestures/body language....please biowizzle!

3.) do not recycle party members from dao to make "special appearances" which are nothing more than convenient "fillers" that can be counted as "interesting content", etc (sort of like wrex or useless liara in mass effect 2)

c.) do not anger me

 

it's too early to tell, hopefully they won't drop the ball with this...you never know. seems like they're trying to water-down the effects of bold decisions that are alien to original format, starting with player voice...i mean who knows

 

look, if it's good, we shall welcome the title with open arms and waste endless hours of our lives enjoying the experience, if it ends up blowin a major one....wouldn't be a shocking disappointment but would certainly put a nasty stain on their reputation not to mention Murdering this franchise title by crapping on its original fans + original format which has been proven to work, obviously

 

companies, devs, ceos, random douchers - seems when any living entity is at the top of their game, whether the individual or an entire organization...the "hunger", motivation, the original source of fuel for the creative drive that brought success in the first place is immediately vaporized - more risks are willing to be made, gambles..."it'll work...i mean i think it should...well..i hope it does"

 

thats why in most cases, the first movie is usually the best one and so forth. only those who stay true to the original template, improving upon it only where applicable are the successful follow ups. in movies and games alike.. empire strikes back, mass effect 2 or ass. creed 2, name your pick

 

what does this have to do with anything?

 

well, mass effect 2 for example took some minor risks - knowing damned well they'd be forgivable in the event of the worst case scenario, the implementation of "clips" for weapon sys., or the "dumbed down UI" & removal of "loot" and sorting through endless inventory, they didn't introduce something so foreign it risked ruining or altering the main experience/game play style even if frowned upon. look & feel remained true to the original for the most part

 

with dao, this is certainly not the case as far as the main character. we'll name him shepard for the sake of being snobby. to my understanding, we're forced to be human, that's fine, i didnt care much for elves and dwarfs in DAO until much later down the road when i got sick of being a noble. not to mention my character wasnt a commander shepard. another thing is that many many many fans loved the elves and love them in general regardless of the world they're in, one would think they'd consider how limiting the plot to commander shepard would sit with these folks. while very few users will miss being dwarfs, safe to say the dwarven origin in the slums became my 2nd favorite intro,,.. nearly..10 months or so after i bought the game. the only mistake they made with dwarfs was their bodies and features, extra monkey armage....fat faces...etc. had they been even one foot taller the short, flat, fat, wide monkey-men image could have been far more agreeable to the human eye. who cares.

 

removing "origins" is a major change - but fine, i'll take it so long as the original :feel" is there. still my character talking...woah now, that might put a negative limp in certain fans' pimp strolls, in my case, i found the "silent character: to be ideal...dont know why, i just like it better. my imagination put a voice to the dialogue choice, etc. here...we're forced to adopt this transparently foreign dialogue system for better or worse. is that even a risk worth taking? is this a decision made to save work-hours involved in coherent continuity...or is it a genuine attempt at enhancing immersion & dialogue system, or is it both + shortening time requirements of development for a real business solution-style 2 birds with one stone...and a pigeon

 

assuming i'm not under the wrong impression and that commander shepard will indeed assume command of the main character...i seriously hope it is done in a tasteful manner, producing the effect that they're aiming for, if not...well...there is no If, we're stuck with it

 

just make sure you include the sdk & match the re-playability (with all...one origin(s)..?) , don't let us down cause we love your products and you love our money. try not to follow your corp master's advice this time around...for your own sake my beloved biowizzle. releasing "DLC" items your bosses nephew made in the (fully functional) toolset as an actual release...instead of a free coupon that you'd get with a 2 liter coke.

 

and respectfully...please do not omit key features from the sdk, would the cut-scene editor's preview-in game function really have posed that much of a hassle to include, and if not, would at least removing the "gray'd out" menu option been so much trouble..what we dont know wont hurt us...rather than teasing us with a preview of the superior convenient version of the toolset you got to use? not a big deal to the casual gamer i suppose - but ask one of the cutscene contributing guru's around here if they think its worth mentioning, yeah exactly.

 

we love you bio, but don't get too comfortable for this love is very conditional & so is our willingness to provide your continued survival ($) ;]

p.s. thank you for 1.04, thank you for restoring/reverting dao build/client to its original fully functioning state, i am very satisfied with its current condition!!

 

walks away casually, satisfied after venting

 

edited for gramer, spellengs & other attrocities

Edited July 31, 2010 by veteran_gamer

[brokenergy]

The reason that it is out so quick Vet is that they are using the same engine, like they always have (ME2 uses the same engine as ME). I hope it has the same re-playability as Origins and the story is good (in fact better than Origins). There are new animations but I'm kind of with Dan, BW is not giving much away and it sounds like a muddled mess at the moment but we don't know much about the PC gameplay or the story (it sounds like BW took inspiration from the Princess Bride with the narration thing) and until that is revealed I'll reserve my judgment.